The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-04-30
From Porter. Fleet.


Hoso the Ticksburg Batteries toere
Passed by Admiral Porter's Vessels.
Eight Gum6oats and Too Trans
ports Bsiosc Ready for Service.
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribune.
YoUSG's PoIsr, La,
Friday Noon, April IL, 1868.
Ever since the Investment of Vicks
burg by the Union bockading squad
ron, those who know best about such
things have been loudest in their de-
mand that the iron-clads should edo
something" These ignorant clamor-
ers have at last had an opportunity to
see "something" done. Admiral Porter
has demonstrated that be has the skill,
courage, and capacity to be equal to
any naval emergency, and that In point
of doing the right thing at the right
time he is not not behind any COM
mander in the Union service.
1t was generally understood that an
attempt would be made to run the
blockade, but the extent of the enter
prise was kept secret until day or
two before it was carried out Extern
sive preparations in the mouth of the
Yazoo, where the fleet lay, indicated
that Admiral Porter would take at least
eight or nine of the iron-clad vessels,
comprising the greater part of his. feet,
below, and that from the character of
those preparations, nothing would be
left undone to ensure the safety of the
lives aboard, and the vessels them
selves. The decks, over tho boilers,
were covered with sand bags and the
other parts of the boats were covered
with hay and cotton bales, rendered
more impervious by compression. Sew
en- boats were thus prepared, some ao-
counts say eight, but the eighth vessel
was only tug. The Benton, with
the Admiral aboard, took the lead, fol-
lowed in line by the Lafayette, Car
ondelet, ST. Louis, Sterling Price and
Tuseumbia. The gunboats were fol
lowed by the steamers Henry Clay,
Forrest Queen and Silver Wave, each
with two barges in tow, loaded with
supplies for the troops at Carthage.
The night was not at all favorable,
for the sky was spangled with stars and
a steady western breeze was blowing,
which of course carried the least noise
to the ears of the rebel sentries. Ad
miral Porter, knowing this full well,
ordered Sights out" and the vessels to
drift down aud not attempt to turn
wheel until the batteries commenced
firing. The fleet started at ten O'Clock
and disappeared around the point at
eleven, and soon after the batteries
opened. The Flagship reached the
front of the oity before the first shot
was fired, when the gallant little craft
replied at once. The Benton is the
bravest of onr on-clads, but she is a,
the same time one of the most unfor-
tuuate, for she never goes into an en-
gsgement but she gets struck, and has
some of her crew killed and wounded.
At half-past eleven the bombardment
was under full Roadway, and about
that time FIRE broke out or was kindled
in the city, which illuminated the scene,
now at the height of it's dreadful inter-
est. The feet was between the upper
and the lower batteries, aud every gun
of the enemy was delivering its fire.
The impression here is that the reb-
els did not fire as rapidly nor with half
the yigor that they have on former &C.
casions, and this would seem probable
on account of the escape of the IRON
clads from any material damage. They
were struck pretty often, but thanks TO
the means used for their protection,
they got down in safety, with the single
loss of one man on the Benton, and the
wounding of two others by shot
which entered one of her ports.
At twelve o'clock the transport
Henry Clay was struck by shot under
her water-line, and at the same time a
shell exploded among the cotton bales
used to protect her sides, setting fire to
the boat, which enabled the rebel gun
-ners to see to better advantage. 1t is
affirmed that the rebels set fire to hous-
es iu the city to aid them, but this at
best is only conjecture. Tho crew of
the consuming craft sought refuge from
the dsyouring elements in yawls, and
in the barges alongside, and escaped in
safety. The battery in front of the
rebel hospital did the heaviest firing
and kept it up longer. The rebels ex
pended vast amount of ammunition
but to very little purpose, for despite
the loss of the Henry Clay, Admira
Porter deserves credit for his brave
aud successful .fete of storming and
running past the Vicksburg batteries
As soon as the Admiral reached
WarrentOn, the pop guns of that sink
hole opened upon his invulnerabe feet
but he replied in such unmistakeablt
terms, that the guns were not only 81
fenced, but the works were totally des
troyed. They were two casemated bat
teries, covered with railroad iron, in
tended for seven guns but only fielC
pieces, or at least small seige guns, hat
been mounted. forgot to state tina
the Forest Queen had her scape pipes
cut, in the boiler-room, which com
pletely disabled her, and might have
resulted in her total loss to US, but fol
the bravery of the Captain of the Tus
cumbia, who ordered his boat back and
took the transport inflow.
All glory to cur brave fellows who
n i