Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-22
Nalchcz Bombarded and Taken.

The New-Orleans Delta, of September
9th, gives full particulars of two battles
by the irOn-clad gunbOat Essex, the de-
structiOn of Bayou Sara, and the lombard
ment and capture of the city of Natchez.
aThe United States iron-clad steamer
Essex, Commodore W. D. Porter, arrived
from up the river yesterday. We have
some very important and interesting news
by this arrival, comprising some of the
acts and doings of this monster iron ship
with iron hearts.
About a week more or less) ago, as
the Essex was cruising along in the river,
the lookout reported the rebel gunboat
William H. Webb in sight. Chase was
given Immediately, and she was pursued
past the guns at Vicksburg. The Essex
then started down the river, and on reach
ing Eatehez, sent boats crew ashore for
ice The boat, on nearing shore, was fired
into by the rebels, and several Of the crew
wounded For this act Of temerity the
whole shooting force of the Essex was
brought to bear upon the Inflated city for
about two hours and half, when depu-
tatiOn was sent down with a proposition to
surrender the city and hoist the Stars and
Stripes. Commodore Porter then ordered
the firing to cease, and proceeded down the
river till off Bayou Sara, where he came to
a stop long enough to burn that Inflated
abode Of rebels. There we're but two
houses left standing-one belonging to a
gentleman who is said to be friendly to the
Union cause, and the other the property Of
a lady We did net learn what insult was
the immediate cause Of this visitation of
vengeance.
"On Sunday, as the Essex was coming
down the river, a rebel battery Of thirty
four guns opposite Port Hudson, opened
upon her, and fierce battle, at not more
than so feet distance, began, which lasted
an hour. At the end Of that time the bat
terry was silenced and the steamer passed
on down.
"The rebel battery was mounted with
guns of very heavy calibre; but that cir
eumstance only sufieed TO prove the re-
markable powers Of resistance Of the Es-
sex. Her iron sides were struck in null
titude of places with ten-inch and other
sized balls, the resultin all cases being the
same-a slight indentatiOn into the sides
of the steamer, and then the balls breaking
into a thousand fragments, and falling
harmlessly into the water. The Essex com
menced with the upper gun, and sileneed
them all, one after the other. She is truly
a formidable craft, and comes fully up to
the most sanguine expectations Of her de-
signer and builder, who, our readers viii
recOllect, is Commodore Porter himself
Certainly, nothing the people Of New Or
leans have ever seen in the shape of an
irOn-clad can compare with the Essex
ain the contest with the battery at Port
Hudson, the smoke pipes and the ventilat-
or were perforated in numerous places, and
present something Of the appearance ofbe-
ing rust-eaten.
at was impossible to ascertain what the
loss of the rebels was, as those engaged on
the Essex were too well protected by iron
armor to permit their seeing ashore; but
as the action was at very close quarters,
the loss on shore must have been heavy
There was no casualty on the steamer.
{" The names of Porter and Essex have al
ready passed into history in a former gem
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 a Porter,
the son of the gallant sailor who shed so
much lustre upon the American navy; and
the Essex, too, craft of his own inyen-
ton, named after the famous cruiser, and
like her, distinguished for being almost
without rival in her line Of service.