The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-05-18
: -zs
~. KnOw No Party, but the
Party Of the Constitution.
FROM THE RED RIVER
FLEET.
ss,uiral POrter's Omciale Re.
port.

IL hliSbcl lt is dated Flagship Cricket, OIL
III H,,ryandria La, April 18th. The first halt
IA the document is occupied with an ac
,,ut of hi, nietatigabie excrtiuns during
Ia * d,ys 10 save the iron clad Eastport.-
|4 ,,S Efforts proved unsuccessful, owing 10
|N ,b. ,aIl of the river and to the movement
|4 = III. army from the point where she lay.
4 ln the 26th ton of powder was placed in
a ,ilialent parts of her, and she was blown
81 .,c alter all her stores had been removed
4 rhe Admiral then describes her voyage
q down tue river as follows;
4 would have brought away every piece
q ol iron. had not been warned that had
81 ,yer>iaid my time
g Canes of guerrillas began to hover on
q tuc left bank of the river aud just Grevious
4 F., blowing up the Eastport We were attack
4 al by heavy force on the right bank
4 This vessel was lying tied to the bank,
y and was backing out from the Eastport
the Hndman, to give the former chance
! - blow up without injury to any one. The
8 rebels selected this moment to make their
,ttsck, and rising suddenly from the bank
& opened on our little squadron with 1000
4 ,nuskets. and then made rush To board the
i Cricket
The encmy, however, were properly met
aud rcpelled, and tie Cricket dropping out
from the bank opened on them with grape
aud canister, and with heavy cross fire
from the other two vessels, the rebels were
+. .1ed IN five minutes. After this We blew
rLe Eastport up, and proceeded down the
river.
We we're not molested until we had gone
III mi hnv rIV
Wben rounding the point the vessels III
class order and ready for action, we descri
ed party of the enemy with artillery o.
the right bank, and we immediately opened
on them with our bow guns. The enemy
Immediately returned it with large mum
Der nt cannon, Sin all every shot of which
struck this vessel
The Cap tain Acting Master ii. Gavlng)
cave order, To stop the engines for the pur
pose Of fighting the battery, and covering
.G. boats astern | corrected this mistake
and rot headway on the vessel again, but
nul soon enough to avoid the pelting show
e.. nf shot and shell which poured into US,
cgery shot going through and through US,
r.aaring all on dsck III moment
Finding the GI1s W. hrIng rapidly,
stepped iii the gdndccN II sec what was
tre matter. As | stepped dJsn the after
:an va, truck with a shell and diaab'e1,
and every man at the gun was killed Or
sounded At tie same moment the crew
from the forward gun was swept away by
-n.ll exploding, aud rhe men were wound
ed in the ire room, leaving only one man
- fre up.
made up guns crew from the contra
hands, who fought the gun to the last mo-
nent. Finding the engine did not move, l
,crnt into the engine room and found the
chiei engineer killed, whose place was soon
supplied by an assistant. then went To
1ua pilot house and found = shot had gone
turuugh it wounding one ut tho pilols
t.ok charge of the vessel, and as the bat
..ry sas very heavy one, | determined to
..,~S it. which was done under the heaviest
Urs | ever witnessed
attempted to turn her head up stream
go attack with our two bow guns, the only
;.an, left, but as this was mpracticable,
ct her drift down around the point and
,u,iled the enemy's batteries in tho rear.
.nis disturbed them for a moment, ana en-
,.bci tLe light draught juliet and pump
,aat Champion lashed together, to escape
.r.in under the bank where they ha DRIFT
t.
rno Juhet had the steam pipe cut and
b:came disabled, having driited clear from
tDdcr the guns If the enemy ana close INTO
the hank where the guns could not DC DC
pressed u reach them, and from whence
,hu Champion towed her in safety when the
Hindman opened her batteries, and this
Vessel was firing into the rear OF the enemys
batteries.
Seeing the Hindman did not pass the
batteries, the Juliet disabled, and that one
If the pump boats had her boiler exploded
by shot. / ran down to point three
or four miles below, where had ordered
Two iron clads to be ready to meet me IN
case OF necessity.
Unfortunately, ran on shore short
line after passing the batteries, and re-
named there three hours, took nfe III 'he
meantime from the explosion OF some car
RIDGES the box containing which hao oeeh
struck by the enemy's shot. lt was a''e'
dark when reached the appointed place.
where found the Usage lying opposite a
field battery of tho enemy, which they had
6ean shellng through the day ..-,
The Lexington had been hard at WORK at
them and had been hulled fifteen times,
1itb only one man killed. The firing
abovo had ceased. and as the channel was
vorv intricate. | could not send her to the
..s;stance of the vessels without danger oil
rettinr her aground. knew they were oil
,bovn the batteries. and was in hopes that
the Uindman had silenced them.
Lieutenant Commanding Phelps has two
.la"Ia - cbar,e-the Juliet and Champion
which he wished to get safely through;
lie kent them out of range until be could
partially repair the Juliet, and then start
no nnder heavy fire he made push by
J1Te,or.unotelv the pump boat was disabled,