The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-09-27

III 4 lew moments Z Siilall DOdU, Win
the United States flag flying, was rowed
up over the spot where the Tecumseh
lay, and, in the midst of a hot fire, en-
deavor to rescue the survivors. I can
scarcely describe how I felt at witness
ing the most gallant act. The mUzzle of
our guns was slowly raised, and the bolt
for the Tecumseh swept harm
lessly over their heads and far down in
the line of foes.
We were in hopes that the confusion
into which the advance of the line had
fallen at witnessing the sinking of the
monitor would extend and prevent the
passage of the fleet but, no, in a few
we behold a large wooden
vessel, bearing an admiraPs flag, steam
ing up and taking the lead.
IT IS THE HARDFORD,
and we make for her, but she is too fast
for US, and only a parting percussion
shell, inteEded to strike at the water
line, is sent after her, and exploding
over the fOrecastle, seems to clear that
deck of q previous crowd. She Is il,
and one after another, in a great hurry
burly---in the midst of a rain of shot anI
shell both going and cOming---with an
unsuccessful attempt on our part to ram
one here and one tnere--the federal feet
is in Mobile harbOr. No more vengetul
torpedoes do their work.
BACK TO FORT MORGAN.
We steam back near Fort Morgan---go
up or the shield of the Tennessee and
look around. No casualties so far on
the ram. The " Selma" has been cap
tured after gallant running fght---the
&" Gaines" is in a sinking condition near
the shore, and the q Morgan is not far
off apparently uninjured. The latter
escaped to Mobile that night.
NOW FOR THE FLEET AGAIN.
The fox is now alone, only one of the
geese has been caught in passing to their
base, and now he determined to
proceed to the base itself 4
few sheets of thin iron patch the holes
in the smoke stack, and off
We start alone tor the Federal feet some
three miles away. One irOn-clad against
three mentors and fourteen wooden yes
sells One advantage we did have,
though, like that we had in " Arkansas
in July, '62, in coming through Farra-
CUTS feet to Nicksburg, we could fire at
anything we saw and had only one vessel
to look after; while the enemy had 10 be
careful in handling the many and not To
hit each. Indeed it happened during thG
engagement, that their flagship was run
into and cut down nearly to the water
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. It was the beginning of 4
naval combat the like of which history
has not seen. For an hour or more a
single vessel cOntended against a multi
tude of foes. She was the focus of the
fire of 4 hundred guns. Cannon ahead
and cannon astern, cannon to starbOrd
and cannon to port, volleyed and thun-
dered a perfect storm OF shot rained
upon our shield, and rom within it for a
long time came fOrlh IL reply. peal after
peal, shrill and loud, and the shrieking
shell went crashing, hurting home, every
one Of them. At one time a monitor
hideous looking monster it then ap
peared--came creeping up on our port
! side. The slowly revolving tUrret re.
vealed the cayernOus depths of a monster
! gun.
" STAND CLEAR OF THE PORT sIDEW
/ I shouted. An instant after a thunder
/ ing report shook u all, blast Of dense
/ sulphurOus smoke covered our port-hoies
aud 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 fee
OF solid wood encased by five inches 0
solid iron. This was the only fifteen
inch shot that struck Us. It did nO
come through; the inside netting caUgh
the splinters, and there were no casual
ties from it. I was glad to find mysel
alive after that shot.
" CLIMBING ON" TO THE TENNESSEE.
In army style, charge after charge wa
made by the federal vessels upon the Ten
nessee. The idea was unique, that 0
one vessel climbing upon the slOpins
tides of another and sinking it by shee
weight; and IL was persisted in with
reckless, daring and Unfdltering bravery
worthy of success. remember the frs
shock twas, l believe, by the MOnOnga
hela-a 400 ton ship rushing through
the water at ten knots an hour. The
Tennessee yielded to the impact anC
spun swiftly around as upon a pivot.
telt in the forward part of the vessel n
if / was going through the air. g." VIVA
is the matter, Capt. johnson {" ! asked
a. We've been rammed, sir" was the re
sponse from the pilot-house, where b.
was standing. Our adversary DAMAGE
herself badly and did us no harm. FIv
times the effort was made to sink us b.
ramming and five times it failed. Tn
last time I think it was by the flagship
She came in gallant style bearing cow
duartering on our poTt-bOw and ztrucI
us a glancing blow. While alongside an,
touching Us she fred an entire
BRoADsIDE OF FIFTEEN GUNS,
throwing an aggregate of 1,2O0 pound
of metal What a huge effort it SCENE,
to crush US at once, but it did no mate
rial injury. We had two guns u respOn
and they did 50 with fatal effect. Ate
the action I saw where the = waer Hr
blackened her sides around tIc tvp Lo
holes.
and so the action went on for an hOu
OF more. Instead Of ramming We wer
being rammed, we began the battsFlu
and It ended in our being battered. Gu
port shelters. movable upon rivots au
Intended to protect the men while lead
ing. were one after another jammed in
closed condition, the steering appaTatU
and relieving tackles shot away, th
smoke stack carried away flush with Ill
shield, steam going down consequent,
and we became as
A LOG UPOSsTHEzwATER.
z While the attempt was making by
> fireman and seaman TO remove one of u
3 rammed shutters, q shot struck the ed
T OF the port, and breaking into immune
> able fragments swept enc OF these me
= figurstively and literally into tho
= ssnd pieces, and mOrtally wounoing L