Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-04-17
The Trip of the Carondolet.
FULL PARTICULARS BY THE
ONLY CORRESPONDENTS
ON BOARD.
A Night Of Storm, and Darkness,
and Peril.

From long account oil the TRIP OF the
Carondolet down to Mississippi by the rebel
batteries of Island No. 10, we make some
extracts from the correspondence
Of the Cincinnati Gazette
THE WAY THE BATTERIES WERE TO BIZ
PASSED
Was as follows Commodore Foote's in,
functions concerning quietness and suppress
sion OF all lights abroad were to be strictly
the guns were run back, ports
closed, the sailors armed cap.d,pie with pistols,
cutlasses, boarding pixies, and muskets. Hand
grenadeS had been provided and the hot water
hose were connected with the boilers, and
held in readiness to drench with scalding water |
those who might attempt to board the boat
and overcome the crew. The engineer had
orders to cut the cold water supply and the
injector pipes, and sink the boat if it became
liable to fall into the enemy's hands. This,
in case Of necessity, would have been resor-
ted to instead of burning the vessel, for it
would not only have given to those aboard
better means of escape, but averted the
terrible loss Of lives that inevitably would
have resulted from the firing Of the boat and
the explosion of her magazines.
sHARPsHooTERs TAKEN ON BOARD.
AT dusk twenty sharpshooters, Company
II, AID Illinois, commanded by Captain Hol-
lensteine, dropped down in cutters from the
transports, came aboard of the Carondolet,
were mustered on deck, inspected, received
their orders-which were to cooperate with
the crew in repelling boa rders-and then
taken to the gundeck, there to remain until
called upon observing the strictest silence in
the meantime.
THE BARGE OF HAY FOR PROTECTION.
Ats o'clock the boat left her anchorage,
and passed up the shore for mile, where,
partly, concealed between some of our trans
ports, was barge containing coal and baled
| hay. This was Immediately made fast to he
port side--it being the part to be chiefly ex-
posed to the enemy's batteries. The hay
had been placed in layers upon the wrong side
Of the barge-the cutter one-and the crew
was soon employed shifting it where it would
afford greater protection, and at the same time
enable the gunboat to controle it much easier
| One course of bales was laid over the cese-
mates astern, as they were to be presented
to the enemy for long time after passing
the batteries, and liable to receive all the shots
sent after us, without being ironplated or
able to resist heavy cannon balls. The barge
and the hay came up to the top of the broad
SIDE portfolios, and would have been Of much
service, bad the batteries to be passed been
on parallel with the gunboat, but such was
not the case here, for both on the mainland
and head of the Island they stand on bank
twenty or thirty feet high, and in firing into
a passing boat it becomes necessary, as was
subsequently demonstrated, for them to de-
press their guns, in which event the barge
alongside was an imperfect shield.
OUT FOR NEW MADRID.
The machinery was so adjusted as to per-
NIT the escape of the steam through the
wheel-house, and thus avoid the putting which
results from Its passage through the pipes
So silently did we proceed that it was scarcely
known aboard that the boat was under way
and we thought some of the officers were
almost unbehevers when they asked the en-
gineer, through the speaking pipes if hs was
" going ahead on her"
CHIMNEYs ON FIRE.
For the first half mi le everything went
still and smooth beyond even the most san
guine anticipation, and the probability of
getting by the batteries unobserved was being
remarked by some, when the SCOT in tie
chimney caught on fire, and blaze five feet
high leaped out from their tops, lighting
brightly the upper deck of the vessel and
everg thing around The word was hastily
| to +La +a h. l,,o
after which the flames subsidized, but not until
the rebels had the fairist opitunities to dis
cover our approach and prepare reception.
This was serious mishap, because no signal,
even by appointment could so perfectly
reveal our intentions, and what contributed
to the misfortune, was the time of its happen
ing, was before any of their batteries had
been passed, giving them ample time to COM
municate from one point to another before
we came within range. Notwithstanding all
this as strange as it may seem, no alarm
among the rebels was discovered to follow,
and we were consoling ourselves over the
remissness ofrebel sentres, when to our great
establishment the chimneys were again fired,
and our design lighted up, as if treacher-
Gus deity were presiding over the fortunes of
our boat
TEE REBELS TAKE THE ALARM.
The boat now presented broadside to
the upper fort, and the sentries there had
not failed to discover the boat by this last
accident, and alarmed the guards of the
fort below by discharging their muskets
Immediately afterwards five rockets were
sent up from the mainland and the Island
and were followed by cannon shot from
fort No. 2. The stiffness at the upper
fort satisfied those aboard that its guns
had been most effectually disabled by the
spiking party. Had it not been so, the
rebels would have first opened upon us
with cannon from that point, since it was
the first alarmed, and afforded an easy
range.
WE CONCLUDE TO RUSH BY.
| But one course remained to be pursued