Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-06-19
EXCITING SCEEEl Federal Gunb pats pursuing and nring at "a Steamer opposite Helena

About 4 o'clock yesterday evening novel scene was witnessed by the inhabitants u llelt na--ont that created an intense interest. since the occu- patton of Memphis by the tederals, visit from their gunboats was daly, We might say of hourly expt citation, and about half past three yesterday afternoon, black smoke WAS seen hoveing above the tree tops at the oint four or five miles above the city, and in few mirtes three of the enenv's gunboats, and a small steam tug, came ln sisiit, steaming down the river. The Clara Do!sjn, one of the largest. swittest, and mot valuable steamers on the Mississippi, was lying at ou' wharf Having been here several hours, the steam had been worked of and the fires gone donn. But the commander. tLe well known Capt Riley Jones, inmediately ordered the furnaces to be filled wlth wood saturat ed.wth turpentne and Tn very shor! time sufficient head Of steam Was gUtten up to turn the wheeis, @hen the rapid approach ot the enemy admUnisted him to be oil, and make the best possible eXetlons to escape and save his boat 1 She was immed atel, showed of, and when very short distance from the whar! boat, and breadsde to the enemy, V ho was then about the foot ot the island two miles above town, one of the gunbont~ l threw a shot which fell q few hundred feet snort ! This shot was probably not intended to strike the 1 steamer, but was designrd as "shot across her 1 bows" with the hope of capturing her without 1 damage If such was the case, the calcuiatloh ! was a very erroneous one, for a surrender seemeu 1 10 be the last thing her commander contemplated. 1 Now came the exciting scene-steam was ramdiY generating in the boilers Of the gallant boat, aho | us she headed round and slowed the enemy her | heels anoth> r ard anothershot came booming after her, without damage, however. The federal FeS' sels came on--in advance vas the ""splsh iltt'e l tug swift, rakish and deVilsh in appearance the black smoke rolling from le: smoke stack Ill huge i volumes. ~
 Inc enemy seemed confident that the littie black fend would easily oyorake and capture the steamer. as the gunboats made hriet h. | onnosite inc town-but the beautiful Ctdid DOt- son had gotten her metal Up and was most gal Iantlv holding her own in the exciting chase The gunboata again put their wheels ln motion, and ioil ed in lbe pursuit, the foremost cue throwing shot and shell in rapid succession, but all to no turpose, as Is believed for when the pursued and the pursuers passed out ot sI9ht ! or 9 niles below the ely, the steamer seemed tt have the best sf it anu wa' grauuait widening the breach, and it is sincerely believed made good her escape.
 Hundreds of spectators stood upon the bank and witnessed the scene. and the hveliest infe- rest was manifested for the fate of the supert steamer winch was making 50 heroic an etJr to escape.
 What the purposes or destination of the gun
 hoa.s gre or were, we can only coniecture.-
 They have gone below, perhaps to aid in tht reduction ol Vicksburg, perhaps to lay Otf tht
 mouth of the rivers below, or perhaps to go ul
 White liver in search of the Van DorR and other Confederate guu5oats. Time will show
 In conclusion we can only say that the failure of the eoerny to c)nfer upon Helena the " dis nnguibhd honor of a call i5 duly appreciated by our most worthy Mayor, as well as the peo'
 pie he SC creditably represents, who really hast
 he leastp possible use tor 1he presence of anl
 such visitors, and will not file bill of obiee
 rions if ie should still continue to gard Helt
 na win yiiher trepidatou or Indifference, as
 -,av b.,r nj him, in his iuture passage up ana down tha liver.