The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-06

vent prayer for the success of our dan
gerous mission. Soon the clouds that
had been growing denser and more
threatening, broke on us in all their
fury, while through the patter and
solashing of the rain we heard distinctly
the bell of the Underwater as IL rang
out four bells for 2 o'clock. Guided by
the sound we Immediately pulled to-
ward her. We prepared to spring upon
the foe when and wherever he came in
sight.
When about three hundred yards
from the gunboat her hull loomed up,
and again through the stiffness came
the sharp ring of her five bells for half
past 2. Suddenly some one hailed us,
Boat ahoy - Boat ahoy," again
shouted the watch, and at the same time
sprang the rattle which summoned the
men to quarters, their hurrying figures
becoming dimly visible as all
abreast we bore down upon than.
''Give way I' shouted Col. w I'd.
Give way, boys, give way" repeassed
Lieut.. Loyal; and give way we did
with a vim. It was a moment of terri
bic anxiety and uncertainty, not un-
mingled with misgivings. We're the
enemy aware Of our approach, destruc-
ton were inevitable. Retreat was i'm
possible now; death lurked in the still.
silent guns ahead and in the waters
around.
The instructions were that one div
ision should board forward and the
other astern, but through some mistake
a large number of boats went forward,
Col. Wood amidships. The enemy,
who had gathered in the ways Just aft
of the whoel-hoUse, greeted us as we
came up with volley after volley of
musketry, which. flashing in our very
faces, rendered plainly visible the posi-
ton of our opponents. Our men worked
with a will, cool and determined, in
spite of the deadly fire that now and
then struck down one of their COM
rades. As soon as our boat struck the
sides of the Underwater the grapneI
was thrown aboard, bringing us close
alongside, and we were soon scrambling
up her sides, the firing continuing un-
abated. Lieut.. Loyal was first on deck,
with Gill, engineer, and Col. Wood at
his side, leading the men onward. Fol-
lowing In their steps came Lieuts. Hoge,
Kerr, Roche, Gardner, Roby, Wilkin-
son, Cooke and Scharf.
AT this time the fire was hotter than
[ had known during three years expert
ence of the war, both in the army and
navy, and I hardly dared hope that one
half of our number would escape with
their lives. Col. Wood, a brave son of
our glorious old state, / feared every
moment to see fall, but standing up
right in his boat, issuing his orders as
coolly as before the enemy we're In
sight, he seemed to bear about him q
charm which rendered him bullet proof.
One after another, in fatal succession,
our men were shot down, crushing in
their fall others.
Once on deck, the fighting commenced
inearnest, ,!hand to had, with cutlasses and
pistols, each one with a rush selecting
his man, an so unequal were our num-
bers that some struggled with three OPP
Onents at the same time. In a few min
utes the capture of the Underwater was
complete. After defending their ship
gallantly, fighting desperately in all
parts, their brave commander slain, and
the majority of their men killed or
wounded, the enemy called for quarter.
Our loss was over one-fourth of our
number-six killed and twenty-five
wounded. Poor Gill was lying in the
gangway mortall y wounded, shot in four
places and Midshipman Sanders, a gal
lant youth, cut down in a hand-to-hand
fight, was breathing out his young life
on deck.
The fight vas ended, the boarders
successful. The Underwater being
moored head and stern under three
large batteries and scarcely a stones
throw from the shore, the report of the
musketry had aroused thesoldiers on
shore, and they were soon active wit
nesses of the scene, for, unmindful of
their own prisoners aboard they fired a
shell into us, which, striking the upper
machinery and exploding on deck, pro
duced a terrible shock. Fast and
heavy they succeeded each other, aud
we soon found that the shore batteries
had opened on us.
The prisoners were ordered into the
boats, and the ship soon made ready for
action. Lieut.. Hoge opened the maya
zine and manned the guns, but the
steam being down and the machinery
disabled, it was found impossible to take
time to get away under the heavy fire of
the batteries, not hundred yards dis
tant so, taking time only to hurry the
prisoners into the boats and remove the
wounded, the vessel was fred, and five
minutes after our evacuation of her the
Underwater was one mass of flames,
consuming the dead bodies of the feder.
ais killed in the action.