The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-06-09

gun was nreo rom the fort ccsil ootcS whole fleet was in position. Then the men opened fire with six or seven of the eleven guns. The frs, shot was fired from twenty-four-pounder. l; flew over the gun-boat Essex. missing her by only three or four feet, struck the water half a mile below. bounded like ball over an- other gunboat. and sank. a mile away. The next shot. from colurnbiad. missed the Essex by shave, and pumped into the river so close to the next n line as to throw water over her decks. After these two shots the guns were fired as fast as possible, and iu a brief time the range on both sides was excellent. While three out of every hve federal sho, cleared aic,ed such damages as the engineers could not have thought possible Banks of solid earth eight feet thick were blown away and dug out by the great shells, un- ,il they scarcely offered any defense. and the shells which exploded Tn the rear fur nished proof that there would have been 10 safety within the works for gar rison.
 The Essex and the C;acinAa,; were hi, at about the same time. and that within iive minutes after the fort opened ire. Then the guns were told of. and each selected its target The fort used solid shot altogether. and after the first excite ment the men fred coolly and deliber- a;ely. and cheered whenever their shot made hit. When the light had been going on for an hour. the Essex steamed
 n little closer. and delivered a shot --. * |. [~.. pounder. and tore away an iron splinter three feel long. and crushed one of the gunaers ;o pulp. The big gun was being :re6 d, the instant. and |, burs, wide open. anc killed q; wounded every man cf the crew.
 4, the same moment a So.i shot from he fort crashed into the slde oi the Es- sex. penetrated one of her be.lers. seaidcd number of men. killed Cap,ain For,cr's aid. and so disabled the eraf. tha, she foa;ed ou; the fight. She rc eised two more sho; whle drifting ou; oi range making over twenty received IF all.
 The tias.sh.p GIncinna: at one time approached ;o wi:h.a eis;o.- .ho. of the parape;s. bu: II wa> 4 position she could not maintain nse minutes. 'fwo c; ,he bis suas were devoted er;.Fe.y to he.. and she was struck a5oG, thirty times dllin the :; : h; While no: so seriously .n cred as te com pei her ;o abandon the ngh,. she Nas so badly knocked 10 pieces as 10 nceessi l'e sen9ing her or for repaifs l; 1T carly date ate. he capture of the togt.
 e:hers of the ifoa-clads were repeatedly struck. and more of jess dam -ed. and | was piain 70 see that had they took broAd- ssde positions. as a; Fort MeA...>.er and other po.a.s lsieI es. they would have been sent - ;hc bottom by the fire Q. the for. Iae affaoG 8as ia Il meAsate e<- persme.;-.. ..; east, these were pioneer ,Ion-eiacs. U !: needed | sh; ike ;his ..t;.3ar shessst. oe. lish;Ing bow ea. al shots were received !; an angle. and tac boa; was l sma.. target to Ire a;. The | .h; lasted aboC; two hours. and in ,his 5f,et ,lme the casualties IT the for; were s.ngu.arly numerous. The big twenty -four pounder was useless after d iound or two, and five men were disabled. Then came a federal shell. which struck another cannon far T the mouth and tore | o5ea ana Gssao.e IS c:ew. Then the mos: valuable sGu Jeff vas rendered useless 5y being accidentally spiked wl,h the pr.m- ing wire. This disaster was followed by the dl.nounung oi another gun. and be- fore the slsht ss..s oNei Lene;a. il.hman h.mse.i Was sc.inN .ts t,.e tap;ain ci 4 gun. De.ins the as; len u.!n.;es of he ngh; he had only men enough te work two guns. There were ,wo .; three guns no; nted at Al during the entire fight for want ot crews 10 work them .4s he great majority of artlllefs,s N ere fer ,ae nrsi ufae 2Hder hrc they naturally thrcv away d great deal of ammunition be,ore getting settled down - cool f.sht!n.
 The numerous disasters being behind tie parapeIs also served to unnerse them. bu, inc history oi the War IT ihgs couniy Gres no. furnish another instance Ike the defence of that for. Less ,han Iosy men. surrounded by land, opposed by iron c...ds ana morar-boa,s. receiving ,en saois where they could only arc one ,his ..i;.e band held ou; for two long hours unlcr ! tre which foote called terrible. .4na s-Icndered only when the crex Of :hc l.s: gun fell down exhausted. and were .ylng on the ground as the flag cAIne i.~ttenng down and .he surrender Was mace. 1.-the tune Gean, appeared. the riHef vas rising, the eoun,T, full oi backwa,er, and the roads lu horrible con- di,ion. he, for ihss latter fact egery,hinc in For; HenEy worth taking away could and would have been removed 10 Don aldson. The feder.,s captured sores of all kinds and a number ot valuable guns anc Inc number c; prisoners surrendered. o@,slde of ihe sick on the Hospital boa, was seyea,y-eight. The killed. wounslca ard mi>s:as i'll the fleet was seventy three. The surrender was made to foote. and Grant came n fof no share of "a . praise, although lat. he alked ln on the iort instead ot sIE.as :hs ice, chance. lis sEir!nish lnc would nave captured II in ten minutes. aad perk~4ps wl;,.ou; ,.se loss of d nan.
 The results were oi dsfee; beaea. Q both slces. The conie les4lez s..@ ,i-4t raed twenty. four r-poundefs were ma T for any federal gGE-oo4t then aT,eai. araE The ielefAis ai onee SC; 4Bog; sceer.a.