Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-26

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under fire for about an hour
some Of our ege guns were taken to Fort Point I'M
der charge of CsDt F0ntaine supported by two OF tree
companies of Col Pryens regiment, under command OF
the colonel himself They drawn through the SAND
by the long distance, aud paced in position with
out Interruption OF the enemy TWO or liFee OF Mloe
vessels however glided down to the Peint and took
( position within few hundred yards As soon IS our
guns opened theyet loose tneir v loie a. iaanis opo
the PoiDt-friag rapidly Possble being evident
that they determined if possible to keep open the
way Of retreat
The Federas may claim to have been surprised-such
was evidently the caseor before forces were
any of them within three miles Of the city their signals
were seen repeatedly, and they evidently taking
their positions the best advantage both TO the light
and rus and they only allowed 20 ges position IN or
der efselualy destroy when they found our
whereabouts When last they found themselves in
extreme case they used the white flag to run out OF
4 the Lsfbor as q ey had before used it to run in
The whole plan of this attack when It shall be known,
either by statement Of The commander or BY the facts
various parts IN execution viii prove beyond question
tast Gen MagIuder its author is sehefn Of the most
cousumate skill and dering The various shore bat
tercs II IN position desired by the general ana ably
maEged would have cleared the harbor Of the enemys
ships them to the bottsm-lp this part
Of the plan might fail in execution from Hra obsta
clss or unforeseen eyenthe Of ths ganbosts would
still so aid the execution of the generals designs TO
/ make q success They did dl this aud at the moment
Of the greatest doubt the gallant board, led by
Leon smith Green and others with daring
eeed grapped with our es tor victory and trumpbed
The officers Of Gen. Magruders staff especially Ma
/ jors Dickinson and WstCins, were everywhere doing
( their duty amidst the utmest peril
SeC0ad Aceouat
Gen Scurry, in command Of the reserves consisting
of psrto of Sibeys brigade rnder command Of Colonel
Reilly, sod detachment Of PyrOns regm, MT was sta
toned at PyrOu's camp, about four miles from town,
with orders to report the bsseh at the foot Of IRE
mont street. The reserves took up the line Of march
little after four O'Clock in the morning few minutes be-
fore the first gun fired The grave yard had been
passed and the column depoyng toward the beach,
when courier with orders to report imme lately
te Gen Msgruder at Col Nichols residence, which
his temporary headquarters few minutes after the
/ srriyal ef this command IT ascertsined that
shore batteries with he exception % two Light rtsd
pieces stationed behind He7deys brick building, had
70 take command on the strsso ana 70 eflng tue guns
that had been abandoned the custom house and place
them thero under 1t will thus be that
land forces had maintained continuous hre Of more
than hours duration from the eneTys gunb0at2 and
our had stood up te the batteries under Of
grape and canister, until daylight came, when it be-
came matt of ply icsi impossbiy TO maintain any
longer their exposed position Gen Scurry started for
the guns with his c0mmand, which Joined by
Elmores regiment, under command Of Lieutenant Colo
mel Abercrombie Riding along the ranks Of his diys
ion he addressed the men with few brief words-of
couragement. Boys you have earned reputation
in Arizoaa, and want you to maintain it. Go and
bring away those guns and don't away without
| them .te was responded 60 by cheers, and under a
ieFric sIo n OF rasIng grape canister ana
sometimes within three hundred yards Of the enemys
gunboat they accomplished their task just then
gunboats came into the hghtthe shore batteries were
rapidly replaced in pOsiticn-the Harriet Lane cap
tured by our gunboats and IN few minutes the day
was ours Gen Scurrv received the surrender Of the
| Yankees on the wharf and remained there until Gen
( 8fagruder came down To Col Green and the brave
and devoted band under him, and to the calm bravery
Of Major Leon smith is owing the successful turn Of
the engagement. Their names stand bright upon the
page of this wars history But without the firing Of
the shore batteries, which, for hour rsned fire
around the enemys vessels, not unfrequenty striking
them and dtraeting taeir attention, the sttGck of
boats must have been fai ure The fact Of is the
whote attack was eoneevei with remarkable ability by
Gen. Magruder, and 70 the desperate vslor and cool
daring OF men and officers must be attributed the
eessful execution of the geneTaks.plsp.
t1-TT ~
building Che latter ineluded) we understand that
twenty paes Of glass remah Srhe isrrng of guns
and the EXPLOSION Of shells bkthe glass by thousands
When hring hrst began s91e 2s our men thought the
houses were falling so startling was the rafting of the
broken ass.
