Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-01-22
y,YE BRILLIANT VICTORY o, =.
ARKANSAS RIVER.
OFFICIAL lIsPATcHEs PROM ooxxo,o.
PORTER TO THE NAVY DBPAkfsSss


The following has bss.' reoeared q, taex.-
Department from Com. PorseS;
IS. MIssIssIrrI SoCIbaosL
Arkossas Pes<, Jan. q, lso 4.
SIR: havc ths honor % inform you. ~
the 4th OF January Gen McClernand 90. ~
20 move up river upon the Poet OF 49,
and requested ny cooperation.
/ detailed three lron-clads-th Ixou,.-s. II
Baron de kais, and oincinaa.i-w,sS AN
lisht-draft guneosts, al OF which had 4.
towed up the river On the eth we ss,-..s
the Arkansas river rs high ~ Arkans,. -
when The army landed within about f.u, ~
Of the fort The enemy had thrown On -
esrthworfs and extensive rine pits ali ~
the levee-
While the army were making a o..o,. =
surround tie fort, sent up the iron-claa. -
try the range Of their .uns; and arerv..
rent up The Rather, Lieut. Oommander ".
son SD:i;h, 70 clear Out the rifle pits s.o -
men behind an extensive oreastwork 40 g..
OF cur troops. The Black Hawk also onaaS
on them with her riHed gums, and asrr fs,S.
fires the rnsmy left the works, and our 49,
u az ched IN Al O'Clock, Gen. McClernand -
me me troops would be In position 10 asssai,
the main fort, very formidable work, ana 7
held ali the vessels &c readiness 20 attack vsss
the troops were IN position At SO y. m. Gss
bcCIernand sent me q messaS- stating tsst
everything was Ready. and the Lorisv Mia
Al a.
within 200 yards OF the fort, hich then opNssS
era from three heavy guns sHd eight rlaeS
guns, ahd with nuskeiry. The superiority OF
our IRE was SOON manifest tho batteries wsrs
siisncrc, and we ceased nrinG, but no assaat
tock place, and IL being too dark 10 do any,
thing, all tho vessels dropped down, and tisd
up 20 the bank for th- night.
The Baron do Eaih, Lieut. Commaa1lns
" alk-r; Louisville, IIeutsnsnt Command.
ing Owen, and the Cincinnati. Lieut. Uou.
mantiins Baohe, led the attack, and wh.a
yesseis. the Lexington and tse Black Hawk n
throw IN shrApnri and rifle she'll Thus nrv
was very destructive, killing nearly all the sf.
'iIlrry horses in and about the fort When tAe
ta,,rry PRETTY well sflenced, I srd-r,I
Lieut.. Ccmmapding Smith 70 pass tbs fors IN
the light draft ironciad Rather, and emf nd.
If, whlch he did Ia u very gallant manner but
suffered q good deal IN bU hril m doing %
Ali las cabin works were sloc ked 10 plec-S
and heavy shrll raked him from stern 20 ,Ler,
in tbe hull. Strange 70 cay, TWO heavy .hsII
his isi iron pia"s i9oa' on The so- .sa
! but bscaIne entanEled amongst ths saars
placed in the river ito impede Or progrsssl
1 and had 10 return.
In the evening attack the vessels OF sfl IN.
commanders were wei handled. paruc ulsrl,
the ron-clads. IL Was close uart..rs all "a,
uThf, and not a gun " as Hired from our 81 u
BBti the gun boats Were " lLnin iG1 yards Of ~
f6rt. The condition OF tht fort attasts IN. a..
cursscy Of che ere, and the persons inside r.v,
;hr Faron de kaib, Lieut.. Commander sIser
Wa informed again this Iasrnlng by C}>s
AcIitrDS SID that tlir army was vaifiAs f,s
| tn, nsNy ~ attack, whrn they would assault
the work.
ordered ~ The iron ciads, with directions
for the Lexington 20 join in when the forIn.r
became hoily engaged, and for the frazier v.s-
| seis 10 haul mp ia the smoke and do the bet
they could, The Ratler, Lieut.. CoInmandlax
| smith, ard the Glide Lieut. Commandas
oodwor;h, did good execution with usel,
shrapnel, ano y hen an opportunity occurred
l maze then push through by the fo1 aEaA,
| also the ram Monarch, Col. Chas. EIlrLD aad
| they proceeded RAPIDLY up the river 10 cut OF
| he eErmy's Irtrrat b ;hP only WAY he had "a
| sc: Of. BY this time ali the guns in Tue Port
| Were completely si!cncoG by the Louisy,i,A
1.irut. Commanding < Il. Owen, Baron ID.
hale, Lieut. Commanding J. q. Walker, aad
Cincinnati, Lieut.. Ccm handing q. ID BscaA
| and ordered The Black Hawk upTor the per.
pose Of boarding IL in front. Bs.iny unmaa "a
able, she had 10 be keeps up the narrow stream
ard 'ock IN regiment from the opposite aids
| 10 try anG take IL by assault
IA roCE0ad 20 20 do so. ana the cuabo.n
commenced firing rapidly, knocking every.
tbiig ~ pieces, the emmy held out q Whse
flag, and i ordered the firing 70 cease The
army then marched liz and tsok 10 sseeeioa Co,
Huntington, the commander Of the fort s.nt
fcr ne and surfrsdered - in person 0ea
Churchill, or tle rtbri army, sUrrpndered q
the mili'ary commander. Our army had Al rao-s
surrounded the fort, and would no doubt have
carrif q u with case. They enniaasd Is viii
rified field pieces. which did much dasnaSr ..
me no'set ara Iignt work, leaving their mGyEs
in all directions.
DO rot know vet what were the Operations
on land. Was 100 much interested in ny eva
AFFAIR. and IN placing tie vessels as cireun-
stances required.
In all this affair there was the sreals, sssl
on tie part OF The officers commardinrto carry
oGt my ORDERS, and not miktake Of sny kl.d
cccrTrd d. No fort ever received a worse bat
:fring and Tho highest com pliment can pay
those engaged Is 10 repeat W hsi the rehels sad.
on can expect men 20 stand up against t7s
Ere or thote euEboats."
large number OF persons were captured IN
! the iort, / don't know how many. and q. sur
down The army Were burrying in the cavalry
and artillery.
maEoinE ofncers, and a let OF killed eaS
wounded, and Will take another occasios 70
mention 10 the pepaT tm-nt the names OF those
Officers who have dlsling uished thenseiy -
particularly. though IL is hard 70 discr1miusse
WHEN all did their duty 50 well.
I have the honor 20 be. very reepectfuuy,
your obrG;eut servant,
DAVID X. roRTER, Actg Rear Admit
Commanding Mississippi 50 rs drou-
Hon. GIDEON kLLEs, Secretary or the Navy.
Accompanying the report OF Com. Porter are
reports TO him from the officers OF the different
vessels engaged in the action.
On the guntoat LopisvIile, one man was
killed and ten wounded-two MORALLY; on the
Baron de Ealh, two men were killed and ffsAAa
wcunded-twc mortally-ths loss being from
shot and she'll entering the porte; the Cincin-
rad, though struck nine times, and though en-
gagged FOR a considerable time within three hun
dred yards Of the fort, escaped without serious
injury tie Lexington, also, escaped without