The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-09 00:00:00

7HE IGHT BETWEEN THE ARKANSAS
RAM AND THE FEDERAL FLEET.

The New York, Tribune, of the 26th, has a
lengthy and spirited report of the attack of the
Confederate rain Arkansas upon the Federal fleet at
Vicksburg. The Tribune says :—" No one con fail
to award credit to the Arkansas for extraordinary
courage, and to confess that she has accomplished
one of the most dashing feats of the war. She has
braved our entire fleet, and run the gauntlet of our
best vessels in broad daylight, and braved them in
their chosen position. It certainly is not gratify-
ing to our national pride to think that a small ves-
sel with 12 guns moved slowly, quietly, and un-
concernedly by 15 national vessels, carrying 200
guns, and escaped with impunity." It appears, from
this report that the Arkansas commenced the attack
by suddenly coming upon a naval detachment
making a reconnaissance up the Zazoo river. She
first chased a wooden steamer, the Tyler, killing
and wounding upwards of thirty of her crew.
She then engaged the iron-clad gunboat Caron-
dolet, the crew of which vainly tried to board her.
The Arkansas, however, burst one of the Carondo-
let's steam pipes, and the crew were so frightened
that some fifty of them jumped overboard, and
many were drowned. The following is the de-
scription of the Arkansas :—" The Arkansas, which
is a ram as well as a gunboat, is not more than
half as large as one of Davis's gunboats ; is low
and flat, covered with double railway iron (T rail) ;
built with slanting sides, without decks, or any
openings or apertures save the ports; carries twelve
large guns, three on each side, two for ward, and two
aft ; has one chimney, and looks almost, if not quite,
invulnerable. She is of a light-brown hue, much like
the banks of the Mississippi, and at a distance could
not be well distinguished therefrom. No human
being was visible on or about her, though her
guns were promptly and accurately fired, and her
unseen sharpshooters directed their pieces at
every man they could see within range." After en-
gaging the Carondolet, and driving off the Queen,
the Arkansas ran the gauntlet of the entire Federal
fleet of 15 well-appointed war vessels. " This for-
midable array had no terror for the Arkansas. She
moved on as if they had not been there, and many
of the officers of the fleet were for a moment lost
in wonderment at the extreme boldness of her most
perilous attempt. As she moved down one of Far-
ragut's gun boats opened fire upon her—then
another, and another. Whether they struck her
or not I could not perceive, but their shot could not
have harmed her. She replied promptly and the
firing soon grew warm. I could hardly turn my
eyes away from the small, strange, fearless craft
descending the river, with the black trail above and
behind her, and the baleful flash of her steadily-
replying guns." The Arkansas then engaged the
Federal ram Lancaster, and burst her mud receiver,
causing a fearful explcsion of steam and the death
of 11 persons. The other rams had not sufficient
steam up to be of any use in stopping the trium-
phant progress of the Arkansas through the gunboat
fleet, all of which fired upon her as she steamed past
them. " But the arch foe hesitated not, reeked not,
turned not aside. Onward the Arkansas moved, as

if she were covered with the armour of invincibility,
and beyond the power of harm. . . The fearless

foe passed the long line of fire unscathed, running
the dangerous gauntlet without receiving any ap-
parent wound. After she had passed all the union

vessels she sent back their shots defiantly, and at
last disappeared round the head of the peninsula,
and ran under the guns of one of the Water batte-

ries of Vicksburg. Though an enemy, we award
her the praise of brilliant daring in an unholy
cause. None of Davis's or Farragut's vessels had

sufficient steam to follow the Arkansas. They had
no thought, much less fear, of a hostile gun-boat ;
and, of course, they were surprised and unprepared
for the occasion. One of the Arkansas's 128 shot,
after passing through the commodore's vessel,
finally rested on his pillow."