- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Location
- Central Massachusetts
Egotistigraphy is the title of an unpublished autobiography written by John Sanford Barnes. It was passed down through the family, and it was not until 2012, 101 years after his death, that his grand-daughter, Susan B. Hay prepared a transcription, and published it online: https://sites.google.com/site/johnsanfordbarnes/home.
An 1854 graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, he found himself in the fall of 1861, a junior officer aboard USS Wabash. During operations in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida, he recounts the capture of the steamer Darlington, “filled with a shrieking, hysterical lot of women, old men and children whom we had difficulty in pacifying.” He goes on:
“The ‘Darlington. was loaded to its capacity with household goods, amongst them a large black bear, which later was shipped on the ‘Wabash,’ and became a funny and grotesque pet of the crew, until she came to a tragic end. Evans, in his ‘Sailors Log,’ tells some stiff yarns about poor ‘Bess’ who was the heroine of many an escapade, and made lots of fun, but became so mischievous - but never vicious - that Corbin determined to send her ashore and let her roam at will on the deserted islands at Port Royal.
“She was induced by Foley, the boatswain's mate and her particular friend and chum, to enter the launch, and on reaching the shore had to be dragged out of the launch. On sniffing the long-forgotten odor of the soil, she commenced turning somersaults, rolling over and over, until she disappeared from my sight as I watched the landing with my glass from the ship, the launch's crew following her. Foley reported almost in tears on his return that poor ‘Bess’ rolled until she died. I could fill a page with accounts of her amusing tricks and cunning.”
We all wish he had done so!
An 1854 graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, he found himself in the fall of 1861, a junior officer aboard USS Wabash. During operations in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida, he recounts the capture of the steamer Darlington, “filled with a shrieking, hysterical lot of women, old men and children whom we had difficulty in pacifying.” He goes on:
“The ‘Darlington. was loaded to its capacity with household goods, amongst them a large black bear, which later was shipped on the ‘Wabash,’ and became a funny and grotesque pet of the crew, until she came to a tragic end. Evans, in his ‘Sailors Log,’ tells some stiff yarns about poor ‘Bess’ who was the heroine of many an escapade, and made lots of fun, but became so mischievous - but never vicious - that Corbin determined to send her ashore and let her roam at will on the deserted islands at Port Royal.
“She was induced by Foley, the boatswain's mate and her particular friend and chum, to enter the launch, and on reaching the shore had to be dragged out of the launch. On sniffing the long-forgotten odor of the soil, she commenced turning somersaults, rolling over and over, until she disappeared from my sight as I watched the landing with my glass from the ship, the launch's crew following her. Foley reported almost in tears on his return that poor ‘Bess’ rolled until she died. I could fill a page with accounts of her amusing tricks and cunning.”
We all wish he had done so!
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