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

7HE LIGHT BETWEEN THE ARKANSAS
-RAM AND THE FEDERAL FLEEI

The New York Tribune, of the 26th, has a
1
lengthy and spirited report of the attack of the
Confederate ram Arkansas upon the Federal fleet at
Vicksburg. The Tribune says :—" No one can 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 Z izoo river. She
first chased a wooden steamer, the Tyler, killing
and wounding upwards of thin ty 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 fox 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 explosion 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 clEfiintly, 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 hal
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."

THE AGITATION AMONG THE CABHEIAT

Last evening another meeting of cabmen was held
at the White Swan, Highbury, the meeting being
convened by the following circular :—" To take into
consideration the resolutions passed at meetings held
by the East and South London cabdrivers, with re-
spect to the arbitrary laws under which you now
labour."
Mr. WOOD occupied the chair.
Mr. TAYLOR complained of the manner in which
cabmen were treated, in fact they were treated worse
than convicted felons. For a very slight offence the
license was marked and in many instances great num-
bers ruined. If one man was bad, that was no reason
why the public should put them all down as bad.
The great mid-day meeting, he contended, would let
the public know that they were not to be trod upon.
London without cabs would at once startle the public
and bring about the reforms asked for. He then gave
a vivid picture of the inconvenience to which the
public would be put to on the day of the meeting. The
cab strike of 1853 was bad enough, but he could
assure them that a strike at the present time would
be worse. (Cheers.) The cabmen were a most
valuable class of servants, and should be organised.
Sixpence from 10,000 cabmen per week would
amount to £5OO, and if they had a fund like that
coming in weekly it would make magistrates
pause before they committed an injustice. He
concluded by urging them to organise.
Mr. LOVELL said the present Hackney Carriage
Act was a disgrace to the age. They were most
cruelly and unjustly used, and they wanted their
grievances redressed. They would not expect the
repeal of the act, but they might get it revised.
Mr. Smith, Secretary of the South London Cab-
men's Club, observed that Mr. Judge Payne had
stated that he had tried 1,600 prisoners, and only
one was a cabman, charged with an assault upon
a policeman when drunk. (Hear, hear.)
Several cabmen then described their hardships
and the manner in which they were hunted by the
police.

Mr. GOODWIN, in a forcible address, p ointed out
several inconveniences in the act, and mentioned
a number of instances in which magistrates took
different views of the same cases. It seemed
, strange to him that in a recent case a magistrat:
should rule that when a cab was moving it was
standing. He most heartily concurred in the pro-
posed cabman's holiday, when all their grievances
would be discussed.
After addresses from Mr. Williams and others,
the following resolution was carried with great
cheering :—" That this meeting being of opinion
that nothing ought to be done with regard to alter-
ing the act of Parliament by any one part of
London alone, therefore, we do heartily concur
with the drivers of the South, East, and Clerken-
well, and do hereby appoint four delegates to co-
operate with them to carry out the object of hold-
jog. a mid-day meeting Exeter-hall, When the
in
deligates will lay before the meeting the best
remedy."
The delegates were then appointed, and
thanks having been passed to thE, chairman, a vote of
meeting separated shortly after
midnight.