Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-04-30
From the Memphis Appsal, AprI az.l
Attack on the Recommendations
man Killed and one Wounded.


Attack on the westmoreland-One
man Killed and one wounded.
Last night the steamboat West,noreLand from
New Orleans, bound for Cincinnati, landed
at the Eclipse wharfboat, when she was taken
possession of, and num6ef OF the Blum City
Guards. Captain Edmonson commanding,
were placed aboard her. Guards were set,
and the men stood at their posts with fixed
bayonets By the kindness of Capt. Edmon-
son we were admitted on board, and learned
from her commander, Captain Evans, and
other gentlemen, the following As the
Westmorsland was coming up at 9 O'Clock on
Thursday night along the Mississippi side,
Evans desired the pilot to cross over to Ma
poleon. He did so and as they approached.
the captain, from his station near the bell,
called and asked If there was any freight.
He was answered that there was horse and
some other things to Cincinnati. The line
was tied and the clerk went on the wharf
boat. but in a moment he returned and said
the wbarfmaster had informed him that there
was no freight, and that mob was going to
take the boat. This was Immediately follow
ed by volley from the guns and pistols OF
crowd of fifty or sixty persons assembled on
shore. There were shouts OF shoot the
captain and the pilot" Balls flew around
the captains head and some struck the pilot
house. but both captain and pilot escaped in
iurv. The number of passengers aboard was
large, and many ladies were among them.
The passengers, as is usual when boats make
a landing. had crowded forward to look at
the town; among them Mr.. Henry Hammer
of this city was leaning upon the railing at
the lower bow, when a bullet entered bis left
breast, passed through his heart and came
out at the right side, ranging upwards.
Death was instantaneous. The body was
left at this city last night. A struggling fire
was kept up, and fireman received bullet
in the shoulder The CONSERVATION among
the crowd of passengers is indescribable; the
ladies were shrieking with fear, for balls were
dropping not only among those at the bows,
but several shots penetrated the boarding OF
the ladies' cabin.
Under these circumstances Capt. Evans left
10th TO give up his boat and passengers to
the crowd that thrOnged the shore, aud he
had the wheels set agoing, broke the line by
the strain and got off. He resolved to come
to Memphis and there ask an investigation
We need not say that Capt. Edmonson and
the other gentlemen il possession OF the boat
treated the officers of the boat and its passen-
gers with considerable courtesy. The number
and size of the holes and indentures made by
the shot was astonishing, and gave rise TO
the suspicion that grape must have been fired
from a cannon, but Capt. Evans was not Ger
tain on the point, and he did not see can
non. The boarding of the boat is penetrated
with holes that the finger can go through with
ease. In some instances several boards in
succession have been penetrated by the same
ball CHANGING in various directions. The mir
TOR in the barber shop was shivered and the
chimneys are penetrated in several places.
The account above, given of the events at
Napoleon, the reader viii remember, are de-
rived solely from the statement OF Captain
Evans and others on board the boat. some of
them sOutherners. We have not yet, of
course, received the Napoleon version of the
affair." The condition of the boat we saw for
ourselves Mr.. G. Hammer. brother of the
gentleman who lost his life, allowed US to
COPY the following statement he had made in
writing: /. Charles w. E. Hammer am a broth
er of the deceased Henry Hammer. am
passenger on the WestmOreLand; the age OF
the deceased was twenty-fOur or twenty-five
wears: ne was born at ithaca, in \. York, and
educated at franklin College, near Nashville,
in Tennessee. My two elder brothers, George
and Horace, reside in Nashville, and have
done so for twenty-five years. The deceas-
ed was in good health, and resided in Mem
pbis; ne came on board at Vicksburg, and
was going to Memphis. l have no reason to
believe that any one at Napoleon had any
enmity against him. OF that he had given any
cause for the assault. have met with gen
tlemaDly treatment on this boat, at the hands
of both officers and passengers, and especial
ly have received kind offices and sympathy
from the ladies on board. This is signed,
G. HAMMER.
A jury chosen from passengers on board
held an inquest over the body. They brought
in verdict of death from firearms in the
hands of some person or persons unknown to
the jury, at the wharf boat at Napoleon,
Ark, during an attack upon said steamboat
while peaceably leaving the said wharf boat,
by mob or assembly of persons, without
any provocation from the officers OF the boat,
or the passengers on board" This was
signed by A. Karnes, TerrebOnne parish, La,
and most of the remainder of the jury were
some of them from Texas. at
nine O'Clock this morning we understand it
will be decided what shall be done with the
boat