The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-07


the Union vessels Every precauton was taken 10
prevent the gunboss below Natchex from receiving in
formation Of what was transpiring above and indeed.
the whole movement could have been go quickly
that there would be little fear OF any warning
reaching them in time TO prevent disaster But the
plot 10 be confined 10 the down river fleet
alone The Pttsburg n-clad. lying Oft Grand
Cult ard the Carondcie at vicksturg, also TO DO
surprzed and captured and effort made extond
the movement far north possible and at all hazards
attempt TO capture the vessels In the White and
Arkansas rivers and the posts and troops Helena
and Memphis. Enough of the details OF this plot have
been made known to point out how dsastrousiy Il
night have worked for the Union cause had Glenney
been successful mis- attempt 10 deliver tho Rather to
the Confedcrate&
sLxssErs ArrEnrr.
On the 18th OF June, 1864 Glenney asked perm
Of Captain Willctts " take two armed boats
shore and cndeavor surprise the inmates Of GER
quenty for guests Captain wiiletts little suspecting
reachery the part OF his executive readily gave him
his consent. The landing was effected about two miles
above ST Joseph on the Louisiana shore. Here The
channel the bank Of the river ind the
boats would consequently have pub Of half mile
from the vessels anchorage before landing. little
before midnight Gienney left the vessel with the 'gg
and '.cutter.n In the former white men in
charge of u quarter gunner and in the .cut,er"
Genncy himself, two white and six colored sailors and
quartsrmaster The party were armed with rifles and
navy revovers and The boats were carefully prepared
with muiied and rowlocks After eneclng land
Ing Glenny drew tho boaLs together the bar and
leaving three OF the colored sailors guard started
inland with his remaining force II WAS dark,
sultry night with light mist falling that threatened
10 change 10 tho heavy rain OF thunder storm;
but it was good night Tor any expedition which re,
CURED secrecy and surprise After marchGig about
mile Genncy and his party struck into road leading
through some heavy timber, but before they had en-
tered It hundred yards and all in moment they
found themselves surrounded, front, rear and TANKS,
by n crowd OF armed rebels Genney drew his
volver cooked It, and turned his men II
them lre, but strong voice cried out from the fore
most rebel limo, 'Hatl surrenderl You are dozen
men; we hundred. Throw down your arms or
ell" GlcnDey then dung his revolver on the
ground aud throwing up his hands cried, "DonI fire;
surrender" directing his men to do the same In
q moment . score OF rebels came among them picked
up their rifles and revolvers and ordering them.
close order marched them inland at quick pace
Gennoy separated from his men and not seen Dy
them aiterwRrd.
About two hours after Glenncy had LEFT his boats At
tho landing, and while the three colorcd sailors on
guard cArelessly lying on the thwarts they sud
denly became conscious that crowd Of men was
rushing on them from the land The usual challenge
was gwen and one boat thai lay half the
pushed from the shore by the keeper. But the bow
had hardly slipped from the bar when fatal shot
fred aud tho oarsnan Tell dead over he gunwale OF his
boat This the only shot fired but AZ tate would
have II, west wind was blowing, and the sound OF
that shot carried the deck Of tho Rather she
lay quietly at anchor half mile out in the river The
men IN the other boat overpowered in q second
aud hustled roughly ashore, and then rapidly and in
many armed Conederates as they could carry and
pushed into tho stream. In each were half dozen
clad in the uniforms Of the captured sailors, and It
is moro than probable that in ono of them was the
traitor Glenney.
HOW THE ArrxMpr WAS FRUSTRATED.
In the meantime the "midwatchn on the Rather was
drawing close, when the "oficer Of the deck' was
attracted by what he thought the report OF gun COM
ing from the direction where the boats were to land
1t indistnct, however heard through the nose
Of the falling rain and wnd thai he hesated about re-
porting IT, when Ensign Wells, who his relieving
officer, came from his room and inquired ''if he had
heard shot" "Yes,n answer Church, tho dock
officer. ~ fancy have but not distinctly" 81 heard
II distinctly you had better report It, remarked
Wells IL will But It is Gicnney returning, | sup
pose, and OF his mems pieces has gone Oh. "
.'very likely; but somehow or other don't IKE IT.
