The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-10-04
INTERESTING NAVAL NEWS,

~ AARAO ANN VA al Az \ w D
Hl Ell. ua-- rrf..5
OperaiioBs Of the Ulated States Steam Glul-
boat Esse1- Commodore Pm1ey's Official
Report ofhe Destruction of Bayou sara,
Chase Of he RsJel Siodmey tleN, and
Bombar}Dlezlt Of he Pint Htaaa Bat
te17es- Coz ,pment .lclao,0ied ,es he Scr
pice' ef C,ps, Potter So, Sc, &c.
oy poapo q s. CrSso,r rssry.
sHf' orr NEw oEtEAss, sept mbcr 1862
Hon. GrpEov WELLEs, Secctary Of the
Navy:
SIR: have the honor 10 report that
on the 23d ult., having remained OIL the
city Of Baton Rouge two days after its
evacuation by our troops, ] proceeded up
the river 10 reconnoiter reported batter
les in progress at Port Hudson, La, and
also to coal my vessel at Bayou Sara, the
| only place | could obtain any at save
| New Orleans. Arriving there found the
town apparently deserted aud the coal
| burning. Sending a boats crew ashore,
they were fred at by guerrillas from the
houses in heavy force; my men drove
them out aud burned the buildings in
! the lower part of the town, TO prevent
such beinga used TO protect the enemy
! These guerrillas bad few days pre-
viously fired at and wounded several of
the crew Of the United States gunboat
Sumter.
On the 2ith was necCssitated by want
Of fuel'to send the towboat Anglo Ameri-
can, which had fitted out and armed, 10
New Orleans for coal and | again drop
ped down the river and awaited her re-
turn off Fort Hudson. could discover
no guns at this place; but ear thworks
were in progress, and whilst destroying
these | had the misfortune 10 explode
my heavy teu-inch- gun The Anglo Ameri
can not returning up.to the evening Of the
2Sth, returned to Bayou Sara, where
we were again fired at by the guerrillas,
and from the buildings left, on which
ordered those remaining to be destroyed
The Anglo American Joined me on the
Goth and reported three batteries as hav-
ing opened on her whilst passing Port
Hudson. She received seventy three
shots in passing.
had received information that the
rebel gunboat Webb was at Natehez to
which city she had conveyed transports
/ WIN ohBllANH AlNlh lttu lNANtls ! lblluN
ed to that city, but found that they had
sought the protection of the Nichsburg
guns, AT Natchez boats crew from
the Essex was sent ashore 10 procure
some ice for my sick, when they were
wantonly attacked by over. two hundred
armed citizens, wounding the officer in
Z command, aud killing one and wounding
five seamen. | Immediately opened fire
on the lower town, and set a considerable
number of houses on fire from which they
were attacking US. After bombarding
the place for an hour, the Mayor uncon-
ditiOnally surrendered the city During
this fire one Of my . inch Dahlgreen
guns exploded.
l followed the rebel gunboat Webb TO
the batteries at Nicksburg, under the
guns of which she, with two transports,
lay. Heavy ordnance batteries, extend
ing three miles farther down the river
than during the siege in July, prevented
my nearer approach to these boats. llav-
ing exchanged some shots, and ascer-
tanned that the upper fleet was not in
the vicinity of the town, being short of
provisions my battery weakened by the
loss of two guns bursted, and also shorI
Of ammunition, | determined to steam
steam down the river TO New Orleans for
supplies, and if possible ascertain Tn,
strength of the Port Hudson batteries
Leaving Vicksburg on the evening of IN,
9th inst, on the 9Th, at a quarter pas
four, A. NJ, we were off that place, and OF
coming within range the enemy opened
on us a vigorous fire with siege guns
The Essex was struck heavily. AS mean
as | could Judge the enemy had in posi-
ton from thir,y-live to forty guns o
l2O-pounders, uhed, ten-inch smooth
7 nine inch and eightinch calibre, in tire,
batteries commanding the river, 10 IN,
extent Of five miles. A 66-pound, anC
a 32-pound also a ten-inch rifle bal
. lodged in the Essex, but without matcria
damage.
, We were under fire an hour aud three
y quarters, during which time our gun
were well and necessarily worked, AM
have reason 10 believe the enemy SUI
. fered heavily, and the works were car
; tainly in part d, slrOyed. Mr. j. Hlrr
- Wyatt, fourth master, and my Secretary
. had command of the batteries Of the rs
E, sex, and his conduct throughout met IN
y entire appreciation. A land force will b
+ necessary 10 complete the destruction O
= this fort, which if allowed to again b
- restored, would seriously interrupt tn
= free navigation Of the Mississippi.
la the various encounters Of the Essel
4, since leaving ST.. Louis on the 9th July
W she has been struck heavily l2S times b
p heavy shot-glancing shot left no rccor
. three having broken her iron, and br
' one penetrated, and that from rifle
3 sixty eight FOUNDER at the distance Of
= few feet, delivered by the ram Arkansa
I" Very respectfully, your obdt. seryt,
= W, ID, PORTER,
: .. Commodore, u. S.