The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-15
Peril0us Adventures Of Col. Charles E.
Ellet and His Heroic Band.
Ehe Ram Running Past the Rebel
yatteries at Vicksburg.
hhree Rebel Transports and and an Immense
Amount Of Confederate Stores Cap.
tured and Destroyed.
Romantic Excursion on the Mississippi
by Moonlight,
Be-, xe., h.

Our Special Mississippi Corrcspondencc.
Or BOARD TEE Ram QuExN WEST,
!. hrsmSprI RIVER, BELOW yIcUsBU Feb. s, 1858. !
II The Union ram Queen of IL" West, which the
BLOCKADE Of the rebel batteries vicksburg Monday
norning last, and then further down the has
Jsst returned from most exciting romantic, perlous
and important passage down the Mississippi river into
he Redrver and up the Mississippi again present
anchorage in the Immediate vicinity Of vicksburg.
During this excursion Colonel Ellet destroyed
chree rebel steamboats, several hundred thousand dollars
worth Of stores intended for the rebel army captured
number II rebel officers. and struck fearful blow the
vaunted security OF the rebel authorities the Lower
Mississippi
/ have already forwarded you the particulars or the
rams running past the vcksburg batteries. Herein
sepd you description Of her subsequent exploits AL
though in the beginning may repeat few facts
coned in my first despatch sent when she had passed
che formidable Notifications at the city, do in order
chat tho present narrative may contain complete
count cs all her operations from the commencement 70
the close
Whilst could thu rebel steam boat City or vicks
burg yingoppose the city under tho protection of
its gnns known that further down the river there
we're in the service Of the Confederate authorities large
humber OF transports, which OF ncalculab;e benefit
thcm in furnishing supplies their troops vcksbug
and Port Hudson. 1t important for that should
destroy at least portion Of their means for river
transportation, and. by proving comparatively easy
he accomplishment OF apparent impossibily
each them moral lesson. Rear Admiral David d.
Porter commanding the Mississippi squadron requested
Colonel Charles T. Elet, commanding tho cooperating
feet, prepare tho Queen OF the West for the
enpated dangerous and important mission Eighteen
sours were allowed him within which 10 effect the
ary arrangements to start at tho appointed time nroe
hundred cotton bales placed board, in order TO
her machinery from damage by tho shot
nd shell from the rebel batteries The Queen Of the
Vest Ia wooden vesseiher prov only Is Of iron. Con-
equentiy In the absence Of iron armor, these
ot,n bales necessary for her protection Next
be sGety or the machinery ono Of thenost important
oinis be attended making the arrangements was
heprotecuon or the pilot house. With the limited means
immediate disposal il found ,upe ble 70 pro-
eriy protect It, The next best thing be done to
hauss the ruddsr wheel 70 good position behind the
ulwarks In the bow. That alteration speedily Of
sctcd, and ready her dangerous excur-
lion.
At alfpast four O'Clock Monday morning, the I'd
,st, this black looking craft which cali tho oueea
olJnel E1et himself commanding, moved from her
HORACE the other steamers in the squadron. The
light favorable for hor slipping past yicksburg
oticed in the darknoss at ell IL intended that
should attempt tho gauntlet Of the batteries
eforc the dawn Of morning. When she was moving Oh
10 darkness dense II must have been difficult 70
stDguash her the from either shore. Scarcely
ad she started before found impossible
or with that perfect accuracy which much
esired. One cause Of this the fact that
ne tier ropes were new. ana had not been
ngaarly stretched. Although the pilot could steer
er past the batteries he bad not such complete
ommand her to make him feel certain that he
oud secure that nice adjustment Of the rudder necessary
enable him 10 bit the rebel steamboat in the spot APP
oiped Hence the had TO be rounded to, the wheel
dJusted and the tier returned to their old POSI-
on. This Indispensable detention consumed an hour.
