The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-02-26

low
ting from the fort, its staff cut by ball from
the st. Louis, who thus avenged the indig
nifty offered to herself.
A little later and the Louisiana was strucl
by "a pound shot from the right of tn,
middle tier of batteries, which broke he
rudder post, rendering her unmanageablc
At this time the boats were all held under
easy steam, just stemmins the current t.
prevent drifting. Another shot killed Will
liam Hinton, the pilot, in the pilot house 0
the Carondolet, and 80, nearly the same
instant, came crashing into the pilot house
Of the St Louis, rnortally wounding one o
the pilots, F. A. Riley, injuring two othe,
pilots, and also wonnding the brave Com
modore himself across whose left foot {
large fragment Of splntered oaken bean
fell, severely crushing and bruising it. OF
the four in the pilot house at the time only
one escaped injury.
| will add here that Commodore Foote's
injury is of such a nature that care for thu
wounded member requires him to use 1
crutch, which the brave officer regrets, say
ing that but for this needed exposure no one
would learn that he was hurt lie will soon
be on both pins again however. This mis-
chievous shot passed through the pilot hous'
and knocked into pi one of the wheels of tht
st. Louis which, like sea bird..with broker
wing, swung round and became unmana
geable in the current. Here then. were thre,
vessels disabled--the Louisiana with he
rudder post shattered, the Carondolet pilot
less, and the st. Lonis with her wounded
wheel-all in swift current under the Or,
Of rebel batteries. To continue the hgh,
longer was useless, and the rudderless boat
must be called out of the fight. The brav'
crews saw this necessity unwillingly ant
burned to continue their advantage gained
Said Commodore Foote, "If they had no
crippled my boats, I should havs had posses
sion of the. fort in ten minutes MORE" Tn,
gunboats had passed up to within two hun
dred yards of the fort. The enemy hat
been driven from the lower battery. and
their fire had slackened perceptibly. Blu
when disabled, the engines were stopped and
the boats foated from their position. Th
enemy saw what had happened, and they
rushed back to their guns with the same
speed with which they had deserted them
which is saying great deal. Their fir
was redoubled, but our gunners did no
leave withouta parting shot One heavy
shell from the Carondolet was seen to aligh
in the miljle battery, and with its explosion
away from its carriage went gnn, and int
the air went dust, splinters and fragments o
rebel gunncrs, and the spot of the carnag
was distinctly to be traced when two day
later the star and stripes foted over the cap
tured fort.
The fleet retired in good order and an
chored little over mile and half below
the fort Old men-of.war's men say tn
fight was the hottest they had ever seem
Commod, re Foote, who is no chicken, say.
the firing was the most terrific he had eve
seen,
The army made no movement on FRIDAY
of consequence, but waited any demonstra
ton the rebels might make. They wer,
elated with the repulse of the gunboats, ant
undoubtedly concluded that they would re
pulse the army, or if not that they woul,
cut their way through and escape to Clarks
vile.
| Prepared to do either, as circumstance.
might decide, at o'clock on Saturday morn
ling they appeared in solid column upon th'
road, which seems partly parallel to tn,
creek, at Netherlands right. It was few
minutes past six when our pickets exchang
ed shots with their skirmishers. E
Perhaps few straight lines, such as the
printer can readily set up, will give an ide,
Of the position of the forces.