Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-19
rmE nraNAssAs.
The Part she Played I'm the Naval Dra-
ma--Incidents OF Her Experiment.
Foorn The Nez Orle.ns True Delta Oct Is

S
doubs and tho speers Of skeptics and has shown by
the Quick work she has made of the sloop- ar
Prebe that she is able of herself TO keep the MIS-
sssippi river clear of hostile vessels however for
midsble their armament We have no dout thas
Commodore Holns. or some other officer Of the
government, will Immediately have another RSm
fitted up, after the model, to look after the
Lincoln gunboats above Memphis.
EaWhen the Manassas went down the river as pri-
vate enterprise, under Capt Stevenson, plan was
drawn up for an equitable share of any prise mo
ney she might win, among all who were on board.
But at the forts Commodore Holins took posses
sion in the name of the government, and detached
Lieut. Marley from the MeRae, to take chargeot her.
Capt. Stevenson resigned his command nd went
ashore with tears in his eyes. Lieut.. Marley read
his authority to the crew, and then informed them
that according to the navy regulations and usage
all prize money gained would be divided among tle
whole feet whether won by the Manassas or any
other vessel.
This created considerable dissatisfaction, partic-
ularly Es 1t was believed that the navy regulations
provided for the division of prize money only
among commissioned officers and gave no shares to
the men. Although the majority were resolved to
stay by her, whether rewarded not, some four
teen took their effects and went ashore. Lieut.
Marley then passed word for volunteers to fill their
places from the on board the other vessels and
found no difficulty in getting the required number.
There were thirty-two souls all told, en- the Mauas
sas when she finally started on her experimental
D.
was his first officer and William Hardy was the
eHgiaeer. Three more resolute or determined men
cannot be found anywhere and they were selected
for their posts not only for their courage but for
their GOODNESS.
Lieut. Marley hsd orders from Commodore HoI-
Inns TO run ahead of the whole expedition and make
a trial of the under any circumstances and at
ali hazards. Her nine-inch gun not to be used
at all, and in fact she only had dozen cartridges
for it in her Eag4z,ne The portfolio forward was
closed down, and so the after hatch. The for
ward hatch alone was opened four inches, so as to
permit the steersman and pilot TO have good view
ahead. Mr.jAustiH, who kRows every inch Of the
river pioted her himself, the pilot having left her
at the fort.
TWAS peculiar hazlrd this-to try a new in
vention, without precedent on which to form
conjecture rs to the result and to run boldly into
the midst of eaemys fleet on the literal principle
Of victory death" The men aboard of her
were not frightened, or they would not have de-
iberately made the venture, but they would not
have been human if they had not felt the Oppres-
sion Of an awful suspense. Shut up in thst iron
bound case they knew that in short time it might
be their coffl.
1t was pitch dark. A better night could not have
been selected fer the purpose and the ram glided
DOiselessly down the current. Never before had
she run 90 well. Ten miles an hour was supposed
to be her maximum speed, but she was making at
least thirteen knotE The water up over her
bow and split off on each side with beautiful play,
making gentle and really musical ripping sound
She had left the other boats far behind bat still she
kept on her swift course.
All of 8 sudden Austin discovered the dim outline
of chip right ahead. He sang out to the engineer:
Let her cut, Hardy, let her out now" Instantly
the tar taloW and sulphur that had been p1 epared
was throwR into her fur mace, and the hand of her
steam-guage ran up to the highest point How much
pressure on the boilers were given can never be
known, bat it was far above her allowance.
Now she was discovered by the watch on the
=. l. 49,
up blue light from the Richmond, probably pri-
vate signal to the Niagara below. Austin made out
the bow Of the vessel she was approaching and
steered her for ii so TO strike between her hog
chains and main chains. The aim was 6 true zone,
the momentum of the ram was terrific and the
crash as she drove her PROV twenty feet deep into
the ships hull was truly fearful. Every man
aboard the Manassas was knocked down by the yio-
lsnce of the conclusion, and the whole boat ViOra-
ted ike an aspen. The engines were ct once re
Versed and she backed right out, bringing of on her
Trow whole sheets Of the Probes coppering AID
Lig splinters OF her solid liye-oak bow.
