Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-08-07

son while in their rccumbent position. Had |
they been standing, they would have be.
come headless, and perhaps trunkless he
roes.
A fity-pound rifed shot passed through
the pilot house, within few inches OF the
legs OF Alexander Ford, who was then at
the wheel, and narrowly escaping the breast
Of his associate, Roley =. Mickey, standing
at bis side, and passing the word from the
commander Of the ram.
Jacob LAUDER and John Mccullough, en-.
gineers, were thrown down once or twice
from the wind of the flying shot, and their
assistant, John X. Skelton, was struck with
u small fragment Of shell on the left hand
the most serious wound received BY any
one on the Queen OF the West.
THE QUEENS RETURN.
The Queen ran by the hostile batteries.
through II terrible fire, and made her appear.
ancc above the bend ridJled with shot, but
not man on board seriously injured. She
was received with acclanations by the crews
OF the fleet, who had as little hope OF see
ing her return, as Col. Ellet himself had
of returning. His escape was what the
orthodox Gull miraculous, and the philosoph.
ic fortunate. The same experiment could
not be tried with the same result once in
ten thousand times though her almost en-
tire freedom from casualty is partially due
to tho precaution Of Col Ellet-he even re-
fused the prohered services of two of the
Bohemians on the expcdition-iu taking as
few persons as possible, knowing that the
probability Of injury would be proportioned
to the number OF his crew.
DIsMANTl.ED APPEARANCE or THE RAM
The Queen presents a most dismantled
| and tOrlorn appearance, and is rs nearly shot
to pieces, for any vessel that will float, as
can well be imagined. The many who have
visited her since her terrible experience are
y with difficulty persuaded that not one of her
:, crew was killed or dangerously wounded. -
; ? She has the semblance of complete wreck
| and it will be necessary to send her north al
= once for repairs, though some think her in
!, jury too great for remedy--thut she is moi
h worth the mending.
" Shells exploded in her cabin shivering he
furniture, crockery, aud state rooms tt
pieces. The wardrobe of the crew was con
verted into rags, and hardly whole gar
/, lneut or pair of boots or shoes can be iuunt
It on the boat. She is dented and dama aget
i and blackened and splintcred anl singe,
e and shattered, AS if she had passed through
n score CT the fiercest battles, aud present
40 SoOu al VI uuOufL VI
|, that may be done to boat without absC
1t lutely destroying her as it would DO con
Ie venient to present, or easy to discover j
d twelve mouths service on the hotilla.
,r COURAGEOUS CoNfRABANDS
ID The rams machinery is broken in variou
m parts, but not SO badly as TO prevent I'll
ID working Of her engines. Her engineers an
trenren expected to see shot explode he
IS boilers every second but still they retaine
u their coolness and couiage-no one shown
III more than several contrabands who had al
re piled but a few days before for employment
aud who declared that they would be gla
to die in defense of the country. The II,
Mt groes never hesitated never hinched. The
on were there to do their duty and they d
b. it without regard to consequences, withol
he revealing the least shadow of fear.
@ COL. ElLlr NOT DISCOURAGED.
1t, After Col. Elct's return, it may be SUI
h. posed he felt as if he had been, to say Il
he least. unfairly treated by the two Comm
of dores who had in no wise fulfilled their po
to ton of the covenant, while he had done
oy great deal more than his. The Colon
chiefly regrets the contrrtempS because he
1t, firmly Of the opinion that if Farragut al
ey Davis had performed what they agreed
he would have been successful in capturing
destroying the Arkansas; and he express
himself not only willing but anxious to r
i peat the attempt whenever they will assn
~ him they will achieve their portion of Il
lis task.
~ Col Ellet ascribes no bad faith whatev
,.s to Commodore Farragut or Davis, Tor
'as knows them both to be most gallant al
-. patriotic officers and highly honorable u,
IT, loyal gentlemen; but he regrets exceeding
~ hat owing to some misunderstanding
m 'a' circumstances they could not control, the
10 portion OF the programme was not CARR,
out convinced Its execution would ha
ao insured to us the possession or the peris
Ut ncnt Of the Arkansas.
TiiE CoMMoDOREs EXCUSES
:, The reason that none of Farragut's vesse
~ came up has not yet been given, though
,,e have heard he was unable to weigh his q
,m M chors this morning, which, or some 9th
r;e equally valid excuse, no doubt the courag
ho GUS Commodore has /; for he is the last IN;
n0 who would voluntarily desert any one in
,v difficulty, especially one which he hims,
+. had been the means of inducing.
m' Comnodore Davis crying out $50,
@ .os luck" to Col. Ellet was very unfortunate
IVo hs for it threw the ram behind, aud gave Il
nd Es ex leisure to get too far ahead. Had Il
hho Queen and Essex been nearer together, it
quite possible tney might have achieved
:, favorable result. The Essex, however, d
ho not attempt to grarple her enemy as 81
"s passed, but merely delivered her broadsii
Z. and steamed on without engaging the fo
"r M or pausing for a moment to aid the raj
" This is one story, and probably veracious,
No, think. Another statement is that the Ess
ro' ro threw out her graphing irons as she we
,u ~, down, but that the Arkansas suddenly swu
nJ in her bow and her stern out, giving Cal
ny Porter no opportunity to carry out his d
II, sign, which the Rebels had anticipated, II,
''' therefore thwarted by this unexpected Al
adroit movement
Commodore Davis informs Col Ellet Il,
he after the ram had passed down, bis posit
IVY was very much exposed, and he ordered ii
md Cincinnati and Louisville up the river, Il
go lowing them with the Gag ship. forgettin
she until they had assembled the stream sor
34- distance, his promise to cover the Queer
ent retreat. The Commodore Immediately ,
In dered downward movement again, but
The boats are so slow that before he could recoy
ing the ground he had lost, the Queen was q
the Of danger, and saved, but without any eau
ass OF gratitude TO the distinguished comman
nm arg Of the eomhinad Naats