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Civil War News
Reprinted from the pages of
Harper's Weekly A Journal of Civilization, Volume IX, Issue 468,
January 21, 1865
MR. GRIDLEY AND HIS SACK OF FLOUR.
| Mr. R. C. Gridley, of Austin, Nevada, has invented a new
method of raising the wind. Whatever else may be thought of it, it is at
least successful. An election was lately held in Austin for city officers,
on the result of which many wagers were laid. Mr. Gridley bet with Doctor
Herrick, the wager consisting of a sack of flour, which the unsuccessful
better was to carry on his shoulders through the streets of the town, to
the tune of John Brown. Mr. Gridley, having lost, was on hand the morning
after the election to fulfill his promise. Preceded by a brass-band and
followed by a crowd, he marched through the street with the flour-sack,
weighing 50 pounds, on his shoulders, amidst the shouts of the populace.
After formally giving the flour into Doctor Herrick's hands he suggested
that the latter should donate it to the Sanitary Commission. The
suggestion was followed and the sack was put up at auction, and, after a
spirited competition, sold for $350. It was again donated to the
Commission, and was purchased by Gridley, Hobart, and Jacobs for $250. The
process was repeated over and over again until the sum of $6000 in gold
had been realized. Starting for San Francisco with the sack Mr. Gridley,
in less than a month, had realized $63,000 in gold. No lady's album in
Nevada or California is considered complete without a photograph of
Gridley and his sack of flour. Mr. Gridley, on December 13, left San
Francisco, with his sack of flour, of course, for New York city, where
fabulous sums are piled up, in anticipation of his arrival, for the
benefit of the Sanitary Commission |
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THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF A WRECK RESCUED.
The "Eliza Hancox" rescuing the sole survivor of the
wreck of a light-ship off Charleston, S.C.
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On the 10th of December Colonel Mulford's dispatch-boat, the Eliza Hancox,
while on its way from Port Royal to Charleston, just as darkness was
approaching, discovered off seaward a large fragment of a wreck. Upon making
toward it a human being was seen moving upon it, and endeavoring to attract
attention to his perilous situation. A boat was lowered, and the man having been
brought on board and warmed, told a most thrilling story of the wreck of which
he was the sole survivor. His name was John R. Cruse, and he had been a hand on the
R. B. Howlett, of
Philadelphia, which had been recently anchored in the channel-way off
Charleston, and used as a light-ship. Her crew consisted of the captain, James
Brewer, the mate, A. H. Dean, and four hands. The vessel had been wrecked the
previous night. At first her anchor was broken through the force of the gale,
and she began to drift toward the northern bar. It was not long before she
struck and went to pieces. Cruse managed to get on a piece of the poop-deck with
Dean, the mate, and the two were carried out to sea, being frequently washed off
from their frail raft by the breakers off Stono Inlet. Dean having been bruised
on the head by a plank when he was thrown into the water, survived only a short
time. Cruse, availing himself of his companion's clothing, lashed the corpse to
the wreck, having under contemplation the necessity which might arise of his
having to feed upon the poor mate's body. When he was rescued he had been
already thirty-two hours without food.
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INCIDENT ON BOARD THE "OCTORARA."
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| The incident illustrated in the above cut is thus narrated by our
correspondent: "On the night of the 26th a torpedo-boat came out from
Mobile Bay, and made an unsuccessful attack upon the Octorara. At
about 2 a.m., though the night was very dark, an object was discovered not
many yards astern, and making direct for the vessel. The look-out hailed
lustily, 'Boat ahoy!' The response came, 'Ay, ay!' as though from one of
our own boats. The officer of the deck immediately sang out to them to
'lie on their oars;' to which they answered, 'Ay, ay!' A moment after they
rasped along the vessel's side from aft forward to the guards. The
knowledge that it was the torpedo-boat of the rebels now flashed upon all.
The intrepidity of the captain of the after-guard is worthy of the highest
praise. Though all expected momentarily to be blown up, this man, seeing
how readily they could gain an advantage over the enemy by prompt action,
grasped her smoke-pipe as it came by the guards of the ship, at the same
time crying out lustily for a rope to make the devil fast with. The
remaining sailors, acting under different impulses, recoiled to the
opposite side of the deck. Several shots were fired at this brave man, and
as his exertions were hardly sufficient to retain his hold upon the hot
pipe, he preferred to let go rather than be dragged overboard." |
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