Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-04
81 EEsO.11 I.scKsBUKe.
ATTEMPT To RETAKE THE AR.
KANSAS!
Confederate ut GreenviIle:
sRRIoUs RnsULrs!

The recent brilliant exploit of the rebel ra
{ Arkansas, running the gauntlet of the FEEDER
fleet at VicksbuTg, was felt to be a stigma, !
those IN the service, which it was IRportai
! should be wiped Out. Hence it was agree
between Com. Euet, Com. Davis and Con
tarragut, that an united effsrt should be mad
to run ashore and capture the Arkansas III
time agreed upon was last Wednesday morning
The plan was for Com. Davis to send the guI
boats Benton, Cincinnati and Louisville, an
the ram Bragg to engage the land batteries
{ while the Essex was to approach the Arkanss
at shore, and grspPle her, the ram Queen of th
West meantime 10 butt her from the rear. Con
I taTsguts feet was to operate from below, an
II It became necessary, to send the Sumpter L
tc assist. By daybreak on Wednesday mon
ing everything was in readiness, and by fv
O'Clock the gunbosts were already on the move
The gunboats Benton, Cincinnati and Loui:
vile ti'st moved out to engage the land bate
ries. They were followed by the gunbost Es
sex which was to draw the Arkansas out an
grapple her. The last to move was the Queer
/ Of the West. Commodore Elicit, on getdn,
round Louisiana Point, in view of the Arkansas
was astonished to find the Essex, so far from
carrying out her part Of the agreement fret
three shots, and was already three-quarters of
/ mile below the Arkansas, and still pursuinl
her course down the river.
I On passing the Benton, Commodore Davi
| put his head to the pOTt-hole and said some
! thing, which, from the sound and the strsng,
! conduct Of the Essex, was construed into al
! order to 60 back" Immediately Commodor,
/ Elicit gave the order to reverse the engines
| but when the Benton approached, it was founC
] that what was thought new order, was only &
| bened .ction Of " Good luck Z" " Good luck -
All this occurred in the midst of q osllipp
fire from the land batteries.
The Queen of the West now started dowr
again TO engage the Arkansas single handed
The Arkansas meantime had prepared hersel
for the contest Her he, was now turned uu
stream and her stern in shore, so as to use guns
On both sides efectualy. 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 Arkan-
sas, 10 pass below and run up to her This she
did, striking the Arkansas aft the third gun on
the port side. The blow was not direct, but 8
sort of glancing one, and very materially weak
ened the Qaeen, which Immediately drew hack
and run ashore at Vicksburg the Arkansas
meanwhile pouring destructive fire upon her
When the Queen ran into the Arkansas, four
men are said to have jumped ashore from the
latter, while from the noise and confusion which
followed, it was clearly to be inferred that she
was badly injured.
Du1iAk LuC GUILD tUA luG AlbBu WAS uQOeE q
CALLING fire all the time, and Com. Elicit and his
son, . mere youth, stood upon the deck, and both
discharged their pistols into the port holes of the
Arkansas.
The FIR from the land batteries and the Arkan-
sas being very hot. Commodore Elicit backed
out from the shore, and found, to his surprise
that Commodore Davis, with al his gunboats,
had retired instead of remaining TO cover his
retreat as had been agreed upon
The Queen came out OF the rain of lead as best
she could, and when she returned to her anchor
age, Commodore Davis is reported to have said
that the reason he did not remain with his boats
and cover the retreat, was that be never expected
to see the boat return, and had forgotten that
part of the agreement.
Strange to say the only casualty or the Queen
was one man injured in the hand by flying
splinter.
The gunboat Essex, which made such good
time down the river, had a man killed aboard of
Ter, and two or three wounded.
1t is said thst the reason Commodore Farra-
gut didn't render more assistance was that he
couldn't get his boats under way in time
Altogether tbs whole affair seems to have been
well planned and most bunghUgly executed, but
whether from want Of proper understanding or
proper cooperation remains to be seeR.
Notwithstanding the alleged injuries to the
that boat came up to the point on
Thursday morning, in order to let the fleet know
that she was ready for another engagement
We infer from this movement that her injuries
couldn't have been very disastrous.
The damage TO the Queen in her encounter
with the Arkansas was quite serious. She broke
her PROV all to pieces and the timbers on her
side were started, and have shrunk
Her escape-pipe was cut away,
and a shot passed through the fire grating.
-,1 Ill
the engagement, but we must content ourselves
with tracing the course of one as follows: 1t
was 32-pOund bali 1t entered aft sarboard,
raked every state room in the cabin went through
an iron safe in the clerks Office shattered gun
carriage at the bow, made au indentation on the !
breech ef the CUR, rebounded and slightly |
wounded Lieut.. Hunter.
We learn that Com. Davis has been sick for
two weeks past. Indeed, there is said to be |
much sickness in the feet, almost everybody !
being represented as indisposed In conse- |
luencs of which fact, it is understood that the |
-eet purpose changing their position to the |
mouth Of Yazoo river.
The Queen of the West started up the river |
asst Friday to undergo repairs. At bath Caro- |
ina landing and Greenville, she was fred into |
rom rebel batteries The rebels appear to have
a battery of several guns at GreenviIe, and |
poured q most destructive FIRE upon the Queen,
which was struck not less than forty times with |
cannon and musket This was on Saturday
afternoon. The Qdeen had her escape-pipe |
knocked of, and received several disastrous
shots In fact her upper works were we'll |
-iddled with cannon ard musket ball
The Queen met the Lioness and Pike bound /
down, and learned that they too had received /
very ungsllsnt treatment of the rebel batteries
At Greenville landing. They also stated that
The rebels at Greenville had captured and burned |
the transport Sallie Wood on the evening of the
2Ist or morning Of the 22nd inst
The terrific fire from the Greenville batteries,
besides seriously riddli the upper works of
he Queen, instantly killed one Of the sharp
shooters named Thomas W Spencer, from Gin
,iDnsti, and slightly wounded Junius H. Brown,
If the New York Tribune, in the face by
pliuter.
The Queen, after getting clear of the Green
lille batteries, made her way slowly up to this
.ity, which she reached yesterday about noon,
rom which point, it is understood, she will pro-
,eed at once to Cairo for repairs.