The national Republican., 1862-07-28
rur rxo,oru,Nr IN THE yAzoo.

the Nationalist returned the hostile favOra WIN
her stern guns. Almost every shot Of the
enemy did damage; though most Of them in
jured the boat only. One round.shot entered
above the stern'post, aud killed and wounded
eight or ten men, carrying away the heads Of
four sailors who were Standing in u line and
wortsiug tbs piece. '-,''.''''- -''''..z
There was every prospect tle Tyler would
be sunk or blown into the AIT. Yet her brave
officers and crew, though they regarded their
condition as desperate, still kept up respon-
sive Gre. The enemy's shot crushed and splin.
tered her timbers, and few Of the loyal hearts
on board expected to escape.
The Tyler put on all steam and still she
could gain little upon her purs,ier, which fol.
lowed with the cruelty of a fury and the direct,
ness Of fate.
BY the time the brave Uniouists reached the
mouth of Old river, eight Of her men had been
killed and seventeen wounded.
. ACTION OF THE cARoSpELET. ...
The Carondelet had not assembled Old river,
but had remained ut the mouth, while the gun.
boat and ram snt up the stream, and, as she
was iron-clad, her brave commander and crew
determined. II possible, to stop the course Of
their fearful adversary.
Assoon US the Arkansas appeared in sight,
the Carondelet fired on her. and received her
heavy ordnance in return, several shot and
shell passing through the wooden portion Of
the National ship. and killing 0 men and
wounding %. For few minutes the fight was
very brisk, but 1t soon became evident to Capt
Wake that he was no match for his antagon.
ist. and he concluded, therefore, to board her.
An order was given 10 that effect, and the
Carsndolet ran alongside her iron foe, and a
number of brave fellows leaped aboard but
hnding there was no apparent possibility Of
Inn halax ..l.
out, they were compelled to return TO their own
vessel. A brave and gallant act was theirs,
though, In this instance, valor did not Obtain
its reward
How violent were the imprpc i,iunS Of the
sailors when they discovered they could not
reach iheir enemies, for whose lives they
thirsted. burning 10 aveDge their companions |!
They went back with detected faces aud terri
Bile rage that longed To wreak itself upon the
heads o The rebels. But in vain. for the Ar
kansas steamed off from her antagonist, though
not before one Of her shot had burst steam
pipe on the CarandOlet, causing some forty or
fifty Of her crew to jump overload, and as
few OF them are missing, there IL little doubt
they were drowned. Fortunately. no one was
scalded, and the poor fellows who were lost
were the victims Of their own approximations.
The steam ram Queen oi the West finding
that she could do nothing with her formidable
rival, also retired, with the Arkansas alter. in
hot haste. occasionally sending II shot after her
The only sign OF life qbout the monster was
thick, heavy column oi black smok. pro.
ceodng from her solitary chimney
she soon diminished her speed aud Il was
general <supposed he wonld reascend the
fazoo. No one believed she would dare to
come down to the fleet, where it an"inrd certain
she n'i-l h" overpow'rrd Dy the vrA iy supe-
rior force.
The iron moster did not stop, however, but
continued her course steadily and slowly tow
ard our vsssels, keeping ia The channel, with.
out turning To i!n rlgh Or left, but firing her
guns evpry few seconds ut the nearest vessels.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
This wus formidable gauntlet TO run.
Fifteen war vessels and seven rams. Would
she contend with them alone? Could she hope
to escape them all: Did she dare to rush
upon her own destruction From her move.
m5nts, she evidently did.
There were the Hartford AMI the Richmond,
with their huge batteries Of &c guns each the
Oneida, the lrOquOis, Wissahickon, Scoto, De
Soto. and Wyoming, Of Farragut's lleet and
the iron clad Benton, Essex. Cincinnati, Louis
vile, Sumter, and General Bragg, Of Davis's flo.
tilla, with the rams Switzerland, Queen OF the
West, Lancaster, Mingo, Lioness, Hornet, and
Fulton. This formidable array had no terrors
for the Arkansas. she moved on as il they had
not been there and many Of the officers Of the
fleet were for moment lost in wOnderment at
the extreme b0dness OF her most perilious at.
tempt.
As she moved down, one Of Farruguts
gunboats opened fire upon her then another
aud another. Whether they struck her or not,
| could net perceive ; but their shot could not
have harmed her. She replied promptly, and
the fire soon grew warm.
The hot summer morning thrilled with the
roar Of the battle and the shells went kissing
through the air like great serpents, writhing
destructively through space. The few siences
were impressive-almos awful and could
hardly turn my eyes away from the small,
strange. fearless craft descending the river
with the black trail above and behind her, and
the baleiul fash Of her steadily-replying guns
EXPLOSION OF THE RAM LANCASTER
TIE Arkansas soon arrived where several Of
the rams were lying aud the Lancaster turned
to butt her. Just as the ram had presented her
side, the rebels fired two OF her guns, and In
stantly steam in great volumes was seen to
pour out OF the Lancaster. The mud receiver
Of the ram had expl oded, hut with how fatal
an effect was unknown.
The casualties have since been ascertained
to be II in killed. wounded and missing.
The other ram had not sufficient steam to do
any damage, and were compelled. therefore, TO
let the enemy go by.
A skitl, crowded 10 its utmost cap,lcity, put
off from the Lancaster, but before she reached
the shore SHE sunk; but nearly all her inmates
(some II or 10, save two or three, were picked
up by tugs that went 10 their assistance.
The Lancaster IL severely injured by the
Arkansas shots, and seemed to b sinking. She
made signals Of distress, and the Switzerland
Queen Of the West, and Champion No. went
to her aid and lowed her up the river, down
which she had been for some time helpiessly
drifting.
RESISTANCE OF FARRAGuT AND DAyIs's VESSELS.
The Richmond anu Hartford fired Il lumber
Of guns AZ the dangerous enemy passed but,
strange to say, gave her no magnificent broad.
side, as had expected they would.
The Oneida blaZed; the Sumter and General
Bragg let of their Dahlgrens; Farraguts gun
boats threw pOnderOus sho; the Cincinnati and
Louisville thuHdered; the Essex and Benton
howled forth their rage, in the shape nj immense
shells, at the arch foe
But the arch foe heslated not. rocked not.
surRed not aside.
Onward and forward the Arkansas moved, ~
If shs were covered with the armor of iuyinci.
bilty, and hey ond the power OF harm. Again
and again her guns flashed. She paid her RE
specls to ALL and the water, and the trees, and
the shores bore the marks Of the falling shot.
In the distant forest Il live oak was rent as by
Al IL.