Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-14
Mel. ALIENS Report.

As we approached Ashland felryboat,
containing, as we believed, from fifty to 100 men,
and started toward us. The appearance of this
boat at the place where we had been warned II
would appexr, seemed to confirm in every par
ticular the threats OF the mob at Catlettsburg,
and the troops knew or believed, that trouble was
imminent We also believed that. since the state
ments OF the mob mad besn SO true in every other
particular. the ferryboat he'd on 1t somewhere
pieces Of artillery enough none eouId be seenl' as
this the gunner of our artillery was directed o
constantly eoSer the fetryboat with his piece but
not to fire until l gave him the order. Orders
were also given to the captains of the different
companies that when the command fire" was
given to direct their fire at the ferryboat as did
other source
The ferryboat steamed up the river, whistled a
signal for us to stop, which we did not heed, and
commenced siding toward us. AS the ferTybOat
left the landing the sheriff of Boyd county in
structed me to use my best Judgement about fir
ing, and 10 commence whenever l thought it nee
essary- When the terrybnat reached point nearly
opposite or little below the gangway OF our
boat a shot was fred from the direction of the
ferryboat toward u.s. followed imme diately by a
numeer OF other shots in quick succession, wound
ing one or two OF our men, one of them UNI
mer standing within a few feet of me.
Believing then that there was no law OF God or
man to Justify me in compelling my men to stand
as targets for lawless to shoot at without re-
turning their fire, and that we had already avoided
difficulty Until it almost seemed that we were
the law-breakers and not the mob, l gave the or
der to fire, and Immediately a deadly volley was
poured from our boat into the ferryboat. several
VolleyS followed in quick succession, and then
gave the order to cease firing believing The ferry
boat 10 be completely disab ed. 1t took me sew
eral minutes to convey this order from one end of
the boat to the other, and from one deck 10 an
other: AS soon as the order reached the different
captains they ilenced the guns of their soldiers.
suppose 1t was i've minutes from the time thu
ferryDoat opened fire on us tn the moment when
all firing ceased on our boat. If the order TO
firing could have been heard by every company at
the same time, the engagement would not have
lasted over three minutes; but ewing to the
length OF the boat, and the fact that the men
were posted in the trout and rear of all three
took perhaps two minutes to pass the order over
straight down the river at her usual speed We
did not rotnd to the ferry or stop to fight we
simply desired to pass the place as soon as posi-
bic and to get away with our prisoners. A large
crowd had foolishly gathered on the bank of the
opened fire on us, Immediately in range of our
bullets, ii any should miss the ierryboat We had
that crowd was composed largely of the mob
which came down from CatlettsbuTg on the tr in
a few minutes before arrived; but, notwiths
standing that, not single com pany on board our
boat directed its fire at the people on the bank.
before the engagement that the fire should be
directed at the ferryboat; it was repeated by the
captains to their companies, and. so far as know,
and as each captain reports to me- that order was
strictly cbeyeds
People on the bank were iiuiofturete1y within
fer yboat and TO that fact alone must be attrib-
ed the sad results which followed the conflict.
When the ferIyboat reached point opposite the
middle of our boat. as the Granite State had SO
much more length than the ferryboat, the soldiers
In the PROV of our boat as well as those in the
rear, were compelled 70 shoot diagonally at the
ferry. Besides. this. the soldiers posted on the
lower deck of our beat in shooting ct the pilot OF
the ferry, necessarily elevated their pieces,
in wow VI these circumstances, with 2UO I1IieZ-
perienced marksmen shooting at the ferry, with
our boat running down stream at the rate of eight
or ten miles hour, and the ferry moving up
strean much it is to be regretted 1t IS not sur
pfisinF that great number OF shots directed at
the ferry should have missed their man aud car
Iied death into the crowd on the shore. or rico
eheted on, the. water and thus reached them, or
that number OF the balls of the soldiers on the
lower deck of the Granite State, who were shoot
ing at the pilot OF the ferry, should nave passed
over the piloIhouse aud gone into the town on the
hill back of the ferry.
desire; and through me every soldier in the
battalion DESIRES to express the sincerest regret
and deepest grief that any innocent man or wo-
man should have suffered from our action, and to
deplore the fatal necessity which compelled us to
take such deadly measures; but we EEL that the
conflict was forced upon US, and ths the respon-
sibility for the blood of innocent people which
was she'd ust rest Upon the vielators of the law,
and not Upon us:
In conclusion, desire in this official manner to
report to YOU that more QUIET, orderly or better
behaved set of soldiers we're ever gathered into
one battalion; that not a single case OF drunken
ness occurred on the whole trip, and but one OF
neglect of duty, which YVES prom pity punished.