, 1862-08-04
our MEMPHIS letter,
The Recent Attack On the Rebel
Ram Arkansas.
INTERESTING DETAILS OF TIE AFFAIR,
The Capture of the &a}Iie
Wood.
COL FOWLER, or CHICAGO, Au0HG THE
PRISONERS

MEMPHIS, Tuesday, July Goth, 1863.
The ram Queen Of the West arrived here
late yesterday afternoon from Vicksburg, In
charge Of Lieut.. Hunter, en- soate for the north
for repairs. Although your regular Vleks-
burg correspondent sent up dispatches con.
tanning the main facts of the third attempt to
take the ram Arkansas, forward the follow
lns, which enters somewhat more into pastic-
ulare. The incidents were communicated to
the editor Of the: Btslzai1 by one Of the most
careful and reliab1e Of northern newspaper
correspondents, and in the main, are
correct 1t was agreed between Commo.
dore Ellet, Commodore Davis, and Commo-
dore Fa1ragut, that al united effort should be
made to run ashore and capture the Arkansas.
The time agreed upon was last Wednesday
morning. The plan YVES for Commodore
Davis to send the gunboats Benton, Cincln-
natl, and Louisville, and the ram Bragg to en-
gage the land batteries, while the gunboat
Essex Was to approach the Arkansas at shore,
and gzapp}e her, the ram Queen Of ths West
meantime to butt her from the rear. Commo-
dore Farragut's fleet was to operate from be-
low, and II 1t became necessary, to send the
Sunpter up to assist By daybreak On We'd
nesday morning everything WIGS in readiness,
andby o'clock the gnnboats we're already on
the move.
The gunboats Benton, Cincinnati aud Louis
vile first moved out to engage the 12na bat
teries. They we're followed by the gunboat
Essex, which WAS to draw the Arkansas out
and grapple her. The last to move YVES the
Queen Of the West. Commodore Elicit, on
getting round Louisiana Point, in view Of the
Arkansas, was astonished to find that the Es-
sex, SO far from carrying out her part Of the
agreement, fired three shots, and was already
three-quartcrs of mile below the Arkansas,
and still pursuing her course down the river.
On passing the Benton, Commodore Davis
put his head to the port-hole and said some-
thing, which, from the sound aud the strange
conduct Of the Essex, Was construed into an
order to ego back" Immediately Commo-
dore Ellet gave the order to reverse the en-
gires; but when the Benton approached, it
was found that what Was thoughts new order
was only benediction Of "Good luck ~
"Good luck !"
fire from the land batteries.
The Queen Of the West now started down
again to engage the Arkansas single handed
The Arkansas meantime had prepared herself
for the contest. Her head WAS now turned up
stream and her stern In shore, SO as to use
guns on both sides et1ectually. The Queen Of
the West now made gallant run down stream,
in the midst OF perfect rain Of fire and lead,
but Was compelled, from the position Of the
Arkansas, to pass below and run up to her
This SIZE did, striking the Arkansas aft the
third gun on the port side. The blow WAS not
direct, but sort Of g1aucing shot, and very
materially weakened the Queen, which immc-
diately drew back and ran ashore at Vicks-
burg, the Aarkansas meanwhile pouring a
destructive fire upon her. When the Queen
ran into the Arkaneas, four men are said to
have jumped ashore from the latter, while
from the noise and confusion which followed,
it Nas clearly to be inferred that she was bad
| " injured.
| During the collision the Queen WIS under q
| CALLING fire all the time, and Com. Ellet and
! his son, mere youth, stood upon the deck,
| and both discbarg ged their pistols into the port
holes of the Arkansas.
| The fire from the land batteries and the Ar
kansas being very hot, Com. Ellet backed
& ~. 4ptu rl a4 ano tgunu, ~ euIplIseI
.;.eJ a., s suuoats! nau
treat, as had been agreed upon.
The Queen came out Of the rain Of lead as
best she could. The only casualty on the
queen vas one man injured In the hand By
The gunboat Essex, which made such good
time down the river, had a man killed aboard
Of her, and two or three wounded.
1t is said that the reason Com Farragu'
1,e Mun ienoeT LUZ neie aseislance, va taa1 1t
con es r IL t9,n ooats h anasi WY N TINS;
80 sTi .ue "a3te Wy aaalr ssems 70 1aVt
tod nen "hn m pMhatha, ~ f4o,, aos1 an eAe
Sa.eu, wv "nstner II. 1es rom "ane q proper N
~ ~ n., ~ ttups. Is. a1ou, ieuia4i .i
u w ssen ane pa aainsgs W ans Rueea III tne
sha nrnla ~ 5e1 aaaaas III re 4n1es SCI
t e 9hs oeu1 ~, a. nTs poM ~ ~ pae, IN
apd have sbrunS s eoastderbly s Her Her sn eseap
h Rhpe ~ "ss t; ~; way ano enos ps1's1 tnroos
tnT The has et.aeS. aso ss,-.., ,.o..,..,,,,o
49,, aasle ~ me1s sssGat ~ fenaihaoie . saots auEln
se,rea E;th tr,c;nt ~ cnnrse ~ ~. w,
ses 11oSs. VIII nogoa le go5lss .1' q ofe' a.
seatu seat Me t@t elaluoato' S.' laAeu ever
. sIate-loom me ca9in, went thFong
td.ao ~ Eon l ste @ u ne tS sierKs KS once, snal
;eleua gua catl1ae t 49, a. tae POW, maoe an %
aS ana e1ch+5n ~ 5ne ss urSa 1as g9n, Ieoouno
~; NJ Aea 9a SICILY "ounoga H Lieat. aunte!.
re a'.n leaIn tnat CON; LAWS mas oeen s5ck 70
,o smv "Gesn ;ei eaG. % aaa uele ,t = saau 70
muca elchness u Inc nee!, ALMOST eVeryood
nng n,n 'eS as;s ~ y ). .nnlsp9sea n 4 eonss e5
1eet nnrnose chonoinr nositsn7, ~ +he e@e 1a1t :.
% Of Yazoo @ River. s p's4'1ou ~ 'A'o ln'"'
excsngn ~ hees aas one ,nS1ow T1n
+ protect he Essex and surntsr' % boats Whic
!, ian by and could not get hack> ''"
The Queen Of the West started up the riyt
. last Friday to undergo repairs. 1t both I Ca Ca