he left so
they plugged at that, it was a wonderful sight, the Monitor was swept
with waves and the guns seemed to come out of the water. The
Cincinnati did the best of all. Her guns were as fast as the reports
of a revolver, a self-cocking revolver, when one holds the trigger for
the whole six. We got some copies of The Lucha on the Panama and their
accounts of what was going on in Havana were the best reading I ever
saw-- They probably reported the Matanzas bombardment as a Spanish
victory-- The firing yesterday was very tame. We all sat about on deck
and the band played all the time-- We didn't even send the men to
quarters-- I do not believe the army intends to move for two weeks yet,
so I shall stay here. They seem to want me to do so, and I certainly
want to-- But that army is too slow for words, and we love the "Notes
from the Front" in The Tribune, telling about the troops at
Chickamauga-- I believe what will happen is that a chance shot will
kill some of our men, and the Admiral won't do a thing but knock hell
out of whatever fort does it and land a party of marines and
bluejackets-- Even if they only occupy the place for 24 hours, it will
beat that army out and that's what I want. They'll get second money in
the Campaign if they get any, unless they brace up and come over-- I
have the very luck of the British Army, I walked into an open hatch
today and didn't stop until I caught by my arms and the back of my
neck. It was very dark and they had opened it while I was in a cabin.
The Jackie whose business it was to watch it was worse scared than I
was, and I looked up at him while still hanging to the edges with my
neck and arms and said "why didn't you tell me?" He shook his head and
said, "that's so, Sir, I certainly should have told you, I certainly
should"-- They're exactly like children and the reason is, I think,
because they are so shut off from the contamination of the world. One
of these ships is like living in a monastery, and they are as
disciplined and gentle as monks, and as reckless as cowboys. When I go
forward and speak to one of them they all gather round and sit on the
deck in circles and we talk and they listen and make the most
interesting comments-- The middy who fired the first gun at Matanzas is
a modest alert boy about 18 years old and crazy about his work-- So,
the Captain selected him for the honor and also because there is such
jealousy between the bow and stern guns that he de