The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-11-10
FAMOUS CONFEDERATE BAT
 FIERY.

N. Quad, in peHoti Free Press.
 4 Mlssissippian who has in his posses
 on many confederate documents ol
 req; interest, forwards the following of-
 .ial report of the hght of the ram Ark
 .nsaw when she came out of the iazoo r.vei:
 NIs S>BrRG, July Is. 1872. We engaged to-day from to a. m. s,th enemy's fleet above Nicksburg. con- sssiing of four or more iron-eloud vessels and two heavy sloops- of-war, and four egn-boats and seven or eight rams. We srove an iron-clad ashore with colors town and disabled. blew up a ram. burned sne vessel, and damaged several others. eur smoke stack was so shot to pieces hat we lost steam and could not use our .essel as A ram.
 We were otherwise cut up ts we en- gagged at close quarters.
 Loss. ten killed and ntieen wounded hers with slight wounds.
 Signed ISAAC \. BRnNN. Lieut. Commander The Arkansaw Is an iron-clad vessel q 100 tons, and was built Il; Memphis, bi, was removed from that point in an unfinished condition. previous to the eyacuation by our troops. She has since oeen completed in the Yazoo river
 John Mc' l,uaide, of Nicksburg. thus de ,cnbes the gallant conduct Tn acton of ., iApous confederate battery. l, was in ne first days fight before Nashville. Ioman's Nicksburg battery had been l eap,ured. and the fesierals. three columns
 ceep, were pouring into the confederate
 so'ks. MeQuaide continues
 Il this criucal stage of affairs, Boun-
 eaaud had the presence of mind to order . ,? his horses from the rear. and that, too,
 .nder the mos, ,errihc fire. By this time our infantry were flying in all directions. and the fcderals were throwing them elves against Bounchaud and Darden in overwhelming force. and had already come over our works to the Jeff oi these two batteries they then swept down upon he batteries, capturing Darden's guns. oat Bounchaud. lion-hearted and undis- mayed, had hmbered up and was reur-
 ng despite them. Under ihis most ter me, and probably hottest iire that any command ever came under. he retired by xhat is known to field ar,illers,s as sec iioks or half battery. fighting mos, des- perately, and hurling death and desIuc- tion into the advancing columns of the federals, and thus unaided and unsup- ported Bounchaud and his battery single handed and alone on an open field. with out protection or shelter, checked and held back the whole of General Thomas right. Our infantry, as have stated. were flying in all directions. and there Nas not as much as single company to so to Bounchaud's assistance. Generals. colonels and captains were cursing and pleading, aye, even crying in vain to our sylng infantry to halt, form and rally on that battery. Generals and officers would cry shame, shame :" Look a, those brave Artillerymen, see how calmly the drivers sit on their horses under tha, awful fire :: Tor God sake rally or all IS lost.' The great Loring Is one of the generals who sas heard 10 utter such words, and 1t sas one of his regiments. the gallant lit- lie Twenty-second Mississippi. that went 10 Bounchaud's assistance. This timely assistance enabled him to get his battery lnder cover behind stone wall. The sederals, however, had suffered so much and so heavily from Bounchaud's devas- iating and de1dly fire, and night coming on, they discontinued their attack, and made no further demonstrations upon our ines until the next day. Captain Bouu- :haud and his ieinte Coupee battery un- aoubiedly saved General Hoods army rom being overwhelmingly routed in the hrst days fight in front of Nashville. I hA zrd who was an eyewitness 10 the clrcum- stances related by me. can vouch for the correctness of same. Bounchaud was me only captain in our battalion that night who had cannon Jeff he had all his uninlured and intact. Bu, his brave ltsle French Poin,e Coupee boys, many had poured out their blood and given their lives for the glory and honor of Louisiana On the next day his position sas again most herceiy assailed, but the attacks upon him from in front, though most desperate, were in every instance dssastrously repulsed Late in the after noon Hoods lines gave way on the ex- neme left, and the fedeSals, breaking over the works, came down on Bounchaud' s hattezy's Jeff flank and rear. Our in- iantry, and the whole army, in fact, were ieaving the field and retreating. Boun- chaud had exhausted all Of his ammuni- ton, and there was nothing he could do mose, but to save what few of his gallant Command that had been left him. He said: Men, we can do no more There $ no use remaining here to be shot down og captured" and they went ont of that heal, as 1t were, leaving the ground or plain in front of where their guns had stood that day absolutely black with the