THE UNITED STATES STEAMER CHATAUQUA.
Somers had served in several vessels, but never before had he gone on
board his ship with a heavier responsibility resting upon him, than when
he took his station on the deck of the Chatauqua. He was now a ward-room
officer, and as such he would be required to keep a watch, and be in
command of the deck. But in addition to his professional duties, he had
in his keeping valuable but dangerous information, of which he must make
a judicious use.
The young officer was perfectly familiar with the routine of his duties.
He knew the ship from stem to stern, and from keel to truck. He felt
entirely at home, therefore, and hoped soon to merit the approbation of
his superiors. He was formally presented to Captain Cascabel and the
other officers of the ship. He was kindly and cordially greeted by all.
Mr. Pillgrim, as acting first lieutenant, proceeded at once to make out
the watch, quarter, and station bill; and, whatever his political
principles, it must be confessed that he performed this difficult duty
with skill and judgment.
Every day, until the ship sailed, the crew were exercised at the guns,
and in all the evolutions required for carrying on ship's duty, from
"fire stations" to piping down the hammocks. They made the usual
proficiency, and were soon in condition to work together--to handle the
ship in a tornado, or to meet an enemy. On the fourth day, when Mr.
Pillgrim was superseded by Mr. Hackleford, who was appointed in the
place of Mr. Waldron, everything was in an advanced stage of progress.
The Chatauqua was a screw steam sloop of war, of the first class. She
carried ten guns, and was about fourteen hundred tons burden. Her
complement of officers and men was about two hundred and fifty,
including forty-two attached to the engineer's department. The ship was
a two-decker. On the upper or spar deck was placed her armament,
consisting of two immense pivot guns and eight broadside guns.
Below this was the berth deck, on which all the officers and men ate and
slept. The after part was appropriated to the officers, and the forward
part to the men. The former were provided with cabins and state-rooms,
while the latter swung their hammocks to the deck beams over their
heads.
[Illustration]
As most of our readers have probably never seen the interior of a ship
of war, we present on the adjoining page a plan of that portion of the
vessel occupied by the officers. The round part is the stern of the
ship, and the diagram includes a little less than one third of the
whole length of the vessel.
A. The Captain's cabin, to which are attached the six small
apartments on each side of it.
1. The Companion-way, or stairs, by which the cabin is reached from
the deck.
2, 3. Store-rooms.
4. Water-closet.
5. Pantry.
6, 7. State-rooms.
B. The Ward-room, in which there is a table, long enough to
accommodate the eight officers who occupy this apartment.
8. First Lieutenant's state-room.
9. Second " " "
10. Third " " "
11. Fourth " " "
12. Chief Engineer's " "
13. Master's " "
14. Paymaster's " "
15. Surgeon's " "
16. First Assistant Engineers' state-room.
17. Second Assistant Engineers' room.
C. The Steerage, occupied by Midshipmen and Masters' Mates.
D. Third Assistant Engineer's room.
18. The Armory.
19. Ward-room pantry, through which passes the mizzen-mast.
20, 20. Berths.
21, 21. Mess store-rooms.
In the floor of the ward-room, between the state-room, 8 and 12, there
are two scuttles leading down to the magazine, so that, during an
action, all the powder is passed up through this room. Woollen screens
are hung up on each side of these scuttles, when they are opened, to
prevent any spark from being carried down to the powder.
There are four other scuttles leading down into the hold from the
ward-room to the various store-rooms located there, and several in the
floor abreast of the steerage.
On the forward part of the berth deck, just abaft the foremast, there
are four state-rooms for the use of the carpenter, gunner, boatswain,
and sailmaker. All persons except those mentioned sleep in hammocks.
The engine department of the Chatauqua consisted of one chief, two first
assistant, two second assistant, and one third assistant engineers, with
eighteen firemen and eighteen coal heavers. The chief engineer is a
ward-room officer. He has the sole charge of the engine, and all persons
connected with its management, but he keeps no watch. The other
engineers obey the orders of their chief, and are divided into watches.
They attend to the actual working of the engine. The firemen are also
classified, and receive different grades of pay, a portion of them
attending to the oiling of the machinery,--called "oilers,"--while
others superintend or feed the fires, and do other work connected with
the engine and boilers. The coal-heavers convey the fuel from the coal
bunkers to the furnaces.
Mr. Ensign Somers was the fourth lieutenant of the Chatauqua, and
occupied the last state-room on the left, as you enter the ward-room. It
was a nice little apartment, and the young officer was as happy as a
lord when he was fully installed in his new quarters. And well might one
who had commenced his naval career as an ordinary seaman, sleeping in a
hammock, and who had never before known anything better than the
confined accommodations of the steerage, have been delighted with his
present comfortable and commodious quarters.
His state-room was lighted by a bull's eye, or round glass window, which
could be opened in port, or in pleasant weather at sea. The room
contained but one berth, which was quite wide for a ship, supplied with
an excellent mattress; and one who could not sleep well in such a bed
must be troubled with a rebellious conscience. There was also a bureau,
the upper drawer of which, when the front was dropped down, became a
convenient writing desk, supplied with small drawers, shelves, and
pigeon-holes. The room was carpeted, and contained all that a reasonable
man could require to make him comfortable and happy.
