The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-06-13
Ong 9r1NN Correspondence
NIsIi::ing Description Of thC
Gumboat Fight ec,cw
New OriCnnS.

We arc kindly permitted to cory the
following extract from letter written by
Lieut.. Thos. J. Thompson, OF the Gun
boat Verona, Capt. roggs, which, orr
readers will remember, was sunk by the
rebel guuboats below NV Orleans
Lieut.. Thompson is nephew of Mr..
Gwyn cf the T.flin Gus Works:
awe passed the forts and were soon
out Of sight in the darkness of the night,
when all at once we found we were tur.
rounded by u rebel fleet ofgunbo0ts. We
soon began to engage them at close quar-
ters and, now and thcn,wc would have n
chance to give III m broadsidc, when
not halfa stones throw from them. On
such occasions We would make them suf.
fer, can assure you. We had set fire
to and destroyed five Of them, when an
other boat, about cur size, but great
deal higher out Of the water, made att r
US. II was then just beginning to get
daylight, but we kept on up the river at u
slow speed and she after us. We had Il
stern rifle gun, which we made nsc of Us
freely as possible, us she was following
us up. 1t is stated, when the Oneida
boarded her, tn y saw forty-soycn lying
dead ON her deck and the reb crew said
the Captain threw the men overheard as
soon us He shot them down.
Well, after awhile the steamer aetern
Of us thought she would repay us for all
cur work; so she opened fire upon us.
The shell cXpltd dld just at my gun and
wounded seven oi our men. 1t was rath-
cr hard for mo TO look on and see my own
guns crew lying down At the gun, bleed
ing from their dreadful injuries, and not
u minute to pick them up and carry them
to the Surgeon. The second she'll went
clear through cur SIN ke.stlck and ex-
plCdtd over the forward rife gun, hut on,
ly wounded one man, the Captain Of the
gun. A piece Of the shell struck him on
the shoulder-bade and lodged in him,
MAXI a fearful wound. The men at
my gun we're wounded in an awful man
ncr. In fact two of them werc nothing
but crts all over their bodies, from the
pieces of the she'll Now fer the third
she'll, which was by far the worst. 1t
struck three men, all Of whom was par
tinlto. Ore was me s-matc--he was
cut clear in two; another had his head
and ARA cut clear Off; the she'll went
clear through the chest of the third and
out ut his back and then passed on to Inv
gun aud tore oil the after part of the gun
carriage to pieces aud sent it about the
deck in small splinters. Up to that time
was in the height of my glory, but when
saw my shipmat,s fsrc SO badly and all
so close to me, it began 10 dampen my
spirits.
She was bent on sinking us, SO she
hauled off little and then made rush
at US, striking US right under the star
board quarter. There we were with a
large hole in us and the water rushing in
at gay rate. NLw another steamer mus t
follow her example and smash cur post
side in. This steamers name was the
Webb. And now the first steamer rust
Give us another smash and staye our s.ur-
board side in. But rot for nothing, for
we gave her our whole brondside Of shell
and grape. This steamers name was the
Robert Morgan. She then hauled off
aud crossed our bows, but each time she
was smashing us in, there was some mus.
ket and pistol firing, | can assure you.-
We did everlastlngy give It to her, Five
second shell were in great demand t. set
her on fire and blow her up and grape to
clear her decks, but our time was nearly
run. The water rushed into the good
Verona at a great rate and she began to
settle fast. At last the stern went down
and then the after guns, but still we kept
fighting the forward guns until the water
was nearly up to her gdns. Guns and
2 were the last, with the forward rifle, to
20 under water. was at gun No 2. ]
could not get any more powder and the
last shot did not 90 much more than halt
its distance, for we were so low in the
water and lopsided that we could not get
elevation to our guns. We had to leave
her. Some had already left her aud swan
ashore, for there we're some boats in sight
and we were near the bank of the river
At this time the Oneida came up. She
was the first TO come to our aid. Up to
this time, we were alone in the fight. Ii
there had been another gunb0at in sight
we would hot have sunk. was taken
on board the Pensacola"
THoS. ]. THOMPSON.
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