1862. 



THE ILLIKOIS FAEMER. 



109 



On the bow of the boat are three guns, the 

 right and left ones, or as the sailors call them, 

 port and starboard guns, are seven inch forty-two 

 pounder rifled coast gans, throwing a conical 

 shot of eighty-four pounds, and shell of about 

 seventy pounds. Their range is over two miles, 

 and weigh eight thousand six hundred and thirty- 

 six pounds each. The middle gun is an eight 

 inch co'nmbiad and weighs six thousand and three 

 hundred pounds, throwing a solid shot of sixty- 

 four pounds or round shell of fifty three pounds. 

 The two forward side guns are also seven inch 

 rifles of the same class, and the two next eight 

 inch columbiads as above. The other six guns 

 are thirty-two pounders, weighing four thousand 

 and two hundred pounds each. On the upper 

 deck is a twelve pound brass mountain howitzer, 

 for throwing grape and shrapnel. For close 

 quarters there are fifty musskets, seventy sabres, 

 forty-five boarding pikes, fifty navy revolvers, 

 and several pieces of hose to throw steam on any 

 unwelcome visitor. The working force of this 

 craft, in men and officers, numbers one hundred 

 and eighty. A charge of powder for the rifles 

 is thirteen pounds, for an eight inch columbiad, 

 eight pounds, and the thirty-two pounders, six 

 pounds. The boilers are in the centre, the en- 

 gine just back of them and the wheel next, leav- 

 ing space at the stern for the Captain's room, 

 and the wardroom <or the officers. The wheel is 

 thus well protected, for these two rooms are 

 each graced with a thirty-two pounder, a piece 

 of furniture often more useful than ornamental. 

 The officer's berths are on each side of the wheel, 

 leaving a narrow passage back to the cabins^ 

 while t*^ie non-commissioned officers have their 

 dining and sleeping rooms over the engine. The 

 cooking is done over the boilers and the men 

 sleep in hammocks suspended from hooks in the 

 beams on the gun deck. It will thus be seen 

 that this space of one hundred and seventy by 

 fifty feet, is pretty well filled with men and 

 implements, and nothing short of the strictest 

 discipline could keep things in anything like order. 

 Yet all goes like clock work. Every part of the 

 vessel fs clean, and no offensive smell comes 

 forth to disturb the olfactories. The men are 

 clean, their clothes never get sour by long use 

 without washing ; the food is abundant and good, 

 and always well cooked. Dr. Jones, the sur- 

 geon, keeps a sharp eye on the sanitary condition 

 of the men. Soap, water, healthy food, good 

 cooking, and clean decks are his especial favor 

 ites, rather than the medicine chest. The result 

 is, the e are but three men off duty, and one of 

 them from a fall. The hull of the boat is in eight 



water tight compartments, and as it is out of the 

 reach of shot, there is little danger of sinking, 

 The officers are : 



A. H. KiiTT, TJ. S. N , Lieut. Commanding. 

 W. A. Stewakt, 1st Master, Cin. 0. 



C. Doming, 2d " Peoria, Ills. 



J. H. KisziB, jun.,8d " Chicago, Ills. 

 Wm. Hakte, 4th " Rock Island, Ills. 



Geo. E. Jones, Surgeon, Cin. 0. 

 John M. Gunk, Paymaster, Anna, Ills. 

 Jas. C. Canida, Pilot, Cin., 0. 

 Chas. B. Young, " Cin., 0. 

 John Cox, Engineer, Cin., 0. 

 Jas. A. Scofield, Master's Mate, Chicago 111. 

 Henry R. Beowne, Master's Mate. 

 Thos. McElbot, Acting Gunner. 



When we look upon these men, all in good 

 health, yet huddled together, we cannot avoid 

 the conclusion that, bad food, poor cooking, filth 

 and neglect, have a large hand in diminishing the 

 ranks of our land forces. The shoulder strap 

 disease is more to be dreaded than the enemy's 

 bullets. Deliver us from the annoyance of big- 

 headed officers, who think more of their own vast 

 importance than of the comforts and good health 

 of their men. When the history of this war is 

 written, thousands of officers will sink into puny 

 insignificance, and their shoulder straps will go 

 out of sight. The wail of widows, of orphans, 

 of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, will 

 ever sound in their ears, and they will ask the 

 rocks and hills to fall on them. The country 

 press will some day teem with these small histo- 

 ries of these small minded men, now so inflated 

 with their position. Just take a look at this gun« 

 boat crew, composed of three classes of men : 

 1st. Old salts from the east. 2nd. Lake men from 

 Chicago. Srd. River and lumber men from the 

 north. These have been laying idle for mouths 

 waiting for the boats to be ready for service, and 

 yet but three of them are slightly indisposed and 

 off duty. Did the officers of the land forces use 

 the same care as is here daily experienced, a like 

 result would follow. 



The company in the ward room, consisted of 

 nine officers, Mr. J. B. McCullagh, of the Cin- 

 cinnati Gazette and ourself. The pilots and the 

 two last named lodging in the pilot house, a 

 strong tower near the forwrrd end of the boat. 

 The sailors have grog, that, is Ohio whisky, sev- 

 eral times a day ; but during our stay on board 

 no intoxicating drinks were used by the officers. 

 The navy regulations provide for the men, though 

 a large number of them prefer the four cents a 



