The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-09-29
DARING ATTEMPT 10 CAPTURE THE
STEAMER EUGENE AT RAN
- D0LPH, TENN.
Gallantry Of her Captain and one
Of her Pilots.
RANDOLPH LAID IN ASHES

Gu capture Oh the steamer Eugene, anu
the subsequent utter destruction of the
town Of Randolph. A copy of the Mem
phis Bulletin of the 9th, which he |
shoughtfully brought, contains full par
ticulars of the narrow escape of the Eu-
gene, which we copy in full as follows:
AS the Eugene was nearing Randolph
about o'clock yesterday afternoon,
man appeared at the landing waving
handkerchief as signal for the boat to
land.
The Eugene had on board two passen-
gers and a small amount of freight for
that place. She accordingly rounded to
and approached the shore. AS the boat
neared the landing, several wagons, each
containing a bale of cotton, were OBJ
served standing near the landing, but
what seemed little strange, there was
no person at the landing to receive or
pay for the freight. The officers of the
boat, being little suspicious, did not put
out any line, but held the boat against
the bank by the wheels, while the freight
was being put ashore and the passengers
landed. The clerk of the boat, Mr.. VIM.
NJ. Dalzell, had gone ashore to collect
the bill for the fright landed, when the
man who had first signaled the boat to
come in, suddenly made a signal, and
some twenty-five or thirty men, armed
with Enfield rifles, muskets and shot
guns, sprahg from house close to the
landing, and seizing Mr. Dalzell, aimed
them guns at the boat, and demanded
the surrender of both, threatening to
shoot every man on board if the demand
was notinstantly complied with =
Captain Dusouehet was standing on
the hurricane deck at the instant, and
Mr.. Harvey Oatman was at the wheel
Several guns were pointed at them, and
Mr.. 0atman was ordered to leave the
wheel and come down on deck This he
did, and when he had reached a spot
where he was fully exposed, he was again
ordered to halt and stand there. Mean
time, however, Captain Dusouchet, dis
regarding the danger, shouted to the en-
gineer to back out" So great was the
uproar at the moment from, the shouts of
the guerrillas, the screams of passengers
and the noise of the steam, that the en-
gineer did not hear. Most fortunately,
however, he perceived the confusion on
shore, and acting on his own RESPONSE
bility, Just as the guerrillas were rushing
to board the boat, he backed out into the
stream The boat foated some little dis
lance at random, when the other pilot,
Mr. Bernard Bigley, seeing there was
danger of her running ashore, sprang into
the pilot house, at the risk of his life,
and, seizing the Wheel guided the boat
until she was beyond the reach of their
shots
As soon as it was seen that the boat
was moving out, several volleys were
fred at her, the shots piercing and ira
versing the cabin, texas and pilot house
in all directions One shot passed
through the pantaloons of Mr.. Bigby,
slightly grazing his leg and a number of
bullets and buckshot lodged in the wood
work close to his head, but he stood man
fully at his post until the danger was
over Capt Dusouchet, when he found
the engineer did not hear him, sprane
into his room in the texas for the purpose
of getting his own gun. The guerrillas
seeing this, fred a volley at him, sending
several shots through the walls of the
room, but fortunately without hitting
him.
1t seems little less than miricle thai
no one has killed on board, as the Eu
gene, always favorite boat, was crowd
ed with passengers, including large
number of women and children.
The boatwa also deeply loaded with Z
valuable miscellaneous cargo, including
a large amount of salt, wine, provisions
! Il h.,1
on board large Government mail, con
tanning, it is said, important dispatches,
and heavy consignment of goods fol
Adams Express Company
The guerrillas apparently had an ides
of the value of their expected prize, and
had brought down wagons to convey
away their plumber The publie at large
no less than the passengers of the boat
owe heavy debt of gratitude to Cap
tain Dusouchet and Mr.. Bigley for the
heroic manner in which they risked their
lives to rescue the passengers and prop
erty in their charge from capture anC
pillage. 1t is. to be hoped that our mill
tary authorities will Immediately take
measures to effect the rescue of Mr.. Dial
zell, now captive in the hands Of thes'
guerrillas, and, if possible, to capture
these scoundrels themselves.
: It is hard to say what punishment il
adequate to such miscresnts, who could
repeatedly in cold blood, FIRE upon un
armed men and helpless women anC
children. Certainly they do not deserv,
the treatment of prisoners of war A
any rate, the town where such coward
attempts at murder are allowed and en-
couraged, should at once be burned t
> the ground, and every man, woman ant
child in it taken and held as hostages 70
the safe return of Mr.. Dalzell. 49, 4
J On the arrival of the Eugene at Men
: phis, her officers reported to Gen Shel
man, and gave him full particulars {
the guerrilla outrage. That officer, wit
most praiseworthy prsmptness, immedi
, ately ordered the 46th Ohio Regiment
t Col. Woolcott, and section of Willard
, Chicago light artillery on board tht
steamer Eugene and Ohio Belle, whic
) Immediately proceeded up the river fo
the purpose of properly Furnishing tn
| inhabitants Of the rebellious little tow
: On returning to Randolph, about da,
I hraal the Eupene was sent up past th