Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-02-19
The Running the Wick. burg BIocL adc.
U, $. STEAM RAN QrtrN or TIE Mlsr,

L. S. STEAM RAM QUEEN or THE MIST,
Be0w Nicksbulg, February 2.
Admiral: IL conf hante with YOUR insiluc-
tions. started on the Queen of the West ut
half past tour O'Clock, III mo,nir =. to pass the
batteries al NitkSbu,g. aud sink the rebel steam
er lying before that city. discovered imme-
dialely on starting that the change of the wheel
from lis former position to the narrow ace be.
hind the Queens bulwuiks, did not permit the
boat to be handled with suficien, accuracy. An
hour or more was spent in re .arranging the APP
pnratus, and when we finally rounded the point,
the sun had risen and every advantage which
would have resulted from the dark"e>s was lost
10 us. The reb Is opened heavy FIRE upon us
as we nearrd the city of Vicksburg but we were
only struck three times before reaching the
steamer. She was ing in nearly the same po-
situn that he Arkansas occupied when Gener.
al Elet ran the Queen into her on ioimer oc-
caSon. The same cause which prevented the
destruction of the Arkansas, then saved the city
of VickShurg this morning. Her pc tiun was
such il we had run ohliquel, into her us We came
dow n, the bow Of the Queen would undouhed-
~ have glanced. We were compelled TO par
TALLY round in order to strike. The cunSe-
quence was that Mt the yeiy moment of collision
HE curren, very rapid AMI strong at This point,
caught tine stern of my boat, and acting on her
bow as pivot, swung her round 81 rapidly that
nearly all her momentum was lost. | had an
,icipaled this, and therefore caused the star
board bow gun Ia | @ slotted with three of the
incrndary projrc.iles recommended in your or
drrS. As we swung round, Sergeant J. H.
Campbell, detailed for the purpose, fired This
gun. SiXiy-tuur pound shell crushed through
the barlicade just before he reached the shot,
but he did not hesitate The discharge took
place a, exactly the right moment, and set the
,al,. Al. ~
ly succeeded in extingushing.
At this moment one of the enemy shells set
the cnltun near the s;arbourd wheel on fire while
the discharge of our own gun igniled that por-
ton which was on the bow. The flames spread
rapidly, and the dense smoke rolling into the
engine room sufiucaied the engineers. | saw
that If | attempted to run into the city of NickS-
burg again that my boat would certainly he
hunt, and | ordered her Ia he headed down
stream, and ordered every man to exiinguiSh
III. flames. After much eXerion We finull, nut
the fire out by cutting the burning bales loose.
The enemy of course were not idle. Wewere
struck II times, and though The cabin door was
knocked to pieces. no material injury to the
boat or To any ol those ON boa d was inflicted
About two regiments of rebel sharpshouterS in
rifle pits kept up Il continuous fire, but did
no damage. The Queen was struck twice in the
hui, but above the water line. One OF our guns
was dismounied and ruined. | can only speak
in the highest terms of the conduct of every
man ON board all behaved with cool deter
mined courage.
remain very respectfully yours.
CHARLES tlAERS EILETT.
The ram Queen of the West had returned
from her trip down the Mississippi below Vicks-
burg, having made most ,ucce>sful vpniur
She met three steamers loaded with provisions
lor the rebels at Vieksburg. and succeeded in