The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-08-07

mage when Che time came; bat enc of the
Mackerels happened to see it when he W ~,
fishing. and Commodore Head was = o.
ordered to have his .ieon-n plated sq' .adron in
readiness to intercept aud destr ~ the mon
ster when she 'rhould appeal.
g Riddts'my turret +" Gays the Commo-
dore, is his marine T.anner, as be sighted
his swivel gun and placed his fishing rod
and box of b3it near his stool on the guar
ter deck, / feel like graphing with half
q dozen rams of chivalry-loosen my plates
if don't" 6a- -
And there we stood, on that hot July af-
ternoon, watching the noble craft as she
sat like duck in the water, the Mackerel
crew sitting aft picking marrow bone,
and the venesable tilted back on bis stool
upon the quarterback, fishing tor bass.
Presently we could see the treacherous
Confederacy stealing down to where bis
iron plated monster lay hidden. Softly he
removed the covering of hay, and cautious
| ly did be place the ram in the water, care
fully examining the printing of the old
| fashioned blunderbuss he carried under his
arm, as he stepped into this new Merrimac,
and quietly raised his umbrella with one
hand, while be padded off with the other.
The distance between our feet and the
spectators being fully two hundred yards,
William had thoughtfully provided bits of
smoked glass for our party, and we now
brought them to bear upon the scene of ap-
preaching slaughter. The Mackerel crew
on board our squadron appeared to be
wholly absorbed in the pleasing experiment
of following with straw the motions of
6y, whose wings be had just pulled off, and
Commodore Head had fallen into refresh
ing slumber in the midst of his fishing. In
fact no means had been left unemployed to
guard against surprise.
Now, it happened that the nautical Con-
federacy did his padding with bis back to
the bow of his iron-plated monster, and be-
fore he knew it his ram went smack against
the Aackerel feet, with sound like the
smashing of many dinner plates. So tre-
mendous was the shock, that the stool upon
which Commodore Head tilted, gave
way beneath bis weight, and came down
upon the deck with a crash like muffled
thunder. simultaneously the Confederacy
discharged his blunderbuss two points to
windwaTd, and would have followed up his
advantage by boarding at once but by this
time the Mackere1 crew had recovered his
presence of mind, and poured such show
er upon the intruder from a watering pot
which he found in the s;ern-sheets, that
the latter relreated in great disorder.
Meanwhile, our gallant old naval hero
had regained his feet, and having carefully
put away bis fshing-lackle and box of bait,
he made his appearance upon the star board
with bis spy glass under one arm, his speak
ing trumpet under the other, and his log
book between bis teeth.
No sooner did the now thoroughly exas-
operated COnfederacy behold bis venerable
figure, than he hastily shut up his umbrella
and violently cracked him over the head
with it, knocking off his spectacles, and
greatly damaging his new white hat.
"Batter my armorl' Numbered the COM
modore, picking up bis spectacles, and
bending them straight again."
scorpion y roared the Confederacy drop
ping his umbrella, and dancing up and
down in his ram with his arms in boxing
attitude.
"Come on, base old beingl''
Then take thy doom" shrieked the
maddened commodore, quickly striking g
match upon the bottom of one of his boots
and touching off the swivel gun. With q
report like the explosion o. deadly pistol
the trusty weapon hurled its contents about
two inches above the head of the Mackere
crew, wildly tearing off the cap of the lat.
ter and shaking the stauneh craft from stem
to stern.
Somewhat alarmed by this demonstra,
ton, the Confederacy commenced showing
of with his ram, using his blunderbuss anC
umbrella as oars, and singing the Southern
Marsellaise.
'Out with the SOULS and give chase I
Ella ;ulated Commodore Head, in great per
spration. 1t was found, upon examination
that tie sculls had been LETT on shore, anC
it was further discovered that the Mackere
feet was aground; otherwise our victory
would have been more complete.
With eyes strained to the utmost we wer
gazing upos this from the beach, when Vii
liam suddenly placed b and upon my arm
and says he
clark p
We listened. There was a sound as of
faint human cry. 1t approached nearer. W
d could distinguish words. Nearer snd near
err. The words now came clear and distinc
to our quickened ears:
"Extry a. Herr-rr rr-ald, capture of Vicks
burg, aud sinking of the rebel ram by Com
modore Head -
Since newspapers have become as plepti
full in this once distracted country, my boy
that even the babe chews them upon it
mothers lap, the poorest man is enabled Il
see instantaneously, through glass as i
were, the most distant events--a glass, NJ,
boy, which makes things appear mucl
larger a! distance than they seem to thos
close by. Yours, admiriDgly,
OBPHEUs c. KERR.