The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-04-19

Ish tl.In pace o. 4. PsNhf she river bsNas rery
a..s;s %nsa sss. H. i Eve sss = 49,. I losr
our boat fioIus siks4Il zIseaels ajl krl2Id
DOVE to The gusrdsssl llla ving ttss We IIus-
drod tgnT- OF Affsss't gIye.s' AlE Nt Eart
@ sa iiEss a. wsIs S4Isl IL forssss fsIr,yrs r.
some eight buhslref eirong twelve miles this
sido Of Clarksville. and that tho guhho;lt St.
Clair. in command of Captain nurd. had gone
up the river 70 reconnoiter aud sh"ll them At
bai'.past =, t'he ,'t. Clair returned reporting
that they could diHcoYer no enemy. aud that
the river was clear 10 ElarksviEe. We recciv-
cd orders to- prooec6 up the river Immediately
TO CisrkGvillc. W" were laHhcf 10 fhe star.
board side of III" transport Lizzie Martin.
loaded witih arnn,up tinn. In casr W. woe It.
tacke,s (sB tiie hate F6s WsrS ga eur rishO,
VIC would protest this boat and in caac either
was disabled the other warnid tew her alo.,as
The gunhont II. Clair rf,'iousci and the I.r,nin.
ary In thc rrar. our little tlon; consisting of
four boats. Wr left Fort Donclson about
D clock, feeling qni!c secure. uudcr Tie .fsu
rarcc or Captain uurds Reconnaissance. We
passed up very quietly, and. as the evening
was very mill, witha soft breeze blowing from
the south, snl the full moon iIlurninatin. the
acenery, making it toe pleasant tn remain la
the cabin, Hsos, Of the time spent OF the
hurricsne deck, discussing .varions topics. ard
reiafing, en- prvieuees and ane cdotea sncl, as =.
trip on water will esiggeat. We returned
about 8 10 the cabin, where [ sat convers sing
with a youRg man who was officer on hoard
the Gen. Bragg last summer. We continued
our social chat until all had retired but two
passengers. anl they had OF .rtcd to their slate
rooms.
II was ten clock, when boom we { ball
across our bow, followed by another, passing
through the front sfairs and lodging III Uncle
Sans boxes af bacon. Then carue solid shot
and sheli, mi xcd with niuhtretry, IN a perfect
shower. Fcur halls passed through the cab
in. tearing carpets. breaking chairs, scatter.
iu1 mattresses, sliTerinG the casings and
breaking glass One ball eut Off our supply
pipe adf PHssr-sa -'s~s~9h the sieam osape
Pipe. SLING ihe engine room with stearl, 80
;h.;t tho Captain thought the boat OH Ere As
We passed out of roBge of the battery the
81. Clair engaged them. hut her mae ,inery
was damaged before she had given them hail
a dozen rounds. and hpated clown the sivor
helpless, ons of reach Of The battery. The
executive ci!ic"r Of the gunboat had hin leg
torn of by = sao:, the only one Injured iu this
engagement. Inc i.urinary took shc st
Clair in tow back to Fort Donelson On hoard
thc boat lasheG 20 us was a guard consisting
"f sixty men, and vhca We were attach cd
two tlFce 'were Al that @ore seen with
ilier guns during the engag ement and. Rhen
|NuptHifl w hebt u ltbS engine room ID
what was The Gauge of 80 mucl, smoke hc
said THAI the passage behind the boxes was
Filed nbont four feet deep with soldiers. show
ing q me dervelopmert of caution After The
f,rst shot looked about for q place of ~ curl
~. The cablr Partitions were no more pro.
tectioo than SCI iuuc brown paper. We had
some !hEec hmEdred boxes Of hard bread OH
the boiler deck. | made for them. as l,new
of old iha' they were invuNnerable. and |
question wAe ther shell would injure them
Alter we were out OF range OF the firing.
came from my retre1t experiencing IA much
relief as nscd n, when boy at the close of
terrific hail and thunder storm. and I cannot
compare it to anyu thing moro similar in effect
ilian thsso sensations. | WIS Mt the same
time fearful OF an explosion or our boilers; oil
cLsrce shot in the ammunition Of our ueigl-
boring boat; also the dangers Of rlunge-shot
which migl-t sunk us; to say nothing OF being
captured br the rebels. ! never expcrisuccd
such feeling Of insecurity as at this tine
and hothln,; but | nclo Sans hard crackers
gave ma any rensun 10 hope.
Too mnch praise cannot ha spoken of Can't.
Wise. while we were ali Ia peril. The first
bomb hrou Ii; hiri cat ot h.a etore.ro.,, il,
Tcyas on the Hurricane deck. watching ,ha
riioi-"hcel. aul ~ ruor - tiIe cscape min,
was severed by - shot. ho went below. n, the
steam GrcdpiiIG gave tie appearance OF fine
aud thcro too, was the engineer at his nos,
coolfy crntr0il'ns the power that was now cur
only hope nf escape. While we wcra sill
within range some one on ihe ogher boat cried
stop the cnE'nc we will all re killed. The
Captain said, "NeveT, :" ''rrowd on the .teau N,
newer retreat" and We did advance, ttougl,
slowly, Tor We were crTplci aud our steam . 4 J..
hanaied. Our Pilot. Mr. Wiley Of Newport
hentuetsy, stood aioae amid the rain OF mus b.
etry without even an inch OF plank 10 ghieii
him from danger, nOr did he lct 60 his wheel
until hc hsd placed us safo in port. The has-
terry waa within two hundred yards of Us when
,hay opcaed their hrc. The higher rnnge of
guns, 70 elevated ia To give pIunging ahots.
th" bow, horizonfnl. We have since i'araed
by Colonel Boon, whose sccu's have lust re-
tarned iroan a reeaanotsance at Palmyra, that
the rebels have left AMI ,,ona down tee river
three mikes again TO ciuah soTn" singIe trans
port as they pass
We are new iyiuR rDdsr thr guns nf the
fort al this place. biockaded above and mellow.
The gunhoats Lexington, Brilliant. Fair
play, and two others have arrived with other
Transports, and have burned the town Of Pal.
Inyra To the ground.
t,x, hs. "a, ~, a Ia,