A FLANK MOVEMENT UNDERTAKEN
The commander of the enemy's ship could not know that the Bellevite
intended to board; but he could hardly help regarding with anxiety the
rapid progress she was making through the water. The loyal ship was
getting nearer to him, and Captain Rombold could not avoid seeing that
his situation was becoming desperate. It was absolutely necessary for
him to do something, unless he was ready to haul down his flag, which
Christy, for one, having been present at a battle with him, did not
expect him to do yet.
The executive officer kept a close watch upon the enemy, frequently
using his glass, even while he was discussing his suggestion with the
captain. There was great activity on deck near the stern of the
Tallahatchie, and her commander must have been at least hopeful that
the steering apparatus could be restored to some degree of efficiency.
In the meantime he could not bring his broadside guns to bear on the
Bellevite for he was unable to come about. The Federal ship was headed
directly for the enemy, and as Captain Breaker was impatient to board,
he could not fire the Parrot or the broadside battery without losing
time to put his vessel in position for throwing shot or shell.
"She is starting her screw again!" exclaimed Christy suddenly, as he
discovered the stirring up of the water astern of the enemy.
"I see she is," added the commander. "She has not got her extra wheel in
position yet, and probably she has pried her tiller over, or hauled it
over with a purchase. Make the course west, Mr. Passford."
Christy gave the order to the quartermaster, and without checking her
speed, the Bellevite described a quarter of a circle and came to the
desired course. The three guns of her port battery were immediately
discharged, loaded with shell as on the last occasion. One of them was
seen to explode in the midst of the gang of men who were at work on the
extra wheel. The other two burst in the air, too far off to do any
serious damage.
Very slowly, and apparently with great difficulty, the Tallahatchie
swung around, so that her port guns could be brought to bear upon the
Bellevite, and the two ships were abreast of each other so that neither
could rake the other. The loyal ship continued on her course to the
westward, and in ten minutes she had made three miles and a half, which
placed her out of the reach of the broadside guns of the Tallahatchie.
Christy did not abate his watchfulness over the movements of the enemy.
The shot from the sixty-pounder which had struck on the quarter of the
Confederate, had evidently created a great deal of confusion in that
part of the vessel. She had intended to describe a quarter of a circle
in order to render her port broadside guns available, but she had not
made more than the eighth of the circuit before she appeared to be going
ahead, and her direction was diagonal to that of the Bellevite.
"What does that mean?" asked Christy of the commander who stood near
him, though he had a very decided opinion of his own on the subject.
"It simply means that the last shot which struck her deranged whatever
expedient her captain had adopted for controlling the rudder," replied
the commander. "It failed when she was half round, and then she went
ahead."
"She has stopped her screw again, sir," added the first lieutenant.
"It is time for her to haul down her flag; but she does not seem to
be disposed to do it," continued Captain Breaker. "It is certainly a
hopeless case, and he ought to spare his men if not himself."
"Captain Rombold is not one of that sort. Though he is a Briton, he is a
'last ditch' man."
"Probably a very large majority of his ship's company are English, or
anything but Southern Americans, and he ought to have a proper regard
for them."
"I think he must see some chance of redeeming himself and his ship, for
I never met a more high-toned and gentlemanly man in all my life, and I
don't believe he would sacrifice his people unless with a hope that he
considers a reasonable one."
"Come about, Mr. Passford, and bear down on the enemy. Unless he works
his steering gear, we have her where she is utterly helpless," said the
commander.
"I wonder she does not get a couple of her heaviest guns in position on
her quarter-deck, and use them as stern chasers," said Christy, after he
had obeyed the captain's order, and the Bellevite was again headed
directly for the enemy.
"She appears to require all the space there for the work on her steering
appliances," replied Captain Breaker. "In ten minutes more I hope we
shall be able to board her; and I think we can then make very short work
of this business. About the flanking movement you propose, Mr. Passford,
I have never seen anything of the kind done, for most of my fighting
experience with blockade-runners has been at long range, though I was
in the navy during the Mexican war, where our operations were mostly
against fortifications and batteries."
"I do not consider the plan practicable except under peculiar
circumstances, like the present," returned Christy. "I am confident
that we outnumber the enemy, and the men for the flank movement are
available."
"If we were boarding in boats we should naturally attack both on the
starboard and port sides. But, Mr. Passford, the executive officer
cannot be spared to command the launch and its crew."
"I was not thinking of commanding the flanking party myself, sir."
"Neither can the officers of divisions be spared."
"I think I can find a volunteer, not in the sailing department, who
would conduct the movement to a successful issue, Captain," added
Christy, very confidently.
"Mr. Vapoor? But we cannot spare him from the engine room for a minute,"
protested the commander, who was well aware that the chief engineer was
the lieutenant's especial crony. "That would not do at all."
"I was not thinking of Mr. Vapoor, sir," interposed Christy.
