Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-06-04
DISPATCHES rRoM ADMIRAL POTTER.

al official C7isnatcll from Admiral Porter con-
girnaatory the report q The sinking 81 EE1e gun
boat Cincinnati, in attempting 10 pass tbs
! icksh,lrg batteries. lie says:
"a The urgent request cf Gems. Grant and
Sherman sent the Cincinnati 70 eI2lIade sora3
rife pts which buried the progress Of the leSV
VIM q the army. Zen. Sherman supposed
that the enemy had removed his heavy guns
10 the rear oi The city. On the contrary. he
seemed 70 have placed more on the water slde
xhap usual. The Cincinnati vas sunk, and
went down ip sf,oal water with her flag flying
The enemy sti}l fred OH her, bat the nag vas
not hauled down Twenty Eve were killed snd
wounded, and fifteen missing; the latter sup
posed t, be drowned The vessel can be raised.
The pilot was killed early il the action
The Navy Department has also recelveQ Ad-
,uiraI porter's official dispatch, detailing the
boEnbardment OF Vicksburg, May 22d, by the
g,inboats Of his feet Admiral Porter says;
On the evening Of the 2lst received 3 coIxa-
rnunication from Gen. Grant informing nle
t'aat he intended to attack the whole ct the
Confederate works al 10 g. H. the nezt day
and asking me TO shell! the batteries from 8. 70
until l0. 80 &. m, 10 annoy the garrison.
( kept six mortars playing ssrapldly On the
works and town al night; sent the benton,
Mound City and Carondelet up TO shell Inc
water batterie and other places where troops
might be resting during the night. At seven
o clock in the morning the Mound City pro
ceeded across the river and made an attack On
the hill batteries opposite the canal. at 3
0 clock Joined her With the Benton, TuscuD1-
bia ard Carondcet. All these vessels opened
on the hill batteries aud finally siIenced them,
though the main work on the battery con-
tanning the heavy riaed gum was done by the
Mound City, Lieut.. Commanding byron WI
soU.
I then pushed The benton. Mound City and
CaSondoLet up 10 Ihs water batteries, leaving
the TuscumDia, which Is still out OF repair, 10
keep the hill batteries Erou firing on our ves~
sells after they had passed by The three gum
boats passed up slow =, owing 70 the strong
current, the Mound City leading, the Benton
following and the CaEondelet asteru lhe
water batteries opened turiousIy, supported bg
8 bill battery Oh the stayboard heam q the
vessels.
The vessels advanced to within 40 yards,
sby our narks) and returned the IRE for two
hours without cessation-~the enemy lire De-
ing very accurate and incessant.
Finding that the hill batteries behind Us
vere silenced, / ordered up the Iuscunbla
10 within 500 yards Of the batteries, but her
turret was soon made untenable, not standing
The enemy shot, and made her drop down
I had been engaged with the forts an hour
longer than Gen. Grant asked~~the vessels
had I'll received sdvere shots under water,
which we could not stop up while IL melton;
ana not knowing what might have delayed
the movement Of the aEuy, ordered the yes
sela - drop out of Ere, which they did IN COOL
handsome manner.
This vas the hottest fire the gunboaTs have
ever been under, but owing 70 the water bat.
ser;es being more On level With them than
usual, the guDboats threw IN their shell 80 fast