Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-05-11
Communications.
Correspondence of the Charles City Intelligencer.
Letter from |" Winfield"

ers will remember how, in the summer
OF. 1862, the rebel gunboat Arkansas
run the blockade of the Union gun
boats at this city. This act has
been repeated, on a smaller scale per-
haps, yet rendered as impudent and
mortifying to loyal persons here as
that of the Arkansas.
For long time feet of gunboats
have been watching the rebel rams at
the mouth of Red river On April
Esd, at about nine o'clock in the eve
ming, the ram Webb ran out of the riv-
er passing all the gunboats and iron
clads lying near there She descended
the Mississippi at full speed. She was
not discovered until within a short
distance of the Union gunboat Man
haitian, which was lying exactly in the
mouth of the river. When first seen
she had no lights out and her smoke
stack emitted no smoke 1t was i'm
possible at first to tell what was the
character of the night visitor floating
so noiselessly down the stream. A
howitzer was fred at her, when she
put on steam and went by exiting"
Two l5-inch guns were then tried but
produced no effect. The Vindicator,
the fastest boat on the river, then got
under way, hut owing to some defect
in her boilers could not get up steam.
The Manhattan and Tennessee then
prepared for the Missouri, another
rebel boat in the Red river, but she
did not venture out. The ram pass
ed on and at Tunica Bend attempt
ct to ram the packet Saratoga, COM
ing up from New Orleans to this
city She was avoided by the skillful
pilot of the Saratoga and passed on
She had only one light burning and is
reported to be making twenty-five
hNSo PEI Aouis
Various are the coHjectures as to
what her object is. Some think she
will make raid upon The shipping at
New Orleans others that she has
jeff. Davis on board and is making
for Cuba. Ny own opinion is that the
ram has on board cotton or valuables,
and intends to proceed through Bayou
La Fourche into the Gulf and either to
Cuba or Matamoras. -...f... ....
a.a rs Yours, as eyer, |
WINFIELD.
In addition to the above particulars
from our wide-awake correspondent
we have the following official account
UNITED STATES STEAMER FLORIDA,
NEAR New ORLEANS, April "a. ..
have the honor to report the com
plete destruction of the ram Webb,
which took place twenty-four miles be-
low the city. She was set on fire by
her crew and the men on shore at Nc
Calls Flats, at half past two o'clock.
She burned till half past four o'clock
when she blew up. was on board
the Richmond, which lay at anchor just
below the point at McCall's Flats. AT
O'Clock the strange steamer appear
ed at the point. The pilot of the Rich
mond declared it was the Webb On
seeing the Richmond she turned about
and started up the river. Shotted
guns were soon fired, and the ship
was cleared for action. The lookout
at the masthead soon reported a steam
er on fire run ashore, and another
steamer alongside her. The steamer
Hollyhock soon appeared, and hailed
US and informed us that the ram Webb
was on fire. Two prisoners were ta-
ken--the others escaped to the woods
on the left bank of the river Two
hundred and seventeen bales Of cotton
were destroyed. She was commanded
by Reed OF Tacony infamy.
| L. p LoRING, Major, a..
| Commanding U. 5. Col. Heavy Artillery.
From our exchanges we learn that
the gunboat Hollyhock at New Or
leans promptly pursued the Webb and
kept in sight Of her all the time, gain
ed upon her, and in running the dis
tance of three miles fired three shots
at her. At McCalrs Flats, about
twenty-eight miles below, the Webb
ran ashore on the left bank, when her
crew fired her and deserted her. The
IIollyhock ran along side and endeav-
ored to put out the flames, but was
unable to do SO on account of the in
hammable nature of the cargo of the
Webb and from the great danger at
tending the expected explosion of her
magazine. All the crew escaped but
two, who fell into the hands of the
men Of the Hollyhock voluntarily. '"'
One Of the persons captured is a
boy named Henry Kinds. He says
the Webb left Shreveport week pre-
viously. A little below she took on
$50 cords of wood. A little above
Alexandria she took on board fifty tons
} of pine knots and resin. She came
out of Red river Sunday night a,
I o'clock at the rate of thirty-ive
} knots. Vessels were lying at the
mouth of Red river, but the Webl
was not molested, it being supposed
: that she was mistaken for the Rot
Roy, which had little while preyi
ously passed up the Red river.
1t may be remembered that some
: time ago the Tacony was captured un
der remarkable circumstances, ant