Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-07-17
The War in Arkansas-Full details of the
 Explosion on the Mound city-Great Loss of Federal Seamen.


 cial, who accompanied the expedition up White river, gives the following account of the disaster on the Mound City on the 1th inst:
 At eleven a. m. the Mound City, having fired fiftyon guns, an unusual quantity of steam IS seen issuing from her ports and through the ven tilla on the upper deck. At first we suppose her boilers have exploded, but by a mark on her side forward perceive thatshe has received a shot from the enemy.
 From q conversation with first Master C.. Dominy, of the unfortunate gunboat, we learn that, after sheng the woods, the Mound City proceeds on up the river, engaging the lower rebel battery--Some two hundred yards dis tant-and also sheled the woods filled with the enemyS sharpshooters. At eleven a. m., an elongated rifed fFtytwo pound shot entered her port side forward of the forward port, at an angle of thirty degrees, instantly killing four men at their guns, and then, passing through the steam drum ans heater, finally lodged in the pantry of the steerage room.
 Walter McClain, John McClinteck, Emanuel Stokes and J. P. Lee--the latter of Helena, AT. kansas--are the names of the men killed while working their guns. Stokes right shoulder was shot off; McClain's whole breast carried away; McClsin and Lee were literally cut ia two, just
 
 torn limb from limb. presented the most horrible spectacle we ever witnessed. In an instant, the whole boat inside and outside, was enveloped in steam In the confusion of the moment some sixty men, badly scaldeAs jumped overLoard- thirty or more of whom Ware sure were drown ed or murdered-the enemy $ ssharpshooters liter ally picking off our poor fellows while they were swimming and s..EnSolI,g iD the water for lie. When the accident occurred, Master Domlny was standing out forward, on the starboard spar deck (the only man then on the deck, Capt. Kel- ty being at his post in the pilot house,) giving orders during the hail of cannon. rifle and mus ketry shot. Discovering the flow of steam Dominv pulled of his coat, with which he cov- cred his head, begging his men " for God sake not to jump overheard" He next went to the stern, waved his handkerchief for the gunboats below to come up and tow the disabled Mound City out from under the rebel batteries-42 pouuders- were playing on her very heavy at the time. While signaling the gun boats to come up tue handkerchief was shot out of his hand. As fast as he pulled his men ont of the water at the stern of the Mound City, the enemys sharpSh0oterS shot them down. Ouartermaster Mckean, and one of the coal beavers were both shot while Domlny was pull ing them out; Mckean through the hip, and the csal beaver through the head. The latter, with bis hand clinched in Dominy's, fell dead on the deck
 While the small boats of our fleet were busily engaged in picking up the drowning men, the Conestoga. Capt G. N. Bodgett '. s. N., com manding, in fall face of the fire from the enc. mv's batteries, ,'gallantly came to the rescue of the Mound City, and, passing line to her stern, pulled the disabled gaaboat out from the shore where she had driited to a secure point one mile below. In the meantime party of the ene my's sharpshooters endeavored to board the Mound City, but were soon sheed off by dis charge from the tug Tiptiire's Dahgreen howitz> CT and round or two from the Conestoga's big guns. One of the LexiDgton's and two of the Conestogas small boats, while picking the men out of the water, were riddled with bullets and shot from the enemy's -pounder. A A42-pound CT passed through both of the ConestOga's boats, when one of the latter was run ashore to save the men, one of whom was severely injured by a splinter.
 The ag0nizing scene cannot be described or imarned Your correspondent, through the courtesy of Lieutenant commanding Shirk, U. $. N., of the Lexington, was sent on board of the ill>fated vessel, together with Surgeon Gar yer, with the hope of afording all possible re. lief in the capacity of nurses. Here lay the bodies ot some twentyssn, scaldsd to death, others with their man9led bodies severed asun- der by the fatal shot.
 The gun deck was literally strewn with from seventy five to eighty others, who, heing badly scalded and horribly disfgured, were tearing off the;r clothing, and long strings of bleeding flesh dangling from their finger ends, hands, arms and lacerated bodies, and with eyes burnt out and closed, crying cut for Help, belpl-waterl
 .I n l On! kill me, shoot me. Oh! do end my misery Doctor, will live? Tell my wife how died, and pumerous pitiful exclamations and pathetic appeals of this character. The features of all were wonderfully distorted. Many could not be recognized by their most intimate friends. We pray to God we shall mover have occasion to look on such scene again. The pilots, engineers. and all other officers of the boats stood their watches to the last moment, while several died at their posts. Many were moaning plteously; others, in alI their misery were cheer ing ID and svmpathizing with their comrades; others trantcally screaming, running wildly ahout the decks in their eycruci&ting agony, nearly all stripped to the buff, strewn all over the deck lie the raw, bleeding, mangled bodies of the dead and dying seamen.
 The surgeon of the Conestoya, D.. Wilson, and Dr. Grayer, of the Lexington, and all the officers of the gunboats did everything in their power to alleviate the Sutterlng$. q the poor men. Fortunately, cotton was abundant, float ;no j., Iaf3Hyer. One of the Lexington's small boats m scked up a. a" '"a cotton required, while a plentiful supply of ice was furnished from the Uonsstoga, The tsg brought up the surgeons of the fleet. The dying and wounded within one hour after the accident occurred, were removed to the Conestoga, Lexington and Mussleman-the Conestoga and Musslenan pro ceeding to Memphis with the wounded the same night. -. =,
 While our gunboats were smelling the bluff and batteries, Col. Fitch's command bravely drove off the enemy's sharpshooters, while an other column successfully stormed the batteries from the rear, killing over twenty, and wound inc and capturing number of prisoners, ln- clndina the rebel commandant of the post, Lieut. Joseph Fry, formerly otthe United States
 Tie sunboats did gre,t execution, while Col: Fitch's oalant and daring Indisna boys faced the iron seet of the enemys batteries most glo- riously, storming and capturing eight brass and iron pieces-rihed parrctts and l2,pounders- their largest cannon being couple ot 4Z- pounders, riHed. The twe largest guns were spiked. and the balance shipped for Memphis on the Conestoga. The St. Louis, Lexlngton and Conestoga were within three hundred yards of the lower rebel battery when the accident oc- cured to the Mound City.
 The enemy occupied formidable position on a blnH inst below the town of St. Charles, some