, 1862-06-10

III. Merri1rac Thtre rifle shots, here Ellp!
E: :gbt, amid all tn: distress I'll the hcz7or5,
ali lie int5my oi this rebellion will shine tsr-
ever, like tie stars Of heaven, these acts u
humanity!
THE LITTLE EEEEL-
The Little Rebel seeing that three Of the
irsi touts were disabled, rr,n down to the
b auz, gard, whieh 1ay helpless n tae stream,
took IN hoard portion Of the officers and
crcw. and made icr the Arkansas shore. Tie |
bow Of the bout Was run Ligh and dry upon !
tie bank, in the ea@erness Of the crew to es~ |
cspe. They left their flag still flying at the
stern-a large beautiful silk 1ag, which was
captured BY Capt. Maynadier Of the mortar
fleet.
The rebels went into the woods south of |
Hopedale upon the double quick. By this
time the Cairo had passed reund the point.
She opened her broadside upon them, treating
them to score of parting farewells.
EXHIBITION OF cu1vALn9.
Here have to record that which will put
every honorable man to shame, and fill every
loyal heart With indignation. Just before the
Beauregard sunk Capt. Pike Of the ordnance
department came along side in lis tug and !
rescued an officer who had been wounded by |
d splinter and who was i5ing helpless upon |
the deck He vas taken on board the Ben |
| ton and kiadly cared for. He staets that when |
I his commander fled, one Of them, ! brother
| officer, stopped down and picked his pockets
| Of valuable gold watch. This is the cnlmi-
NATION Of mcanness and ylliany. The fleeing
! pirate undoubtedly thought that the next
| moment lie would be sinking beneath the
whirling waters and it was good opportunity
toget gold watch But the act Is in keeping
with the course pursued by the Confeaeracy,
| by Floyd and JEFF Davis. Their government
is built Oh plunder, and theft, robbery, piracy
and murder, and all the crimes in the calen-
dar, What wonder then tlAt nc lave this ex-
hibition Of chiValry?
FLIGHT OF THE REBEL FLEET.
One half of the fleet had been disposed OF,
7 and the remaining vessels now attempted to
FIfaee. The Federal feet was sweeping on the
while. its cannon laundering, aud nddllng
the eucmy's boats. While these appalling
scenes we're going on-whiIe men were leaving
in sco1es-wEilea portion Of the fleet were Sc
curing the enem3's, there was no CESSATION II
the etto1ts to crush out completely al1 armed
| resistance.
short distance below tie Little Rebel the
JEFF. Thompson vas run ashore and abandQn:d.
She was repeatedly struck by shot, With what
damage will never be known again 1he
| btoodsldcs Of the bonts we're turned upon the
nanic-strickcn crew, fleeing towards the Ar
kanzas swamp.
Further along, the Sumter was run ashore,
| and still further down, opposite Presidents
I Islard, the General Bragg Both suffered Sc
; | yerely in the fight. The General Bragg had
tho tin,bcrE forward Of her wheel house, and
f tic hull, much splintered By ten-inch shot
4 she'll exploded among the cotton packing OF
! | byr Sides The cotton WAS set on fire, but by
t the timely excrtion: Of Litut. Bishop and a
G boats crew from the Benton, it was extln-
til euishcd. Both vessels were subsequently
L towcd back to the city By the rans and trans
Il ports.
n The Van Dom alone escaped. She i
;, swift steamer Lad the Concstoga OF
l. or Lexington been ut hand, she to<
II would have been captured. Shot and shel
Il | were discharged at her till she WAS bc5ont
n reach, when the fleet, rounding to, returnes
d to the city.
d BURNING OF TIE JEFF. THOMPSON.
Is There vas no time to pick up the prizes a
Is tle fleet passed down. Commodore Dayi
ID WIS intent upon destroying or capturing al
u As soon as the fleet rounded to, the Cairo an
I'll Louisville were sent up in advance to PIT
IN tect the captured boats and Eaye them fro1
8 destruction. But they were too late to say
the JEFF Thompson. F1ames had alread
broken out. Whether she was set on fire
M tie rebels; whether from her OWL furnace
he after desertion, or whether By our shot, is HI
he | kuowr. The flames made rapid progress
alt | boat from the Cairo went up to save som
EFT thing, if possible, bnt they could not a
OF proach the Thompson 4 vide berth "
n. given to the burning vessel The flames bur
i'm through the upper works, and enrled arou,
he the chimncys. The cotton bulwarks bur
md | slowly, sending out immense volumes Of Viii
III / smoke.
sa1 The boilers, heated to redneBs, hissod Al
smoked Ike O million serpents, and burst
last. cuyeloping ship, flames and all in n
mcntary mist. But though sharp and sh1
on the voice OF escaping steam, though subli1
TO the sight, there Was second sight grand
the than all others-the explosion Of her ma!
'see zine! It came. a mighty pillar OF
ace. sprang from the burning hulk-lfted its
one four hundred feet-sprcad out into IN u
in bre11a like form Of rolling, suiphurie clou
ing, folding in and in, rolling over and oyer
des- thick, heavy, creamy masses, filed with ii
IMP bers, plank, bars Of iron, fragments, OF char
zen. tisabe1s and Goals OF fire, cannen, shot q
1ea- she1l-an commingled--a1l raining down uF
torn forest, field and river, as If an asuancue
II iu meteors Of vast proportions had fallen fr
= to heaven through cloudless sky to cal
'ats, Then came shock which shook all the r
reat doTs Of Memphis and took away the bre
the of mer not far distant from the place. I
I'd lowing the explosion we're lesser ones, in
nlm air above aud Ill arouud-a grand fuslad
bursting shells, which went oil like tre-wo
rama of serrents, mines and swarms Of bees,
oul ipg the air with fragments Of iron. The
ana ton was abreast Of the Thompson, the G.
NOV above and the st. Louis below, but all
respectful distance, and no damage was d
eose hy the explosion.
Lhon-
aring
"a m Some months ago, it was ascertained
cr;ha The rebels relied mainly upon their boat
ands / rams, rather than on being able to cope
she'd ours in gun fight. Col Ellet, know
,ss tn being an able civil engineer, and as ha
ad -, constructed the first suspension bridge ac
They The Niaga1a, over which unprotected By
,1en+ railing he drove his horse and buggy,
yan. cei7ed the idea Of constructing several o
oition Pittsburg steamooa1s into 1ans' 1ue pr
.dee, was laid before the War Department A
from bargain coneluoeo luen 'noueeu !ne pa''
ed by citizens OF f1stsouls ~ ensase IL luz
of hn- orise. The steamers thus transformed