, 1863-03-18
Admiral Portcr"s Narrative of
lie Construction and Career OF
his - HR RNuIs1Y M0uifQr.s

his '"ae Dummy Mon1tor.@
4 private letter has been received in WASH
fngton By naval officer, from Acting Rear
Admiral Porter, which has created much
amusement, It seems that Porter was much
surprised to learn, on the 25th Of February,
renton, seven miles below Vicksburg, with
the rebel flag flying and steam up. The ac-
count Porter had received from Ellet led him
to believe that the Queen WAS in such Il con
dition that she could not bc required for some
ictter "that Brown ne could m take cars carr Of f the he
Webb by himself; but have no idea that lie
will be a match for the Queen and Webb both
amusing him at the same time. The Iudilnola
is . weak vessel and the only good thing about
her Is her battery.'' lie proceeds to say that
"during the time Of the rnnning Of the block
guns were burst and dismounted in their forts,
therefor it was an object to make them fire az
much as possible. 1got mortar in easy range,
and opened OH that part of the town where there
was nothing but army supplies, and soon pro-
The shells ut first fell over the mortar and
around 1t, bursting close to our men; but the
range began to grow shorter and shorter,
until they let us hare it al our own way.
Finding that they could not be provoked with
out an object, I thought Of getting up an imt-
tation mortar. An old coal barge, picked up In
wae constructed in twelve hours, Of old boards,
with pork barrcls piled on top Of each other
for n smoke stack, and two old canoes for
quarter boats. Her furnaces were built of
mud, and only intended to make black smoke,
and not steam. On the night Of the 24th We
nfts' miies below. i Nc Knew that the rebels lad
nothing but light guns there, which could not
be heard at any distance. So vt thought it
was the Indiauola engaging the batteries at
Carthage, fifteen miles below Vicksburg. Not
knowing that Brown WIS in peril, VIC let loose
our Monitor. It was tewed to within a
couple of miles Of the first battery and let go,
when it was discovered By the dim Light OF
the moon that Vicksbu1E Wss In 4 stew. New
cr did her batteries open with such vim.
The earth fairly tEemblcd, and the shot flew
thickly around the devoted Monitor, which
! returned no shot with hcr long wooden gun
The Monitor ran safely past all the batteries
aud drlfted down safely to the lower mouth
Of the canal, where she was tucked into an
eddy, The rebels we're completely deceived
! by ller, As soon as they saw her by daylight
| they opened on her again with a}l the gun:
| they could bring to bear, but without shot
| hitting her to do any harm for the shot Ten'
I through onc side and came ont the other
without causing the vessel to sink, as she wa
full Of water already. Our soldiers shouted
and laughed like mad; but the laugh wa
somewhat against them when. at daylight. NJ
! discovered The ram Queen Of the West lyint
! st Warrcntown and the question at ono
arose, what had happend to the Indianola
Had She two rams sank or captured her in th'
engagement VIC had heard the night before
One or two of the soldiers got the Monito
| ont In the stream, aud let her 50 down on tn
ram Queen. All tho forts commenced drinl
and Signalling, and IS the eAonitorapproache'
her, the ram turned tail and ran down th
river as fast as she could 60, the Monitor ATTIC
her, making all the speed that was given he
by dve.hnot current. The forts at Warren
ton fired bravely and rapidly, and 1t WAS re
ported that they hit our Monitor in ycry IN:
| nerablc spot"