Life as a sailor aboard the Chickasaw
Letter from B.F. Wright, a sailor aboard the U.S. steamer Chickasaw
Cario, Illinois
July 14, 1864
[Excerpt] I have now been about two years from home and I begin to feel like seeing my friends again that I left behind and the least they can do is drop me a line to cheer me up. When I receive a line I think I can not be altogether forgotten, while battling for the glorious Union. Well this is the morning of the 4th 1864. I have heard no guns as yet I think they are loading for the capture of Richmond Va. I hope our troops will be victorious and that I think will put an end to the war. I am mistaken they have commanded to fire from the whole fleet but we have not let our Bull Dogs (in quotes) loose. Yet I presume we will at Quarters. We can make tremendous noise when we set fire to 20lbs. of powder. I tell you how blind I have been. I was taken with sore eyes about the first of May and I left Chattanooga about the 5th when I got to Cario I was almost blind. I stayed on board the recovering ship a few days in awful pain when I left on the 10th to come here I was quite blind so for a month but now I have recovered my sight again. The cause of my blindness was some wiskers growing in the side of my eye lids. I had the pulled out and then I soon began to receive the use of my lookers. I have one great objection to air before they draw the heat of sun everything becomes hot and below after the sun has benn shinning all day is a perfect bake oven. This vessel is a monitor. Mounting four guns 11 inch bore weighing 15,970 lbs. each. We have two revolving turrets these are turned by steam our anchor is weighed by steam power. This vessel is best described by saying that she looks like a great turtle with his back just out of the water, witha a cheese box on each end and a smoke stack and iron pilot house a midship (or in the center). One charge of grapeshot is 15 six lb. round solid shot one case of cannisters is about 12 quarts of shot wabout the size of black walnuts. One of shale will weigh about 150lbs. The solid shot weighs 180lbs. so you can judge what kind of pocket pistols we have. We have a supply of all kind of small arms pistols rifles and boarding pikes. These pikes are a pitch fork handle about 18 in long and to repel boarders We can trow a sream of scalding water and clear the deck in that way. We have twelve engines in this vessel so you can judge we hae the benefit of all that heat. Still I do not complain as I have only one year longer to serve, all kinds of service has it's hardship. We have no marching to do but we are cooped up like so many chickens 150 men in a small space is disagreeable indeed.
Cario, Illinois
July 14, 1864
[Excerpt] I have now been about two years from home and I begin to feel like seeing my friends again that I left behind and the least they can do is drop me a line to cheer me up. When I receive a line I think I can not be altogether forgotten, while battling for the glorious Union. Well this is the morning of the 4th 1864. I have heard no guns as yet I think they are loading for the capture of Richmond Va. I hope our troops will be victorious and that I think will put an end to the war. I am mistaken they have commanded to fire from the whole fleet but we have not let our Bull Dogs (in quotes) loose. Yet I presume we will at Quarters. We can make tremendous noise when we set fire to 20lbs. of powder. I tell you how blind I have been. I was taken with sore eyes about the first of May and I left Chattanooga about the 5th when I got to Cario I was almost blind. I stayed on board the recovering ship a few days in awful pain when I left on the 10th to come here I was quite blind so for a month but now I have recovered my sight again. The cause of my blindness was some wiskers growing in the side of my eye lids. I had the pulled out and then I soon began to receive the use of my lookers. I have one great objection to air before they draw the heat of sun everything becomes hot and below after the sun has benn shinning all day is a perfect bake oven. This vessel is a monitor. Mounting four guns 11 inch bore weighing 15,970 lbs. each. We have two revolving turrets these are turned by steam our anchor is weighed by steam power. This vessel is best described by saying that she looks like a great turtle with his back just out of the water, witha a cheese box on each end and a smoke stack and iron pilot house a midship (or in the center). One charge of grapeshot is 15 six lb. round solid shot one case of cannisters is about 12 quarts of shot wabout the size of black walnuts. One of shale will weigh about 150lbs. The solid shot weighs 180lbs. so you can judge what kind of pocket pistols we have. We have a supply of all kind of small arms pistols rifles and boarding pikes. These pikes are a pitch fork handle about 18 in long and to repel boarders We can trow a sream of scalding water and clear the deck in that way. We have twelve engines in this vessel so you can judge we hae the benefit of all that heat. Still I do not complain as I have only one year longer to serve, all kinds of service has it's hardship. We have no marching to do but we are cooped up like so many chickens 150 men in a small space is disagreeable indeed.
posted by Grapevine at 10:15 AM
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