Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-03-17
STARTLING DISCOVERY
Rebel Raid on the 4sansssss.
A Plot to Burn all the Steamers on
the River.
lEren q. dha...seslr. o.......l ]

lRrom ihs OhAssasoSgA GsEstts.
On last Sunday morning Captain
Chapman, q pilot on the steam boat
Chiekamaaga, being at bis home at
Chapmans Landing, ou The Tennessee
River, four miles below Kingston, no
tieod that the rebel women uf his feigh.
borhood we're moving around tbs e0an.
try rather more than asaaL These pro-
eeedings attracted bis attention, be-
cause they are an iniAilibls Indication
Of some rebel movement beiug on foot.
Thinking that perhaps come rebels fF0m-
the army had returned TO their homes,
he took his gun and started out to see
what was up. He went down toward
the river, aud had not gone og bis own
place, before be made a staftfng dis
covery. Hauled close into The shore,
and concealed by bruah from shs view Of
any one passing up Or down the river
was u large yawl without RnY occupants,
but heavily loaded wish several boxes
and various packages Captain Chap
man was within twenty feet Of the boat
before he discovered IL immediately
suspecting the state Of affairs, be look
ed around 10 see IL the owners OF the
boat we're near, but could see no one.
In moment or two more, his attention
was attracted By hearing . gun cap
snap Without making any display of
his having discovered the boat, he re-
turned to his own house, and then start
ed off 10 find some citizens 10 aid him.
Gathering six Of them together,
he returned 20 the neighborhood
where the boat was fastened. Here be
discovered nine men onra hill, about .
half a mile from whera The boat landed
Disposing bis little foree so ~ % get be-
tween them and their boat, be mada .
show Of what men he had, and iesuing
orders % imaginary troops, called upon
the rebels to lay down their arms and
surrender. Their guns and ammunition
having been wet by the recent heavy
rains, and believing that q superior
force was around them, they Immediately
eOmpliedi enc Of them, however, aftei
laying down his gua, jumped dewn the
hill and disappeared After layiug
down their arms they were ordered 4
march of a few yards, when their guns
were secured The whole party thee
proceeded 70 the boat On the road th,
rebels asked where the rest Of their cap
tors were, and upon being told that tbs
six ipresent-one an old man and on'
a mere a9y--were the only force, they
. expressed great ehagrin that after hav
, ing run hundreds Of miles through the
! Federal pickets they shoald ~ last b
captured hy tories. On arriving q
, | the boat il was thoroughly inspected
! but its load was treated with the great
2 est care, no one desiring to touch tn
! various articles of which it was com
I posed. The boat itself was a regula
= built yawl, thirty feet long, three fee
& deep aud six feet wide at the bottom
3 aaring out considerably It is caleulI
/, ted TO carry forty men, and would hoA
between three aud four tuns Il ha
= "Nc, s. painted on the sides. Their
we're six oars in the boat, and we're sal
hy those who handled them, to be Of d
= very best make. Each oar is l6 fes
long, and were mutiisd. Zach man
the party had-R as Eaield musket an
a regular cutlass,
&c One of the cutlasses was shown TO a
: I Including the handle, il is two feet 8
" inches in length, and the blade is near
two inches vide On the handle are q
t. letters &C S. NJ The boxes found
!. the boat are one and halt feet wild
" aud two feet long, each containing = tc
n, pedO A large number of 6re-bal
oe, made by soaking balls of cotton in q
pentiue, we're also found, but the me
aS dangerous article Of all, was . sort
As. hand grenade aud 6re-ball combine
II was six inches in diameter and {
=. inches long, and appears TO have be
es. made bywinding round some sort of
si' internal machine At one end is a ca
ts, so that he affair would horss on striki
re, any hard substance, aud as II TO ma
Sv. assurance donbly sure, fuse Was inse
ed at the lower end, SO that it might
. lighted and would burn for some til
before exploding. A net work of eC
= per wire Kept the cotton in shape, q
= wooded handles, two feet long. were
ed in it, for the purpose Of throwing
u machine for some distance As il |
cotton itself was net inasmabls enoRl
il was dipped in some gummy suhstaE
!. TO make il burn herceH After exam