Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-06-19

away and drowned Few of those who
started for the shore reached it, am GER
tain, though the swift stream bore them
out of sight before we could ascertain
their fate.
On the Union feet the seamen did their
utmost TO preserve the lives of those on
board the hostile boats, They had been
their enemies when they were strong and
could do fierce battle, but when they we're
powerless, when they became the prey
OF remorseless element, they grew to be
friends through common humanity and
We're worthy to be 7aved.
1t was a beautiful and humiliating spec
tacle 10 witness the efforts of the Union
lists to snatch the rebels from a wat.ry
grave. They labored as faithfully and as
zealousty and as devotedly in the cause
as if their brothers life had been in dan
ger. They forgot all consideration Of
opinion and prejudice. They forgot that
the poor fellows in the water had but re-
Gently lifted their arms to strike and kill,
They forgot all save the dictates Of HUI
manity and the principle Of Love. They
exposed themselves as freely to aid the
sufferers as they had a few minutes before
to make them suffer.
What refutation this to the fatulent
declarations and feculent diatribcs of the
Memphis press against the North The
persons who had been told thousand
times of the brutal, pitiless, barbarous,
bloodthirsty Yankees, saw those very
Yankees heroically struggling to save their
foemen's lives.
THE ENEMY TERRIBLY wORsTED.
The engagement continued warm and
desperate, the boats that were still in &C.
ton being so wrapped in smoke that ii
was difficult to see them at any distance
The guns roared ceaselessly, aud al
this time the levee of Memphis was black
with its throng of human beings. Every
one had been awakened by the thunder
OF artillery, and had left his couch to wit.
ness the battle which, as many thought
{ would decide the fate of Memphis.
p Our vessels were not even once struck
b and when they were, sustained no dam
n age. The enemy fired very widely, Ell
= Their from excitement or Encouragement
G and had in some instances, as in the case
n of the rams, shot at distance of less thar
t 20 yards without hitting their object The
+ rebels never, within my knowledge, free
so poorly. l was surprised when ex
n pected to hear a shot crashing agains
4 our timbers to observe it fall wide of the
:, mark.
v Our gunners sustained their excellen
s reputation, and were as cool as if they
t. were winteripg in Lapland, Very soor
r the Little Rebel was struck SO frequently
= and so severely injured that she Leaked
i greatly, and her commander ran her OF
o the Arkansas shore-the officers and crew
e leaping off and taking flight. Our gur
boats gave the retreating rebels severa
s shots as they sped through the woods, blu
II with what effect is unknown.
: From the time the rams had mad
Y their appearance the rebel boats had bee
steadily falling back, though continuing t
r fre-heavily, before the victorious ad
d vance of the national fotilla. At this pc
II Rod of the action the feet must hav
" passed at least two miles below the town
ut a vast crowd following along the Iennes
ID see shore, and watching the fight wit
ID breathless anxiety.