Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-06-21

IL was not until s1 o'clock this morning. Ihst the I'D
,ra feet made s appearance aud then 1t was discover
Just rounding the point b,hnd nhich they had lain
concealed. Our little Iqaadroa at once prepared
for action. Bat what odds! Before u' vas the ten.
an Dorm 1.-THE AIg ship OF Commodore hoaigomsf!l
Gen. Bragg, Gen. Price, JEFF. Thomplon, Gen. LSvSh
Gen Beauregsrd, Sumter, and Little Rebel ell ram,
manned by only few sesmen each, cominsndsc oy
steam boat Captains, and mounting not more Than ar.
team GUYS all ssld Coming doEn the river GEdef III
head # steam we're the federlls-s perfect tHaini|
fest eight rams; mex triple TOW so 4ofsss,
the lJH, black, bu.ing, iron.cid gunboa!s b.s'Ens
with heavy guns every side; then sefes q m'fht
boais aud Transports and behiad al cloud Q; gus+i
tugs which DARED sbou. like fire flies, while hiy s8Hs
ly transmitted orders from one boat TO inc oIas-H
guns to the number OF eighty, a.d comma
ed by the most experienced officers IL the feceTs May
Such was the character and Aspec. OF the sNo iS'eos
abCu, to engage in battle. We had nothing 10 h1pe -
We expected no victory, but many hear ren: Up
silent prayer that the gallant men who we're mus 'mp
ling their lives to defend the city oil hemPl misot ."
sp.red the fac Of utter anunilaton By tbs oysTTLsn-
ing numbers sweeping stately and gfassy down upon
them Indeed, IL useless 10 contend sg"ihst seca
odds, but the brave Montgomery had aooP'ea As p's
motto that war means hghiing and uua 10 ms lnpu.
ses be had determined 10 oppose the enemy 81" ht o
ter end though 1t cost him the life OF ev,Ty uan anh
the 10, ; Of every guLboat in his feet Ito" hoby ne
stood. firm this resolution, the sequ'i "'h sHoH'
Wa. eonmspced BY the Copiedera.es, but several s'Os
we're fred before the Federal mode any respotse ih
Ase, still advancing. Soon, however, the lat open'd
brink ire Of shot and shell, which picagasa tue "ah
In every direction, and threw the spray Lsn IN 'ne
air, but for half sn hour damage was done JON
modore Montgomery ct this tine, sigual'ed 20 his Ell
10 fall back which they did slowly, wih their bow: 20
| he enemy the guus continually belehng TORN they
angry volumes Of smoke aud shot. Ana e" was W
essed one oil the most exciting episodes OIL u' o.sh
| Two Federal Eims-lhe ieen OF the Ntss ahd
a,ch--puttiIg on aIl-s.sAIn darted suddsl iy IRON
| fonE OF the Yankee squadron and made sToI
the Beauregard. Win the impetus o. the current,
| they almost seemed TO AJ-.he Queen OF the WSsG
icing ahead The destruction Of the Uontecerae steam
er appeared inevitable. But ist he ia,sl bo-
abou, to be gwen a skiiIul MAJ GiVre changed her
cou sc, and the enemy dashed o. bayng missed his OBJ
ject Now came the turn Of the b suregard Th!oTiug
Der boa full around, abe plunged forward as II mpel
| by some gigantic power and struck DER aDagoniat
souarely in the side lust ahead Of tho wheelLoU-e,
causing her 10 uBt the whole length OF her tu
| Ta3 Visible. The dGmAgs wds done. few NOM
more and the Of the West would bsve sunk but
making her way 10 the AIklnsas shore, she g'ounded
here aud the lives Of these beard eTvtd from
| O Watery grave.
| The Monarch kept on t0E a?6s tie Confederate fee
and the Beauregard having drsWa CT, 10 ol,junolon
with the Price, turned her attention 20 the Fsueras.-
Toe latter in the diagonal Of the line OF attack,
and the three boats together. skilfui move
ment on the part OF the l4nkee pilot however, saVsd
bic own boat from the crash, and he two Con'derss
coming cgather the blow aimed at tho Monarch struck
the PnCe, OH part OF ner FIbeiDOns a a Grove
her in sinking condition 10 tho Ark4Isas snore. There
her Eagsl re was 60. on fire. ard she blew ~ hing be
| Yankees On beard. Our own men had ese,ped Tie
BeaurSgard dropped down TO the rem~iLdgr Of no
feet which during these cnc0ua;eG had ten rec'iTl
and returning the heavy fire G! tbs Onward pr,sSi
| guuboals Tie csunor de became uurcmittrg, s-d
sno: after shot Tained around our devoted little tq sd
100. Tie beats row 60 near each other that the
sharp-shocters Gil the Yankee TaDs picked eff every
man who xpcsed himself to view Ous 81 ,ueIs, how
| haha hey nad O D.
