, 1864-05-18

the E.stport, and connected with her boil
crs.. This arrangement, with the addition o
| one or two eJpbon pumps, kept the waite
mt of the hre-room and confined it to III
bow.
| l waited at point eight miles below
Grand .EcoTe and sent up gunboat to con
Ecy do~E un the transports that were left ~
on ehich were ali the Eastport's guns.
On the first day the Eastport made tNent!
mites duwn the river, but at sig O'Clock il
the evening size grounded from not being II
the cbannei, and the first Of our .dit1lcultie.
commenced in getting her orer the bars ant
other distractions which abound in thil
river =:
It would be impossible to give an adequate
idea Of the difficulties Of the navigation from
the 21st Of April up to the 26th, the tiFat
4, ,nyc Il wes ~ ;onssg considered possiblc te
set the Eastrcrt over the sand-b.rs aad 1oy5
| now increasing, unless time MAS allowed tc
remove them, Ind the eneny we're kept from
Inno1 irs us while nc were ut work.
The Lieutenant Commander, commanding
man could do to save his vessel, aud felt 1t
| to BE- matter Of pride to get her TO Alsx.
dris.
She had grounded eight times badly, aud
| each time under circumstances where It was
very doubtful II she would come of; but the
colhmanuel:s con1oence never @e9tfIed hln.
| and coul8not help but admire his coolness
and faith in getting his vessel to Alexandria,
| when knew there were places to Pass below
with much less water on them.
determined that would nsver:leave this
vessel to her late IS long IS the commander
felt hope Of getting her down.
He worked with almost superhuman Of
ing apparently neither night nor dsy. Eve
rybody Worked; and went through privatiena
81 AZ KINDS, ana I must say that, mentally,
never went through so much anxiety in mJ
lite:
IN the sa1th day OF this labor OF hauling
me Eastport oFer the oars, and after congrat-
nlating ourselves that NE had passed every
impedimrnt, orders were given to fill up
with fence rails for fuel, and We started down
stream, with the expectation Of making Ut
least thirty miles that day. The vessel had
already been brought sixty n1ilss on her way
and sixty more would bring her within our
lines.
The army, though, were sixty miles ahead
ofus, and tile report Was that the rebels we're
following in their rear, also opposing them
in front, and Wo might naturally expect
Whsn the army arrived safely in Alexandra,
that ths Whole power Of the enemy would be
directed to cutting Oft my Email force OF
three light-dratts, and the Eastport without
any guns. Indeed, Wc had already received
aoltce that sQch we're their Intentions.
On Apfn 1Sth made trial to pass down
9HsIeam, anu hau searcely etattsd before the
it,o, was sh hsro aounq, and thls time IN
: Posluon, Hneh even t9e Gommandel's
hopes OF relieving her failed The difficulty
mere WAs Want OF matef, and the bed OF tho
ll1e5 was Al1ea Hlta logs over which It
"oula pe LII Posslole 10 gee tne vessel unless
ne nsa lne tlme.
,, ne trlea 70 uga!en ner oy removing her
1lon P!atlns, out tals ne 1onnu TO b labor
HHFG1H 6nf n[HfR8 n
removed In short time, and that plan mas
abandoned At once.
had determined TO remain BY the East
port unul 6he was safe Mitltn our lines, or be
ploHn np, 10 prevent her falling into the
aands OF the enemy.
tuaa9sl PtshnlStoIy nsttnctlons rclativeato
neI oestI4cs1on, .,3 LnlR KING Aer Time had come,
nat, stu nopelnn and persistent, he stuck
to me MORE, and deserved to have met with
greater success.
E!ery enot1 VA mas 70 ge1 tae Eastport
P1aGss
Inc sunooat fo1t hlhomen 4"nose COM
mander mas HorNed TO sa1e INC Eastpert NTH
7eal never "a" surpassed) succeeded NTH
his staam capstan IN moving her bow, but
only enough to gst into % = NoFse position right
her, and from that place 1t seemed that no hu-
man power conla move her. Ihe CON Rand-
er having admitted there seemed to be no
hope Of eating her oil, unless NC hid time,
and our rear protected, gnFe the order to
destroy her.
One ton Of powder Was placed n her in
various positions, she was illed with such
combnstibles as NE could procure, and at l
p, m., April HG, the EaEtpsrt wA5 blown m,
-Litut.- Commander Phelps applying tie
match, and being tue last one to leave the
vessel He had barely tina to raaeh tha boat
vEhA +ha Enufr
boat with fragments Of wood Seven differ
ent explosions followed, and then the flames
burst forth In every direction.
The vessel was completely dcstroved-as
perfect wreck as ever was made BY powder
She RENAME q troublesome obstruction 10
ALI stores, &C., were removed, and such
parts Of the machinery AZ could be made
available by the rebels.
There was nothing but the iron plate left
behind. which finally fell inaide tie hull.
Some fell outbeard, Is the fire burnt oWay
The wood to which they were attached. ana
Mill sooz disappear under the sands.
would have brought away every piece OF
iron had not been Warned that had over
stayed my time.
Gangs of guerillas began to hover On the
left bank Of the river, and just previous to
BY heavy force on the right bank.
The vessel was living tied to the bank. and
I was backing out from the Eastport, on the
Hindmun, to give the former chance to blow
up without injury to any one. The rebels
selected this moment to make their attack
aud, rising suddenly from the bank, opened
on our little squadron With 100 muskets,
and then made rush to board tho Cricket.
The enemy, however, were properly met
and Fepnlsed, and the Cricket, dropping out
from the bank, opened on them with grape
anu canlstet. anu with haayY cross fire
from the two other vessels, tAe robels ware
routed IN five minutes. After this ne blew
the E2stpott up, aud proceeded down tho
river.
ne were not mole5ted until ne had gone
about twenty miles, at point absva Cana
River. When rounding the point, the yes
sells IN class order and ready for action, we
described party OF the enemy, with arti11e-
n, On the night BANK; and ne Immediately
opened IRE With our bo" guns. The enemy |
Immediately returned IT with large num-
ber OF guns, eighteen IN al, every ono Of !
which struck inns yessel
Tae Captain tActtng MASTER Il. Il. Gave |
lng} gave ofders 10 step ING engines Tor the |
purpose OF usntlng me oattcf5 a9u covering |
the boale astefn. colrectsd tais mistake, |
sno put nefoNaJ On ths Tssaa again, Out
~ ~ N;as 1s1'u -. sae Feilas saoWe5
sn,n o. $40. s"u rae Tta .hnt ;e tns ensJ Ponfea
th.o,,,,h Us, o1.ss-;e.. ri ,t'.o aao
onnnt -. al VI" eeeAo al no-
E;na,n1 +bo e,n,z not ex,,r ron;a,.
atcnned On The mn d-c.. n sae s,hnt ~ t,,a
natfer All sienned dowr ths af4ar - ,s.,r -uo
Wss strrcl- w;th = ss.1, anaa a;s,h'oS 49, Saaa
49, 49,, ~ *. r,n i1;1fs1 ~ III u.SS~osa, nlo
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