The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-09-26
Natchez Bombarded and Taken.

Tho Now Orleans Dritd of September 9th
gives full particulars of two battles by the
iron.clad gunboat Essex. the destruction OF
Bayou Sara. aud tho bombardment of and
capture Of tho city of Natchcz.
Tho United States iron clad steamer Es
sex. Commodore w ID Porter, arrived from
up the river yesterday. We have some very
important and interesting nows by this ar
rival. comprising some OF tho acts and do
ings of this monster iron ship with iron
hearts
About a week (more or less) ago. as tho
Essex was cruising along in tho river. tho
lookout reported the rebel gunboat William
Ii. Webb in sight. Chase was given i'm.
mediately. and she was pursued past the
guns at Vicksbbrg. Tho Essex :hen started
down the river. and on reaching Natchez,
sent boats crew ashore for ice. Tho boat.
on nearing shore.was fired into bv the rebels,
and several of tho Grow wounded. For this
act Of temcrty tho whole shooting force of
the Essex was brought TO bear upon tho i'll.
fatod city for about two hours and half.
when dpputatOn was sent down with u
proposition to surrender tho city ard hoist
tho Stars and Stripes. Commodore Porter
then ordered tho firing to cease. and pro
cceded down the river till off Bayou Sara,
where no came to a stop long enough to
burn that i'll -fated abode of rebus. There
were but two houses left standing-one be-
longing to gentleman who is said to be
friendly to tho Union cause. and tho other
the property OF a lady. We did not learn
what insult was tho immediate cause Of this
visitation of vengeance.
"On Sunday, as tho Essex was coming
down the rivor, rcbel battery of thirty
four guns. opposite Port Hudson, opposite
Port Hudson, opened upon her, aud fierce
battle. at not moro than 80 feet distance,
began. which lasted an horr. At tho end OF
that time the battery was silenced and the
steamer passed on down.
| Tho rebel battery was mounted with
/ guns of very heavy calibre but that cir
cumstance only 81 fiiccd to prove tho re-
markable powers Of resistance of tho Essex.
Her iron sides were struck in multitude
of places with ten inch and other sized balls,
tho result in all cases being tho samoa
slight indentation into the sides of the
steamer. and then tho balls breaking into a
thousand fragments. and falling harmlessly
into tho water. The Essex commenced
with tho upper gun, aud si!enced them all
ono after the other. She is truly n formid-
able craft and comes fully up 20 tho most
sangune expectations of nor Designer and
builder, who, our readers will recolect, is
| Commodore Porter himself Certainly,
nothing the people of New Orloans have
ever seen in the shape os an Iron clad" can
compare with tho Essex.
In tho contest with the battery at Port
Hudson. the smoke pipes and The ventllator
were perforated in humorous places, and
present something of the appearance of
being rust-eaten.
at was impossible TO ascertain what the
loss of the rebels was, as those engaged on
the Essex were too we'll protected by iron
armor to permit their seeing ashore, but
as tho action was at worry close quarters, the
loss on shore must have been heavy. There
was no casualty on tho steamer.
"Tho names of Porter and Essex have
already passed into history in former gen.
GRAFTON, and the exploits of the gallant old
frigate in the waters of the Pacific, have
been the animated theme of discourse at
millions Of American hearthstones. This
generation can now, too boast of Porter,
tho son of tho gallant sailor who shod so
much iustre upon the American navy; and
tho Essex, too, n craft of his own invention,
named after the famous cruiser, and like
her. distinguished for being almost without
o rival in her line of service."