, 1864-12-07
-. =, Es-Ss.|]zl

ture for ocean service. The most extensive ope-
1atjonE Of the Mississippi squadron during the
year have been IN connection with TIC military e1-
frs Incidents form an interesting pa;e in the an
rale Of the war Tie failure Of This conioiat ex-
pedition 10 accomplish ols important results de-
fired sn antieRata a5e nd t to eaases
OF the Fart Of the milt7Ey arm Of the service. So
iar az the navy was concerned, the expedition WIS
chiefly one Of ofco-opsTatiomn n Hish he army: 1tpos-
cess undcr ordinary circumsanccs, and had not
natural Obstacles lnte1rcned It's history might
have been not less brilliant than the record Of 9TH
On the Tth OF March Rear Admiral Porter had
nescmb!ed at the mouth Of Red River formidable
feet Of iron-claa vessels and oflightdrait wooden
noas foE ~ or ss af ard w,a
mars force in transports, under the counand OF
Gen. A. J. Smith.
The Joint forces noYed mp the rtver on the 18th
Banks at Alexandria, In their progress SONS OF
The vessels branched of into The Atchafalaya,
while he main portion i, continued a1 up Red river
and Fort DeRussy the latter falling again into our
posseeeion, With ita guns and munitions Of war
and few prisoners. Some Of the deetest vessels
we're dispatched to Ae1and1ia I !. With the hope Of
sncccss. That place vas occupied By our forces,
md about the 1si Of April both army and navy
commenced to move up the river towards shreye-
L. n
further ut3 lie riYer than Me1nndria, and it sras
with difficulty they reached that point Bnt the
assistance Of the gunboats Was go essential to
tat koe Ge ana a.
ses over the falls so = to give the required CO.
operation. Main force had to be used to haul the
955oat nIt Grand hs9Fe IL reached
There were at this time Indications Of the
usual rise Of the season in the river, and every
thing promised success. Tweaty-three heavy
entry INTO that river, Springfield landing vas
designated Is The point for the next junction OF
tie Cooperating forces, md Il WIS reached 1t tbs
appointed time tires doys after 1savlng Eeore by
they learned that the army under Gen Banks had
met reverse, and was falling back to Pleasant
LII, como distance helow: Bear Admiral Porter
know1edged that in retracing his steps he wonld
be interrupted at every assaiabla point. The reb-
cis flushed with thelr sacccss against tho ARMY
ayailed themselves Of every opportunity which Of
fcred for harassing the g,lnboats and transports.
Thelr. cavalry and artillery, taking advantage OF
1n s 9ysa Espg a
from time 10 time 1eDsl1ed tier assailanta with
On lie 1stf Of April Rear Admiral Porter got
back 10 Grand Ecore, where be found tho vessels
which hc hd left at that point still detained above
s I'll iii, Tbs ssn1 lad fe ea dala g snE s IS a5.e ss
The 11ny was preparing to move back on Aloxan-
drIa; the water having SO rccedcd there VAS little
hope Of getting the vessels out, and destruction
apparently awnstcd the best portion OF the squad
run. But, In the words Of The Almlrn1, "Proyi-
dencc provided man for tho OCCASION" Lieut..
Colonel Joseph Bailey, acting engineer Of the
devised plan for the construction OF series OF
dams across tho rocks ut the lla thus By artificial
means to supply that which natulo withhell-a
vessels. Extraordinary ~ was he project, and re-.
eciyed with incredultJ, the mind that conceived
It was enabled tosc2rry 1t into successful exccu-
ton. 11en were sct to work; wood cutters col
lcctEl; 1Carf1es opened; and, aster spme weeks,
the undertaking WIS accomplished. The dams
were buil ihe vessels passed safely over The lalls
TO The delight Of the assemb'sa army and navy,
the 18th Of May Rear Admiral Porter; Ind the salts
faction Of announcing that the leet WAS r.lioyed
from danger. There Is probably IN naval history
sneeessfuliy n1 eess1 and sfny Rsl M
Congress very appropriately acknowledged tho
ueritortous services Of Lieutenant Colonel Bailey
on This occasion, and they harc BEEN still further
Interesting detafls Of this and minor expeditions
on tic TEshi,a, A1kansas, Black and Yuzoo rivers,
will be found in the oilIcial appeudex to tlis re-
Rear Admiral Porter, having been orncarly two
ycara Oh arduous and exhausung duty in this COM
manl, received leave to return cast IN the surn-
tale' communal oi the North Atlantic squadron.
Captafn A Ii. Pennock, senior officer on the sta-
ton, was left y ehafgs. on the II Of Nossm-
suncd command o: the. Mississippi. squad-
ron, md entered on the discharge Of hts duties.
T1KA71cA1 CRUISERS.
