Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-05-22
From tic Memphis Appeal, May l.
Battle of the GunboatS.

] The boats known the Montgomery fleet, now lying at Fort Pillow, built by an appropria-
 ton of three millions from the Confederate Con i gress. They have, iron prows at the bow, and
 pressed cotton for defense at their sides. The
 'od' salts'' of the regular navy were Of opinion
 that boats built would be utterly unable resist
 the powerful guns and conical shot of the enemy, and that the leey would therefore fail to effect any
 thing for the defense of the river, for which ser
 vice they were especially built To carry out their design of defending the rver and to test the power of cotton haing as defensive armor, an attack
 on the boats of the ehemy-ying i've miles above 1 Fort Pillow-wasr resolved upon.
 Accordingly, on Saturday morning last at ten l o'clock, the boats of the expedition started from below Fort Pillow to attack the guab0ats of the enemy including the formidable Benton. The 1 gunboat Gen. Bragg led the advance, followed by 1 the Sumter, then the Gen Earl Van Dorn, the
 Sterling Price bringing up the rear. On rounding the point that brought the enemys fleet into view, the officers of the expedition surprised to find seven iron clad boats on their way down the rYer as If they had known Of the intended attack, and were on their way to meet them. Since the bat tie, information has been received that the tederals had set out with the intention Of making their grand attack upon Fort Pillow. The enemy was
 therefore in cFtFy way prepared for battle, and the question of the yulnerabiltY or inTuinerabiity of the cotton lining, was to be subjected to strong a test as was to be expected under any crculn- stances.
 The Gen. Bragg made the first attack, but by some means, after doing some good service, her tller rope got out of order, she became. for the moment, unm6nageable and drited down the stream. This was, of cour-e, dsc0uraging to the remainder of the fleet, whe, of course, cons dered that sac had received some serious injury, and that the test, far as she concerned was un- favorable in its results. The Sumter and Van Oorn were next desperately engaged putting viz orousl " at tue eHemy's boats, stunning fire, but rushing to close quarters and boldly running, prov on, directly into the opposing boats, having two Or three each to deal with While thus hotly engag- ed, the Van Dorn swung in shore ill the bend, when
 shore battery, located there, opened fire upon her, in addition to what she was rece ,iog from two of the enemys guuboats that were close beside her, within pistol shot range
 In this state of things, with one of the best of the four boats actually engaged, apparently in cir cumstances where escape was impossible the con- mander, Capt. E. J. Montgomery, ordered the signal 10 withdraw from action 10 be hoistei The boats obeyed the signal, and to their agreeable surprise the Van Dom which had appeared hope le,sy lost, butted her way oat from the attack of firing without, however, following the retiring boats and batteries and joined them Our boats stopped their engines and doated ieisurely down, with their bows up the stream, bnt the enemy rc0n- tented himself Hth keeping up a heavy and noisy firing.
 During the action our boats confined themselves almost wholly 10 dashin- their iron prows into the enemy's boats, tue sharp shooters on board mean time picking of the men from their guns and decks. The Sterling Price, the Bragg, and the Van Dom all by time butted ore of the principal opposing boats. The marks on the Price showed that her bow had made q breach in whichi had entered length,oi i've feet, this near the bow of the boat she attacked. It was next to impossible in the thick smoke of the firing tn read the names oi the opposing boats, but this boat. whichever she might be, ran a bar anl appeared to be sinking. As the boats were built in compartments, IL Is not easy to say certainly what was the extent ot her damage. Another boat ciearelod soon after the commencement 0t the action, and thrd showed sign, ot being very seriously injured
 On reaching the ldndiu- place below the ioIt, to the surprise of all, not only were the otLer b3at5 free from any ma c a! injury, Dot t1e Ntn Dorm, which had heen eXnlsed ;n r- .a4 fire Of t1e most furious character, had her hull tight and sound from stem to stern. She had received, however, the severest shot that had struck any of cur boats; it was Finch conica she. that entered three feet above the water lne ne1r the stern, and exploded inside Even this shot had entail eG no serious result Each or the four beats had receiv- ei shot that had passed into tLe cotGH bHulg. but in no ease had it passed through. The great tIct, to test which was one of the principal objects ot the expedition, contrary to thespTopEeslcs which had been 90 freely made was amply established. The cotton proved adequate and compiete de fense, entirely obstructng the passage of the balls, and that without the strain and jar attending the impingng.ot the balls upon plates of iron. The Sumter had been shot it the water line but~ he IS very solidly butat the spot where the shot struck, and no serious damage was done.
 The only lives lost were those of cook and steward. Six persons were wonndcd. none of them seriously. The loss of the enemy from the guns of our sharpsho0ters is believed to be heavy The action lasted from twenty to thirty minutes, the time of leaving and returning to the landing was an hour and half We remember to have heard that cotton lining was of great service in saving g1r- ment but it remained for the Montgomery fleet to demonstrate that cotton lining can eitectualy zav yyar