Shreveport daily news., 1861-10-18

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other by timbers and secured together
by chain cable, making width of
about half the distance between the
two shores Of the river.
The attack was to have been made
Wednesday night but for q slight ac-
|cident happening to the machinery of
the Manassas, which caused her to
put hack. From gentleman who
was all through the fight, we obtain
the following particulars.
The expedition started down the
river from the forts at en- early hour
Saturday morning, the freboats
ahead and the gunboats following
But the span of freboats could not
be controlled by the tug that was at
tempting to guide it, and very soon
it commenced to slew round, and
then, despite every effort, it ran into
the bank. .l = ..,. -.., 97
The plan of firing the feet was inn
mediately abandoned by Commodore
Hollins on the occurrence Of this ac-
cident, and he proceeded down the
river with the gunboats, for the pur-
pose of making legitimate attack
upon them.
The vessels of the enemy found
lying at the head of the passes, were
the steam frigate Richmond, the sail
ing sloop-of-war Vincennes, the sail
ing sloop-of-war Preble, and the
steam gunboat Water Witch.
They were taken completely by
surprise, and had not the steamers
had steam up at the time, perhaps
none of them would have escaped
AS it was, their firing, maneuvres,
and general conduct showed that
they were thunderstruck and fright
ened.
The Manassas led the way of our
little feet, and, steering straight for
one of the sloops of war, ran high in
to her. The force of the conclusion
was tremendous; so much as to put
the machinery Of the Manassas out
of gear and render her perfectly use
less, floating about in an unmanage-
able condition on the water.
| But the enemy were very quick in
making arrangements to move, and
the two steamers each took one OF
the sloops-of war in tow, and started
down the river, making the best speed
of which they We're capable.
| They defended their retreat with
every gun they could bring to bea,
upon their pursuers, but their ain
was wild and showed that their gun
ners We're terribly alarmed.
The McRae, Ivy and Tuscarora
led our fleet, and We're the boats that
kept up the fire on the retreating YES
sells the. others of our feet followed OF
down as we'll as they could.
The enemy's vessels took the south.
west pass for their avenue of escape
but some of them got aground on the
bar there. The boats of our fee
then came up with them, about,
o'clock A. NJ, and firing now com
. menced in earnest. 1t being day
light, they discovered the weakness
of our feet, and they managed thei
, guns in a farabler manner.
, For over an hour the duel wa
kept up, but at the end of that tim'
5 Commodore Hollins signalled on
boats to withdraw from So unequal ;
contest, in which nothing more wa
to be gained. AT the time Of leaving
they We're taking the men off thu
, sloop-of-war that had been run int
/ by the Manassas and she was set
ting in the water in a significant
, manner, so that there can be no doubt
} of her laundering and total loss. Oul
informant believes that this vesse
= was the Vincennes, and not the Pre-
BILE, as was reported by Commodore
, Hollins.
Our little feet returned up the riv
, er and captured the cutter of tn
l u. 4 i