Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-22
Details Of the aunboat Pssht at Fort Den

I
fell into the water, within few yards Of the
lowest battery Of the fort Our feet fired
slowly at first, but with good effect "A great
number of our she'll bursting within the enc
my's Notifications.
We advanced on the fort slowly but stead
ily-the four gunboats maintaining the line
Of battle admirably.
At aquarter past three the firing increased |
In rapidity on both sides. Shell after shell |
was sent from our boat at intervals of less |
than Eve seconds. The enemy's FIRE had by |
this time become terrific. They were using |
thlrty.two pound balls principally, and firing
more frequently than We, and with great &C
curacy. Our feet used twelve guns, each
iron-clad boat working its three bow pieces.
The Conestoga and Taylor kept about hfteen
hundred yards in our rear, firing shell at long
range. The Oonestogs fred thirty-six eight
inch shell during the action; the Taylor
sixty-one. Their distance from the fort was
too great for effective working, but they kept
a couple of the enemy's guns engaged during
a greater part Of the action, and thus diverted
many shots that otherwise would have been
simsd at the iron. clad vessels.
About three quarters Of an hour after
the commencement or the engagement, the
boats had steamed within three hundred
yards Of the Fort, and the hottest Of the
battle took place. Our gunners had by
this time got the range Of the rebel batter
les much better than ct hrst, and their
shot and shell were made TO fall within the
bresstWorks snd entrenohments with great
effect. The water battery was silenced, and
the guns deserted by the enemy. From the
deck Of the gun-boats the rebel soldiers
could be seen running up the hill to seek
shelter tn the entrenchments Of the upper
batteries. just 90 this occurred an officer
was observed to oemerge from q redonbt and
wave q sword above his head. I could not
tell whether he was cheering his men 10
victory or driving them back to their guns,
The only Gag We could discover on the
fort was one which appeared to be plain
red. This, however, can he accounted for
by the fact that the red Predominates so
largely in the oolors composing the Rebel
flag, Some Of our men thought the enemy
desired to signify that he meant "bloOd."
Whstever he meant, he displayed consider
able foresight in placing the Gag ct good
distance from his guns, thereby removing
what is usually an excellent mark toshoot
ct.
At half.past three q shell from one Of
onr boats struck the Rebel flagstaff, break
ing 1t of TO the ground. An officer Of the
fort Immediately ran out and erected 1t
near its former site.
Scarcely had the Rebel ensign been dis
placed when 80 pound ball struck the
flagstaff Of the st. Louis carrying it away
close 10 the ships deck It had no sooner
fallen than enc Of our braves jumped before
the mouth,of cannon Just about to be fred,
and seiEing the spar, placed 1t in an up.
right position, and coolly remained q mark
for the enemy, while he secured il to the
ships deck with 9 rope A few moments
after this the flagstaff of the Louisville
was carried of; that Of the Carondelet
next, and that Of the Pittsburg followed
soon after.
AS we neared the fort the enemy com
menced pouring "plunging shOl' into US
with great rapidity. Their guns were well
pointed, and did great execution. A thirty
two pound ball struck the pilot. house of our
vesse', piercing the inch aud half iron and
the fifteen inch oak. In striking the iron
Mate it was broken A number OF large
| fragments scattered WtUttu tho PilOt-hOuso,
mortally wounding one Of the pilots, F. A.
Riley, Of Cincinnati, striking the flag officer,
Commodore Foote, in the ankle, and slightly
injuring two other men. Immediately after
this, shot entered our deck in the starboard
| side, and passing through it glanced down.
ward to the shell room, striking the ships
cook, Charles W. Baker, of Philadelphia In
the head, literally tearing the skull off. Sew
eral heavy balls now glanced over the pilot
house, piercing the chimneys, and carrying
away the chimney guys. These were follow
ed by q couple of shots which struck our
vessel just above water mark.
The other boats we found were suffering
quite IS severely as the flagship
One of the guns Of the Uarondelet bursted
during the latter part of the engagement;
the tiller-ropes of the Louisville were cut
away, rendering it almost impossible to steer
correctly; the Pittsbnrg received number
of shots below water mark, causing her to
leak very rapidly. These two latter acci.
dents happening almost simultaneously with
the Injury to the flagship, rendered with
draWal absolutely necessary. The order was
then given for the entire feet to drop beyond
the range of the fort.
The boats retired slowly to the point
/ whence they started for the scene of action,
about two miles from the fort. The Ere of
the enemy kept pouring in upon Us from
thirteen guns, while our position in the river
prevented as from using more than half that
number. AS we hoated slowly down the
current the rebels took courage and boldly
sailed forth from their intrenchments. Hith-
erto the entire space within the fort appear
/ ed one sheet of untroddeR snow; but Eve
minutes did not elapse, after the stoppage of
our engines, when the whole scene was
changed, SIS if whirlWind had swept over
the hill and removed nearly every trace of
the storm Of Thursday-the enemy's forces,
wild with enthusiasm, had rushed down to
the loRg batteries in such numbers.
The battle lasted one hour aud seventeen
minutes. The last shot was fred by the st.
Louis. It fell within Nv teet of the river
battery, causing earth and water 70 fly into
the fort. At this about q hundred f the
rebels started Is if to run up the hill; theT
soon found, however, that we had Withdrawn,
and returned to open an Intellectual FIRE upon
our feet. It took rs about half an hour for
our feet to retire beyond the range of the
guns. We dropped anchor in good order
It Wss found that the Pittsburgh was leak
ing very rapidly, and she was ordered to tie
up on the left bank Of the river.
The st. Louis was struck sixty-one times
in the engagement; the Pittsburgh AZ, the
Oarondolet 81, and the Louisville about 40.
The enemy fred about 500 shots Our feet
fired slittle more than 300, about rs of which
were7eigh'-inch shellA
The Oommodore's demeanor during the
engagement is the subject Of admiration on
the part of every man in the feet. his
couHtensnce was as placid and his voice ss
mild in the heat of the action as If he were
engaged in a social conversation. he stood
in the pilot-house for long time, watching
the effect of every shot from our ships.-
When be saw shell burst inside of the fort