The sun., 1862-06-12


: et tho Benton, which with the Louisville, WAS below
" | the remainder of its companions.
To ssy Truth, tho Flag. Oaicer himself vas losing
hs temper and he ordered the retreat 70 le ehe.s
psrt al entertainment On our side ny sendinx .
,hcil q, The Little ksbei, and placing within lew
National vessels, and answered By the my, and
great roar and huge smoke went up from the
: river like ming fdg RON the sca
, Abis time the two fleets were about three quar-
ters o' mile apart, but were gradually de- fessins
I the distance. The firing on both sides was rapid
and inoessant. All our vcss,ls were engaged, snd
40 we're thu>e OF the enemy Our boats generally
hred their bow or stern guns hut during the action
the Cairo, Louisville and 81 Louis hred br adsii.s
two or three times. Ire Kclel boat' bad ..wer
guns thsn we, ranging generally IRON thre" W
| eiRtt or ten, but uutuumlarel US by three boats,
an this odds gave ,h,m hopc.
Amer hyhtng for hnc.n minutes the distance
| between the contcstsnts could hot have been more
than half mile, aisi still tho battle rn,d Ter ely
In full view of Tie crowd ON the N inlhs lcvcc,
| who must have been Intensely .ittd over The
scenes on the river.
The engagement had continued shout hnl' an
hour when two Of our rams, the Monairh au' Queen
Of the West which had been lying on the Ark ansss
shore In rear of our line Of battle, steamed out TO-
ward the scene Of action. As soon M the enemy saw
them, h. began o. retire from tie action. breaking
his line OF battle at once but still Airing his guns as
we adv .,nced The QIocn Of the West started d.
rectly Tor the Bsnuregard and the s,inbDat fired Al
| but missed her. second shot struck the ram. but
did her no injury, aud sho still steamed steaiiy
|
within ten feet % the Behurcgsrd, the latter swung
rouud nnl tic ram tnissri her prey. In no manner
discouraged, however, tho Queen ran toward the
| General Pfco which fred several shots tut did no
Jams e. ani thrust Ter iron piuw into the wheel.
h m~, suotk.r' 1t 10 pieces, aud Causing her ~
leak 80 bhd.t t.Ht size Was run 10 the Arkansas
sio-e IT, pr,v,at her sink. aud she now lies
there, only prcy,rtd from sinking completely
down by 80 shadow meas of the water.
| Tie N.h.r,.'7, = ~ s.son ~ this occurred deter.
trriIiH itH t,,sl.c 3. Price, and sped toward
~ ih,f fe 1''s nt, lcvn upon esh other
tf ~ g., 4 tt, H.. r...t ui the emmy Cuuttiy-
r. tt,s /. it. st.- .t 49, tnionist, and struck
ts.hts. .e.,. .t.a' t,r am was disabled, aud
hc 90 ..lt D. IH. N'Hr,h, sceius the condition
| 70; H'i... e came uty up, ani steamed toward
tcB .'.c-' 'gi rs,.Scd tI,t Sic should NJ long
em.y h,r turupA. The ilr,uwsati hrei ~.
times II tn ian, a"i struck lyf lg.S',,, - 80 49,
hal g.'u'n barn .e,s'y,t ,n,.ct. nb,rh cra.hei
Nm. - o 'w a. the tree VI An Bya.suche,
sn1 csg,ei Nar & g.. va , i"w minutes, amt ~
down ,, rt as h't cabin tie saa lowu'ss oi the
river At that i.u, prsyyutus her -, nd the
white tG rh" I'D tun ~ rVm ilrtttr dAinsse
III, f,,. a.c.ut.ur,,I &, &c At tie sucrrv, but
were ears'.. & Nt,.l "a tHrir Or" whenever our
rams ana 'ie b. ~ ,liu, ats ~erl. 40 t-cy Jiten
! wee. f. .....e frns fi t.
IT,, " ,,t,l t.e tl-Ici her attention 20 hrr
li-,b rd '.-.rt .. : ",u 800 W g. 'i owed
puta. Las. Pro-. 40 iHe tier ti-re rarona.
.-li lo g.. b. ftei tarr SEQ. ,t-'s ta- enemy
frcq4,.Ly It v1r.n.' puat'. a.. .'nt.S -o o. IL
| a. t. i-.s - t.r -Nr. I.f I .e tt.. OIL . '
oita4.I sy,t ,rt -lrre Z t.c tirArr.. b. VOL. iu!
CgtDu W. l.. Pm - himself d.fe,te'! , -l-.,..l 4
mi, d rArr.u at tie Geurra. l. sell, str.s.L, tie
ves,e. At aOoyc lcr water iae, a. ,,,r..- great
hole u her, thtH s. ~l.-h tie wht,r r',-ltI lse a
torrent. Size began T. s.ns At a..1e, giving lev ol
| the rH.u,r, ani crew tnlt & snye tatinse tes 1.
less than f,Ur inIuut-s tae vessel had sllk Ia -
feet Of water, and passed entirely out O. sl.bt
Some e the enemy went down with tic Lowell.
but about nty OF tie crew capci iu'p tic river. and
were struggling IN the water, when tho B-ntOn's
cutter arrived on the sr1t in advance Of several
other cutters fruia the i,u ,, sil jIst IN tine /
see tie CHIMNEY % tie huitls t1lnloat disappear
beuent' ,io water. A uuuibcr oi the N"b. Is had
already t,sGu to yn t.r The shore, but the cutter
of he -, hip made every - RI, even at uuch risk
q tie brave fellows in It, - preserve the un'nrtu.
psts vI'trus ~ tr river Some SIX or seven Of The
,ntay were pulled up, but the current was so
strong that q lsr,e number were carried 81 aud
drowned. Few oi those vto started for tie -hor,
reached it, am certain, though the swim str aH
| bore them out Of sight before we could asccitIil
their fate.
