Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-03-29

must go down, he would not sheut
for. fear of letting those on shore
know that anyone had got off on such
an errand. ~ -
As daylight came with sdfncisnt
strength % enabIs the confsdersses to-
sight their guns they opened, fire on
The steamer. Anher crew except Two.
or three were sound asleep, and their
confusion and suprise may be imag-
ined. One of Shelby's men, now a
peaceful famer. in Missouri, told me
that the gun-boat had received six or
seven shots before the call to quar-
ters, and when the men rushed to
their guns not one of them was fully
dressed. Some were barefoot, some
hatless and scoatless, but each man
went to his station at the call and re-
NAMED there to the end.
HORRIBLE WORK.
From where Shelby's gums were
posted one could threw a biscuit on
board the Queen City. Every shell
went straight into her and some shot
went clean through her, and the n
filemen had every federal gunner right
under his eye. The gun-boat did not
have enough steam for the first ten
minutes to enable her to move, and
during this brief time she was hit
over thirty times by shot and shell,
and had at least thirty of her crew
shot down at their guns. 1t was
Shelby against a gun-boat, but he had
fearful advantage.
AS soon as steam was raised the
Queen City backed off to bring other
guns into position and to get out Of
rifle range, and now, for about a
quarter of an hour, the fightaawas full
of murder. Every gun on the Queen
City which would bear was worked as
rapidly as possible, and men who had
been wounded by the musketry fire
refused to leave their posts.
One would have said that Shelby s
guns would have been swept off the
bank in five minutes, but the fire Of
the gun-boat was too high in some
cases and too low in others, any many
of the shells burst soon after leaving
the guns. The sgun-boat was, how.
ever, securing more accurate range,
when it was discovered that she was
sinking. At the same moment hel
engines were disabled, and a shell
started a fire in the hold. The decks
were covered with dead and wounded
some of the guns useless, and fol
fear Of going to the bottom she wa!
run to the bank and surrounded.
Shelby was supposed by the gun
boat crew to be a man devoid of mer
cy or pity, and to escape falling int
his hand dozen men went overheard
and swan for the other bank. Tw'
we're drowned, two or three killed b,
bullets, and the remainder got int
the woods and made their escape
The number Of those who surrendered
was twenty-eight, and they were a
once paroled and sent to the neares
federal post under flag of truce. N
indignity was offered any white sol
dier, but when it came to the colore
fireman ana coal-passers they wer
, not recognized as having any militar
standing and were sent off into tn
interior to be held as slaves.
AS soon as the gun-boat surrender
: ed men were sent aboard to put or
, the fire, and when this had been az
! complised the work of stripping be
: began. Her heavy guns were spiked
her engines broken up so as to b
rendered useless. and her fixed an
munition thrown overheard. The
everything of any value to the col
federates vas hurried ashore. III
City had a large lot of qua
= termaster's stores aboard, and I'll
y uniforms were given out as fast ,
= landed. As a result of this fin,
:. some 500 confederates were soc
d transformed into wearers of the blu
> The paymaster of the gun-boat hs
lover 81, 900 IN his safe. When
saw that surrender was inevitable
Il slowed the money away on his pc
son, but as seon as the confederat
a discovered the empty condition
9 the safe they suspected where Il
/ money had gone to and soon gobbl'
- 1t. They secured a great many sm'
4 arms and other thing of value to SUI
Ia command, and when everythil
e had been taken from the boat she "
/ set ON fire and burned until 4
y flames reached her magazine, VIII
u she blew up with such violence th
/ the report was heard twelve miles d
o tant. ss r z.-5 s,.5s.-. & s-.. q
led 80 Il HoLDING ELS GROUND.
Shelby knew that the river was
great highway, on which federal gu
i boats and transports were constant
If passing, and he expecting every n