The three Englieh.built pirstical cruiscrs which,
under the rebel flag, hare, during the last two
our mcrchantu,en, ehunnlng iii armed antago:
uistt, and have found refuge and protection, and
too often supplies and Other assistance In neutral
Rerts. ha1e 1 terminated theit predatory sarseE
the effect OF diminishing American tonnage, and
canecd transfer of American shipping to English
and other hass: Whether the maritime nations Of
the world will be ultimately benefited By this
policy Of fostering rebel bclllgcrens nzy we'll be
doubted. We hare been compelled TO encounter
1t ono Of the incidents this extraordinary and
unnatural conflict While notozfously engaged In
plunder, and in tile Wanton destruction Of our mcr
chant sailing shipp these Engiiah-bu'lt and a1mosi
exclusively English.manned, Fovcrs hare never,
daring their enro piraical career, and Of all theil
many captures on various seas, sent in for adjudl
cation or condemnation single ship or cargo
The Ices bulky and more valuable portions Of theil
sod OF cover,ly transferred IN neutral ports while
the stolen chron9mctors and few mcmcntoes
were retained as memorials Of their achievements
All else Was destroyed.
ALABAMA AND EKAHsARGE.
The Alabama. Gliding our naval vessels at tlt
Cape OF Good lIopo and Straits OF Sunda, after
committing 1undrJ desastations, returned west
ward and proceeded 10 the French port o
o sp; S eff 5Esa eas
then ut Flushing, VINO ut once Proceeded OF ths
harbor, and Ut 10s5 \. H., on Sunday, June ~, tht
Alabama WIS dtseovesed standing ont, accom-
fish yacht Doerhound. When the Alabama VII.
deserted the kcassarg~ WIS abont three miles
from the satrancs IF .a the a5b9E and to a,olf
as 10 draw the Alabama Oh shore, 10 that, II dis
nb1ed, she could not acc In for protection, the
Kcartarge stood to scawa1d until she had attained
81. 1fnfs
At 1D.50 she came quick about and approached tht
Alabama, and at 1867 the Alabama commenced tht
actieu with her et4rhoard hroadsfde atioua thou
eand yards range. At II the nrc was returned b.
the Kecrsarsc, aaa the vessels came nlsly Into &c
tion ct about nine hundred yards distance.
Capt. W!nsloW sAys tt was coon sppatent tha
semaes did not rot eeek close astiSa nn faasa sF
make for the shore. To defeat this Captain Wins
low determined TO keep full etcAm or, run undc
the s.crn Of the. Alabama and rako; but the Ala
The Kcaraarge, Wss forced With full head o
Etcarn into circular track.
On the seventh rotation the A1abama headed 70
tic Shore disabled und at the mercy OF tho Kear
sarge. A few vcll.dirccted shots brought dow
her ting, white one was displayed, and the Arc o
the kea1s.rgc was reserved. 1a abous L two min
sarge replied, steamed ahead and laid ACROSS tn
bows Of the A1abama for raktng. The fire Of th
kearsarge being again reserved, boats Wero lo!s
cred nad an officer IN ona ct them came alongsld
1t +. 10 and surrendered the Alabama, which b.
eaid was In sinking condition, and ut 12.24 Bh
| wtnt 1tWn.
the uniy boots not disabled. were sen. to receiv
the officers and crew Of the ainking vessel. AM
Captain Winslow requested the DecFhouad, whicl
caIne alongside, to assist IN tho rescnc Two pilot
si1 otheers and sisfy:four men wsre brought O.
board the Kearsarge. At $40 the Kcatsarse let 2
| her anchor In seven fathoms water.
The Alabama fs reported to haTc discharge
| three hundred md seventy Or more shot aud ghcl
in this engagement but Inflicted no serious dam
age On the keafsarEe; Thirteen e or fourteen too
| teen about the masts and rigging
Tho Kearsarsc fired one handrcf and seventy
| three projcctilcs, Of which one alone killed an
| wounded eighteen of the crew Of the Alabama
~ Three ] persors M were W Wounded on the Kearsarce
The number Of killed and wounded on the All
bama j. unknown; Seventeen ,s Of ths wounded,
on board the 6earsarge; One hundred and tiee
chores Of England and France. e.
| guns, w: two 9inch, ono 35.ponnder rifle, ~
sisted IF eight guns-one heavy 6spenndeE, {
9,1Go pounds weight; one 100 FOUNDER ride, and s.
hama fought seycn guns and the Kearsargc i've.
This bus been the on1y fair and open sea 1gb
which or nasa men haze been ae 70 tha
| lish channel, In sight Of the two great maEihm
powers Of Europe. In size, armament, md cor
plcmcnt Of men, the balauts we're as near equa
| perhaps, rs could have been arr1ngcd. Most {
the crew Of the Alabama were Engllshnen, IN
the gunners admitted to have been picked men
Her l.alesty's gunncry ship the Excellent
Some latent remains OF ptIde which belong
the profession, and which animated Ills earlier On
I more honorable life whilu sailing under The AEc
l ican 1ag, undoubtedly had IN Influence In 1ndu
ing the pirate commander to meet o naval antag'
mist, after his long career Of robbery and plunde
Of unarmel vessels, in The vain hope that IT Nigh
If successful, restore to him CONC portion OF Ii
respect he Ind forfeited. md at the s1me time r
| licye him OF some Of the dehasement he has nevt
ceased To feel, eycn when applanded BY those 10
eign partisans who hated thc country be bad d
serted. nut the game diahono5 marked hia CO,
career. Before leaving Chcfbourg he lepoalte
the ch1onomete1n md otter trophies of bis robbie
fes on shore. When be1ten and compelled to sn
| render he threw overheard the sword that Was I
logger his own, and abusins; the generous con
| densn nfhfa hraYe autaconiat he afola aMaY In It