Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-05-06

! pilot ringing his signal bell to land
L ordered the firing cease. TIL
pilot, as he approached the bank
cried out: 81 will round at tn
lower landing" This was just un
der Browns section. Gen. Bufort
and myself repaired to the landing
When approaching, she hugged th'
bank as if to stop, but instead o
landing she raised steam and has
tened by us. [ ordered the batter
les to reopen. She, however, wa
SO close to US aud under the cover
of the bank, that our guns could no.
be sufficiently depressed to effect
serious damage until almost out o.
range. However, her chimney's
masthead and pilot-house were rid
died and knocked down, and she
fioated heplessly with the stream,
until under protection OF the Fed
eral gun boats. We subsequently
learned from our cavalry, which
followed her, that the pilot was
killed and several parties on board
seriously hurt, and that she was
toWed by a gun-boat to Paducah.
UNDlNE AND VENUS.
The transportation on the Ten
nessee seemed immense, and every
moment was full of excitement.
About 10 a. m. the Undine, or
No. So, belonging to what was COM
monty known as the 'Musquito
fleet" escorting the transport We
nus, with two barges attached came
in sight from above. They were
permitted to pass Crozier at the
mouth of Sandy, when both Crozier
and Earring opened vigorous fire
which was responded to with spirit
by the gun-boat. Earring advanced
his guns Shy hand to the front" !" fir
ing as the gun-boat receded with
the current. The Undine would
occasionally halt, and throwing her
broadside to the Confederates, send
her deadly shells crashing through
the trees and tearing up the earth.
Earring, quickly taking advantage
of the broadside position of the gun
boat, hurled rapidly his three-inch
shot, which drove through her with
telling effect, for soon white flag,
in the hands of a lady, was seen
from portfolio. Our firing
ceased for an instant, when the flag
was snached down. The firing was
Immediately resumed, and Bells
sharpshooters at once brought into
fired incessantly, with
vigorous effect. The COnfederates
proving too formidable, the Undine
dropped down behind the bend of
the river, out of range, but present
Iy coming under cover ofthe batter
les at Fort Heiman, she hesitated to
pass, and withdrew with the Venus
above and behind the bend of the
river, from which position she be
gan noisy shelling of the Paris
while repairing damages
in the hull and machinery, which
could be distinctly heard by Bells
sharpshooters.
1t was subsequently ascertained
that the white flag was raised by
the wife of the captain of the gun
boat, who had been killed, and was
down by the second officer
in command.
The men at Earrings guns having
a commanding position, fought con
for over an hour, and ad-
their pieces by hand for
nearly II mile. Although on a
chilling October day, with the sun
obscured by hanging clouds, the
men becoming exhausted from hard
physical effort, would drop for a
moment from their posts and crawl
10 the rivers edge to battle their
burning brOWs and quench their
thirst with the muddy water OF the
turbid stream. This was, certainly,
A remarkable contest, when we con-
slider the CONSERVATION and panic
produced amongst troops
upon the appearance of Federal
gun boats, and especially with those
lnaccustomed to gunboat warfare.
Lieut.. S. X. Watkins, the Artil-
cry Battalion Quartermaster, who
was an efficientartillery officer, vol
inferred his services with Barring's
section and rendered conspicuous
md effective service in this novel
charge with artillery. Orderly Ser
yeant Frank L. Reid, of Morton's
battery, whose place was with the
,aissons in protected situation,
vas, as usual, at the front and ever
'eady to assume any position
around the guns in which he could
)e most serViceable.
Meanwhile, l received an order
rom Gen. Buford to move one sec
ion of artillery from Paris Landing
loWn to the bend of the river and
opposite to where the gunboat I'm
line and transport Venus were
nchored and dislodge them or force
surrender.
Orderly Sergeant Reid was direc-
ed to hastily proceed down the
liver and carefully reconnOiter the
position where the Undine and We
Ius were lying. At this time, on
ooking up the river, / discovered
more game" in sight. A steam
'oat was seen approaching very
loWly and cautiously some two
niles away. / directed the guns to
,e withdrawn from the immediate |
liver front and the men to lie down.
he steamer, which proved to be
he
J.W. CHESSMAN,
pproaching slowly, in fact, at one
ime checking up as if to return.
he evidently apprehended danger. |
70 troops being observed on the |
hore, and possibly seeing the I'm
inc and Venus below, she was
to proceed on her way.
IS She passed Crozier vOlley from
is ten FOUNDER "Parrotts" crashed
Trough her cabins, causing the
reatest confusion and hustle on
oard. She hastened up her speed,
ut instantly, Earring ran his three
1ch "Rodmans" in position and
rove two shots through her from
tenn to stern. Other unerring shots