On the Union feet the seamen did their u,mos /,
preserve The lives o those on board the hose boats
They had been their enemies when they were stron.
aud could do fierce battle, tut wien they ver,
, p,werlcss, when they became tho prey Of u re.
norse.ss element they grew to lie friends throuR.
common humanity, ani were worthy ~ be saved
TWAS beautiful au1 huinanizing spectacle 4
? tness tie efforts tho unionsts 10 snatch a.,
> rebels from swa'ery grave They lseore! asf,ith
as /, their brothers. lie had he N In Gaug,r. They
= forgot all consideration of opinion and PR ludicc
They forgot that tho poor fellows In the water hac
bu, recently lifted their arms g. ftikc and Kill.
| The engagement continued warm and degenerate
tic boats that were eth In scton being wrapped
c In smoke that II was difficult To see them at any
| dist.ne.
= Trom TIE time tho rams had made t!oir
J. | appearance TIE rebel boats had lccn steadily
70 failing hack, tou,h continuing T. nr heavily
upuu tie yictofiorq sdvaucc OF the n.it.pna! 10th
'h IA. A, ths rer"d ct the action TIE feet must h.y,
s. passed at l'rNt two uil's below TO trfru, II vas
,o crowd following n.'nT tie Tennessee Shore and
'' wat hinI a." hight w.t lrerthless su1i.tg.
to TIE J,r Thompson, the General Bra.g, and tn
~ Sruer aud the Wan Duru were the only y,sscs q
- o., E,hel t'rt remaining, aud these Wet. ro irc
IL qV"n,ly struck, AMI mw So Mite opportunity .
ut - HpIug ts iAts ~ their cgmpluioLs tlt Ue
10. turned .ulf ht slt ashore, and soon rtHCu,d a
'o Ark ns,s lie, when the ohiccrs crew lsupcd Of
u -nl ran through he W obs, our hoats sLc., den
as before. Ghcll had exploded ON the Thomp avn
aud set her on hte, hut as 1t was thought to he ex
tuSuIshtd, iho t-tla fsl,owed tie otigg vessels
but not swtly ouon-h TO prcvert tie escape Of IT,
II crew, because the Rebel s!ips were lighter And q
k superior hsetness
" The General Bragg was enabled to rc,, y,
y Arkansnsshorc Al o't lali mile elo- the Tiour
: son, sni on her crow sprung on torra frmn fylp
ia great confusion aud terror libo iock OF ,ri.i
" encd sAeep oeiurc HTu. X Of rHycnous wolves. n
Brus. was also act o. hre by shell. AMI wou'
have been destroyed, had not Lieut. Bishop of Il
Benton gone on board in tug and exiting usAe
n tie ilants.
Tie sumter followed tic example OF her pred,
coss rs, Aul as soon she touched the con,ecrRts
II c.rI OF the southern Greece tArEInsas, her Gro,
~ ii fers 4 vtA fspii.ty that was not che ,lel b
IT, sheswe sent fs,or them. The iloti.la was No.,
&c ncar Preside Island, and had sunk, disabled {
l. placed h,rs d" combat every one OF tic cnrrys lie,
, except tho Van born, which was s,, hurryiu
70 down tho river under fan pressure OF st,.il.
r. Tie Uni Clu'oIis sti,l fred Al the Ven Dorr
- and TIE C,fo Rui Caiondolct, two OF tho fastest
'' the let, pIrS.l her mile further tha their con
'n pan ons, bat sa rt irned, derpa.rng Of ever oye
IA takilr hcr.
- The II tila steamed rapidly up the Mississippi
10 nro.n, AMI, n arrived opposite the spot who're n
10 jet, ThompS'n whs,the husti g craft was dis ovcre
80 ~ u, all al ,1,e. Tie rrc, surpassed 10 be e,ii,
~" sG'sa'd al burst olt anew, and thur there waf
g. | possibility OF saving her. r q .tnhoAt presented
-, magnificent spectacle, W tn the flames rlnninI Il /
crimson serpents al over her, an! l. ! in the H.t,
with their fl y tongues % II they were iamisl In
nor o! thirst. The htiu. Is crNcklsl hnd treiuhsd An
the warm, iroe stm sphere danced around II
Fps doomed :, 'se as # Jpc.nG she no more
The cr,wd FROM Tvi .seo .lorr watched u
~, burning vessel with great, r,tt, aud 20 could
~" NE c4l. sos,.ri'athls and pointing Il cir hand,
10y te scene ut 20 IN1rrHon that ore could COME
az tuiS wh.thr they Borrowed pr JoyeA over Sic hea
- dsh,ter uHt had leiseu tAe !nsItl ut feet
De Lower and low'E burned Tho Thompson. II
ate w''eho-"s "yre gone, srl her sin. "a chimney N
i, tumblci oN,fOt ui with y lugc crail. cArry.
tue with II part ol tho dooE. The flames v,re RAJ
irel dNludlug tho lti' hre-tpu,lcs were tftti,',
r, n,,T burning lives by watc.y slicilt +. and uo,
'"' were Turning away, believing the coniiuprntn Al \
orcrs end !, when, suddenly Aul uncxI octudiv A I
nor 'h'.uS oN o''on r,. tie air, and ,huok tho