Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-06-04
The Wood Z invention
in New Y DIRK.
No Constitutional Power to
use Coercion"
The assault Of the 2Sd ut. Oh icks-
hurg--Cbe part taken by the Gum
boats - Admiral POrser's OtticiSi
Account.

boats - Admiral Porter's Official
Washington, june 3.
The following was received at the Navy
Department this afternoon;
Mississippi Squadron, Flagship
Black Hawk,
MAY %, 1868.
Sir. On the evening Of the Dist | re |
oelved a communication from General
Grant informing me that ne ,".""dea 10
attack Inc whole of the rebel works at 10 |
a. m. the next day, and asking me to she'll |
The batteries from $50 until 1880, and
to annoy the garrison. | kept six NOR
tars playing rapidly on the town and
works all night, and seut the Benton,
Mound City and Carondelel up to shell
the water batteries and other places where
troops might be resting during the night /
At seven o'clock in the morning the |
Mound City proceeded across the river
and made an attack on the hill batteries,
opposite the canal.
"A: aesssht o'clock found her in company |
with the Benton, Tuscumbia and Csron-
delet.
All these vessels opened on the hill bat
teries and finally silenced them, though
the main work on the battery containing
the heavy rifle gun was done by the
Mound City, Lieutenant Commanding By
ron Wilson.
| then pushed the Benton, Mound City
and Carondelet up to the water batteries,
leaving the Tuscumbia, which is still out
of rer,su, to keep the bill batteries from
firing on our vessels after they had. ,s;;;Sssed
by.
The three gunbosts passed up slowly,
owing 10 the strong current, the Mound
City leading, the Benton following and
the Carondelet asteru.
The water batteries opened furiously,
supported oy a hill battery on the star
board beam OF the vessels.
The vessels advanced to within four
hundaed and forty yards (by our marks }
and returned the fire for two hours without
cessation.
The enemy's fire being very accurate
and mcessant, and finding that the hill
batteries behind us had been silenced, |
ordered up the Tuscumbla to within eight
hundred yards Of the batteries, but her
turret was soon made untenabIe not
standing the enemy's shot, and | made
her drop down.
| had been engaged with the forts an
hour longer than Gen. Grant asked the
vessels had all received severe shots under
water, which we could not stop while in
motion and not knowing what might have
delayed the movement of the army, or
dered the vessels TO drop out of fire, which
was done in cool and handsome man
ner
This was the hottest fire the gunboats
have ever been under, but owing to the
water batteries being more on level with
them than usual, the gunboats threw ii
their shell so fast that the aim of the enc,
my was not very good.
The enemy hit our vessels number o.
times, but lighting bow on, the shot die
but little damage.
Not a man was killed, and only few
wounded.
had only enough ammunition for
few moments longer, and set all hands t.
work to i'll up from our depot below
After dropping back | found that tn,
enemy had taken possession again of ont
of the lower bill batteries and was endeav
oring to remount his guns, and had noun
ted a l2-pound field piece to fire at Gen
McArthuf's troops, which had landed
short time before at Warrenton.
l sent the Mound City and Carondele
to drive him off, which they did in few
moments.
! beg leave to enclose letter from Gen
Macarthur 10 explain why he did not, t.
use his own expression, take advantage o
the results gained by the gunboats.
| have since learned through Gen. Gran
that the army did assault at the right tint
Vigorously. In the noise and smoke W,
could not see or hear it.
The gunboats were therefore still fight
ing when The assault had proved unsuc
cessfnl.
The army had terrible work before them
and are fighting as well as soldiers eve
fought before, but the works are stronge
than any OF us dreamed of.
Ten. Grant and his soldiers are conf
oent that the brave and energetic general
IN the army win soon overcome ali obsta
cies and carry the works.
Q. D. PoBTER.