Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-20

boats snl oi the A3oNoEgcAfa lou1 resolved iei5
tha, it would be madness temp 10 run sEeh ter
ric gsuniet Of iron hail Whe her the commanders oi
the Richmond ami Mississippi had already arry sttb
same determination, or came to it afeT is not
known but they al eaesptshe HaTgad, undertook to
put bout and return the way they came.
For this purpole The Ielpona sheerad close in to the
le bank under tie batteries and then eireled round
her course rsacng nearly up to the opposite poiat In
executieg this uaueuyer she gave ou- bait res sue
eessiyely Takiag position, and they took excellent
advantage Of e. ripping her from stern to stem From
the crashing Of befs plainly heard dur every brief
interval Of the @ and fron tie view bad Of Shoes that
struck her ii as evident that her doom was sealed.
Instead Of IN king ruR for T. down The river, hnggug
the opposite shore she again turned her PROV toward
cur batteries ana right in under them AS She got
this position, voice from boerd Of hr cried Mt
i" Now let me you STRIFE me from those hills Cd
d--n your As If 10 answer TO his blasphemous appeal
BAIT ~ above and below got his range and while
she'll crashed through BIS oreeastle double charge Of
grape swept his decks from the izzanmast forward It
must have done fesr,u execuloa and the same voice
which had Just be ore rung oath and defiance,
now exeiame3, in pitsous accents For Gods sake
don't shoot any morel We are sinking r
It was reported among q crowd Of observers the
bluff that a voice from her ek had called out I'VE
surrender We surrender Ii this said it was not
probably spoken by her conmander who however, ap-
pesled batteries to cease firing upon her IS the
ship sinking As she evidently drifting down
in unmsnsgsable condition and apparently settling,
the batteries lot her alone and turned their attention
other craft Whether or not she ssnk do not as yet
know. Her 90 nmander may have used Yankee art
fee TO escape by the mistaken humanity Of the Wet rs
but # ihe Is not seriously disabled an many an expert
euced eye was greatly d,csiyet
Th7 tssssgD undertoos to yxscute the SANE rnaneu.
ser Of turning round and mating her escape back 70 the
point she arted fcom. She had rounded aud Just turn
ed down stream when one of our shots tore OF her fud
der and another went crashing through her mgeinery
Immediately after ese the rushing sound Of steam es-
Gaping from some ]rokea ipe, and the upmanage
able yeel aiftsd sg ound directly opposite our crescent
line Of batteries Her range was qaicky gained and .ha
was being rapidly torn to pieces ~ orr missiles, when
the coumsnder gave the order for oil hands to save
themselves the best way they could At the same time
fire broke in two places The pri oner5 we have
taken Of opinion that she set fire oy her own
ofieers but it ie as likely that i was caused by
red hot SHOT which were being poured into her
nteuuptedly Al this time her decks st5ewn with
dead ami wounded, according Of her crew with
whom have converssd who thought aat one half her
complement of men were included in the list Of casual
ties.
In the meantime must account for the other vessels
Of the feet The three larger vessels had occupied
Of the attention Of tie batteries bat the other
craft bad not by any means been overlooked Two /
had turned round and started down stream. One Of
them appsrenty escaped withoa serious Disability but
he other, which was probably the KipHes f6ated
down past the batteries in unmanageabe condition,
rec living our voleys without being able to Eeturu.
thCsni and from be confusion Of voices an the ming
I
decks it was viient tsat great slaughter ha7e
been made amongb crew, else thar tbboat itself was
in critical predieslaeRt vessel. which either
tie Tennessee Honoagatsla, most probably the for
mer pped BY in the confusion and Joined the Hartford
up The river
Some fifty Eve or sixty persons saved themselves by
jumping overheard and sgg mining or wading from the
1fssssigpi to The shore. OF these the aaor and cap
'an Of marines ana assistant engineer, with fortyfve
sailors and Marines have been arrested by our cavalry
and brought across dnring the day Some few others
are reported 10 be hiding themselves ia The swamp
The dead and wounded left uFon .he Mississippi
which soon Aoated off and started down with ihe cur.