"Who, then?" demanded the commander, lowering his spy-glass to look into
the young man's face.
"My associate in the expedition to Mobile Point, who did quite as much
as I did, if not more, to make it a success. I mean Mr. Graines, the
third assistant engineer. I know that he is a brave man and an officer
of excellent judgment," replied the lieutenant, with more enthusiasm
than he usually manifested when not in actual combat.
"Very well, Mr. Passford; I give you the order to carry out your plan,
and I hope it will work to your satisfaction. But you must not take more
than twenty men," said the commander in conclusion of the whole matter.
"Mr. Walbrook," called Christy without losing a moment in the
preparations for carrying out his scheme, which neither the captain nor
himself could say was an original idea.
The station of the second lieutenant at quarters is on the forecastle,
and of the third in the waist, or the middle of the ship. The third
lieutenant stepped forward at the call of the executive officer, touched
his cap, for "the honors due the quarter-deck cannot be dispensed with,"
even at exciting times.
Christy gave him the order to cast loose the launch, and have it in
readiness to lower into the water at a moment's notice; and Mr. Walbrook
proceeded to obey it without delay. The first lieutenant then called Mr.
Walters, a midshipman, and directed him to give his compliments to Mr.
Vapoor, and ask him if he could spare the third assistant engineer for
special duty for a couple of hours, more or less.
The messenger returned with the reply that the chief engineer would be
happy to detail Mr. Graines for special duty at once. In five minutes
more the assistant engineer appeared upon the quarter-deck in uniform,
and touched his cap to the executive officer.
"I am directed to report to you, Mr. Passford, for special duty," added
Graines.
"I wish you to assume this duty, Mr. Graines, as a volunteer, if at
all," replied Christy. "All the officers on deck are required at their
stations, and the commander has authorized what I call a flanking
movement, which I purpose to send out under your orders."
"I am very much obliged to you, Mr. Passford, for the honor you do me
in selecting me for this duty; and I accept the position with pleasure,"
answered the engineer, touching his cap again.
"But this is a fighting position, Mr. Graines," added Christy with a
smile.
"So much the better, sir; and if my education permitted, I should prefer
to be in the thickest of the fight rather than shut up in the engine
room," returned the engineer; and this was just the estimate the
lieutenant had made of him.
He had been well educated; but he had learned the trade of a machinist,
and the want of any naval training rather than his own inclination had
driven him into the engine room. But he had been three years at sea as a
sailor, and came home as second mate of an Indiaman.
Christy explained to him very fully the plan he had suggested, and
Graines readily grasped the idea. He provided himself with a cutlass and
revolver, and became very enthusiastic in the discharge of his special
duty. With the aid of the first lieutenant he selected the men for the
movement, though Christy would not permit the detail to consist of all
the best men, for that would not be fair or generous to the officers of
divisions. They were a fair average of the quality of the seamen.
The Tallahatchie made an attempt to come about in order to make her
guns available; but for some unknown reason it appeared to be a failure,
for she presently stopped her screw again. The Bellevite was rapidly
approaching her, and her commander evidently realized that the loyal
ship intended to board, for he made his preparations to meet the
onslaught.
Captain Rombold, in spite of his misfortune in the Dornoch the year
before, was inclined to disparage the bravery and skill of the officers
of the United States Navy, and to regard the seamen as inferior to those
of his own country, though he was too gentlemanly to express himself
directly to this effect. Christy had drawn this inference from what he
said in the conversations with him when Colonel Passford and he were
prisoners on board of the Chateaugay.
Holding this view, as Christy was confident he did, it was plain from
his action that he expected, or at least hoped, to win a victory in the
hand-to-hand encounter which was impending. Of course it was possible
that he might do so, and come into possession of the Bellevite, winch
had outsailed him, and disabled his ship for a combat at longer range.
As the Federal steamer drew near to the enemy a volley of musketry was
poured into her, which was promptly returned, and several of the crew on
both sides dropped to the deck, and were borne to the cockpit, though
the relative strength of each remained about as before, as nearly as the
officers on the quarter-deck of the Bellevite could judge.
The speed of the attacking ship had been greatly reduced as she neared
the Tallahatchie, and the launch was already in the water with its crew
of twenty men on board. The crew of the latter were armed with all the
boarding weapons in use, and before the hands on deck had fastened to
the enemy, the flanking party were working their heavy craft around the
stern of the steamer.
The loyal ship came in contact with the side of the Confederate. The
grappling irons were cast, and in an incredibly short space of time the
two vessels were firmly attached to each other. The supreme moment had
come, as all thought, but for some reason not apparent, the command to
board was withheld. Captain Breaker who stood on the quarter deck with
Christy, appeared to be perplexed. He saw that the seamen of the enemy
were drawn up on the starboard side, instead of at the port bulwarks.