man from the watch, toward the shore and see
what is going on" When Church returned IRON max
ing his report he aid:"rhe captain does not think
anything of:t II must DO OF Glenney's men, but
you take the dingy and keep within the vessels
hailn In a moment Wells had the dingy'-a little
fiat boat kept on the lower guards-launched, and
rowed quietly away from 40 vessel Hardly had he
lost sight of the Rat,ler in the gloom Of the night
when he heard tho sweep OF oars coming from Tho
1t was raining heavily and pitch dark now, and
as Wells for u second hesltated and lay his oars
listening an unusually brilliant flash of lightning lit
up The river and, IN that momenary brightness, the
sharp eyes OF Wells behed the Rattier's boats not
100 yaras from nm laden WIN armed men n, ana no.
no whispered to his oarsmen, as the inky blackness
again closed over them, and row for your life These
boats ul OF rebels In few minutes he was within
hail Of tho vessel and shouted Justify, Rattler there
beat TO quarters-slip your anchor The rebels are
upon uS'' Instantly the ready drums Of the Rather
beat out warnings, her decks rembled under
the hurryng feet OF tho they rushed TO their
guns her ports and gangways were closed and secured
and The cham went with rush through the hawsc-
hole. her wheel rev0ved slowly as she dropped down
with the current aud 1t would take fifty small boats
AFTER arrKMPr.
With her crew quarters and In battle trim the
Rather crused slowly up and down on her beat until
day oke but the boats never made tcer appearance
and must nave put back to shore Immediately upon
hearing Wells alarm TO the vessel aud the roll OF her
drums The Confederate officers knew full w,l that
their only chance of success would be In completely
surprising the gunboaI Their design once discovered
and tho Rather her guarddt would DO certain de-
struction to attempt her capture II may be men,
toned here Nellis, whose undoubed completely
with Genpey after events established, was ndisposed
md O this night readily took charge OF
his division hearing the alarm aud was rs Jealous
any other officer In preparing the vessel for battle
During the day the Rather picked up one of her
boats-the gig-on sand bar little below ST. Joseph.
In ii was a sailors neck.e slained with blood, bay
and the size Of the boat smeared with
scarcely yet dried blood. Next day Captain Willctts
Forest Rose and met that boat her way
up She reported having found the Raltler's cutter
adr below Waterproof, and was on her way to restore
II when intercepted And now comes the strangest
part Of the history. Some few days, three
four, after The attempted capture, the Rather
was lying at anchor above ST. Joseph, the officer
OF The "morning watch" observed three a
little saudbar which close to the bank of
the river, and from which 1t was divided by narrow
channel One OF the men was waving white flag
when discovered. and, the circumstances beng re-
ported Captain Wiiletts mmediaey ordered boat to
The boat returned with Glcnney and the quarter gun
ncr and quartermastsr captured. They were naked,
with the exception OF the very ragged pantaoons which
each wore and reported having escaped from the Con-
federale encanpment nve miles inland, that morning;
made their way TO the river and observing the Rat
Tiers lights chan mel Ia the bar and lay
cealcd in the slnd until observed or they had
the story TO tell OF their capture q their being
deprived of their uniforms and OF their escape,
and although Gicnney had not been seen by
HIS men from the Tune OF their capture
until nearly noon OF the same day he was then
marcf cd INTO the encampment ana put under guard
with the rest OF the prisoners. On the night OF their
escape, however, Cheney and the two petty officers
removed to small clubhouse close 10 the camp
ment and single sentry placed near the door. II
an ordinary log house with no windows and no entrance
but the door Soon after occupying It Glcnney dis
covered that one OF the ground logs was formed OF two
pieces with the joint IN the centre. BY removing a
little OF the floor he know ne could the logs in
out and fortunately found an old piece OF broken shovel
under some refuse In "A corner When It quite
dark he commenced his work. and soon had log
mo-ed so that he could squeeze his body through the
opening One by one, The men going hrst, and Glen
ney moving round the cabin to prevent the sentry
suspcctng anything they passed out, crept into the
underbrush near at hand and made their
fully 10 the riv.r unpurrued ana unnoticcd Genncy
congratulated by his brother officers his for
tunste okcd little about his
m I'd nd a dut I've