30 Recollections of a Valetudinarian. 



we were preparing for action, I could scarcely believe that my precious 

 person was to be endangered ; that I, so lately the pet of a whole house- 

 hold., on whom the breath of heaven was hardly allowed to blow, and 

 who, but a few short days before, would have been surrounded by a 

 whole host of doctors if but my finger ached, was now to be exposed to 

 the shot and shell of a real enemy. It appeared to me impossible ; and 

 I was much more afraid of being hurt than killed. When the drum beat 

 to quarters my heart was in my mouth, and although we sailed gaily into 

 action with the band playing " God save the King," not all the pomp of 

 war, or even the ridicule of my more experienced companions, could over- 

 come the agony of my sensations. I was stationed on the quarter-deck, 

 I suppose in order to accustom me to stand fire, and was nominally one 

 of the captain's aides-de-camp; I say nominally, because if he had not 

 had others of more use to him than I was, he would have been but in- 

 differently served. I stood under the poop awning, almost paralyzed 

 with fear ; I do not think any power on earth could have induced me to 

 have moved one inch from the place where I happened to be when the 

 first shot was fired. To add to my terror, as soon as the ship struck 

 against the ground, I heard the admiral say distinctly to the captain, 



f( By God ! C , we shall be all blown up ; it will be impossible to 



get her off before next tide." This was an awful moment for older and 

 braver hands than I : we could do nothing with our guns, and the men 

 were ordered to lie down at their quarters. 



The shot passed over us and through us ; and we could use only the 

 carronades on the poop, which was dreadfully exposed to the enemy's 

 fire. One single shot did horrid execution among the marines, by strik- 

 ing a stand of arms, and killing or wounding several men with the 

 splinters. I shall not easily forget a poor corporal of marines, who had 

 both his arms and both his legs shot off as he was elevating a carronade 

 on the poop. It is now twenty years ago, yet the poor man's countenance 

 is as plainly before me at this moment as if it were only yesterday, as he 

 was carried past me to be lowered down the hatchway to the surgeons 

 below. He bore the amputation of three of his limbs, and died under the 

 operation of the fourth. 



At length the gun-boats and bomb- vessels got in-shore of us, and took 

 off part of the enemy's fire, by giving them other employment ; but they 

 still sent us a red-hot shot now and then, and once set our hammock 

 nettings on fire. They could not, however, stand our land batteries, 

 which opened upon them in great force, and they soon hung out a white 

 flag, and demanded a truce for four hours. 



Great was my delight, on this cessation of hostilities ; and I would not 

 even confess my fright when the action was over ; but fancied myself 

 quite a hero, and ready to face any enemy, because I had escaped unhurt, 

 particularly when the captain, who partly well guessed the state of my 

 feelings, laughed at me for my ff immoveability," as he called it. I have 

 been in many battles since, in many situations of equal or greater danger, 

 yet none affected me like this. Use is certainly a great deal in these 

 matters ; but for the time we were in a situation of the utmost peril. We 

 were so long exposed to the enemy's fire, that it is quite a miracle we 

 were not destroyed, as the red-hot shot passed through us in all direc- 

 tions. After the action was over, one of these shot was found in what 

 sailors call the " lady's hole," next the after powder magazine. It had 

 probably skimmed along the water, and cooled itself, as it had merely 



