The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-06-27
TERRIBLE CASUALTY
GUNBOAT BOILER SHOT
THROUGH.
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
1875 Of the Crew Killed and
Wounded.

MEMPHIS, June ~,
The fotilla on White river, consisting o.
three gunboats, engaged battery of eight
guns at st. Mary's, seventy five miles from
the mouth of the river, and an obstinate
battle ensued. A land force under CON-
mand of Colonel Fitch was put on shore
and was making an approach in the rear
when rifed shot from one OF the enemy's
batteries entered the Mound City and
struck the steam dome on the boiler caus
ing an instant explosion.
The effect was most disastrous. The
whole interior of the boat, in the immedi
ate vicinity, was blown out, and the boat
from stem to stern was filled with scaldipg
steam. Scarcely man escaped its scathing
effect, and the majority were killed on the
spot. Those who escaped jumped overs
board and swan ashore, where the enemy
at once fell upon and killed them.
In this way, out of l75 men, not above
% escaped, making loss of hundred and
fifty.
The boat was almost riddled, and but for
her great strength must have been torn to
pieces.
This fearful casualty was SO unexpected
and so fatal in its effects, that the greatest
CONSERVATION at once prevailed. Of the few
who escaped, but portion are entirely un-
harmed.
The Flag.Officer at once signaled to cease
firing, and the rebels, thrown off their guard,
were taken unawares by Col. Fitch, who
captured the whole body, some 800, with
their guns.
They were brought up by the Conestoga,
which also brought the survivors of the
Mound City.
Captain Kelly, the commander of that
boat was badly scalded, and cannot live.
Of all the officers of the boat, but three
escaped alive.
The butchery of unarmed and flying men
on shore was brutal to the last degree.
They sought safety and gave themselves up
as prisoners but were killed without mercy.
But few who reached the shore escaped
alive.
The boat presented scene of desolation
never equaled in the records of this war.
Over 100 dead and dying men, scalded
and torn asunder, were stretched on her
gun.decks and upper works, while the boat
itself was shattered by the force of the ex.
plosion, and strewed with debris and ma.
terial.
The upper deck is nearly torn off the
machinery is not much damaged, being re-
mote from the explosion, and the boat can
probably be put into serviceable order in a
week or two.
The force OF the steam was so great that
the woodwork, tunnels, and vast cloud OF
matter, were blown high into the air, and
mingled with the dead bodies of the Inflated
crew, many of whom were thrown almost to
shore.
The Mound City was struck early in the
action. Numbers of her crew jumped over-
board and attempted to swim ashore; when
the rebel commandant, Colonel Fry, discov.
ed this, he ordered bis men to fire upon the
strugglers, and most of them were killed be-
fore reaching land. Those who succeeded
in getting ashore we're murdered in cold
blood.
When the Mound City was disabled there
was but one iron-clad boat, the st. Louis,
left to carry on the bombardment.
The Conestoga and Lexington, being
wooden vessels, could not be safely moved
up into close range.
Colonel Fitch thereupon had an inter.
view with the naval officer, which resulted
in the withdrawal of the gunboats entirely.
Colonel Fitch then dsembarked bis regi-
ment close under the rebel guns, and direct.
ing his men to give no quarter to an enc.
my that had shown no mercy, ordered q
charge with fixed bayonets. The men re-
sponded with shouts and cheers, and rushs
ing up the bluff with an impetuosity that
knew no resistance, they scaled the enemy's
works, bayoneting all who came in their
way, one hundred and twenty of the rebels
were thus killed, and thirty of them woun-
ded and taken prisoners.
Just before the fatal shot entered the
Mound City, she had discharged broad
side, and the guns were in readiness for an.
other discharge. The captain of the first
larboard gun was killed by the shot, and
the lanyard dropped from his hand as he
fell. While the Conestoga was towing the
gunboat down the stream, some one of the
scalded sailors, writing in agony, seized
hold of the lanyard and discharged the gun.
The shot passed through the transport
New National, severing one of her steam
pipes, and severely scalding her engineer.
Captain Fry, commander Of the rebel
Sepoys, gives as an excuse for his inhuman
barbarism in shooting scalded men, that he
did not know anything of the kind had oc-
Cured. But he could not help seeing great
volumes Of steam rushing out of the port
holes, amidst which the men were leaping
into the water and the lie is further given
to this assertion by the statement of other
prisoners, who say this monster ordered
them to advance and slaughter the men in
the water. No act of rebel barbarism is
equal to this.
He was asked by Colonel Fitch how be