rent All Tie other vessels were now out Of range, d
the spectacle Of the burning ship wss grand and
solemn yet mingled with panfHI thoughts Of the
horrible fate Of those mangied unfortunates who were
being burned 20 death upon this floating fonera py5e
As the aaneswouid reach tbe shells lying among her
guns, they exploded bY one, addisg TO the novel
grsndeuT Of the sigh
when al9 burning Mississippi reached the point
where the mortar boats and other lay, she created
a7oerfect panic among them, Probably from the fear
Of her magazine exploding smoug them they speed
cast loose from their noorngs and ran before her, not
making their appearance again until near the hour Of
noon to-day The Light Of hs burning wreck could be
seem steadily inerea ing its istanee for two hours ana
a half At i've minutes pas- i've O'Clock, when the
Mississippi probably witzia five miles of Baton
Rouge Sudden glare li up the vhele sky. II cause
was well knownto be ihe explosion of the magaz ne
After considerable interval Of time long rumbing
sound brought FINAL proof that the Mississippi one Of
the finest vessels of theUnited States navy which had
earned historic fame befoe the Commencement Of
present war as the aagship Of the Japan expedition
was thing # the past.
Such are the partcollH Of this mornings fight at
Port Hudon. For The time 1t lasted was one Of the
most desperately contested engagements of the war
Our success 10 be aeHb ted the eoolnsss galaniry
and skill Of the officers and men engaged but as wen TO
the engineering ability aud personal exerions of Major
General Frank Gardner, who remodeed the whale sys
ien Of our water defense his taking eommaud OIL
This district and has been untigug, siaee hen, in his
srt0ns to render the position nesr BpregnabIe as
possible The feet having been opposite that wing Of
our batteries commanded by LieutenaptColonel P. T.
DeGournay the work and responsibility fell principally
apOn him, and The manner IN which be hiss discharged
both forms Of the most satisfactory and brlliant
pages in The history of the present war.
Lieutenant Co one1 de eournsy is an officer Of great
sxPeyiende and ability ami promoted to hs present
grade BY the President for signal ryees ia the heavy
lrtillery at Yorktown, Va He has been at the bate
-ies here with his efeint command, t Isth Louisan
oattaiou during i've months aud has entirely devoted
himself 70 the eonsummaiion wei resched this morn
% Capt Kean Lieut.. Allison and shirmer Lieut..
,asteHsnos Capt. Coffin and Capt. Seawsl in com
nand OF important gans had the good forrns to dis.
insash Themselves but an Of the officers Of this bat
aou and well as those Of the LIST Tennessee bat.
aon Of artillery Capt Fisher under cominand Of Col
ie Courtney, Displayed great gasntry. Theright~ Il
leld BY the lst Alabama regiment, also played con.
pieuous and honorable part n the engagement, and
5o- steedman and bis officers deserve GA praise
To Lieut. Col M J. Smith the chief Il artillery for
neFly an officer Of the United States navy and pscH
ry qualified for his present responsible position 100
much credit cannot be awarded Fausgut found him {
eSdy and able 10 meet him, and bad not been for
ome Of those accidental occurrences that canuot be
oFsseen or provided agans the Yankee rear admiral
you'd have met the same fate The commander Of his
earguard,
# The country not satisfied with the Port Hudson
ght then it must indeed be unreasonable Under al
he eirelmstaBess the result has been as surprising
las been gratifying The relative loss Of life is one Of
be most sgnifeent features Of the affsr The loss
'oaTd the enemy vessels amount to at least $50
ied and wounded On the Mississippi alone the loss
vas over l50 The lossin batteries was one ien
enaa of The lst Alabana slightly wounded. and one ?
naa Of the list Tennessee battalion severely wounded
MORE O0uPLAHsTs. b
CAMP FIRST TENNESSEE CAVALRY, D
GBENAnA, March l6 1853. n
EDITORS APFEAL; i you ara not aware Of t. let me
ell you, ths the prigate oier regards the editorial
rstsrriy as peculiarly Ns friends looks to them as his