The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-03-07
STIRLING DISCOVERY.
Rebel Raid on The rsnnss.se River.
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a more disbOlical plot to destroy human
life and property than the one dis
closed in the following paragraphs. 1t
furnishes another instance OF the straits
TO (Which the rebels hsve been reduced,
aud the desperate remedies which they
are forced to adopt 70 relieve them
selves from the iron grip of the Union
armies
On last Sunday morning, Captain
Chapman, a pilot on the steamboat
Chicksmauga, being a. his heme at
Chnpmans Landing, on the Tennessee
river four miles below Kingston, no
ficed that the rebel women of his
neighborbood were moving around the
country rather more than usual These
proceedings attracted his attention be-
cause they are en- infallible indication
Of some rebel movement being on foot
Thinking that perhaps some rebels
from the army had returned TO their
homes, he took his gun and started out
to see what was up. He went down
towards the river and had not gone of
his own place before he made start
ling discovery. Hauled close into the
shore and concealed by brush from the
view Of any one passing up or down
the river was a large yawl, without any
occupants, but heavily loaded with sew
raj boxes and various packages. Cap
tain Chapman was within twenty feet
of the boat before he discovered it.
Immediately suspeeting the state Of
affairs, he looked around TO see If the
owners Of the boat were near, but could
see no enc. In moment or two
more, his attention was attracted
by hearing a gun cap snap. With
out making any display of his hav-
ing discovered the boat, he returned to
his own house, and. then started off to
find some citizens to aid him Gather
ing six Of them together he returned to
the neighborhood where the boat was
fastened Here he discovered nine
men on q hill, about half a mile from
where the boat had landed. Disposing
his little force 50 as TO get between them
and their boat, he made a bold show
of what men he had and issuing orders
TO imaginary troops, called upon the
rebels TO lay down their arms and sur
render Their guns and ammunition
having been wet by the recent heavy
rains, and believing that a superior
force was around them, they immedi-
ately complied, one Of them, however,
after laying down his gun, jumped
down the hill and disappeared. Alter
laying down their arms they were or
dered to march of few yards, when
their guns were secured The whole
party then proceeded to the boat On
the road the rebels asked where therest
of their captOrs were, and upon being
informed that The seven present-one
an old man and one a mere bOy-were
the only force, they expressed great
chagrin that after having run hundreds
of miles through the Federal pickets
they should at last be captured by
stories On arriving at the boat it was
thoroughly inspected, but its load was
treated with The greatest care, no one
even desiring 10 touch the various arti-
cles OF which Il was composed. The
boat itself wan regular built yawl,
thirty feet long, three feet deep and six
feet wide at the bottom, haring out con-
sidersbly. II is calculated 10 carry
forty men, and would hold between
three and four tons. 1t had NO. 3
painted on tie sides. There were six
oars in the boat, and were said 10y
those who handled them, to be Of the
very best make Each oar is six
teen feet long and were muifled.
Each man in the party had fine En-
field musEet and regular navy cut
lass One CT the cutlasses was shown
70 US, including the handle, II is two
feet six inches in length, and the blade
is nearly two inches wide. On the
L l. . rr-1-
boxes found in the boat, are one and
half feet wide and two feet long, each
containing torpedo. A large nnmber
OF FIRE balls, made by soaking balls of
cotton in turpentihe, were also found,
but the most dangerous article of all
was sort of grenade aud fireball COM
bined. II was six inches in diameter
and ten inches long, and appears to
have been made by winding cotton
round some sort of an internal ma
chine At one end is a cap, so that the
affair would burst on striking any hard
substance, and as If to make assurance
doubly sure, fuse was inserted at the
lower end, so that il might be lighted
and would burn for some time before
exploding A network of copper wire
kept the cotton in shape, and wooden
handles, two feet long, were fixed in il
for the purpose of throwing the ma
chine for some distance. As If the cot
ton itself was not inhsmmable enough,
it had been dipped in some gummy
preparation 10 make il burn fercer.
After examining everp thing the priso-
ners we're sent, with strong guard, to
Kingston. After they started Cart
Chapman went over the fields 10 find
the fellow that had escaped, and fortu-
nRtely caught him within q shert dis.
lance of where his companions had
surrendered The steamer Lookout
came aloug about this time, and she
took the yawl in tow. and the prisoner
being ploced on board, she went on To
Kingston, where the Holston received
the precious boat and started with il
for Knoxville.
One Of the men captured had been
keeping q diary, and from that and
thelf conversation we learn somewhat
OF their plans and proceedings, though
the former appear almost too rash aud
reckless for belief 1t seems tlat the
boat was built in Richmond. and it,
crew was composed ef picked men from
what the rebels term the Confederate
States Navy. Leaving Richmond On
the Sd OF January last, they came -.
Bristol by rail, and went from tbe,,e -.
the salt Works, where the boat 49,
placed on the waters of the Holsso,,
river. Their. progress down the Hoi.
ston was delayed by the low va,er -
that they were compelled to law i,v
for several days They first passs5 e.
Federal pielzets at KinesDort W.
have heard that in passing under Ne
bridge at Knoxville, they attemntea -
set IRE TO II but were frightened of n,
the sentinels They, themselves ssy
q. that their instructions were to cc,r,n,it
no depredations until they got below
Kingston In passing under the br;dee
at Loudon they were hailed by the sen
tinels, bat on replying that they were
trading boat they were allowed 10
go on After passing Loudoa thew
stopped and two of the chief Officers
went ashore and were captured by souoe
o. our forces, who came across them in
some way. After waiting for these Off
GERS tai he felt certain that they wera
captured me boat, under command az
q Lieutenant Wharton, went on. untl
they were finally discovered below
Kingston. As 70 their plans thew NAV
or NAV not ia Ubef b.,- - -