Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-03-05

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M
ne ~. ta.;isg misnEra ga una tne sicksuure
81 %1 ~ > MI etons1Srna'ion . S1ns
Cnn,o,,,,iaa,;l ,mT aavr Da.sery IIi,
bura and Port u,,dssm pastrn,,as,
.,Condition of tha Rabs,s ~ vicfs~
burg.
A oorrosr,njon. lo...;L c.u.
pVs' u''''''vo' "s iohows tho
running OF the Rebel gauntlet at Vicksburg
by the Monitor Battery lndianola:
BEFoRE VIcKsBuRa. Fab. 70 lasa =
Early Yesterday morning Tho ennho.t
Indianca passed by the Rebel batteries a.
and about Vicksburg, coming TO anchor +.
below the mouth Of the canal. neur the
Queen Of the West. Il had been intended
TO send her down the night before. but ID
was thick and foegy, and Admiral Porter.-
delayed the adventure. Yesterday morning
about l. O clook, was awobe by tbo renort
OF Rebel gun from their upper battery.
Il was very dark and raining; the moon wss
down, and the stars were giving atrifiing
light: Through the darkness we could see
the flashing of the Rebel runs. hear tha
rushing sound of their hugo proiect;lss' and
occasionally see a shell explode ip he air.
All this we knew meant that the best boat
OF our navy in these waters was running the
gauntlet Of the numerous and Formidable
batteries that obstruct the Mississipbi. IL
was an undertaking of vast Importance tho
failure would be Disaster success oftbs
greatest advantage. Thousahds of ewes and
ears were intent for each flash and renort =
The firing was at irregular intervals. and
it could Be plainly seen, all from Rebef
batteries. Presently there ean,e. w;tbnnx
the customary flash, the roar Of n hesvv
gun; instantly another. We knew. then.
IN q certainty, whore our gunboat was she
had fired the 1l-iDch gun of her turret
straight into the steamer Wick ,burv and
below the landing, As she passed on down
the river, the firing was kept up, but With
out effect. She was not struck by either of
their shots. Judging from their FIRE, the
Rebels seemed to be confused and bewild-
ered The water-battery above the town.
and the redoubt some distance below. were
the only ones from which we could distin
gush shots. They did not Ere one .fourth.
the West They evidently susnecteJ ibot
something wrong was abroad on The waters T
but what it was, or where, was mvstery
they only conjectured when the hnre nro.
jectiles tore through their steamer. Thev
realized the full know edge of what had han.
pened when they saw in the early morn;n.
full grown Monitor alongside the ram.
The Importance of this success which the
navy has added to its laurels is obv;ous -
The ram. when she ran down and made, her
trip to Port Hudson, was not substant
armed, and is not now, althengh She. has
been armed with 30 pounder PARROTS cal.
culated to withstand fire from land hat.
cries. Her safety in such enoount or, has
in her heels To her qualities "a n swift and
powerful ram, armed with long range riaas
we have now added one of the most formida.
BILE gunboats, with an armament SUPERIOR
in metal and range to any rebel gun on the
Mississippi. Our possession of the river
from Vicksburg to Port Hudson ia perfect .
River communication between The two
beleaguered posts is completely DESTROYED.
The enemy has considerable number of
steamers on the Red River, which, are nov
at our disposal They cannot defend them
selves, and must, therefore, run so far nm
stream as to be of no use in the transpor,a.
ton of cattle aud other supplies from Texar.
and will be destroyed or captured.
The great source Of supplies. the .sTr.p,.
Mississippi Department. is se.Ied nm. as
far as pratical use is concerned. The route