Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-11-01
EAs 1Elssissapi Naval 1ngaesment.

The MISSISSIPPI Naval zngagement.
s.g-I Ilie nuEalsGugA cement Al the Ia2ses 81 the
Mississippi over which the braggari HoIlins glO
riacl aud New Orleans Illuminated, is intelli-
gibly dea.ribed. in the following extract from
u letter on board the U. 5. steamship Rich
) aOsd. dated or 5. w. Pass, October II.
econ Wednesday, October 3. we we're lay
ing nc the bead Of the Pass inp the river,)
. when the &c Ivy" came down and began firing
at us With nSw riFtd gun she had obtained
. since Der last visit 10 US. At FIRST we laughed
f'S1Gt her. but finally The laugh changed when the
shells began 20 ay all about Us, while our ri
lied gun I've only bad onel would not reach
her. Meanwhile, the Prebls, Capt. French,
and the Vinceunes, Capt. Hardy, blazel away
a hes, b0t al fell short. and a5 she Was much
faster than either Of us it would be no better
fOr Us TO chase her. 50 all we could do was TO
ssaDd and take it The rascal amused himself
In this manner for nn hour, when he hauled of
aud steamed Up tie river.
Our CaptaiEt Pope, at once saw the import
anee Of obtaining guns that would enable. him
10 core with this fellow at his game Of long
bowIS. and despatched our steam tender Water
Witch d.,wn to the Niagara for Tidei guns
The Hext morning the Water Witch returned
= with word that the Niagara hnd gone TO Fort
riektn for guns, and that We must deiend our
selves as best We could.
Tbur,duy and Friday passed guiet enough
-We were busy on The battery which we Pnr-
posed erecting ou point Of land uear where
We wUre laying. On Saturday at 80 a. M
there was a Tremendous shock and confusion
on deck, Immediately sprung on deck and
iOlnd kind of.steam batteriug ram alongside
i. Of as and our men hurryinS to quarters as
The ram was snakish, iron coNercd boat.
- closed completely over with. a conical roof.
from small hole in WHICH screams of dense
back smoke were belching forth, Ny divis-
ion Was ri their quarters in three minutes from
the hrs, alarm. and as TIE ram passed ahead Of
us, gave the order ready; aud we let her have
j i, with what effect the smoke, and darkness
prevented me from seeing, bat know we did
Rol Sre hsr again. During this time our ca
ble was slipped, and we were under weigh
By this time blaze of Fire Ships vas seen
stretching across the river in bla2. Of Same
Whie aaIern Of them five large armed steamers
came steaming down the river. Just then the
=. carpenter came and told me that the ram had
made a hole in our side, through which the
water was pouring in a stream as large as a
man q leR. ttr.s .f..,- aF..-sse t,....
This was stopped and cur captain, decided
70 send The squadron down the river. we fol
l0Eisg and covering them. The Yincennes
Capt. Hardy, entered the S. W. Pass follow
td by the I'reble, Capt FreRch. The fire
ships drifted along shore clear Of Us aud VIC
escaped conaagration. Daylight broke as VIC
cleared the Basin, and by su'clocl a. m. we
were close to The Bar. The Preble passed
4 II a.
our ship grounded, and there We we're! Now
tho battle began The rebe! steamers cody
took up such positions as they considered most
s,. desirable and opened, on rs with their rifed
guns. .. ..4l
The Ivy. The McCreaa, and the W. II. Webb
were the most prominent in the contest, We
responded. and our crew behaved admirably
and notwithstanding shells were flying around
US in every direction, they worked at their guns
as though the whole matter was joke. The
discharges from our inch broadside guns we're
terrific, bat the boats kept disereetly out Of
range. ,-r. ~ - t--,-
AT about o'clock the Xincennes was aban-
doncd By her crew and officers, and slow
match connected with the magazine aud light
Cd. But fortu1ately it failed TO burn out, and
Capt. Pope at once ordered Capt. Hardy to
- nlent at this conduct of the commander OF the
Vincennes. Wei, by 10 O'Clock the enemy
withdrew, and We had the first mouthFul sint &
the night previous One of the rebels shells
a24 FOUNDER, came through the after port into
our smoking room. but fortunately did not ex
plodt. Another shell smashed one Of Qua
quarter boats over my division.
-On Saturday we were glad to sec the Ne
Nrfin lnl
Parrott guns Gnr US She made fast to us,
and before midnight VIC had the steamer SouIE
Carolina at anchor near us. On Sunday the
two steamers succeeded in towing our Shir
and the Eincennes off the Bur- aud here We
are all aaoat, and ready for any emergency,
A FREScH view OF OUR CEIsIs.-The Jour
nal Jes Dcbats of the 18th September has i
lengthy article on the state Of affairs in til,
United States, of which we subjin the las
paragraph:
America seems thus condemned to undergo
severe trials. but, notwithstanding, one thin:
appears TO US certain. Not only will the Amer
lean nation not perish whatever may be tn,
results Of this struggle. or the horrors through
which she may have TO pass, Not long hence
North America viii appear on the theatre o
the world stronger than ever, because there i
no other race in the world having much re
sources. She possesses in superior drgrV
the majority Of those qualities which cause : III
grandeur Of nations to survive the most threat
ming storms. In ten years there will PoSsib!,
be another North America ~ very probabl,
the same-but this other America will wcigE
heavily in the balance OF nations, Just a;
France, few years after the horrors Of 1893
found herself more powerful than ever, DESPITE
aIfthe sinister predictions which announced tha
the revolution was the cause Of her irrevOcabl
decadence. sfs4-sai