OBS bat their reviewers and shot guns hty stood boldly
out with these aud returned tho fire VI small arms that
greeted hem from every side Whenever they attempted
10 loid the planted tho bows OF their rama.
should remark pJ1dnt, TIA. tho Yankees fred ka
covsrdy dogs through loop holes in the plated sides
their cca aud quendy could not oe seen Hence
our ability TO 90 them any harm.
A ihousard yards distant Is o3s Of cur gun.
bosts--the Little Rs6c-srkiog. sho: has gene
through and through her machinery, and made deco
r.n: il her side through which the water is pouriI
| torrents Commodore Montgomery Who hso CHI &
his x in the morning from the Var Dorm 20 the BEL
because the former contains over hundred thousand
pounds Of powder aud other articles Of vslue tie
uonederacy is on tolrd, and with daring amount
ing almost TO reckessness had alongside Of fede
al gunboats hoping to disable her. The latter how
efT proved too vary aud, the little craft Is nGn",
the Yankee depresses bis guns and pours slot efter
shot ct range into her decks snd sdes. momsnt
or two and down she goes TIE men leap into the
ter md swim ashore, the Com eo the number,
saving only his revolver and sFord but even nov the
RI q Of the sharp.shooters do their merci york.
through my glass see head after head lbs beneath the
surface The villains sparc nothing, net for hr.
manity's sake The Gen. Lowell svfers the sane fate
core or more drowned, and while the reminder
are iu the water broaGsiie Of light and heavy sns
makes sckenilg work among the struggling mass
than d. zen are killed and Houpd1d
| Among them Is her Captain--who was shot ia tie
| hssd-Wiliam Cable AZ brave man as ever trod
plank The J,f Thompson soon joins hsr companion,
and ashore the Arkansas side of the rvpr and
set on fire by her Captain The officers aud escape
in tie woods. The Besuregard rsked fore end afr al
in sinking condition. IL run ashore. The gallant non''
gomery had given his orders that boat was TO Sight
az long her coal held cut and when daGbled that co
Gap aims of the various craft should burD, blow
them up "a her than surrender them TO the enemy eLd
brayey do they obey their Instructions. The OF tho
story soon told The chase continues for several miles
when the fight and the race Ia givn up All OF car gun.
boats oae have been captured destroyed, ana
in few hours more the scene Ia ended.
Way TEX BATTLE WAS FOUGHT.
The B,et had remained Fort Pillow, assisting IL b.
defence of that situation uuit fuel nearly exhaus
ed. The Commodore thea telegraped 10 the mill AIRY
thori,es CT Memphis 20 furnish bim all the coal that
could be Gbsined to enable bim 10 reach feksbufe,
and on Thursday dropped down .hs ely, ~here
Ct arrived only Pix hours in advance OF the enemy
Here he surprised ssre that he could ootAG only
eigh. hundred barrels OF c'ol-sutcsnt to keep rs
seven boats in motioa too hslTS. The proEise vas
male however that following day, If tie Fedes.
ais did uot como down. he should De supplied with i've
or six thousand barrels from the city gas works. The
Commodore accordingly decided TO wait. Il the mean
time the arrival of the Federal let changed the aspect
of sf ira Finding that he either light run, with
certainty that be uoui be captured IN the later arr'
native consultation Of the officers was cal ed. Tho
U lanimous Determination OF that meeting was n'yer 10
surrender gunboat while it would fost but 20 fight as
long the fuel held out, and then sink or blow them
ur The Spartan resolution was car ei Gus 10 the LEI
ter and OF the original OILY the Van Dorr, which,
as said above Was laden with quarter OF million o!
Government stores escaped the general destruction Upon
which The Commodore had decided. Tho two vessels
retcued from tie mn, by the Federes probably a.
useless a, if they rad never been launched.