The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-05-06

Running the Rebel Batteries at
ViaEGhmrO


The army correspondent of the Chicago
successful running of TIE rebel batteries by
Admiral Porter's fiat, under date of before
V~icksburg, April 18th
Yesterday evening, at twenty minutes past
eleven, Admiral Porter ran the blockade with
eight gunboats and three transports-as fol-
lows: The Benton flag ship Lafayette,
Mound City (iron-clads,O and the Price (wood-
en)-and the transports Silver Wave, Forest
Queen, and Henry Clay. Soon after farming
the point above Vicksburg, the batteries on
Force Hill opened on the Benton, followed
promptly by all the upper batteries. The feet
moved steadily along in line of battle, lights
OUT, and the men at quarters on the bow guns
and larboard broadsides. AS each rounded
the point in easy range of the rebel batteries,
she opened fire with the bow and p~ort-quar-
ter guns, throwing percussion shell. Coming
into close quarters, they fired broadsides of
shrapnell and grape. After turning the
point, the Admiral's feet closed up, his line
of battle being one and half miles in length,
and describing an arc inside of a seml-circle
OF rebel guns, five miles in length. Every
battery was fully manned and rapidly served.
The cannonade was grand and terrible. The
heavy roar of Dahlgrens, the keen, eager ring
of Parrots, the explosion of shell, interming-
ling with other, made the earth and water
tremble with the sublime music of war. Over
two hundred guns of the heaviest calibre,
were working to their utmost capacity, for two
ho1rs. Huge banfres, built by the rebels to
light up the river, the burning of buildings
fired by our shell, and the confogration of the
Henry Clay, lit up a scene, over which hung
a broad canopy of heavy, dark smoke, such as
only a gigantic war can produce. Gen. Grant.
on the Won Phul, near the point above, and
Gen. Sherman in a yawl below, opposite the
mouth of the canal; and an anxious crowd of
officers and soldiers, witnessed the: battle
All of the gunboats passed the Vicksburg bat
teries unframed. The Benton received the
heaviest fire; a she'll exploded at asport hole,
killed an officer and wounded three men. This
is probably the total of our loss, except from
two of the gunboats from which as yet VIC have
no report.
Of the transports, the Silver Wave, Capt.
McMullan, passed through uninjuIed the
Forest Queen,- Capt. Conway, received a shot
through thn steam chest, and one through her
hull she was taken in tow by the Benton,
and towed through-can be repaired in a few
days the Henry Clay was fired by a shell in
the cotton with which che was protected, and
b lrncd. The crew all escaped. John Taylor,
pilot, was the last to leave her, and was picked
up in the river by Gen. Sherman, opposite
the mouth of the canal.
General Sherman went on board the Benton.
which lay by until the fleet was again closed
up The feet then passed Town by the War |
renton batteries. The cannonade at the War
renton batteries was not as heavy as that which |
our boats had experienced.
The rebels were evidently diseoucerted and
Surprised, bit soon recovered, aud worked their
guns rapidly, if not well. What their less is,
we can not, of course, tell. Unjust have been
heavy. Several batteries were silenced. Our
own loss is inconsiderable.
. 1T is not improper now to state that ace hare
dtaxQe land force below Vicks5urg on the
Louisiana shore, and that the new canal is a
success.
Tfis morning a casemated Federal battery
ofIeavy parotts is firing at the buildings and
batteries of Vicksburg. The battery is within
reasonable range, and tells fearfully.
Sum total eight gunboats, two transports
and an army corps on the enemy's flank, be-
tween Vicksburg and Port Hudson, a loss of
one man killed, six wounded, and a transport |
turned. Good enough for one day!
Later dates from Vicksburg state. that six
more transports-the Tigress, Empire City,,
Moderator, Anglo Saxon, Cheeseman and Ha--
been successful in running the
No casualties resulted. The tugs
Free Stone and A. D. Hine have taken two
double deck fatbcats through the Duckport
Canal. THESE boats are capable of carrying
1000 men each. Transports now run by War
rcnton without difficulty, our gunboats having
the rebel batteries.