February, 1862.

CHAPTER IV.

ROANOKE ISLAND.

S soon as we had anchored at some distance from the Eastern Queen, we were formed in line aft, on the quarter deck, and introduced to Captain Flusser, commanding this boat. He addressed us in a few words to the effect that in our new position as marines aboard this gunboat, it was expected that we would do our duty, and he hoped he should have the pleasure of rendering a good report of us when we were discharged from this detached service and returned to our regiment. We were then dismissed and sent forward to our quarters.

Captain Flusser was a man of about thirty or thirty-five years of age, slight in build, with a pale, stern countenance, with but very few words, and never a smile for any one; a man who seemed to brood over some deep-seated trouble or affliction, and who kept within himself, seldom mingling with the other officers, and seldom outside his cabin except for exercise or on duty; courageous to a degree of foolhardiness, we foresaw that under his command we should be likely to get close-handed with the enemy. whenever the opportunity offered.

His lieutenant, Mr. Thomas, was as far to the other extreme nearly or quite six feet in height, and broad in pro

portion, with a big red nose and florid face, indicating a strong appetite for gin. Grouty, ugly, and cowardly, he was at last dismissed the service in disgrace some time after we left the boat.

There were also master's mates, and other petty officers, more or less imbued with importance, gauged to the size of their shoulder straps.

On the 19th of March, 1864, Captain Flusser, then in command of two wooden gunboats, attempted the foolhardy venture of sinking the ironclad rebel Albermarle, and, as a result, his vessel was sunk and himself killed.

After our introduction to Captain Flusser, as above stated, we stowed our traps away in the room assigned for them, and immediately went aft to a large wooden tank called the scuttle butt. This was filled with fresh water for the use of the ship's crew. It was the first clean fresh drinking water we had seen since leaving Annapolis, and we drank our fill of it. We were then divided into watches, the ship's crew forming the first watch, and the rest of us the second and third watches. This steamer formerly plied as a ferry-boat in some of the northern ports, and was a double-ender. She was plated on the sides with half-inch iron, and was provided fore and aft with swing plates that could be swung outside her guards in time of action, leaving her decks clear for gun work.

Her armament consisted of two one hundred-pound shell guns, one mounted on the forward deck, and the other aft, besides a full supply of ammunition, cutlasses, revolvers, boarding pikes and axes, grappling irons, etc.

We slept in hammocks swung from the cross beams in the gangway amidships.

Our food consisted of salt beef, pork, beans, and hardtack. We were also allowed a quantity of flour which was made into "duff" twice a week. Lobscouse was also served up now and then.

At seven bells, or half-past 6 o'clock in the morning, and at seven bells, or at half-past 11 at noon, the "Jack o' the dust" appeared at the scuttle butt, aft, with his pail of grog, and the "bos'n" piped all hands to "splice the main brace," after which, with an appetite sharpened by the sea air and healthy exercise, we could devour our pork and bread with a good relish.

Our duties ran something like the following:

At the sound of the boatswain's whistle each man is expected to give his attention and listen to the order which is to follow, and which is uttered in the well-known drawling, sing-song tones of an old man-of-war's man.

At four bells in the morning,- that is four strokes upon the ship's bell,— or 6 o'clock, after one or two long blasts upon the bos'n's whistle, the cry is sounded, “Down all hammocks," and we tumble out lively, dress, unlash our hammocks, and stow them away in their proper places.

Five bells strikes, and "Holystone decks" is the call. Then commences the disagreeable work of scrubbing and washing down decks. This lasts nearly an hour. Brooms, pails, and swabs are brought into requisition. Everything is wet and cold, and everybody disgusted.

Seven bells, and the call is sounded, "Splice the main. brace." Now we look alive. No hiding or shirking now. Every man is found promptly in his place, and anxious to be foremost in his duty.

Eight bells, 8 o'clock, "Breakfast" is called, for which we are allowed one hour.

Two bells, 9 o'clock, "Gun's crew to clean bright work" resounds through the ship, and those composing the crew of each gun go to work under the supervision of a petty officer, to polish more brightly the brass work of the

gun.

An hour's drill at the guns, and seven bells again strikes.

The "main brace" needs splicing, after which dinner call is sounded.

With the exception of an hour's drill at the guns in the afternoon, the time is spent in various ways, or in getting the ship ready for any action for which she may be called.

At three bells, or half-past 5 P. M., supper is called. At four bells, or 6 o'clock, the "dog watch" is set. At five bells, or half-past 6, "Up all hammocks." We take our hammocks from the "chest" and lash them in their proper places below, and the rest of the evening is spent by those not on watch in spinning yarns, singing, smoking, etc. This was the only time we were allowed to smoke, and were obliged to light our pipes from a lantern that was lit and hung in the gangway for that purpose, none of us being allowed to carry matches.

At seven bells, or half-past 7, we begin to retire, and at eight bells, or 8 o'clock, the call is sounded, "Put out all lights, pipes, and cigars," and every man not on watch is required to be in his hammock, quiet reigns over the ship, and swinging in our comfortable beds, as the boat gently rolls with the sea, we are rocked to sleep as sweetly as in the days of our babyhood.

At each succeeding bell through the night the watch on post is required to sing out the number of his post, time of night and state of affairs, commencing with No. 1. At the stroke of five bells, for instance, the watch cries, "Post No. 1, half-past 10, and all's well," and so on, to the last post, which is situated in front of the captain's quarters, thus assuring him of the safety of the ship at each half hour of the night.

At eight bells, midnight, the second watch relieves the first, and at eight bells again, or 4 o'clock, the morning watch, composed of those who held the "dog-watch" the evening before, relieves the second.

At four bells, 6 o'clock, the bos'n's whistle sounds through the ship, starting all to go forward in the duties of another day.

Cleanliness of food, quarters, and clothing, was strictly enjoined. One half-hour before serving each meal, the ship's cook was obliged to carry to the captain a portion of each article cooked. This the captain inspected by tasting himself of it, and if he considered it good and healthy, it was served out to the crew. If he found it otherwise, it was ordered to be thrown overboard and better food furnished.

Punishments for offenses sometimes occurred, one mode of punishment being the "trice and guncap." It consisted in having the two thumbs tied together tightly with a rope yarn. A rope was then passed over a beam, and the whole body was hoisted till the toes just touched the deck, the whole weight of the body hanging by the thumbs. To drown the sufferer's cries of torture, a black canvas bag, called the guncap, was drawn over the head and fastened down. Thus he was left to hang as long as his sentence permitted, or his strength held out, sometimes two hours, or even longer. This mode of punishment was so severe that the men often, while enduring it, fainted dead away. One of our men was thus fastened up one day, and fainted before he had hung five minutes. He was let down, restored to consciousness, and hauled up again. Again he fainted from the fearful torture, and was taken down, ironed, and cast into the "dark hole" below decks, to live on bread and water for so long a time. Other modes of punishment were used, but were lighter and more humane, such as walking the deck, loss of grog, confinement in the dark hole, etc. To be sure discipline must be observed in every branch of the service, but this mode of "tricing up" must be classed among those barbarous pun