Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-24
The Recoil iron. vicksburr.


The position now occupied by the COM
bined fleets OF Farrsgut and Davis was from
three 10 four miles below the mouth of the
Yszoo river, near the neck of the long tongue
of land opposite Vicksburg. The armed
vessels were anchored on the east side, the
transports tied up 10 the opposite bank. Ii
was known that up the Yazoo was an iron
clad ram, similar 10 one that had been build
ing at Memphis when the capture of that
| city led to its destruction. The one now in
the Yaz0o, called the Arkansas, had been
| taken away barely in time 10 escape the same
| fate, and, being yet unfinished, had been
| towed to her present position. Sue was
about $50 feet long by thirty feet beam, Of
from 800 20 1000 tons burden, with a case
male resembling that OF other river IRON
| Glade, excepting that the ends only were TO-
| cined, the sides being in continuation OF the
| sides OF the vessel. The deck carrying the
| guns was about six feet ab0ue wafer. The
armor was of railroad iron Govetailed to-
| gether, the rails stunning up and down on the
| Inclined ends and horizontally along the
sides. The iron thus arranged formed nesriy
| a solid mass, about three inches thick, heavily
| backed with timber; and in the easement be
| tween the ports there was a further backing
| of compressed cotton bales firmly braced.
The cotton was covered within by light
sheathing of wood, as guard against FIRE.
, Her battery of ten guns was disposed as fol-
| lowe: In the bow, Two heavy eight-inch
| C lumbi ads; in the stern, two finch rifles !;
aud in broadside two 6.4-inch rifles, Two
| thirty-iwo FOUNDER smooth bores and two
nine-inch Dshlgrep shsll-guns. The hull
| proper was light and poorly built. She had
| twin screws, but the engines were too light
and were moreover badly constructed, and
therefore continually breaking down. Owing
| to this defect, she sometimes went on shore,
and the commanding officer could not feel
cure Of her obeying his will at any mo-
ment. Besides her battery she had formi-
dable ram under water. She WAS at this
time commanded by Comm snder Isaac N.
Brown, formerly of the United States Navy,
| and had complement Of trained officers.
Notwithstanding the reports of her power,
but little apprehension had been felt IN the
Union feet, but still 4 reconnaissance was
| ordered for the 18th of July. The vessels
| sent were the Carondelei, Comm ander Wake,
the Tyler, Lieut. Commauder Gwin, and the
Queen of the West of the ram feet; they
carried with them number Of sharpshoot-
ers from the army.
The Yszoo having been entered early in
| the morning, the Arkansas was met uuex-
pectedly about six miles from the mouth
Al this time the ram and The Tyler were over
| a mile ahead of the CArondelet, the Tyler
| leading. The latter, having no prov and
being unsrmored, WAS wholly unfit to con
tend with the approaching enemy; she there
| fore retreated down stream toward the Csron-
delet.
The latter also turnsd and began a run
| ming fight down stream. The move was not
| judiciou., for she thus exposed her weakest
| part, the nnarmored stern. 10 he fire of the
esfmy, and directed her own weakest battery,
| two thirty-lwo FOUNDERS, against him. Be-
| sides, when two vessels are approaching on
| parallel C. urses, the one that W shes to avoid
the ram may perhaps do 60 by movement
l of the helm, ss the Pensacola svo. dee the
| Manassas al the forts; bat when the slower
ship, as the Carendelet was, has prese nted
her stern to the enemy, she has thrown up
the game, barring some fortunate accideni.
| The aggregate weight OF metal discharged by
| each iToncsd from all It's guns was nesrly
the same, but the Arkansas hsd decided
/ advantage in penetrstiye power by her four
ga inch rifles. Her sides, aud proosoly her
bow, were decidedly stronger than tho OF
her opponent; but Whstevsr the relative ad-
vsntsges or Disadvantage under other cir
cumstancea, the Czrondelet bad now 10 fight
her light with two thirty wo-poundsrs, opposed
to two eight-inch sheli-gunE, throTiug shell
Of fiity-thrse pounds and solid shot OF sixty.
four, ard with her unsrmored stern opposed
to the srmored bow Of the ram. The Tyler
toek and kept her place on the port bos Of
the Csroudelet; as for the Queen of the West
enc had fed out of sight. "We had an ex
ceedingly good thing" wrote one OF the Ar
kapsss's officer; and for lobg time, Wake
report says one n0ur, they kept L. During
that lime. however, sh0t entered the pilot
house, injuring Comm ander Brown, mortslly
1 rllnf and HING nar
The loss 81 the latter, who was PHO; for tbs
4 Yszoo, was seriously felt as the Arkansas
came up and The order was given to ram
for the CsTondelet WISE huggiDg me lief, bang
| and es the enemy was drawing thirteen feet
the water was dangerously shoal. She &C
cordingly abandoned the attempt and sheeret
| of, passing so Close thar, from the decks c
the Tyler, the two seemed 10 touch. Bot
cred their brosdsides in passing.
After this moment the accounts are not 4
be reconciled. Capt. Wake, CT the c ron
delet, says that he continued the, scliol
brosdside to breadsids for some minutes, til
the Arkansss drew shesd, and then fsllowef
her with his bow guns until, bis wheel-Tope
being cut, he ran into the bank, while th
| ram continued down the river with her color
shot away. The eolors Of the Czropdslet, b
sayp, waved uDdlsturbed throughout III
4 ghf. On The other hand, Cap. Bow, c
the Arkansas, states explicitly that iher
were no colors flying on the Csrondelet, lhs
all opposition 10 mis- fire had ceased, an
wSs not resumed ss the ram pursusd IN
other vessels; The Arkafsas's hag-staif Wa
shot sway. The loss Of the Csrondelet w..
four killed and six weucded; that Of the Al
kansas cannot well be separated from he
casualties during the came day, but seems {
have been confined to The pilot and one othe
nam killed.
The ram now followed he Tyler, whic
had kept up her fire and remained wit hi