Franklin County: William Tell Barnitz to the
Pennsylvania Daily Telegraph, April 8, 1863
Summary:
Barnitz tells about a naval expedition that failed when the steamer Thomas
Collier ran aground in the Pamlico Sound. The expedition was intended to move
troops to reinforce General Foster at Washington, North Carolina.
Editor, Pennsylvania Daily Telegraph
April 8, 1863.
NEWBERN, N.C.
Our Brigade -- Spinola's Keystone -- seems doomed to labors and trials that fall to the lot of but few in this army corps, but a few days intervening between expeditions by sea or land, that are either perilous or most fatiguing, and this is owing to the fact, I am informed, that our term of service expires soon; hence the next three months we will be a brigade mobile indeed. Well, we had returned from our second expedition to Pollocksville, as detailed in my last; had enjoyed the mellow warblings of the spring birds and the soft, balmy sunshine several fine spring mornings; had innocently entertained a notion that several days, perhaps weeks of uninterrupted repose, a delicious season to expend in communing with our loved ones at home, and the newspapers, the two chief sources of pleasure the soldier wots of - when a "solitary horseman" came dashing over the bridge with an envelope half as long as his arm sticking out of his bosom. I say to my Lieut., "Sammy, the jig's up!" My neighbor, the Captain, scratches his head, and takes a mouthful of -- beard! I command by dark, "Attention, Fry mush and fish immediately!" Things fry through the camp generally. Marching orders! Ten day's rations! Start off at four o'clock, Sunday of course. The sky is filled with dark and lowering clouds. Rain is always accompanied with high winds here. It begins to rain; the storm king begins to bellow furiously, as if maddened by our desecration of the Sabbath. In the rain, in the storm, with gloomy feelings or savage desires to see these betinselled Generals in -- well, an unreasonably uncomfortable quarter for a short time, we slide through the mud to the WHARF. Ah! that will do! A splendid steamer, the Thos. Collier, receives us on her capacious decks; and off she steams, spurning the desceding torrents, the heavy wafts of Notus blowing defiance in her very eyes, and the lowering heavens, thick with portends dire. All went well till we reached the mouth of the Neuse, Where AEolus seems free to involve all his rebellious prisoners at once; and now they seemed to be on a perfect swell. Our good ship heading northward, received the dashing waves tumbling inward from the sea, star-board, which set her to rolling violently. I must here mention, as the proper place, that the Col. unsealed his orders, and announced that we were to sail for Washington N.C., to re-enforce Gen. Foster. Well, the fury of the storm increased with the approach of night, and the rain poured down with redoubled fury; the rolling of the boat began to affect the men -- Jonah was cast up on every side; sighs and groans and bitter complaining were heard from many a poor fellow. Oh! horrid the feeling! Every roll of the boat is like a fresh pill to a sick man. Utterly reckless you care not whether you live or die, for there is no relief. The sufferers lay stretched on the decks, heedless of orders or duties, knowing only their misery and deploring their sad fate. Little did they reck of the terrors, leaping like sea-waifs just then on the bow of the boat! for in the darkness, in the rain, in the general distress, the ship had unaccountably gotten out of the channel, having drifted several miles seaward, and now behold! the cry is heard the boat's aground! In vain the engineer applies more steam, reverses motion, changes the position of the men, H.H.; hard and fast she sticks amidship, bow and stern rocking! It was nine o'clock, night -- storm increasing and hurling wave after wave upon the doomed vessel. Finding it impossible to dislodge the ship, the Captain commanded our rations to be thrown overboard; barrels of pork, beef, coffee, sugar, vinegar, whisky, their heads driven in, were given to the waves, and thousands of pounds of "Hard Tack," candles, etc., were scattered on the waters, which, day having dawned, we saw ravenously snatched up by the immense flocks of seagulls, gathering in from all quarters, warbling in mockery of our terrible situation. Thirty tons of coal were now cast overboard; the boiler pipes, the last hope, were opened, and all the water, about forty tons, drawn off; and still no relief!
With every blow of the rapidly striking waves the timbers of the vessel creaked, and gave way, and the flooring of the cabin would raise four inches! Signal guns were fired from the deck; schooners would come in sight, but fearing to approach the treacherous shoals, would sail away again. At noon the Captain declared that if not relieved in eight hours the ship would fall to pieces. The colonel asked for volunteers to attempt a return to Newbern for succor; Lieuts. Stover and Beaver offered themselves. At two o'clock, with the pilot they gave themselves to the waves. With an extemporised sail, the little boat fairly flew before the storm. With what anxiety we watched her as she danced from crest to crest, by times -- scarcely visible through the mist. We had great confidence in the cool bravery of the Lieutenants; and our only hope of escape from the perils environing us being in their success, we never doubted their safe arrival at Newbern. By 9 o'clock, evening, they presented their dispatch at headquarters, having traveled sixty miles in six hours. Meanwhile we lay sick and suffering on the Collier, still rolling and receiving the stoutest blows of Neptune infuriate. Another night of terrors and due apprehensions is passed. Here a few are praying earnestly for deliverance, thinking of Paul's troubles when shipwrecked; there a little band are singing hymns, while others stand and look with unblushed brows, determined to meet their fate like heroes. Amid the howlings of the storm signal guns were still fired and signal lights displayed; all was vain! Toward morning all was still, save the raving elements; each communed with his own thoughts; there was no jollity. Every wave dashing against the ship stirred the very heart's blood, for the ship was expected to break asunder and bestow her living freight to the naiads of the Sound! Morning broke once more; thank God, exclaimed everyone. Oh! how anxiously we looked toward Neuse river for the expected succor! How wearily the hours passed. Night was again approaching. Are they not coming? was asked, oh, how often! Now the storm begins to abate. A sail! is shouted. They are coming at last. She comes on, but oh, she passed by, loaded with soldiers. But there! another comes in view; she stops and receives us! Oh, what a weight of suspense is removed. Now we sail toward our destination. We reach Pamlico river next morning. Arriving within six miles of Washington, we are suddenly brought to by the announcement that the rebs had planted batteries along the shore that would destroy us. We cast anchor. The gunboats are sent for; they arrive next day; attack the batteries without being able to make the least impression. They fear to run the gauntlet; for while floundering about, the rebs erect more batteries in such positions as to thoroughly command the channels. We came home to-day. To-night at one o'clock we start back by land. General Foster is in imminent danger of being taken. If we are not re- enforced at this place soon, farewell to North Carolina.
W.T.B
P.S. Drafted men hav'nt seen the paymaster yet!
