The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-07-25
brilliant Victory at vioksburg.

and brilliant engagements OF !
The present war, resulting in complete !
victory for the Confederate cause. My 4
statement is from eyewitness OF the
whole affair. as well as from officers and
men on board Of our Ram.
Your readers will know that, for sew
eral months past, we have had gun-boat
building up the Yazoo river. She was
five or six days ago, and her
Capt. Brown, c. s. N, dis
patched courier through the country to
announce 10 Major General Van Dorm
that he would be at vicksburg this morn
ing at o'clock. The courier rode sew
enty miles by 10 o'clock last night, and
made his communication TO the General.
Immediately the drums along our bate
ries aroused the canncniers who stood to
their posts, while the infantry backed
them, ready to lend any assistance qeces-
sary.
In order TO get under. the guns Of our
batteries, the Arkansas had to pass
the whole upper feet Of the enemy,
consisting OF twenty gun.boats and men
of-war. Soon after daylight she .placidly
glided from The mouth Of the Yasoo into
Old River-which is an old channel Of
the Mississippi, The moment Of round
ing out OF the Yazoo the Arkansas
came in view Of three OF the enemy's gun
boats, stationed there ON picket duty,
and supposed to be ON the lookout for
her. A fierce cannonade at once opened,
the Arkansas returning the fire in the
most spirited manner. Passing rapidly
two Of them, she ran alongside the Ben
ton," and giving her a broadside, she
sunk Immediately. When last seen by
the crew of the Arkansas" the Ben
ton I" was ON the bottom of the river near
the shore, careened to one side, and her
career ended forever! ... rs
Having gotten rid of the enemy's
"pickets," the Arkansas" ran into
the Mississippi, and came in full view of
no less than seventeen sloops-of war,
gun boats and rams. They were drawn
up in line of battle, stretching from one
side of the river TO the other. In the
center three rams were posted, the CEN
ter one of the three with her prov up
stream, while the prows of tho other
two were inverted from the shore.
The whole of this powerful feet instant
ly brought its guns to bear upon the " Ar
kansas" Nothing daunted, the -" Ar
kansas crowded on all steam, and made
for the center. When in fifty yards OF
the line she fired into the center ram
the Eastport,) penetrating to her boilers,
when she blew up with tremendous
crash 1t is thought that not soul on
board the Eastport escaped. Thus break
ing the line, the Arkansas dashed
through over the wreck and debris of the
Eastport. .a
The enemy's feet then broke their line
of battle and made chase, furiously pelt
ing the Arkansas all the while, but she
outran them all, and at ten minutes be
fore nire came round the guns of our bat
teries on the shore. The pursuit wa'
kept up until our guns, from the shore
opened, when the enemy turned and
fled.
As soon as the Arkansas came around
the point, a great commotion was motto
ed in the lower feet and presently
flames burst out of one OF the mortar
boats, supposed to have been aground
In thirty minutes, nothing Of it was Wis.
BILE above the waters edge. All of the
vessels of theh fleet, by this time were near
ly out of sight below, and at last accounts
were seen heading towards New Orleans
and the Gulf as fast as steam could carry
them.
Bat to return to the Arkansas. She ID
perfect iron-clad ram steamer. one nun
dred feet long mounting ten Parrot guns
with crew of over one hundred men,
do not know how many feet of watel
, she draws, but as she came down the va
ZOO at this season of the year of course
she can run anywhere in the Mississippi
She was struck this morning a number
OF times, 10y balls from the heaviest gum
in the United States, and only one sho
penetrated her, and that was in this way
While passing imme
diately under the guns of that sloop, she
depressed gun SO as to throw an clever
inch solid shot down. 1t penetrated t
. the gun room and killed eight white mer
and one negro, and slightly wound!n,
twelve others. This shot, save ten o
twelve holes through her smoke-staok
was the only injury received by the nov
immortal Arkansas. Her injuries vii
all be repaired tomorrow, when she vii
: earnestly commence the process 0
cleaning out" the Mississippi, right anC
left of Vicksburg. .r.
The Yankees Of the upper feet, mad
dened by their utter and signGs defeat By
only one Confederate naval vessel, have
been vigorously bombarding VicksburI
all day, without doing any injury save t
some buildings.
And thus did we gain on this, the 1871
day Of July, 1862, one of the most bril-
liant victories known in the annals o
history Of tho world. We do not Q
course, know the exact loss of tho enem
in lives, but 1t is supposed to have beef
not less than Eve hundred.
Captain Brown is one Of Mississippi
, most gallant sons. His home is in lssa
quena county. he was in the United
States navy twenty-seyen years ago, ant
commanded the Niagara up to the dis
ruption Of the Union.
! should have mentioned in tho detail
that the enemy piled up and burned i'm
mense piles of stores on the other side o