, 1862-06-10
The rebel fleet consisted Of eight vessels,


The Little Rebel was formerly q large sized
New Orleans tug, very swift and
powerful. The General Bragg was formerly
the Marquis de Ia Hubanna, sea going steam
er. plying between New Orleans and Calves
ton-a stauncL, powerful side-whcel boat,
with 4 walking beam aud masts with schooner
rig. All Of the boats were powerful as rams,
but their guns were exposed. Nearly all had |
casemate projections to the boilers and ma- |
chinery Of railroad iron, which in the encoun-
ter nj Craighcad Point, successfully resisted |
our solid shot. The fleet was built BY the |
"Riyer Defense Expedition Of New Orleans,
Eicksburg, Natehez and Memphis, and WAS
not part and parcel Of the Confederate navy.
The following notice Of an appointment was
taken from the !" Beauregard:
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA,
New OALEASs, April 3, 1sD2.
Mt. Hugh Moore:
thc River Defense Expedition on steau gunboat
General Il. jeff Thompson. y
You will please signify your acceptance OF tho
b. authorllyof Major General LoyE11:
JOIN II. BrHk, Captain.
The document being found on the Beaurc-
gard, it is supposed that Mr, Moore WAS On
| that gunboat instead Of JEFF. Thompson
L REcoSSoIssAScE.
Early In the morning a dense cloud Of
| smoke could be eecn from the fleet, rising
above the woods on the Arkansas shore, oppo-
site Memphis, but whether caused by the
burning OF cotton, or STEAMBOATS,, or whether
| it was the rebel feet lying ready to pounco
| upon us, vas not known. From certain
moycments on shore, even ut tli5 early hour,
it WAS supposed that the rebel commanders
we're there, waiting an opportunity to show
the thousands gathering upon the levee and
/ csrlanade, and the tops OF houses, how easily
nc would be put to the bottom.
The Benton and Louisville having weighed
anchor, slowly dropped down towards tn<
. | city, which caused 4 visible sensation OF
shore Men and horses galloped TO aud fro
, | and the Increasing multitude made it eviden
! ! that there was to be an engagement Sudden
u the Little Rebel poked her nose out IRON
her Mace Of coucealnaent, steamed across th'
river and took a position nearer the city, fol
lowed by the Reauregard, which passed be
0 5ond the Little Rebel One By one the other
G came out, and formed in two lines. Commc
, dore Davis, not wishing to pitch in till afte
Y breakfast, slowly steamed back to his posltio
10 at the II Paddy's lien aud Chickens"
:, The citizens Of Memphis had been info1mc
!; through the columns Of the AraZanche sti
damp from the press, that the Lincoln fle'
would meet with serious obstacles before G.
Y teripg the city. The steaming back OF Il
two gunboats upon the appearance Of Il
ce rebel fleet might have indicated that Comm
n dore Davis declined fight. II the rebel COZ
no manders thought SO, or if the crowd on sho
~. ~ had such an opinion, they soon had an oppo
ur tunity to think differently.
PREPARATIONS FOR TIE BATTLE.
a. Itwas but little after sunrise when t
,n- rebel commanders advanced to give Us bait
cd, The sky Was without cloud, and there y
AZ nothing to obscure the gaze Of the l5,{
is people now congregated upon the roofs Of t
ely city and the ievee, except the dense yolomc
IS smoke ascending from the stacks OF the g
o5 boats. The rebel boats remained motion1
INK awhile, with the exception Of the Lii
the Rebel, which darted about like corporal
ent rading his squad. 1t length they began
move up stream, not rapidly, but leisure
les, They kept their lines, which had been forr
cts in admirable order. Nearest the Memphis
ma its front line view, was the Beaureg;
tur~ then LIE Ll1ue heoet' 1Aen VIC @A!s-, 'no
os5. | the Arkansas side the Sumtel benlho
und 15tf1e Rebel. having the right Of the line,
ods -. or.11 4har, +ha jefF Thonnson.
cay- LIE 1o'eA, ~" o
avn Bragg and the Van Dorm.
eee~ The Federal gunboats were early IN
~! " the Benton being nearest the Tennessee sh
eut. next the Carondclet, next the st. Louis,
most lastly the Cairo-the Queen Of the West
Will Monarch having been tied mp to the
and kansas shore, and the Lancaster No. 8,
Switzerland about mile up strean1- v
a. nun Commodore Davis saw that the rebels
rear tended to fight, he displayed the signal to
con pare for action. The Crews leaped to
quarters with cheers; decks were cleared