The New York herald., 1865-05-07
THE RAM WEBB.
Additional Particulars OF Ho1
Last Cruise.
She Attempts to Blow Up aA
Ordnance Ship.


Arrival Of Captain Reed and Her
Oaacers At This Port,
&c- DC, &a
Tho gunboat Eiords, Laeutsnans>C Commands ". -
which arrived yesterday, broughs from New Orssass
Captain Reed, late commander Of tEs rebel ram wa
destroyed IN the Nssisaipp nver and tho following -
oeEs belonging to her--Lieutsnant W. H. Wall, Kxsco-
tive oncer; Surgeon Addison, Mdshipman J. 7. Blanx
and Scott pet and othes, together with two Il -
crew, who arc now under guard the Florida & -
Brooklyn Navy Yard They win probably b ssaS =
Fort Warren although ofsia orders relative to tAsv
disposition have been received from washington.
Tho details Of the trip Of the Webb from shrevspos&
La, 70 the point st which she was destroyed. absxo
twenty-five miles below New Orleans. are highly ~
terestinG
Tho alteration Of the Webb to make her effective .
RAM and the large amount Of cotton placed her dse
and about her machinery 10 protect her from shot, sn
her deep In the water and made her draft when abe ~
ready for service about eleven feet Her bows wsue
nlled In solid with wood for tho space Of twenty
giving her immense strength for ramming purpoesa
large quantity Of cotton carefully arranged absae
her engines TO protect them against shot, and also abs
her decks to protect the and sharpshooten shs
carried numbering altogether hundred and twsav-
Ave. .,......,....... -..,.
Finding the water in the Red river falling and know
ing that his vessel would be burned by forces -
remained In the river aground, Captain Reed dslagA
mined 70 take board more cotton and attempt 70
the gauntlet OF gunboats, get TO Sea and Pre-
coed TO Havana, burning and destroying every
vessel he could come across on the way wetA
her great speed she could easily run Ae1
tho passes Of the Mississippi to Havana In thirtyAJ
hours and Reed preferred TO take the chances d -
Gaping and Of being destroyed than be burned n
the Red river, where he could do harm At Havana
he Intended to sell his cotton and purchase articles -
necessity for the rebel navy, and ten run tho boc1e
at Galveston whore there several rebel gunboaA
Once there he proposed 10 the Webb o tespsdo
boat and destroy drive on bloekades ct thAt pos
Everything being prepared have described abesa
the Webb steamed down the Red river and waited -
opportunity to run out Ono dark night he tied down
his safety valve and with his steam up twenty-five
pounds he drifed down the current BY gunbsaD
and iron-cads without detection, untn he passed ~
monitor Manhattan, when musket was fred -
him, quickly followed BY discharge Of cannistw
from . howitzer on her dock. The msms1e
tho Webb. was discovered tho engines W9U
started as full head Of steam end she rushs1
down the river at lightning paoe leaving far asteh ~
Lafayette and gunboat which had started In purspk
Her speedwas saokened when the sunboats ous g
sight and she steamed along saaly, 90 ~ 70 paS ~
forts below New Orleans In the night Ton miles abeSe
tho city Reed sent boat ashore and cut the teegDA
wires to the city, but unfortunately for him, mot beso
despatch had been sent from DonaldsonviIIs TO Nsv
Orleans that she had passed. giving tho authorities hsse
hours notice of her approach On nearing tho city ~
American ensign hosted At halfmas and hcr cssS
dressed in army overcoats sat around on ~
cotton on dock and tho guards, oooy smoking -
MIL THAR tAoth lnnO
dsn The feet laying at New Orleans prsparea ~
the approach Of RAM but looked for something oe ~
Merrmac style Of cads and not Tor the innocenb -
pearng eadcolored transport, laden with cotton ~
thronged with soldiers. that steamed lelsurely dp~n
tho river Tho pilot Of the LAckawannA -
old steamboat In those waters It onos recognss6
her tho Webb, and 90 informed Captain EmmoaA
Several shots fred at her BY the Lackawanns ~
Ossipee which laid above Alssrs and could use tAs1g
guns without endangerng the town. The Webb was -
several times and she at dashed forward and m
by the Portsmouth, Quaker City, Florida land osAss
vessels whose batteries Manned but which eeulA
not be fred in consequence OF the danger Of killing inA
cent people, who thronged the streets and eves Of A.
gers watching for the The ram, therefore, paDe1
quickly and without damage, and down 70 ths er
nance ship Fearnot which she attempted 10 blow uHAV
means Of largo torpedo nued with hundred pounds q
powder attached 70 spar on her bow. Fortuaass1v
the rapid current threw her bow around, andlths qD
striking wrong, broke, and the torpedo fAisd -
touch and explode. Observing this Reed asah
started down the river Hs expresses Csas
satisfaction that he was unable to blow =
the Fearno he has since learned she had three
hundred barrels Of powder board which would have
blown her and the Webb 10 Davy Jones In the twinkae
Of an eye. Soon after the sidswhesl tug HOlyhesk,
Lieutenant Commander Ghsardb In pursuit. anA ~
Webb steamed rapidly down the river intending - -
the pursuer we'll away from assistance and in dssp0
water where she could bs better managed, anA there
Reed proposed 70 capture her be probably woA have
done, as the tug had only twenty-five msn On boaE6
Whom the Webb had got about twcntythrss miles swv
from the city, and had allowed 70 allow the Hoyhock -
come up the nfasts Of the Richmond were sssa evss
point Of the river bank Thinking that she haA bssa
placed there 10 trap him, Reed ordered tho pilot 70 -
tho Webb her. blow her up With etovpsde and thsa
10 hurry on On the pilot informing him that nAt aA1
between them and that the Webb must 90 around ~
in the channel and pas undsr. the RicAnes1's
broadsde he said he had tested her guns bsfos -
would not try again 80 he ordered ths Webb - -
ashore, and every man To look outfor himself tn
was 1t onss donA The vessel was nreA anA Reed -
his officers and men took 70 the swnnp. When ~
Florida and HoIlyhock arrived, an heur aAs she was -
mass Of flames, TOO fAr burned 70 sava when ~
news was carried 70 New Orleans cavalry wN u esse
sent down, and ninety-two out of ono hundred 80
twenty-five Of the wsbbs were tatsn and carries
TO the city The balance doubtless crossed the river 80
made good their escape.
Il was also Reeds design, II he should roach u
mouth of tho Mississippi safely surprise and caplsse
the ship Psmpsro gusrdship ~ The mouth Of The rv
and then 70 TO Havana and snl and destroy whstsvR
he could catch ~ rosA NsahiDS prevented tho saoesso
Of his plans except the error he fell into regarding ~
Richmond. The iastss knew nothing Of the escape q
the Webb, and would have allowed her 70 pass quietly
she had attempted H. BY tho Richmond she wN ssps
posed 70 be army transport
Fortunately she wss destroyed and ws an mvs6 ~
intelligence Of further raids on our commerce
Captain Essd is young, man, nephew Of Jsn Davs
and 10 very quies, determined one full Of dash -
resources and dAngercns fellow anoat He takes III
capture coolv and thAkI ths var IN OMAR Re and ~