The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-05-23
Our Military Correspondence.
FROM THE MISSISSIPPI FLoTILLA'
L S. GuHDoAr CoNEsToeA, Plum
Point Bend, Miss. River, Z
NAV 10Th, 1869.

FR1FNp CONVERSE We are still at the
same place and point as al the dste OF my
last letter to you. -Four weeks tomorrow
since we took up position here, where we
have lain, with but little excitement 10
break the dull mono,ony oi our lives,
with the exception OF tracing the line of
our bomb shells through the air, as they
speed on their way OF death and destruc-
ton. Although the fire from our mortars
has been al long intervals, Of late, still
they appear to gal! the rascals consid.
erably, when they do go.
This mouotony Of our lives was bro.
ken on The morning Of the 9th inst, by
the appearance around the point, which
hides tue Fort form our view, OF four of
the enemy's gunboats, looking wicked, as
if they intended mischief. They stood
steadily up the stream for about half q
mile or so, when they received the fire
from the 81 division of Gunboats, under
= the immediate command OF Capt kiIty,
f who gave them several rounds from the
four vessels lying upon this side OF the
stream, when they turned aud hustled
back TO their holes. Nothing OF any in.
teresL occurred again ill this morning,
when, at O'Clock, they made their ap-
, pearance, with a force Of eight gunboa,s,
including two OF the celebrated Rams" !"
with iron prows, the grea: "Giasticutus" of
lie Southern Confeds. The Gunboat Gin
; cinnali was, for some reason, lying much
q further down the stream than the other
). boats composing the division, on the Ar
q kansas side Of the stream, and, conse.
quenlly, received the first and entire force
:, OF the enemy. The two Rams made di.
:. rectly Tor her, and, but Tor the most skill.
= full management, must have sunk her al
y once, but they managed 20 take the blow
20 angling, thus breaking its force. They
d gave the Ram, just before she struck her
10 a full round from her three guns, and, as
b the force of the blow she received threw
- her around, she gave the enemy full
broadside from her starbosrd or right
q aide guns, which appeared to be quietus
:. for the Rebels, either exploding her boil.
ers or breaking her steam pipes in any
case, she was settled for, and appeared
no more in the fight. Alter the seconC
IL FIRE OF the Cincinnati, so direct at the frs
Ram, the other one came into tho fracas
: anu nHu ldtT tllt ~ tuc SUES VI tue DOht
~ >" but not till she had received full broad
ID side at but few feet distance. After thi
m collision she EFF, and ran down upon th,
IN Mound City, giving her fair blow ligh
10 on the bows.
a. During most Of this time, the Bentol
70 and all the other boats had entered lh,
ia fight, and boats and the enemies ha,
h.. on nlpsulu ,nival thaf IN
IN hard 10 tell "whose legs were whose."-
OF After close aud hot fight of forty min
'g utes, the enemy turned tail TO, and 60
10 out Of the fight the best way they could
D. our boats all giving them the best incen
u, tlves to their speed, provided they di'
NJ ot no. take vital part.) AS the smok
ay cleared away and allowed a fair view @
to the scene, it showed three Of the enemy
or boats in sinking condition, and one olhe
ty past doing for entirely; but what, to u'
w. Of course, was far worse, was the oou
'nrr' diion of the Cincinnati and Mound City
W. both OF which boats were in a sinking stat
of They were both towed to where the
lly could touch the bottom. and not entirel
,u- disappear from view. II is said that the
lay can both be easily raised and repaired
&C. After the larger and more powerful of lh
a Rams had made its first blow upon tb
OIL Mound City, and was coming down fc
the second attack, the Benton came in bt
'n' tween, in order 10 receive the blow, bl
"y the enemy concluded her sides were nc
70 to be trifled with, and sheered of, but nc
lie till the Benton had put 49 pound rifle
OF ball into her boilers, and, in that way
completely demolished her.
we Our side could not avail themselves
,da the trophies OF their victory, for they Al
snl very unmanagoabe Of themselves, and
ost is about rs much as they can do TO NAL
the head up stream alone, without atlemptir
APP to lorcibly take craft in tow; cons
to quenlly, the disabled boats of the enem
.on drilted with the steam down to the Fol
20 o' The carpenters think they can have Il
0 II Mound City repaired and ready for aoIic
r,y again in three or four days. The Cinoil
,on natl is much worse injured. and it is,
re. present. impossible to tel the extent
the her injury. Capt. Stemble and one
ties the Masters Of the Cincinnati were, il
-, - feared. morlally wounded, and two othe
tm n"a were slightly wounded on the Mound Cit
,'o this, i believe, comprises our entire lo'
onr l think the Rebels are fully satisG
ure with their part of the fun, and will be cal
tod ful, in future. in their bold pushes.
The attack has been for some lime G
my pected here, as il was about the only no
r,eu n'u they had Of raising their setting star.
ony they could but come surprise, and def
,ah, us, or capture gunboat or two, it wot
ndo. give. them. with their own side, a. sol t
hty. prestige, and, il they were defeated
could not m AXE the case much worse,
they will have to. finally. between ascel
t. ing and descending fleets. lose all III
boats. Their only hope,if they had no
IS OF was in defeating us in detail. They ht
s of tried our side now they can. il they Ii
xor- try Flag Officer Farragut's upward boz
self, feet.
p Flag Officer Foote went home, 81
this Yesterday, or, at least, 10 his brothers.,
bis Cleveland, Ohio. He has been labor
under an attack of our common dises
the dyseGtery. He has never recove
from his wound, received in the attack
of Fort Donelson, having been unable
the bear the least weight on his foot since