Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-02-17

0NCWA -
quiet planter in Coahoma county,
Mississippi, but during thewar famous
as the commander of the ram
Arkansas, and who had other vessels
and commands, is in the city. He grad
uated at Annapolis naval AGA with
the first homer the same year that
General R. E. Lee graduated with the
first honor at West Point. He was
twenty-seyen years in the old navy,
resigning a lieutenancy from on board
the sloop of war Niagara at the begin
ming Ofthe war at Boston, and mar
rowly escaped with his life at the
hands Of an infatuated mob. His life
has been one of varied and thrilling
interest, but now he lives in the
bosom Ofhis family, a happy, prosper.
Gus, quiet citizen. Captain Brown
recalls memories of one ofthe most
notable and sanguinary combats that
ever occurred on water, the same
being the running of the Confederate
gunboat Arkansas through the Fed
eral fleet lying scattered at anchor
and otherwise between the mouth Of
the Yazoo and Vicksburg. The Ar
kansas was built at Fort Pickering.
below this city, under the direction Of
the late Captains John T. Shirley and
Prime Emerson, was towed to
the Yazoo and completed un.
der the supervision of Captain Isaac
Brown, Of the Confederate navy, and
early on the morning Of the 10Th day
of july, 1862, lay near Bucks mill
where the Yazoo enters Old river.
some 20 miles above Vicksburg, ready
to run the gauntlet Of the feet to the
Vicksburg wharf, the river then being
occupied above and below by Farra-
CUTS feet Of ocean and river war YES
sells. In Old river, near the mouth of
the YazOo, lay the war boat Tyler, for
'merly a river steamer called the A.. O.
Tyler; also the COnestoga and the Ca
rOndelet-the latter an iron-clad.
commanded by Captain Wake, and
OF which served as an officer Mr.. Par.
ker, a one well known resident of this
city. The Federal vessels were ex-
pecting the Arkansas, and were placed
on guard to check her progress, and
sound the alarm should she appear.
They failed in toto to do the first, but
made a terrible racket on the alarm
question. The fight opened beauti:
fully between the Tyler and the Ar
kansas, a shot from the latter passing
lengthwise through her adversary,
causing a sudden turn for down the
river, and a fearful blowing of whistles
to let the vessels mooFed above Vieks-
burg know the monster was coming.
The iron-clad CarOndelet, a vessel
TAR more formidable and powerful
than the Arkansas, ran into a mud
fiat among the cottonwOods, hauled
down her cOlors, put out a white flag,
and gave up the fight, her crew scam
periug pell-mell into the lower hold
and out of sight. Captain Brown,
however, had no time to accept sur
renders, so gave tho black iron-clad
a broadside as he steamed past, aud
pushed on. Upon reaching the aSat
lying thick and close together a few
miles above Vicksburg,th Lancaster, a
ram with a brave captain, pushed out to
cut the Arkansas ram down. A we'll
aimed shot from the latter perforated
the boilers {" the ram and an explo-
sion followed, making her a wreck
and scattering her crew in the water.
Several huge vessels Of var fred
broadsides into the Arkansas as shs
passed, and her colors were three
shines cut down by cannon shot, only
60 be reset again by one OF her brave
creW-name not now recalled. gey.
eral Of the Federal feet Werc
among the best and mos
powerful in the navy; one, tn,
Oneida, sloop of war of2 heavy guns
and others of equal armament ais,
the renowned Benton, one Of the mos
dreaded Of the river feet, built b,
Captain james B. Eads, who con
structed several Of the best OF III
Federal war feet for river service
The Arkansas passed the whole, som
forty or more in number, cFestin