Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-14

- ~ thAng Is lb uohe upon the Mississippi
this season it must be done quickly, Will,
navigation holds open. The following par.
iiollsrs Of the construction Of the boats to
b used win therefore be OF interest to all
Il Is from The correspondence Of the N. 7.
Tines;
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 4, 1861.
Yesterday the last Of the National gun.
boais, the Benton, Commodore Foote's Tag
ship departed for Cairo, none too early, as
to-day TIE river is full Of ice. Capt. W. d.
Porter ioft for the same destination on
Nonday with his gun-boat
The dispatch with which the naval officers
here have built and equipped the gun-bOst
feet exceeds anything in our naval history.
lt was the boast Of Commodore Perry
thai be built some Of his vessels on Lake
Erie in tWenty.six days. Capt. Porter
took the ferry.bOst New Era, completely
stripped her Of everything but The frame
work Of her hull, and entirely remOdeled,
rebuilt and Planked her, strengthened her
with additional timbers and knees, oaulked
her, put in bulkhesds, built strong and
suple gun decks, cassd her hull with iron
plates, in fact, constructed q new vessel,
earring nine heavy guns, and hoated her
out Of her dock in fourteen days. The me-
ohsnios tell with considerable zest how, on
the fourteenth day, Capt Porter, who had
been oroEding the work night and day,
without giving notice opened the gates Of
the floating dock, let on the water, and to
che establishment of the industrious srti-
sans sboErd, the craft was in her element.
Ihs captain ohFistened his boat the Essex,
after his fathers renowned vessel, and
judging from precedent, Capt Porter is the
''bul dog or fighting man Of this expe-
dition. he has chosen Dahlgren guns for
his armament and delights in Smelling"
a story 10 the point is told of his ocruise"
up the Cumberland river in his ferry-boat be-
fore her metamOrphOsis into q naval craft
He had three shell guns aboard, and hearing
that there were hostile bodies and batteries
up that river, went up to reconnoitre. At "a
point where the Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers approach within q short distance Of
each other, he had ascertained there was near
the Tennessee q gathering of rebel3 the camp
being distant from the Cumberland about
three miles. Taking his bearing and range,
be threw threw three Dine-inch shells into
the camp, and went on further up the river.
AEAN lNNf Q4 us AENAIlr UG A4uGcA Win a
party to learn the effect of his tshelling"
On cautiously approaching the camp, be
found it deserted, only one old aegro left.
Captain says: SWELL uncle, what's the mat
teri" @Msrter? de Lord Masss, suRthin's
cum, yesterday, one bloc streak-two bloc
streak-tree bloc streak, and den de almight-
lest bustins you 'ebeF did see p The wind at
the time Of the firing was strongly from the
camp, and the report Of the gnns was notvery
distinctly heard, if at ali, by the rebels No
doubt they were as much astonished by the
! range Of the guns, as TIE negro was ohfusca-
ted By the transaction.
Commodore FoOts is q very afable gen
tleman, is known in the navy as one Of its
most efficient officers, and distinguished
IN China BY the bOmbardment and breach
ing Of Chinese fort, the fort in ell re-
spects q superior work Of masonry. The
feat called forth the praise Of ell foreign
- naval officers on that c0ast HE flagship,
the Benton, Is q remarkably powerful iron
clad boat, carrying eighteen heavy rihed
and shell guns; in strength and effective
ness equal to any frigate in the navy. A
few days more will put the entire feet in
working order, snd too much praise can
not be bestowed upon all the naval officers
here for the great work they have accom-
plished in an unprecedently short time,
snd too, without the conVeniences and ap-
pliances Of navy-yard. The great work
Of opening this river has no doubt got
msinly to be done by the gunbOsts. That
they win accomplish il, all believe, for the
gsllsnt navy has always been equal to the
demands Of the country upon it. The
work is difficult and extremely perilous,
and win add some bright names to our al
ready glorious naval record.
Appended is list Of naval officers On
this station termed the Flotilla Western
VI steFs:
FIag-ofie'r, A d FOoteOapt. Stsimbel,
Capt. W D. Porter, Lieut.. Phelps,
Capt. A. b. Kelly, Lieut.. shirk,
Capt. Dove, Lieut.. Wilson,
Capt Mack, Lieut.. Psulding,
Capt. Pennoek, Lieut.. Bishop,
Capt. WinBloW, Midshipman Lord,
Capt Roger Perry, Masters Mate Butler