New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-10
CapGnan Fry.

V0V814D =
Captain John v. johnson, well known
| yesterday to give his voluntary testimony
to the brutality and falsehood Of the St
Louis Democrats charges against the mem
DRY of Captain Fry. Captain johnson met
IN the Office a Globe representative with
whom he was we'll acquainted as a war cor.
respondent during the rebellion, while be
Captain Johnson) was first lieutenant OF
| the gunboat st. Louis, in which capacity he
participated in nearly every river battle OF
was in the battle in White river, his vessel
and the Mound City being the only iron.
clads engaged there.
The Globe reporter asked Captain John.
SOB what he knew of the truth or falsehood
of the Democrats charge against Captain
Fry.
Captain Johnson-J know them to be
false they never had any foundation what
ever.
Globe Reporter-Had you an opportunity
of seeing what took place then, and would
you have seen the shooting of men in the
river, if it had occurred!
Captain JOhnson-Certainly. The Mound
City. under command of Captain Kelly,
went ahead. The st. Louis, under Captain
McGonegle, who is now dead, folio wed.
When the Mound City's steam chest was
Sut, VI iudCuiucEy SuOpptu duu
she drifted down the stream. The st. Louis
passed her, and took her place. The rebels
continued to fire their artillery, because
there was no signal of distress given and
no truce asked: and the st. Louis kept up a
brisk fire ON the fort all the time.
THE captain here made correct diagram
OF the fort, the river bank the river and
the gunboats.]
Globe Reporter-How many men were
Ill 1nA vrrtil Ia he
Captain Johnson-I heard of but very
few. A great many jumped into the stream
after they had been scalded, and died as a
result of the scalding. They were literally
mad, of course, and did not know what
they were doing, but those who were shot
In the river were shot with grape and CAMS
ter, which the rebels were trying to fire into
the port holes of the St. Louis. They fired
from high bluff, and as they were not able
to depress their guns sufficiently, their shots
welt over us and fell into the river, hitting
few OF the men who were struggling there.
Globe Reporter-Didn't the rebel infantry
fire at eur soldiers in the water
Captain JOhnsOn-Not at all. They made
a rush to board the Mound City with pixies,
but the st. Louis kept the Mound City
from drifting into the bank, so they couldn't
get aboard of her.
Globe Reporter-Did you see Captain Fry
Captain Johnson-I did. He was badly
wounded. and as he passed the St. Louis in
yawl as prisoner, he asked me if 1 had
a surgeon on board. l told him had not,
but that there was good surgeon in the
Conestoga, down the stream. He went to
the Conestoga and there met Captain Nc
Gonegle and several other officers whom he
had known in the navy before the war.
They asked him in my presence if he had
nrd oh of in he
He unqualifedly denied it and said he
hoped his old classmates would not think
he could be guilty of such a thing.
Captain johnson related a great many
other incidents Of the battle, all proving
beyond doubt the bravery Of Fry and his
innocence of the foul charges now trumped
up against him. We know him personally
to be competent witness in the case, and
to have been present in the en- gagement re-
ferred to. His story is plain, straightfor
ward and truthful in every respect.-.St.
Louis Globe