The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-06-30
FIELD. FORT AND FLEET.
The F,eh, Before Memphis The Con
:-4erate Fleet Wiped Out.
u. auad. N Dcsroi. Free Press

.-4era,e Fleet Wiped Out.
u 9uad IN Detroit Free Press.
After The evacuation OF Fou Pillow BY
the corfederates there was nothing 20
preyen, he federal riee; steaming down
70 the civ. Then the only defense which
Memphis could make was with her fleet
Of eight sun-boais and rams. The total
number Of guns was eighteen. The fed
eral feet consisted of five gun boats, car
wing over 100 guns. several mortar boats
and a feet Of rams. The mortar boats
took no part in the action, but remained
A, anchor above the city.
Commodore Montgomery was in COM
mand Of the confederate fleet. He knew
exactly he strength Of the federals. and he
could not have been eensured mad he
taken BIS vessels OF down inc river With
cut frng a gun. When /; WAS known
,ha; the ,e#.eral lee; W4s approaching lt
Was generally supposed thai Montgomery
would X Cd, q the My, saving hls
boats u nh; Under more favorable 81
eumsIanees \, .oanel, at Officers
called ..4sasd Of his fias-shlp Al dusk.
captains who expected . receive lnstIae-
lions u regard = pis5ia. her vessel,
beyond TIE reach OF he bik see' were
astonished 10 hear the commodore say:
= Gentlemen. We shall remain here and
tight them,
His re- slessness IN exposing the flee,
10 certain destruction has been severely
censured. Any two OF the federal IRON
ela6s were a match for the eight conied
crates.
The federal fleet came down So near
Memphis that their anchor lights were in
view all n ght long. General Jeff Thomp-
son. in command of the city. had far less
faith than Commodore Montgomery, and
all night long he was busy sending away
troops and stores. If the federals were
driven back he could return his forces !:
If the confederate fleet was annlhl-
lated he would have nothing to do but
ride away from Memphis 10 a place of
safety
After lie council broke up The officers
retired 10 their respective vessels and be.
gan preparations for the coming hght
The ma -h.ney and ether points Of the
boats were given additional protection.
the sick sent ashore, a number of new
men taken aboard, and they waited for
the morning. The order Was 10 attack
As soon as the federal fleet appeared, and
10 attack in any manner that promised
success. l. has been assertc ,hat i tel
esraH from the confederate secretary of
the navy MAS received IN the evening
ordering the commodore 10 steam down
the river and save his fleet. but II So the
dispatch was poeke.ed and preparations
continued.
Every vessel in the federal fleet was liz
perfec, readiness. and there was nothing
10 do bu. 20 wait for d.vbreak The
presence Of the confederate fleet al Mem
phs was known. but II was the general
impression that i, would sail away during
the night.
AT al early morning hour. Just as the
crews were being piped 10 breakfast the
flee, began moving down. The ,evees
were deserted and the city asleep. No,
battery could be sighted and no, gun
roared defiance. The foremost vessel
had passed the centre OF the city before
anyone Caught sight OF Montgomery's
little fleet over in the bend on the Arkan-
saw shore. 1t was there. and its pres
ence mean, fight. The leading federal
vessels. therefore, turned about and
started back up stream. with the two-fold
object OF allowing the men 10 finish their
meal and 10 draw the eonfederates ou,
into the river
II has been written that the confeder-
ates construed this movement into a sign
of running away. Commodore Mont
gomery was not so simple as that He
gave the signal TO advance, because so
long as has fleet could fight bows on to
the current he would have the advantage
The first gun of the night Was fred by
the Little Rebel. She VAS then n far
range of the Cairo, but the sho, lies far
above her and landed near the shore
The Cairo yawed and returned the COM
pliment sish four or I'VE shots. none 81
which took effect. The federal flee, now
prepared iar action, and hundreds u cg-
lzens begac cToSdng The river bans -
witness VIVA. none Of them had ever seen
before. lac Little Rebel steamed ahead
firing rapidly. and grazing the Cairo
twice. BIZ n the course Of fifteen minutes
she WAS s;suck four times. had three or
four men killed and several wounded
and another shot 30 disabled her that she
was deserted b her crew one of the
shot she received passed entirely through
her. cutting beams IN two, and making
match-Wood OF heavy oak plaaks. No,
one of he- sho; struck federal vessel.
The confederate gIa-5oa; iercll moved
up 70 engage the Carondeie, bl; had =
sheer OF; u he course OF federal r.rn
and engage siIh the Benton. The frs
few shots and both SIDES we're was;ea.
Then tie I4a:oa gas h.t three INES ran
ming. T.. without damage. and ne 81
return pa f14r shots INTO tae Owe.
every one ehsch -oan.ei w. terrible
effect. Tse Lascf ha4 two guns ne
Benton ,Ee.se Ct fourteen. ard ne nor
der Is tsat lie former n-as 19t 5's~n Ga.
OF the vsss. n I've r. alass 10. oa.y
did the Be1.5n open on her. b1t tao or
three oiheT federal craft as weii, bu1 she
kept her pace and hung On 9TH! she sss
reported 70 % SINKING. / SOLID she. had
bored hole through her d; ine water
line large enough for man 70 crawl in.
and the water gushed n so fast that she
Was seftliny down when the first cry was