large shell had evidently gjenetrated the northeast
corner of the third story in.HsRdieys building making
hole of sufficient size for 70 crawl through
ranged through the building and exploded in the south
in Leagues part of the block, knocking
the windows snd damaging that corner Sauter's build
ing. on the Strand was badly injured His store on
fremont street had two holes knocked through by heavy
balls leaving circular openings in which barrel could
have been easily introduced All the glass broken
aud the shutters knocked off of Of buildings oppo
site the fremont House by the explosion of a she'll In
fact the greatest damage done to the city the de-
srpeton Of the glass, while tbs sidewalks literal
paved with broke fragments In the threeTtoryi mar
Bile front bulding of l.. H. Wood & Co. pane of
glass wss remaining- Parrys foundry was literally
honey combed. The majority of the buildings in the
city uninured though struck in every
portion. large sail vessel lying outside the Point
that evidently possessed gun of imm- nse cabsr. Oe
casonally she'll would be thrown from her that passed
the fan length of The town and would fall beyond COL
sam Williams residences distance Of several miles
The report Of the gun was truly terrific
Our Fleet IN the Gal0estog Fight.
In the attack upon the Federal gunboais in Galveston
bay had but two armed steamers, accompanied by
two tenders unarmed namely, the Bayou City, Captain
Lubbock which ha been taken up time since by
the State aud fitted az a gunboat. She had only an
armament Of 32pOund rife csunoR ia her bow. The
Neptune, Captain -, was only few days undergoing
preparations for this especial purpose and was
- 4rrF0N aaA hi gfra
ders md under the direction OF Major Leon Smith
Both these boats provided with baTrcades Of cot
bsles upon their decks afording both protection
against The ensInys shot, a~d an elevated position
/ the top fsr tn board the enemys guuboats
The tenders the Lucy Gwin and the John z Carr
both OF which carried volunteers, pfepart with their
! sdesrrns TO do service, should the occasion offer.
The Royal Yaeat Capt Chubb, was to have accom-
psued the expedition, but she got aground at Red Fish
! bar on her way down. and was left behind.
Captain Weir commanded the gun the B 3yOU City
and was killed ealy the engagement BY the explo-
sion OF the gum hes been stated We learn that it
has been sseeTtaned beyond doubt however remarka
bic it may appear, that this explosion was caused by
] bali from the enemy entering the muzzle
/ Capt Hardy commanded the guns the Neptune,
Lieut., Harvey Clark being second in command He
eeised graps shot in the side early in the action,
/ whsn he exc aimed MY G d am wounded BE
then Jumped upon the cotton bales 20 be ready board
/ the enemy. but fe, dead moment after.
These steamers left here different times two or
three DAYS before the fight with orders to the
head Of the bay, aud then proceeded together t.
DO within reach OF the by 70 O'Clock the night
of December 3ist, when signal from the shore ts
notify them that the forces were in readiness to
commence the action Having arrived ct about the
/ tins designated, theycouid signals from Shore
found by the enemy signals their gunbosts
/ that they had been discovered After waiting awhi 9
without seeing hearing anything of land forces
the officers he'd council and coroiuded to retire be-
vond the enemy reach, and they then proceeded few
les mp the bayY YcoHcluding that the land operations
I had, by some means been delayed Such indeed
the fact for fouod impossible to move the heavy
ordnance with The exped ton, and place them in posi-
/ ton n the time designated. Indeed, the only ordnance
I used on shore, so far learn the ltght
pieces Of artillery The failure Of the siege pieces
be placed position might have proved disastrous but
for the timely arrival Of the guuboats which by crap
png with and boarding the enemy, secured the victory
1 at a most critical moment.
Cap Mccormick the pilot of The Bayou City, states
/ that the boats waited Half Moon shoals about
Twelve miles fom the city ito which point they had with
drawu) till about A. without being able TO
hear anything our land forces when the officers con-
cuded tue expedition had ai ed but consulting
bay the guns shore distinctly heard and their
ia-hes seen, when, by order Of MAJOR Smith, the hoais
made sl possible speed toward the eney's fsai, and
as daylight appeared they within - mile Of
The Harriet Lane nearly opposite the railroad depot
when the Bayou City commenced the fire. which was
fourth FIRE of the Bayou City that her gun exploded,
killing Captain Weir and two Others and wound
I ing Cap ain Schneider. Capt Mccormick, directed,
aimed TO the boat strike the Lane such
manner to enable the TO board her, bHt the
strength Of the tide caused him "a miss his aim VIXEN he
passed her, striking glancing blow, by which the
Bayou City outside planking torn of from the lar
board whee house, when he ordered by Capt. Lab
/ book f" to get round and make at her again
Meantime. the Neptune up striking the Lane
and getting her bew stove in causing her To leak badly
after which she eceived the Lanes broadsids shot
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