The dismay. the cons ssrn9ti0G, the panic of h1r-
rOr that ensucd upon the deck of the stricken Pre-
bic may be imagined, bat It cannot be pictured il
words. Most OF the crew, aroused from slumber,
rushed franticslly about, Grassy with fright. Some
of them must have been wounded and mangled by
the sharp prov Of the Manassas, judging from their
piercing, agonlZing shreks. A few of them were
seen TO leap overheard into the river, and upon
r
They knew not what to follow, and could not
understand what had occurred. In the Manassas
their yells were distinctly heard with such cries
as, Were sinking! She's going 10 blow up We're
all lost, Oh my God y
The Richmond, Vincennes, Preble and Water
Witch were at anchor in the line Of Y, with
spring cables, and steam IN on the two steamers.
AS the Manassas backed off from the Prebie, her
officers the Richmond lying right before them.
with her full brOadside exposed. Here was splen-
Y "A no hpip
successes against the Preble, that they would cut
her in two. Not single shot had been fired az them
yet, and such was the confusion on board Of the
ships that they commenced ringing their fog bells.
which proved that even yet they so confused
and ignorant of the nature of the attack that
ofthem supposed to al accidental collision caus
ed by the extreme dark ness and rang the fog bells so
as to show the II inassas their position ana enable
her to aUOd them.
Again, Mr. Austin saPg cut to the engineer: Now
let her out, Hardy. and give it to her" It at
this moment that Mr.. Hardy discovered that one of
the cOndensers had been broken by the shock Of
the C9ncussiOn IN striking the PFeble, which rem
dered one of her engines useless, and he knew she
had not power enough IN the other to run her into
anything else. He therefore passed the word up
that the machinery was disabled and all she could
DO would be to haul off rs best she could. Bitter
was this disappointment to Lieutenant Marley
he saw the full side OF the Richmond right before
him. but there was help for 1t and it might even
be a critical matter TO escape.
Working one engine she made circuit around to
head up stream, and this brought her right under
the Richmond and the Vincennes By this time the
officers on board those vessels had recovered their
presence of mind sufficiently to comprehend that
this extraord nary collision was no accident but a
very cool and aud Icious assault by the enemy, and
that the long, low, black looking object floating
right before them was the cause of their danger
and alarm. They then manned their guns, which
were already shotted and no " the invu!ne-ability
of the Mansss Is was fairly tested First came the
whole broadside of the Richm md AMI directly az
ter the entire broadsiie of the Vinc5nnes followed
by the eight inch shells of the Water Witch. The
roar of cannon was trem 9nd0us, and it seemed TO
those coope3 up the little ram az if al the thun
derbslts Of Jove were raiaed upon them.
The flagstaff ami one Of the chImney-gtac!ks Of
the Manassas we're cut off as clean if b. knife,
but the guns of the ships mad not been suffice fly
depressed and all their balls, except tvs or three
went over her. She has but one indenton, near the
bow in her iron armor, to show that she struck
at all but it is believed that other shots reached her
and glanced off without leaving percepube mark
of their visit. Now the confidence of all on board
and after having passed through such
vollsy unserstched they knew they were safe and
sound
According to the directions of Commodore HOl
Inns, q rocket was to be sent up from the moment
of her making the attack ssis signal for the other
bosts to up, but she had come upon the Preble
30 UnexpeCtly there was no chance until now to
obey the order. But after the brOadsdes were hr.
ed at her the after hatch thrown open and the
midshipmen who had charge of the rockets lighted
one of them. In the excitement of the moment he
held fast to the stick that the fire burned his hand