There was only one drawback upon the happiness of Somers; and that was
the absence of Mr. Waldron. There was not one among the officers whom he
could now call by the endearing name of friend, though all of them were
good officers and gentlemanly men, and he had no reason to anticipate
any difficulty with any of them, unless it was with Mr. Pillgrim. He
sighed for the friendly guidance and the genial companionship of the
late commander of the Rosalie, especially in view of the embarrassing
circumstances which surrounded him.
But it was some compensation to know that his old shipmate, Tom
Longstone, had been promoted to the rank of boatswain, and ordered to
the Chatauqua. The old man's splendid behavior in Doboy Sound had
enabled Mr. Waldron to secure this favor for him, and to obtain his
appointment to his own ship. Mr. Longstone, as he must hereafter be
called, came on board in a uniform of bright blue, and his dress so
altered his appearance that Somers hardly recognized him. The old salt
had always been very careful about "putting on airs," when he was a
common sailor or a petty officer; but he knew how to be a gentleman, and
his new dignity sat as easily upon him as though he had been brought up
in the ward-room. Though he looked well, and carried himself like an
officer, he could not immediately adapt his language to his new
position. He was a representative sailor, and he could not help being
"salt."
The boatswain was Somers's only real friend on board, and the distance
between a ward-room officer and a forward officer was so great that he
was not likely to realize any especial satisfaction from the friendship;
but it was pleasant to know that there was even one in the ship who was
devoted to him, heart and soul.
"All hands, up anchor!" piped the boatswain; and it was a pleasant sound
to the fourth lieutenant of the Chatauqua, as doubtless it was to all
hands, for "lying in the stream" is stupid work to an expectant crew.
The ship got under way with all the order and regularity which prevail
on board a man-of-war, and in a short time was standing down the
Delaware River. Her great guns pealed the customary salute, and as the
wind was fair, her top-sails and top-gallant-sails were shaken out as
soon as she had passed from the narrow river into the broad bay. Off the
capes the sealed orders were opened; and it proved, as the knowing ones
had anticipated, that the Chatauqua was bound to the blockading station
off Mobile Bay.
At eight o'clock in the evening the ship was out of sight of land.
Everything on board was in regular sea trim. Mr. Garboard, the third
lieutenant, had the deck, and the other officers were in the ward-room,
or in their state-rooms. They were discussing the merits of the ship, or
the probable work before them at Mobile; for a great naval attack in
that quarter was confidently predicted. The "Old Salamander," "Brave
Old Salt," as Admiral Farragut was familiarly called, was understood to
be making preparations for one of his tremendous onslaughts.
Somers was occupied in his state-room, putting his books, papers, and
clothing in order, which he had not had time to do before to his
satisfaction. He placed his Testament on the bureau, where it could be
taken up for a moment without delay, and where it would constantly
remind him of his duty, and of the loved ones at home, with whom the
precious volume seemed to be inseparably associated.
Among his papers were the rebel commission, the written orders, and the
statement he had made of the interview between Coles and Langdon, which
had been extended so as to contain a full account of his conference with
"Mr. Wynkoop," and his inquiries into the character of the Ben Nevis, in
Boston and New York. These documents brought forcibly to his mind his
relations with Lieutenant Pillgrim, who was still a mystery to him.
Since Somers had come on board of the Chatauqua, not a syllable had been
breathed about the dinner with the "officer of the royal navy." As Mr.
Pillgrim doubtless believed he had changed the letters, and thus
corrected his confederate's mistake, before the letter intended for him
had fallen into Somers's hand, the lieutenant had no reason to suppose
his treasonable position was even suspected.
Somers felt that he had a battle to fight with Mr. Pillgrim, and the
suspense was intolerable, not to mention the hypocrisy and deceit which
this double character required of him. Now, more than before, he
regretted the absence of Mr. Waldron, who would have been a rock of
safety and strength to him in the trials that beset him. While he was
moodily overhauling his papers, and thinking of his difficult situation,
Mr. Pillgrim knocked at the door of his room, and was invited to enter.
"Ah, making stowage, are you, Somers?" said the lieutenant, pleasantly.
"Yes, sir; putting things to rights a little."
"It's a good plan to have everything in its place," added Pillgrim, as
he took up the little Testament which lay on the bureau. "You are a good
boy, I see, and read the book."
"That was given me by my mother, and I value it very highly."
"Then I shouldn't think you would want to wear it out."
"She gave it to me to use, and I am afraid, if she saw it was not soiled
by handling, she would think it had not been well used."
"I am glad you use it. I don't fail to read mine morning and evening."
Somers could not believe him, and he could not see that a traitor to his
country should have any use for the New Testament.
"By the way, Somers, did you see your friend Wynkoop again before we
sailed?" added Mr. Pillgrim.
"I did not; I have not seen him since we dined together. I judge that
you were better acquainted with him than I was."
"My acquaintance with him was very slight. By the papers I saw on the
table before you, when you were at dinner, I think you made good use of
the short time you knew each other."
"To what do you allude?" asked Somers, now assured that Mr. Pillgrim
knew the nature of the papers.
"To your commission as a commander in the Confederate navy. Mr. Somers,
I could not believe my eyes."
"Were you very much astonished?"
"If I had been told that President Lincoln had gone over to the rebels,
I should not have been more astonished. Your conduct has severely
embarrassed me. It was my duty to denounce you as a traitor, in the
service of the enemy, but--"
At that instant the rattle of the drum, beating to quarters, caused both
of them to hurry on deck.