The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-06-19

The Queen. when she had prepared
herself, cut loose from the shore.
swinging gracefully into the stream.
crossed to the other side, swept past
the Benton, close to the Carondelet, al
most leaping from the. water in her
eagerness, carrying a white, silvery
trail which sparkled in the morning
suEbeams falling aslant across the
waves. Faster, faster whirled the
wheels! She moved straight on.
The officers and men of the fleet
looked on in astonishment and admira-
ton. 1t was bravery and daring
which elected the admiration of thous-
ands on shore. Up to the moment of
her appearance the rebel feet had been
slowly advancing. The Federal feet
in rounding to had made but little
headway. The glorious advance of
the Queen, moving so determinedly,
brought the rebel feet to a stand-still.
The guns which were aimed at the gun
boats were brought to bear upon her.
The Beauregard fired with her pivot
gun when the Queen was within close
pistol shot, but strange to say, missed.
The shot passed over and fell near the
Benton. Arriving within rifle shot,
the sharpshooters began their work,
firing with great rapidity from their
loop holes between decks. Some of
the rebel gunners ran into the case
mates, while Others boldly kept their
position.
THE QUEEN AND GEN. PRICE.
The intention of the Queen was to
fall upon the General Beauregard, but
the pilot of the Beauregard, put his
helm hard down. The vessel obeyed,
and the stroke was avoided. The
Queen passed between the Beauregard
and Little Rebel Both vessels poured
in round shot to explode the boilers of
the Queen. Giving no heed to these
little attentions, she came gallantly up
with tremendous effect upon the Beau.
regard, striking that vessel in her bow,
in the strongest part of her hull, but
with effect, knocking in the timber and
completely disabling her. The sharp
shooters joined in the fire, and the en-
gineer, adjusting his hose, giving them
a continuous volley of hot water from
his force pumps, which drove the reb-
els all under cover and forced them to
hoist the white flag.
The Monarch, seeing that the Queen
and Price both needed help to save
themselves from going to the bottom,
took them ashore, and then finding
that the Beauregard needed like assis-
tance, FASTENED back again, but too
late to save her from sinking.
THE SINKING OF THE GEN. LOWELL.
While all this was going on our gun
boats were getting up speed-head
down the river. The Benton, being on
the left of our line of gunboats, became
the antagonist of the Gen. Lowell, on
the right of the second line of rebel
boats. Captain Phelps, one of the
most efficient artillerists in the service,
ran his eye along the sights of the
tifty-pound rifled guns at the Benton's
bow, waited until the Lowell re garded,
the Queen came round in a graceful
curve. She passed round the Little
Rebel, turned her head up stream, and
gave General Price tremendous
punch in the ribs, which knocked all his
upper works away. The Beauregard
discovering the intention of the Queen
started to interrupt the stroke. The
movement was not soon enough for
that, General Price was already used
up, but before the Queen could with
draw, she received the stroke of the
Beauregard, which partially disabled
her, and which also further manufac-
tured kindling wood on board the Gen.
Price, which ran up the white flag. 1t
was helpless wreck.
THE MONARCH.
Following the Queen was the Mon,
arch, commanded by Col. Col. Ellett's
brother-one of the largest, fiectest,
and most powerful of the Pittsburg
steamers. The Queen was full half a
mile ahead Of the Monarch. Captain
Elicit catching glimpse of what was
going on through the smoke, came
down with tremendous swing into the
position that would give him raking
shock, and pulled the lanyard. The
shot struck just below the water-line
and ripped up the planks. The water
poured in with a rush, and in three
minutes the vessel was lying in seventy
FIVE fleet Of water. .et ....
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
A ship going down in an instant with
all on board, is terrible scene-one
calculated to appall the stoutest heart
The current of the river at Memphis
sets close to the Tennessee shore, and
rushes like a strong man in race. The
plummet gives from seventy TO one
hundred feet of water. The Lowell be
ing in the middle of the current, took
in the gurgIing, whirling waters thro
her torn sides. Down, down, down
she settled like lump of lead Her
crew became terror stricken. They
rushed hither and thither bereft of rea
son. No pen can describe the agony
of that moment of thousands. There
were their friends, defeated, crushed
humiliated, drowning, and they were
powerless to help! No wonder thai
tears were shed on shore. No wonder
that woman wept.
CALAMITY AND HUMANITY OF OUR
FLEET.
No sooner was the cry for help raised
than bv natural impulse there was :
rush made by the men of the Benton tt