The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-18
Ehe Indiana Raid.


PARTICULARS or THE CAPTURE ANT
BURNING oF THE AEtCE DEAN BY Mon.
CANS Rebel. acknowledgement James
H. Pepper. of the i!l-fated Alice Dean, ar.
rived home yesterday afternoou. The fol-
low items in relation to the capture and
burning, by John Morgan's guerrilla band
of his fine packet, are such as we can now
remember from a brief conversation with
Captain Pepper:
The Alice Dean arrived opposite Brand
enburg, between four and five o'clock, on
Tuesday afternoon. The steamer j. T.
McCombs was in sight, short distance
above the town, running close upon the
reef OF the sand-bar, and apparently in dan
ger of getting aground. Captain Pepper
observed, as he passed Brandenpurg, an
unusual number of well-dressed persons,
both in the town and upon the warf-b boat.
These persons proved to be the passengers
lust left from the McCombs. The Alice
Dean soon overlook the McCombs, run
ming close upon the reef as above stated
As she neared the latter boat, the McCombs
bell was rung several times, as though she
needed assistance. Captain Pepper hailed
to know what was wanted, and, stimuli
tsneously with the answer that "some pas
sengers wanted to get on the DEAN the
McCombs was headed on the Dean, and a
body of rebel soldiers rushed from the cab
in, where they had until this time been
concealed, ready to board the Dean as soon
as the two boats should come together
The pilot of the Dean had rung the ''slow''
bells when they were first hailed. AS soon
az Captain p. saw the soldiers he ordered
full speed, believing that he could pass the
McCombs before she could 'Iock' him.
Instead ofgoing ahead stronger, the pilot
rang the bell to stop, and then to back,
thinking he could back out of the way
sooner than by going ahead. This move
hrn,t thn I,{S ,l>e.a
side the Dean, when the soldiers immedi-
ately boarded her and placed every officer
forwith under guard.
The first salutations were, 'Where are
the people on this boat?' ''Where are the
soldiersg" Captain p. told them that he
had neither passengers nor soldiers. They
would not believe him, and immediately
set to work breaking open state room
doors, not even excepting the bar, where
they supplied themselves beautifully with
cigars, tobacco and liquors. A rebel officer
put u guard at the bar but he made him
self busy in playing bar-keeper to his fell
low thieves. So eager were they for plum
der and destruction that they even tore
down the false doors opposite the CHM
neys, and Quilted out the tin casing, think
ing there might be something concealed
there. When they came to the chimneys
they found that part of their labor had been
in vain.
Captain Pepper was ordered to the hur-
ricane deck, to maneuver the boat. AT first
he declined; but the persuasive argument
Of revolver, in the hands of a villainous
looking rebel, who had been assigned to
take special care of the Captain, induced
him TO go on deck and take charge of the
boat. The other officers had similar admo-
nitions that they should properly discharge
their respective duties.
Both boats We're immediately turned
hack n on viayn
landed, and remained until the next morn
ing. Up TO this time there Were not over
two or three hundred rebels at Brandon
burg. but during the night the whole force
arrived. The design was To commence
crossing during the night but fog sprung
up which prevented them doing anything
until after daylight in the morning.
The Home Guards of Ieavenworth. |
twenty miles below, in Indiana, had learn |
eli OF the arrival of the rebels the evening |
beiore ana supposing there were but few |
Of them-probably Hines band. that was
over short time Sirce-came up opposite /
Brandenburg during the night and planted |
cannon, intending to give the rebels bat
tie.
Early III the morning, and before the fog
cleared away, the Home Guards notified |
the rebels OF their presence by sending
shot from the cannon, which struck upon
the water, and glancing, passed over the
huce Dean, striking the rocks on the hill
side, badly tearing them up. This was fol-
lowed by y succession of cannon and rifle
shots, many of which struck the boat
Morgan Immediately ordered some of his
forces across the river and the two boats
started over, we'll laden with soldiers. AS
4 they could not land Immediately opposite
the town, they proceeded short distance
Up the river, the Home Guards following,
i;rlng at them, and disputing their landing.
rplgla Lon
ealing themselves as well as they could
uhtil favorable place for ascending the
hanK was discovered, when they rushed IN
ana attacked the Home Guards, killing
l Two and capturing fifteen. The rebels lost
Two III killed and several wounded The
nome Guards We're then driven from the
ground, being overpowered bv SUPERIOR
numbers. The Home Guards deserve
great credit for the promptness with which
Aey 8 Isl u!ed the landing Of tie rebels
Captain J.. 5aJ that the balls from Tho
y Guards fIew chick and fast while they we're
I attempting The landing. Their pluck and
spirit would have carried them triunnh
/ aatly through, had not the odds in point
@numbers been so greatly to their disad-
| vantage
From tnjs time on until the entire rebel
@rce was over the river, both boats were
nSlly employed in Terrifying them to a
3lnto' the Indiana shore, nearly opposite
Wy 'VNi. L1SF were engaged in TINS SER
wee unit! about six O'Clock on Thursday
' morning, cinsuming about twenty four
hours time. The whole number OF men
VINO crossed was about 1900; of horses
some 10 more than men. Captain =. no
90 carefully the number of men and
G,orseS, as they were being landed. so that
ms estimate of Morgans force may be re-
"eu upon as strictly correct.
soon after they began to cross their forces
Two OF oHT gunboats came in sight from
%ooVe which confused the rebel move
uiehls. Up to this time the movements in
PUTTING men and horses on board the boats
was regular and systematic, showing the
tgrAs .a Of rebel drill and discipline.-
me sunboats, after receiving one or two
s Sn rom rebel battery planted on the
Court-house hill, steamed up the river
without seeing what effect their own shots
had had upon the rebels. If the gunboats
mad retained their position, even i'm sight
vi the town, with an occasional shot they I
Nouio have so confused the rebel move ,
IN tnents as to have delayed their crossing un-
III zen Hobson, who was close upon their .
rear, with 5000 cavalry, could have come