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"I will act as correspondent in hell if Mr. Hudson wishes me to do so"
S B Slack, as reported by T M Cash to Frederic Hudson in March 1863. |
"The Attack on the Secession Batteries at Aquia Creek, Potomac River, by the U.S. Vessels Pawnee, Live Yankee, Freeborn, Anacostia and Lioness, June 1, 1861." Line engraving, based on a sketch by an "Officer of the Expedition" published in "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper", 1861. Ships depicted are (from left to right-center, in the foreground): U.S. Tug Resolute (called "Lioness" in the original text), USS Anacostia, USS Thomas Freeborn, USS Yankee (called "Live Yankee" in the original text) and USS Pawnee. A two-masted schooner is in the right foreground.
Early in the war Slack was with the 'Flying Flotilla' in Chesapeake Bay -
'Mr. S. B. Slack, a naval correspondent at the beginning of the war, served on the Potomac Flotilla in various "fighting' capacities, and was by the side of Captain James Ward when he fell. . . . Mr. Slack, though a British subject, not having the fear of the Queen's proclamation before his eyes, handled a Sharp's rifle in earnest. Placing his cartridges on a train, just forward of
the paddle box, he loaded and fired as fast as he could . . . .'
'Mr. S. B. Slack, a naval correspondent at the beginning of the war, served on the Potomac Flotilla in various "fighting' capacities, and was by the side of Captain James Ward when he fell. . . . Mr. Slack, though a British subject, not having the fear of the Queen's proclamation before his eyes, handled a Sharp's rifle in earnest. Placing his cartridges on a train, just forward of
the paddle box, he loaded and fired as fast as he could . . . .'
Slack gave an account of another episode of his career as a war correspondent during the Civil War in his lecture in Kingston in 1868:
The first Lecture was confined to a description of the battle of Port Hudson, [ ] which, it will be remembered there was a combined attack on the batteriesby the land forces under General Banks, and the Mississippi squadron under the command of Admiral Farragut. Mr. Slack was on board the Richmond, one of the corvettes of the squadron, and his Lecture shows that he made good use of his ears and eyes for he describes everything with a minuteness truly surprising when we consider the danger and excitement of the moments during which his observations were made. The Lecture was instructive and amusing, in some passages rising high above mediocrity, especially the description of the fleet running the gauntlet of the batteries; the scene presented of the flight of shot and shell when the ships opened fire; and the burning of the ill-fated ship "Mississippi".
An item in the Orleans Daily Picayune, on March 22, 1863, gave this information, clearly confirming Slack's presence at the battle:
PERSONAL - Among the passengers by the United States transport, New Brunswick, announced to sail at 9 o'clock this morning for New York, are Mr. S. B. Slack, correspondent of the New York Herald; . . . . Mr Slack was on board the Richmond, before the batteries at Port Hudson, and also been under fire at Aquia Creek, on the Potomac. |
Subsequently the Herald published a report of the bitter engagement, which was written by Slack, who was the Herald reporter on the Richmond.
New York Herald, March 31, 1863
The United States steam transport New Brunswick, Captain Winchester, from New Orleans 23rd inst., arrived here [NY] yesterday [Monday, March 30th].
The Naval Operations
Our Expeditionary Correspondence.
United States Sloop-of-War, Richmond, of Prophet Island, Mississippi River,
March 15, 1863
[Click HERE for the article]
New York Herald, March 31, 1863
The United States steam transport New Brunswick, Captain Winchester, from New Orleans 23rd inst., arrived here [NY] yesterday [Monday, March 30th].
The Naval Operations
Our Expeditionary Correspondence.
United States Sloop-of-War, Richmond, of Prophet Island, Mississippi River,
March 15, 1863
[Click HERE for the article]
The New York Herald gave an account of its war correspondents in July, 1865. [See that account HERE.] S B Slack is on the list of correspondents.
New York Herald - war correspondents
[Queen Victoria’s proclamation of May 13, 1861, had made it clear that
Britons were prohibited from joining the military of either side.]
Britons were prohibited from joining the military of either side.]