Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-23
from the n-Ississipp, Squadron.
MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON.
TALLAHATcHIE RIVER. Miss =
March IL. 1863.

TALLAHATcHIE RIVER. Miss
March II, 1863.
EDIToR OF STATE SENTINEL: AS | predicted in
my letter of the 10Th inst, the u. s. gunbOat
Chillicothe proceeded to reconnOitre Fort Green
wood at the mouth of the Tallahatchie River.
aud distant from the Yazoo about three miles
After she had been under way about thirty min
utes, and at a quarter past ten A. M, the enemy
opened on her at So or seven hundred yards dis
tant, with five pieces of artillery. One of the
Rebel guns was en- barbette. o. inch calibre,
throwing conical steel pointed rife shells and
projectiles, weighing 100 pounds. The other four
guns threw shot and shell, supposed to be from
twelve and thirty FOUNDER rifles. The enemy,
during the reconnaissance of the ChillicOthe. fired
at her thirty times, and struck her twice. The
first shot hit her in the bow, about eighteen inch
es above the waters edge. This shot did not
penetrate through the armor, but almost buried
itself in the iron plating. Their second shot
struck the ChillicOthe on the starboard side of
the turret and about four feet from her forward
starboard port and about six feet above the deck,
indeutiug and frightfully fracturing both plates,
(the outer and inner one three inches thick aud of
wrought irony and smashing in the framing and
backing Of the tower, abaft of where the shot
struck.
The ChiIlicothe fred three FIVE second shells.
but with what effect is as yet unknown, the
smoke ObstI ucting the view.
The reconnaissance being completed, the Chilli
cothe backed up the river TO within long range Of
Fort Greenwood She was under fire DO minutes,
with no casualties Of any consequence.
At ten minutes past 4 p. NJ the ChillicOthe,
unsupported in consequence of the narrowness of
the river, got under way to attack the fort, and at
Al O'Clock, the tort opened on her with all its
guns. In seven minutes, she was compelled to
back Up the river, and out of range of the Rebel
guns, in consequence of one of her guns (she
has but two guns) having been rendered per
fectly useless; number 2 having four men killed
and ten badly wounded, and the balance of its
complement, FIVE pen, having their eyes filled
with powder, aud their clothes on fire. This
terrible disaster occurred in this way: one of the
enemy's largest shells penetrated the port slide
{of three inches solid wrought iron) aud struck
the ChillicOthe's port gun. exploding and isniting
the shell of the boats gun. The shell was not
farther in the gun than the muzzle. 1t carried
away the two forward port slides, of 5000 pounds
weight, and a portion of the turret's backing.
1t tore out the bolts of the armor, set some cot
ton bales on fire, which were forward of the tur
ret, and carried one of the port plates of l6O0
pounds weight, high into the air, aud overheard,
of course.
The damages of the Chillicothe are about re-
paired, after about thirty hours hard and inces-
SAINT work, and she will be ready for action to-
morrow, when a general engagement is expected.
In the interval between the Reconnaissance and
the engagement, the 10th Indiana had a skirmish
with the Rebels and whipped them. The regi-
ment had two wounded.
/ The officers and crew of the ChillicOthe be-
haved very handsomely. But for the almost ST.
multaneOus explosion of the enemy's 100 pound
shell, this affair would have ended in the reduc
tion of Fort Green. W. G. f.