Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-03-21
Admiral Porter's Narrative of the
Construction md Career of his
ssEbuu,ny NUOuitOr.ss

"Dummy MONITOR
A private letter has been received at Wash
ington, by naval officer, from Acting Rear
Admiral Porter, which has created much
amusement in Cabinet circles. 1t seems that
Porter was much surprised to learn, on the
25th of February, that the ram Queen of the
West was at Warrenton, seven miles below
Vicksburg, with the rebel flag flying, and
steam up. The account Porter received
from Ellet led him to believe that the Queen
was in such a condition that she could not
be repaired for some time. 81 knew" says
Admiral Porter in his letter, "that Brown
could take care of the Webb by himself, but
/ have no idea that he will be match for
the Queen and Webb both amusing him ut
the same time. The Indianola is weak
vessel, and the only good thing about her is
her battery" He proceeds to say that "du-
ring the time of the running of the blockade
by the Queen and Indianola, five rebel guns
were burst and dismounted in their forts
Therefore it was an object to make them fire
as much as possible. l got a mortar in easy
range, and opened on that part of the town
where there was nothing but army supplies,
and soon provoked fire of four of their
| heavy batteries. The shell Mt first fell over
the mortar and around it, bursting close to
our men; but the range began to grow
| shorter and shorter, until they let us have it
all our own way. Finding that they could
not be provoked without an object, thought
of getting up an imitation Monitor. An old
coal barge, picked up in the river, was the
foundation to build on. 1t was constructed
in twelve hours, of old boards, with pork
barrels piled on top of each other for smoke
stack, and two old canoes for quarter boats
Her furnaces were built of mud, and only
intended to make black smoke, and not
steam. On the night of the Gath he heard
at 8 o'clock, heavy guns about fifteen miles
below. We knew that the rebels had moth
ing but light guns there, which could not be
heard at any distance. So we thought il
was the Indianola engaging the batteries al
Carthage, fifteen miles below Vicksburg.-
Not knowing that Brown was in peril, We
let loose our Monitor. 1t was towed tc
within couple of miles of the first battery
and let go, when it was discovered by thu
dim light of the moon that Nicksburg was
in stew. Never did her batteries oper
with such vim. The earth fairly trembleC
and the shot flew thick around the devoted
| Monitor, which returned no shot with he
long wooden gun. The Monitor ran safely
past all the batteries, though under heav,
fire for an hour, and drifted down safely t
the lower mouth of the canal, wher9 she wa
tucked into an eddy. The rebels were com
plctely deceived by her. As soon as the,
saw her by daylight they opnned on he
again with all the guns they could bring t.
bear, but without shot hitting her to dc
any harm, for the shot went through ont
side and came out the other, without caus
ing her to sink, as she was full of water al
ready. Our soldiers shouted and laughed
like mad, but the laugh was somewha
against them when, at daylight, we dis
covered the ram Queen of the West lying a
Warrenton and the question at once aros
what had happened to the Indianola. Ha,
the two rams sunk her or captured her il
the engagement we had heard the nigh
before. One or two of the soldiers got tn
Monitor out in the stream, and let her g,
down on the ram Queen. All the fort com
mencel firing and signalizing, and as tn
Monitor approached her, the ram turne'
tail and ran down the river as fast as sh
could go, the Monitor after her, making al
the speed that was given her by a fivckno
carrcnt. The forts at Warrenton fired brave
ly and rapidly, and it was reported that the
hit our Monitor in very vulnerable spot.