Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-12
The Surrender of Memphis.

flludy noon, June b, 1867.
The morrow to which my last letter alluded
has come, and crowned our entrance into
Memphis with a signal, brilliant, and over
whelming victory. The great gunboat battle
of the tlotilla has been fought on the Missis-
sippi, opposite the city of Memphis and the
anxious faces of thousands of her citizens, and
the rebel fleet has been destroyed by its foes
before the eyes of its friends. As though it
were holiday spectacle, the people of Men,
PMS were gathered upon the bluff to witness
| the advance of the Union tlotla, and the de-
feat and destruction of their own They saw
the fleet that they had been taught to believe
could and would protect the town, and '.drive
back the northern invaders from the sacred
soil of the SOUTH" crippled and conquered in
the very waters they had striven in vain to con-
troll. The people of one of the mostdsloyal and
UNJUST of rebel cities, who had been assured
again and again that the Yankees were mis-
cradle, cowardly, inferior race, who never
could obtain footholdin secessia, who would
never dare to come within cannon-shot of
Memphis, witnessed the utter discontinue of
their gasconading malcontents and stupendous
mars All is quiet nOw-quiet after the roar
OF battle, and we are lying practically at an
Choir off the city; and the peace of the Sab
bath rests on Memphis and all around.
The particulars of the fight were very fully
given by telegraph. The correspondent gives
the following graphic account Of the
EXPLOSION OF THE JEFF. THOMPSON.
The 1otilla steamed up the Mississippi again.
and when it arrived opposite the spot where
the jeff. Thompson was, the hostile craft was
| discovered to be all ablaze. The fire, sup
posed to be extinguished, had burst out anew,
| N-oS az,
ing her. The gunboat presented a magnif-
cent spectacle, with the flames running like
crimson serpents all over her, and lick
ing the water with their fiery tongues, as
if they were furnishing of thirst The
flames cracked and trembled, and the warm,
| free atmosphere danced around the doomed
vessel, as if rejoicing that she was no more.
| The crowd from the Tennessee shore watched
the burning vessel with great interest, and we
could see the people gesticulatng and pointing
their hands to the scene of cOnflagration
no one could conjecture whether they sorrow
ed or joyed over the heavy disaster that had
betallen the insurgent fleet. Lower and lower
burned the Thompson. Her warehouses
were gone, and her single chimney had tum-
bled overheard with a huge crash, carrying
with it part of the deck The flames were
rapidly dwinding; the little tire-tongues were
putting out their burning lives by watery sui
cides, and people were turning away, believ-
ing the cOnhagration bad ended, when, sud
denly and unexpectedly, a tremendous explo-
sion rent the air, and shook the waters of the
Mississippi as if the mythic maelstrom were
beneath its surface. The rebel vessel had
blown up when the flames had reached her
magazine, and hundreds of shells exploded
after they were thrown into the air, producing
strange and startling effect, and giving the
| impression that the enraged heavens them
| selves were opening terrestrial batteries upon
| the pertidious heads of the fated Memphans.
Bang, bang, bang, was heard, and for more
than thirty seconds the puffs of blue smoke
from the bursting bombs were seen in the still
summer air. The fragments of the shells fell
In myrads into the river, throwing up the wa
ter as if small geysers had become suddenly
natural to the Father of Waters. OF the
Thompson nothing was left but few black
ened and scattered timbers, and these went
floating off quietly in the great turbid stream,
like the limbs of fierce monster that had
been rent to pieces, as we read in the ancient
fables, by the ightnings of avenging Jove.
APPEARANCE OF THE CITY.
After the engagement a part of the great
crowd on the bluff and levee dispersed, but
others came to fill their places, and the num-
Der was hardly decreased. The stores in
Front row, Main, Second, Popular, Wash
ington, Adams, Monroe, and all the principal
streets, were closed, and the city bore a most
sabbath-like semblance. The only secession
| colors flying in public places were one from
| the post office, and the other from large
mast-like pole standing on the bluff i'll front
| ofthe city. The first was removed by lieu
tenant of the Indiana brigade, with a SQUAD of
men, who were followed by a large crowd,
who seemed excited, but offered neither in
suit nor opposition. There were few weak
| sporadic cries for JEFF. Davis, but they awoke
no sympathy apparently, and the fragile crop
ping out Of rebellion died before it was fairly
born. The stars and bars were hanging out
of the Memphis Avalanche, on Jefferson
street, and the lieutenant, entering the estab-
hshment ordered the symbol of treason to be
taken down, which was done accordingly, and
the squad marched quietly away.
No city could be more quiet than Memphis
is to-day. have not heard man haloo for
jeff. Davis even, and but one speaking disre-
specially of the Yankees, and he was a
young fool from the north, so intoxicated that
he had no knowledge of what he was saying.
! The fear of shelling the city, and the respect
created by Witnessing the gunboat fight in the
river this morning, may have large influence;
but attribute the good behavior of the peo-
pie to higher and nobler causes. A great
many people have left Memphis and a num-
Der of the most intelligent and agreeable fam
lilies have gone to Mississippi and Alabama to
reside The former state is said to have been
for some time past the store house of secessia,
and learn that millions of dollars worth of
supplies are held at various points near the
center of the state. All the persons | met,
however ardent they were in their secession
sentiments, were pleasant, and TESTED about
'Lincoln's hordes," the ''subjugation of the
south" the ''barbarous Yankees, as we would
jest over bottle of wine at Taylor's, or dur
ing the chit-chat of an evening stroll up
Broadway.