The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-06-12

! scores-whlle portion of the feet were secur-
ing the enemys, there was no cessation in the
efforts to crush out completely all armed resis-
| lance.
A short distance below the Little Rebel the
JEFF Thompson was run ashore and abandoned.
She was repeatedly struck by shot, with what
| damage will never be known. Again the broad
/ sides of the boats We're turned upon the panic
stricken crew, fleeing towards the Arkansas
swamp.
! Further along, the Sumter was run ashore,
and still further down, opposite Presidents Is
land,t the General Bragg. Both suffered severe
! ly in the fight. The General Bragg had the
! timbers forward other wheel house and the hull,
much splintered by q ten-inch shot. 4 she'll
exploded among the cotton packing of her sides
! The cotton was set on fire, but by the timely
exertions of Lieut.. Bishop and boats crew
! from the Benton, it was extinguished. Both
vessels were subsequently towed back TO the
! city by the rams and transports.
The Van Dorm alone escaped. She is u swift
| steamer, Had the Conestoga or Lexington
been at hand, she too would have been captur-
ed. Shot and shell were discharged at her till
she was beyondireach, when the feet, rounding
to, returned TO the city.
Burning of The JEFF. Thompson.
There was no time to pick up the prizes as
the heet passed down. Commodore Davis
intent upon destroying or capturing all As
soon as the fleet rounded to, the Cairo and Lou
isvllle were sent up in advance to protect the
captured boats and save them from destruction.
But they were toe late to save the jeff. Thomp-
son. FLAMES had already broken out. Wheth-
er she was set on fire by the rebels; whether
from her own furnaces, after desertion, or wheth-
er by our shot, is not known. The flames made
rapid progress. A boat from the Cairo went
up to save something if possible, but they could
not approach the Thompson. A wide berth
was given to the burning vessel The flames
burst through the upper works, and curled
| around the chimneys. The cotton bulwarks
burnt slowly, sending out immense volumes Of
white smoke
The boilers, heated to rednegs, Kissed and
| smoked like million serpents and burs: at
| last,enveloping ship flames and all in nom en-
! tary mist. But though sharp and shrill the
| voice of escaping steam, though sublime the
sight, there was second sight grander than all
others the explosion of her magazine 1t
came. A mighty pillar of fire sprang from the
| burning hulk-lifted itself four hundred feet
spread out into umbrella like foim ofroliug,
sulphuric clouds folding in and in, rolling over
and over in thick, heavy, creamy masses, filed
with timbers, plank bars of iron, fragments, of
charred tmbers and Goals of fire, cannon, shot
| and shell-all commingled--ail raining down
upon forest, field and river,as il an avalanche of
mcteors OF vast proportions had fallen from
| heaven through a cloudess sky 10 earth. Then
came a shock which shook all the windows of
Memphis and took away the breath of men not
| far distant from the place Following the ex-
| plos ion were lesser ones, in the air above and
all around-a grand fusilade of bursting shells,
which went off like fre-works-of serpents,
mines and swarmS of bees, filing the air with
| fragments of iron. The Benton was abreast
of the Thompson, the Cairo above and the St.
Louis below, but all at respectful distance
and no damage was done by the explosion.
Occupation Cfthe Place.
| At ten o'clock the fleet was at the city, The
/ Benton took position fronting Union street,
| and let go her anchors. A skitf put out from
the shore in which was q well dressed, sober
looking, middle-aged gentleman holding up a
white handkerchief He came on board the
flagship and announced himself as DR.. Decker.
/ son-sent out By some of the influential citizens
to talk about the occupation of the place At
ter a brief interview, he returned to the city
accompanied by Capt, Phelps and G.. W Reed,
masters mate. Some in the crowd hurrahed
for jeff. Davis, few uttered derisive and in
sulting epithets, calling the gallant Captain,
who had sunk the Loyel by his excellent aim,
"a blue-bellied Yankee, " and "s)n-of- a-bitch,
and other equally damnable expressions !
large portion of the crowd followed him to the
Mayors Office, but violence was offered
Official correspondence followed, which has nj.
ready been transmitted. And SO Memphis was
ours with no last rebel ditch TO die in.
Scenes on Ate Shore.
While the fight was i'm progress, the Ieyea
eSplanade and roofs Of the houses were crowded
with spectators-men, women and children
! among whom were a great many Of the coIored
population. There was no hostile derno,,stre.
ton from the shore. Amy hosti,ities fro m that
quarter and the broadside Of the feal would
have been heard from. There stood tie tbons-
ands and saw their pets go down. There stood
the Union men those who had suffered at the
hands Of tyranny who had been persecuted
robbed and threatened with death-watchino
the course of events. Occasionally a shot from
the feet strayed downward, PRODUCING 3 gem
eral stampede for the moment, Fortunately
no spectator was injured, although there were
| several narrow escapes.
! H0aoYS Due.
In closing this hastily written account,I can.
| not speak in to high praise of Commodore Davi:
| and the ohiceTs OF his command He is a wor
! thy successor to Commodore Foota-prudent
but brave and daring To him, to the officer.
! and mel, the country owe a debt Of gratitude
| They have doae their part towards crushing out
rebellion and 'repoGseSsing" what had been
| lost. To-day they have achieved a plorious
victory. Memphis is ours, and the Missjssipni
is reopened to navigation
Recapitulatioa
The tight was over. It lasted an hour and
three minutes from the discharge ef the FRS
gun by the Little Rebel to the last, that at iht
Van Dorm. The battle had continued over siz
miles Of the river. The Federal fleet had mo-
Tor moment ceased 10 advance upon the foe
| The work was done-the rebel feet was annihi
lated-the Mississippi virtually was open, ap6
Memphis ours There was time now to exam.
Inc the spoils. Let US reca pituiate The PR CO
was ashore, knocked TO pieces. and SINK in
shOal water, The Beauregard was less iniured
but sunk-her upper works IN SIGHT. The
Lowell was utterly i0st--lying at the bottom OF
the river. The JET, Thompson was no more III
existence. The Little Rebel Sumter General
Bragg, were prizes. The Van Dorm was still
in fight. On the Federal side not q splinter
had been rivcn from a gunboat, u OF man in
iured. The Queen of the West aIoue had suf-
tered from the shot Of the rebels and from the
butting of the Beauregard. Col EllaE alone
| was wounded, thought not severely
The rebel loss can never be known. It is
! supposed that about one hundred were drown
ed. number are known to have been killed
and wounded On the Beauregard at this time
OF writing it is not possible to attain the mum.
[ Der OF prisoners taken but the nurnber is rot
7 Tar from one hundred and fifty. The wounded
were taken to the Arkansas shore into d house
at Hopedale, In tabular form the account
stands thus
Rebel Loss
zen 3en rice. --'----.-------...4 guns
G G rbeaGIregard ACKNOWLEDGEMENT %
- zen Lowell Observation-Disclosures
BURNED-Jeff Thompson. .
CAPTuRED-Litte Rebel , s
zen. Bragg.
Sumter. -
Total loss OF ships, gums. ~
BiiIed wounded aud drowned. 100
--N~~~~'" %