The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-05

careful in handling the many and not to
hit each. Indeed it happened during the
engagement, that their flagship was run
into and cut down nearly to the waters
edge by one OF their own vessels.
OPENING OF THE BALL.
We soon approached the enemy. A
half mile off / distinctly recollect firing
a bolt at the bunch of federal vessels.
1t missed. II was the beginning Of
naval combat the like of which history
has not seen. For am hour or more
single vessel contended against multi
tude OF foes. She was the focus Of the
hre OF a hundred guns. Cannon ahead
and cannon astern, cannon to STAFFORD
and cannon to port, volleyed and thun~
dered q perfect storm of shot ralned
upon our shield, and rom within 1t for
long time came tor1h ii reply peal after
peal, shrlll and loud, and the shrleklng
shell went crashing, hurting home, every
one OF them. At one time monitor
a hldeous looking monster 1t then APP
peared---cf e creeping up on : port
side. he slowly revolving tutret re-
vealed the cavernous depths OF ii monster
gun.
STAND CLEAR OF THE PORT SIDE
L shouted. An instant after thunder
ing report shook us all, blast of dense,
sulphurous smoke covered our portfolios,
and five hundred pounds OF iron, i'm
PEELED by fifty pounds of powder, made
daylight in our side, where but a mo-
ment since there had been over two feet
o. solid wood encased by five inches OF
solid iron. This was the only fifteen
inch shot that struck Us. 1t did not
come through; the inside netting caught
the splinters, and there were no casual
ties from 1t. | was glad to find myself
alive after that shot
CLIMBING ON" TO THE TENNESSEE.
In army style, charge after charge was
made by the federal vessels upon the Ten
nessee. The idea was unique, that of
one vessel climbing upon the sloping
tides of another and sinking it by sheer
weight; and it was persisted IN with
reckless, daring and uufaltering bravery
worthy of success. ! rememb@ the first
shock twas believe, by the Monouga-
hela-a 400 ton ship rushing through
the water at ten knots an hour. The
| Tennessee yielded to the impact and
spun swiftly around as upon a pivot l
telt in the forward part of the vessel rs
if / was going through the air " What
is the matter, Capt. johnson 7' I asked.
IS We've been rammeG, sir. was the re-
Spouse from the piiOt-house, where he
was stsnding. Our adversary damaged
hersejs badly and did Us no harm. Five
/ times the effort was made to sink Us by
ramming and five times it failed. The
/ last time / think it was by the flag ship.
/ She came in gallant style bearing down
| quarteriny ON our poTt-bow and struck
US glanclng blow While alongside and
/ touching us she fired an entire
BRoADsIDE OF FIFTEEN Guns,
throwing anaggregate Of Apouud-
/ of metal! 6hat a huge effort gseemed
/ to crush rs at once, but it did no mate
/ rial injury. We had two guns ID respond
and they did 80 with Stal effect After
/ the action I saw Wn5-e the powder had
! blackened her sides around the two shot
holes
and so the action wet On for an hour
or more Instead Of ram,nicg we were
being rammed, we began the batteriug
and il ended in ourbeing battered Our
port shelters, movable upon pivOs and
/ intended 70 protect the men while lead
/ ing, were one after another TANNED iE q
1 closed ditiOn, the steering apparatus
and relieving tackles shot away, the
smoke stack carried away flush with the
shield, steam going down consequently,
and we became rs
A LOG UPON THE WATER.
While the attempt was making by 4
/ fireman and seaman 70 remove one of the
/ rammed shutters, a shot struck the edge
OF the port, and breaking into inHumer-
/ able fragments swept one of these men
! figuratively and literally into thou
sand pieces, and MORALLY wouudiug the
other. These were the only killed ON the
/ Tennessee.
We fought until we could fight nc
longer, until we could move uo more
An did their duty, in an almost hopeles.
situation. untalteringIy and bravely; an,
when at last the token of suvreudeE wa
hoisted, no accusing conscience wa
whispering " we could have done better
With Capt. Johnston, the commander o
the Tennessee, and enc or two others.
was taken on board the " Osipee.
There the warm-hearted courtesy ans
kindness of Capt. Leroy, his eXecutiy,
officer, Lieut.. John 4. Howell, and, in
deed, of all his officers, touched Us mos
deeply. For myself, l could hardly real
ize these were the men we had just beer
in contact with.
There were ten men killed and siNteel
wounded in the confederate squadron
Admiral Farragut's official report show
nearly as many killed and wounded a
composed the entire force opposed e
him.