fter its exprt ut length she proceeded on her jour
~ On rounding tho point the first thing that greeted
ga board splendid sunrise, the thing sing
g shell from OF tho rebel batteries II passed
etween the smokestacks and struck the water some
ree hund.ed yards behind her. 1t was nrcd from the
attcry on the highest bun above vcksburg, and was
imirably aimed. II was daylight now and the rebels
oud distinctly soc the ram After the sound OF tho first
broke The stiffness OF the morning the rebel artle
SIS sprung 10 their pieces, and over hundred guns
ere cd with astonishing celebrity. For . time there
incessant shower OF cannon balls. The 1rst shot
hich struck the ram hrcd from the battery that
'ened the attack. Colonel Eliot, with several others,
ost Of the time. You could actually sec tho cannon
Ak coming II was evidently coming straight for tho
ot house hs lear n though. that the mrs. shot would
ne inside. But just all thought about 10 hit
40 pilot house happily Il spared IT. and went plnnging
trough the canvass about twenty feet behind, down
&oagh the cabn aud stopped at last by coil NJ
en- the deck Only thres four shots had struck the
I'm before she had reached the city
Tho lrst thing 10 DO accomp shed was tho destruction
the rebel steamboat City Of vicksburg which was last
,unccd his Intention The shut and she'll wcro Tying
st the pilots were exceedingly anxious TO proceed
'no % wv, n. S . '" noa, ,o' zoe
AZ fearful thing to pause even for moment under
lch tremendous cannonade. But when the Colonel
I'd them that It must be done the pilots braced them.
lives TO the work. and performed their part like
gu. The rebel steamboat lay ON tho centre Of a
p,dly II she should DO struck by tho bow OF any
,ai bearing directly down the river A. the ram was
this m,Imcnt, II would certainly hare glanced and
- rebel csaft remain almost entirely unninred. In
make tho blow effective II was therefore nccessa
river AT hcr. This was done under heavy nro,
Vi the rushed At tho doomed Ncamboat
'erminediy and pretiily As sho neaisd INC
Teen had been disabled, ard that her commander had
INCLUDED u surrender, raised Wild shouts Of Joy and
irst mt the most enthusiasts cheering. But they
ased their cheering xh-n the ram struck the rebel
Gamer. The City Of yicksburg was built for cotton
,al consequently. order that she might carry tho
eater number OF bales her guards have been construct
very broad A. the ram into her the shock car.
ed away the capstan, aud in 80 doing broke bar OF
on ave inches thick I have since ascertaned that
&c crash was heard ncroes tho river. The rebel
not long enough to reach the hull OF the vicks.
rg and thus sunk her simultaneously, because the
ards The rebel craf' were 20 wide that they Up
at was protected Had the cotton bales been absent
guards would have been broken by the blow; but
re momentum Of the shock was lost before the PROV OF
&c ram could reach the hull OF the tebel steam.
,st Al the same instant the current caught tbe
cn o. the queen Of the West md swung her round side
side With the yicksburg THIS result Colonel Ellet
al ntcpaed and had ordered the starboard bow gun
be loadcd With the incsndary proectlcs
Admiral Porter. IL must be- remembered that the shot
shell from the rebel batteries and the rusket balls
om tie rides Of their sharpshopters dropping about
ir b every moment The sergeant was then ordered
Ore the inccndary balls into the rebel steamboat
this moment that the sxty-tour
,ond shot from one Of the rebel batteries
ne crashing through the baricade and striking snoth
run on board the broke and bent ~ though ~
I'd been willow wand The sergeant did not for a
oment hesitate TO Gre the gun. His bravery was
,nepicunus. Such tho men who ought 70 pc pro.
oted.
simultaneously with these occurrences the Queen Of The
upon the Shore aud the wind. which was
owing rather brsky at the time began 10 render u ex
cdin y improbable that our boat would be able 70 Got
u into he stream again The situation was alarming
deed For a few moments II was painfully perllogs.
We how u was-our had fanked In the shore
rrible 50 long rs she was untrammclled, but now
kYged by the bank, almost perfectly poweress--the
Ac bat series show erng shot and shell upon her with
rressing viEOr, and the rebels, now almost certain