The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-28
AN EXPLOSIVE CONVOY
UPS AND DOWNS ON BOARD A MlSSlS-
SIPPl POWDER TRANSPORT.
Pspaered by Four-Gun Battery on Shore
Within an Inch of Kingdom Come
Capabilities or an Internal
Machines" Platoon"

Capabilities OF an "inferaai
Machines" Platoon"
Pearson in Philadelphia Timesl
We started for Nicksburr in company
with the Jacob StraieT, the largest steam
boat on the lower river. The STader was
burtheEad with thousands OF tons Of powde"
and fixed ammunition for the army. To-
gether we formed, perhaps, the most expio-
s.va convoy that ever sailed tae Mississippi
The holds were crammsl with powder and
percussion sho!l; powder was piled on the
main decks aft the furnaces and covered
with tarpaulini to keep out the spark
Lower and upper guards AM cabins were
stacked with cartridges for small arms.
As we glilei down stream Capt Birch
called me to the upper deck and INTRODUCED
mo to the queerost looking internal ma
chine we had yet encountered. Belligeront
cranlls were constantly bringing to the naval
authorities some new invention for destruc-
ton Of the human species "to be triol7 As
Tor four years the Confederate states furn-
i,hal subjects for these experiments, they
should be entitled to bill in equity against
tie inventors for q share of the profits
This thing placed in charge Of Capt Birch
was @ sort Of infantry platoon on wheels-a
rank of rifle barrels ranged parallel and
mounted like boat howitzer By porous
sion the whole platoon was simultaneously
discharged in zone time and one motion"
Birch told me he had reason to fear that the
Coufeierates were aware Of the coming Of
our convoy and that somewhere on the
route to Vicksburs they might UayIsy Us
and try to blow US up. In case opportunity
offered ne wished ms to take charge Of the
"infernal machine and report upon its caDa-
bilitios. We charged the platoon" and
blazod away over the river a few times TO
get elevation and range; then loaded and
left it ready for emergency.
Next morning about Z o'clock, as we were
steaming down the river, had Just rolled
over for another snooza, when I was aroused
by crash through tle sides of the ship,
together with a rafting report of light artil-
iery. In moment came a kick at ny door,
with the words: "Hallool Get up. We're
in e fight bounced out, and being ready
harnessed, excepting coat and boots, ran for
the hurricane deck AMI internal machine
We were passing through "CyrrosS Bend,
and things around looked interesting.
On shor9, abreast the narrowast Of the
channel, was four-gun battery Of fell
pieces, manned by about 300 Confeierates,
all peppering away ike fourth of July
About 100 yards ahead was the Strader
She had been the target Of the first volley
and escaped damage. The Gen. Lyon came
next, and here the enemy had better luck,
putting all four Of the shot Of their second
volley through us. II is scarcely necessary
to mention that our cargo was uuscathei.
Had any part OF it been struck $&S chapter
would have teen writtea by somebody else.
Next after the Lyon came the transport
New Kentucky, loaded with troops and
nulas. The third round Of the battery blew
her up. She drftei AMI lodged upon a sand
bar and lay there helpe s, enveIopet in &
cloud Of steam, Wills the battery poured
shot into her as fast Us the gun, could be
served. The men not busy with the field
pieces amused themselves with small arms
Many were parched in tae small trees astral
die Of the limbs, wheuc5 they kept IN a
lively shower OF 5ucSShot and little bullets
But they fired too high.
Alongside our lee was the gunb)at Signal
Capt. Birch suggested that she engage the
battery and rescue the di;abled transport,
which was being roughly treated. The con-
mandar Of the Signal o1iecteI that, being a
"tin-clad, he coull not 50 within range
without endaagering his own boilers.
If you won't DO it, sail B.rch, then, by
G., will!'
We rounded 10 and went for the battery.
The long thirty-two FOUNDER On the fore
ga lie was in charge of an old man-of-wars.
man and gunner, Acting Ensign John
Powell As we uearei the Confederates be
sent q shell which struck in the river bank
beueath them Another quickly followed
and burst in the midst of the convocatior
around TIE guns. 1t caused a Settlement
and they began to timber up,
Meanwhile the 'infernal machine" WIS
tested. Aimed into the tree tops, it fired q
whole platoon. had squatted down behind
il to aim, and intent on the effect Of the dis
charge, forgot to keep clear Of the recon.
| picked myself up with a sore head, fol
which l was compensated by witnessing the
| comical style in which the occupants of the
| tree tops tumbled out. 1t reminded me Of
old-time black bird shooting. The platoon
| was again got into line Of battle and fired
another blizzard with good effect, while thC
old thirty-two FOUNDER put in some more
notices to quit, so persuasive that our foe;
were soon in full retreat across the bend,
affectionately followed by our kind adieux
so long as we could see them
| The steamer New Kentucky was RESCUED
and taken in tow. It then bshooveIus t,
hasten on and pass the other sido of the benz
before the battery reached it to intercept Us
Since we had force enough it would, per
| hapj, have been better and safer to hav,
| 4 nd lo to RIG
| their bad Workmanship again. Forum
ately we got ahead of them and escaped ,
repetition of their attentions.
One of the party OF ho5tiles was subse
| quently captured, and from him we learneC
that the shell 50 appositely planted among
them from the Lyon killed and wounded six
teen men of the battery. To how much
credit the internal machine was entitled il
uncertain. Judging by the informal energy
with which it kicked over its engineer il
| ought to have slaughtered all there was left
Our loss was tritiing. our escape Eiracu
| lOus. OF the shots which struck the Lyoi
two passed through the hues close in front
the others just behind her boilers. Ont
! actually knocked off the button Of the steam
| gauge. A divergence of one inch, eithe
way, would have been destruction ID the en-
tire convoy. 1t seemed as if Providence ha
| purposed an example Of upon what slende
threads hang everlasting things" The los
of those cargoes OF ammunition might hav
materially changed results at Vicksburg
Had our assailauts succeeded in blowing u
up it would have been rich joke on them
selves We were not thirty yards distan
when they struck us, and had we gone off
there would not have been a grease spot lef
| of them.
Ben Butler has done q great good il
the Tewkesbury Almshouse, but his worl
will not be complete till he orders a goo
supply of DR.. Bulls Cough Syrup, tn
peoples remedy.