New-York tribune., 1885-03-01
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
A RIVER ENGAGEMENT.


-.sa. 80 on IN Shreveport worked the roh-
.laas tbrough the mud INTO water deep enough 10
float them. ., oil
Iordered the Eastport, the heaviest of them all.
down TO Alexandria, hut she had not proooeu'u
more than two miles ON her way to thae p's'o
when shs encountered sankcn torpeao "' i'''' "
large hole knocked in her bottom.
There was no time to he lost. Inc fasCpofO ""'
,aro,nd With her hold full of water. went 10
Alexandria where had left TWO s'ohih0,' "'
with steam pumps to fish up snnkeh Vesse's' ,
I ,bree bours after I returned with them the
Vo.,rort was aGoat, the two steamers towing her
down the river. and pumping her out at the same
time ,h.
The Fastuort was ram which had been ofoug"S
mn the Red River especially to contest 'he pohC %
strenoth with Confederate ram at shreVcpoi" '"O
those extravagant people after spenuihs ''""'
thonsands to build powerful vessel. blew her up
on yur approach, and left themselves only ~o ,o
midable ram to which have elsewhere a''uue' Do
having knoc ked the bulls tail 0nt oy the roots'
When returned from AlexandriaGen FRANK
r., o.,ne On hoard. and said to ME: Has General
Ranks told you of his intention to fall back Oh
Alexandriaf Orders have been quietly issued lor
the army to move this afternoon"
EAnd what ia to become of all these transports Y
Isaid .Thev don't belong to me- have alreaoy
escorted them six hundred miles and they nave not
been particle OF USE -,
aIdon.t know" replied Franklin, I thought
would tell you what was on foot so that you
wouldn't be taken by surprise"
went straight to General Banks ana wlthouo
giving nv authority informed him of what had
heard but the General told me ne wouio ho' ino'o
for some time to come.
Nevertheless started all the transports for Alex
ondria under convoy of the feet keeping four small
vessels with me.
That night the Army moved Of, and at daylight
not tent was to be seen!
The Confederates with extraordinary energy had
got all right again. They didn't stay defeated long.
They rigged up the guns they had captured from
Us with horses taken from eur wagons, ana WIN
fresh forces on after us Ike aswarm OF horhets
whose nest has been disturbed.
I renamed at Grand Ecore until had gathered
mn some provisions and guns which the army had
left behind, and then started after the Eastp 1T
which was going slowly down the river in tow OF
tho two pump boats 70 recount the trouble we
hal with this vessel would be too tedious. She
would sink and we would pump her out and get her
aAoat again. but at last she stuck hard and fast IN
a bed of logs. and as there was nothing more to be
dome we blew her up with fifty barrels of powder
after reno, ing from her every article OF value
so careful were the two pyrotechnlsts In charse
of the explosion-Captain Phelps and myself-to see
near going up with the vessel Phelps was i'll boat
near the bow and was in a boat but very short
distance oil. and great pieces of the hull fell all
around us.
The Confederates who had been constantly
watching our movements and waiting their chance.
had now assembled near this point some twelve
hundred men, aud took the opportunity to pay their
compliments to as.
The other small gunboats were lying at the bank
near by not suspecng attack, but still prepared
for one as was always the rule.
The Confederates discharged theirrifle and made
a rush to carry the vessels by boarding, but met
with such a warm reception that they were glad to
retreat.
The sailors folio ~ ed them into the woods and sue
ceeded IN capturing non-commissioned ohcer who
gave us all the information we wanted Tor a good
mess of PORK and beans This information auickened
our movement down the river. and we lost all ap-
probation of the scenery, so intent were we upon
getting to Alexandria.
It seems that the Confederates having failed to
make any impression on the troops under Franklin.
had determined to fall back on the river. and If
possible capture usand that force of three thous
and men under General Dick Taylor, with nineteen
puus was already posted ut point on the river be
low us-and our prisoner expressed 1t would give
ass Glory Hallelajah" when we got there! The
rebs in this quarter were a ssucy and independent
set of fellows and the prospect of punishment didn't
seem to make them bit more respectful.
/ rather admired them for their independent
sprit-they were foemen worthy of our Steel and
can be relied OH to defend our country if necessary,
against the world combined. Their valor was equal
10 that of the Northern soldiers and their endurance
think greater. Had they been people Of any other
nation our troops would have walked over them
without much difficulty.
When we left Grand Ecore about five hundred
negroes of both sexes, and all ages took passage
with u.s. anxious to reach the land of freedom"
When the Eastport was blown up put them on
board the two pump boats, thinking that would be
the safest place for them in we were attacked,
for presumed the gunners would devote them
selves to sinking the tn-clads" for so our light
draught gunboats were called, having but oneeighth
of an inch of iron their thin wooden sides.
never supposed the Confedcrates would fire at these
helpless negroes, but one never knows
We went along at moderate pace to kept within
supporting distance of each other / was sitting
on the upper deck reading, with one eye on the
book ard the other on the bushes, when saw mems
heads and sang out to the commanding officer. Cor
ringe: Give those fellows in the bushes twO-sec-
ond she'll" A moment after tho shell burst in the
midst of the people on the bank.
@Giye them another DOSE" said, when to my as
tonishment there came on board shower of pro
ectiles that fairly made the little Cricket stagger
Nineteen shells burst on board vessel at the
first volley-it was the nineteen gun battery of
which our prisoner had told us.
We were going along at this time about six knots
an hour and before we could fire another gun we
were right under the battery aud. turning the point
presented the Crekets stern to the enemy.
They gave us nine shells when VIC were not more
than twenty yards distant from the bank, all of
which burst inside Of us. and as tho vessels stern
was presented they poured in ten shots. which
raked us fore and att Then came the roar Of three
thousand muskets which seemed to strike every