ance pay and my mileage expenses from New
York---twenty-one dollars and ten cents. All naval officers are allowed
ten cents a mile when ordered to the different naval stations. The next
day I reported as ready for duty. Being next in rank to the captain,
made me executive officer. The Perry was the vessel I admired so much
when in Rio de Janeiro. Now the circumstances were altogether different.
It was a most undesirable vessel to be attached to in war times. There
would be no chance of active service or prize money. The Perry's day had
passed with the advent of fast steamers for blockade-running. In the
early part of the war she captured the rebel privateer Dixie after a
short engagement, and that was the end of her victories. And not one
cent of prize money was ever credited to her account.

The Perry was a man-of-war of the fourth rate, carrying ten broadside
guns and one howitzer. She was a very fast sailer, but very cranky or
top-heavy, on account of the heavy battery on deck and her lofty spars.
An acting master was in command. Under him were five acting ensigns and
three active master's mates. Captain (by courtesy) William D. Urann was
a thorough seaman, but a mighty mean person. He was a close-fisted
down-East Yankee. I was the only ensign on the brig for about a month,
the master's mates acting as watch officers. At last we got four other
ensigns, and every one of them was my senior, so that fact dropped me to
navigating officer. The commandant of the navy yard reported to the
naval department that the United States brig Perry was ready for sea.
Then the trouble began. Both officers and sailors were trying all kinds
of plans to get transferred to some of the steam gunboats. Some of the
crew complained about the foremast being rotten. The boss carpenter was
sent on board to examine it. After boring a few augur holes in it he
pronounced it sound. Then the crew had other complaints about the
vessel. Now, when a sailor gets to growling he can do it to perfection,
and the result was that the commandant sent a number of the growlers to
the receiving ship, very much to their joy. They were all good seamen.
In their place we received some very useless negroes to fill our
complement of men. The officers complained of being sick, and everything
else they could think of, so an extra ensign was sent on board to assist
us. As that gentleman was my junior by a few days, he had to be the
navigator and I became a watch officer.