New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-05-13

could move her The comninnder hrhiS adhitte1
there seemed no hope Of getting her OH unless we mad
time and our rear protected, gave the order 70 de-
stroy her, -.
tons she wes filled with snch combustbles could
procure and M As D. m April 90 the PASSPORT was
blown up. Lieut. Commander Phelps, applying The
and being the last one to rave h .e bs
blew up covering the boat with Fragments Oh Woou,
Seven different explosions followed and then the lanes
Tho yeSsel was completely destroyed-as perfect
wreck as ever was made by powder. She remains
troublesome obstruction 10 DlocK up the chan9i i
some time 10 come All stores &c, were removed ana
such parts Of the machinery az could be made a'aaoo
by the Rebels. -, f.. -, ,s. hohi,1
which finally fell inside the hull. Some iel oVerDOaiu
AZ the fire burnt away the wood to which they were hl
taehed and will sooii disappear under the sands.
L would have brought away every piece OF iron had
not been warned that had oyerstayed my time =.
Gangs of guerrllas began Ia hovcron the le bank OF
the river and just previous ~ blowing up the East
port We were attacked BY heavy force on the right
bank.
| This vessel was lying tied 10 the bank, and was
backing out from the Passport IN TIE Hindfnan 10 give
the former a chance To blow up without INJURY 10 any
one The Rebels selected this moment to make their at
tack and raising suddenly from the bank, opened on
our title squadron With 1900 muskets, anu then made
rush TO board the Cricket.
The enemy however were properly met and renulsed,
and the Cricket dropping out from the bank opened on
them with grape and canister, and with heaVy Cross
fire from the two other vessels the Rebels were routed
1 In Uhc minutes AIteE DiSn N"O ~
and proceeded down the river.
We were not moested until we had gone about twenty
miles. at point above Cane River. When rounding
the point the vessels in close order and ready Tor coh
We deserted party OF the enemy with artillery on the
right bank and We Immediately opened hre ~ith our
bow guns. The enemy Immediately returned IL win
large number Of guns eighteen IN ali, every one Vi
which struck this vessel
The Captain (Acting Master H. II. Gayeing) gave
orders TO stop the engines for the purpose OF Shg te
battery and covering the boats aster. corrected TINS
| m and lpqdWay tie vessel H~iiD Dut MOI
soon enough avoid the pelting shower Of shot ana
shell which the enemy poured into us every shot gong
through AID through US clearing all on ueoA ih alo"
moments
Finding the guns not firing rapidly, stepped on the
gun deck 10 what the matter. AS STEPPED
down the after gun struck with shell and dis
abed and every man IL the gun killed and wounded.
AT the same moment the crew from the forward gun
was swept away by shell exploding. and the men were
wounded In the ire room, leaving Ohiy one man 10
made up a guns crew from the contrabauds who
fought them b. the last moment Finding that tho en-
CINE did not move. went into the engincroo!a ana
found the chief engineer killed. whose place was soon
supplied by assistant then went 10 the pll0th0ase,
and found that shot had gone through II and wouhGed
one of the pilots took charge OF the vessel and a.
the battery very heavy one determined to pass
it, which was done under the heaviest fire ever Wit
messed.
attempted TO turn her head up stream attack with
our two bow guns the only guns left but as this was
imprlctcable let her drift down around tie point
and seed the enenvs batteries in the This dis
turbcd them for "A moment and enabled the ght-draft
juliet and pump boa, Champion, lashed together to
escape from under the bank where they had driited
Tie Juliet had her stam-pipe out aud became dis
ahed having drifted clear from under the guns Of tie
enemy and close into the bank, where the guns oon
be- depressed to reach them, and from whence the
Champion towed her in safety when the HiGdman
opened her batteries and this vessel was bns INTO the
rear Of the cncmys batteries.
Seeing that the Hindmnn did not pass the batteries,
the Juliet disabled and that one Of The pumpboats had
her boiler exploded by shot, ran down to point
three or four miles below whore had ordered two ron'
elads to be ready 10 meet me In case Of necessity
Unfortunately. ran shore short time after pass
ing the batteries and remained there three hours took
fre in the time from the explosion OF some cart
ridges the box containing which had been struck o
tie encrnys shot II after dark when reached
the appointed place where found the Usage lying op'
poste held battery Of the enemy which they had been
Smelling throughout the day
| The Lexington had been hard at work at them, and
had been hulled fifteen times with only one man killed
The firing above had ceased and rs tie channel was
very intricate could not send her up 10 the assistance
Of the vessels without danger OF her getting aground
knew that they all above the batteries aud was
in hopes that the IIindmau had slenced them.
| Lieut.. Commander Phelps had two vessels IN charge
the Juliet and ChampOn--whch he wished 10 get
through safely. lie kept them out Of range until he
could partially repair the Juliet and then starting under
a heavy IRE, no made push by; Unfortunately the
pufnrhoet was disabled aud set fire 10 and burnt up
| The II ndman had her wheei-ropes cut away. and
drod past turning runnd and round, ana getting wen
cut up Ia going by.
The juliet vas cut to pieces In hull aud machinery
had IS Killed and wounded. -Four miles below they met
]
arrived in time size could likely have cleaned out the
bateresst least diverted the fire Of them until the
passage Of tho boats.
1 inclose the report Of Lieut.. Commanding Phelps
from the time of his frs, misfortune until his arrival G
this place where | now am with all the fleet. having
Loot none ~ the gunboat but very much surprised that
have one left considering the difficulties encountered
l when the Rebels had followed our army to the point
whore they could effect more all their attention was
turned to the little squadron had eseortng the
Eastport.
E,ory man aud Gun brought TO the river and We
had 70 contend against such odds. that 1t seemed i'm
possible 10 escape destruction very severe handling
No vessels better fought and none OF this
class nere thread paper yessels we're ever under 80
hot a fire
In tive minutes the Cricket struck ~ times with
solid shot and shell With loss OF % killed and wounded
half her crew The juliet about the same with ID
killed and wounded The IIindman lost killed, and
or wounded.
| NAV have lacked Judgment In not blowing the East.
port MP sooner when found We we're secondary con
sid.ratiou 10 the army, bat had std hr.nd myself
TO see the last transport through safely could not do
less with one OF my own vessels.
was unable to keep up communication with the
army a. the means OF communication with them
and as they marched along faster than calculated go
miles in ono day. when supposed tue! would only 30
2O) was nearer their than should have been.
This from my desire TO save the EaspQrt, and
hoping that signal success on the part Of tie army
(Which felt confident able 10 whip all the Rebels
that part Of the country would dispose OF the enemy
altogether.
ent time the officers and mon of this squadron have
worked with snperhgman zeal and overcome difficulties
which seemed nsuFmOuntable The success of the er-
petition depended entirely the Of the navy
Springfield Landing, which would have put as IN CON.
nunicgon with The army and then IN possession OF al
their materials OF war
This We accomplished and when the army returned. |
uncx pcctedly. fought way back again without
loss Of any kind excepting men) inhicting loss Of
FIVE hundred men on the enemy. Killed their besI Gen
q ,rsIu alaar. a nfff