The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-10-26

and was under command of Maj. Gen. w. B.
Franklin. It consisted of land force Of
1000 men and four gunboats in charge of
Lieut.. Frederick Croker. The gunboats
were the Arizona, Capt Tibbets; the Cliff
ton, the Sachem and Granite City. The
Arizona led the way. Immediately follow
ing her was transport conveying portion
of the land force. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel
was on board the transport with his staff.
Gen. Franklin and Lieut.. Crocker planned
their attack for daybreak, Sept. 8.
Contrary to expectations, however, the
Confederate fort was able to make spirited
resistance. It contained eight guns and q
garrison of 200 men, well armed, under COM
mand Of, Capt F. a., Qdlnm. With, shis
| force Capt Odlum managed to capture two
Of the gunboats, with the commander of the
| feet cripple another of the vessels and
secure 200 prisoners, and drive the whole ex-
petition of 1000 men back to New Orleans.
A United States blockading vessel was
usually stationed in the mouth of the harbor.
Guided by her light, in the darkness of the
night of Sept. Z, the fleet was to enter the
harbor of the town and make the attack. Up
the pass it steamed, therefore, hour after
hour, keeping a lookout for the light of the
blockader. But no light appeared and at 8
o'clock, Sept. 8, the fleet hove to and dis
covered that it had long since passed
the point where the attack was to
to be made. There was no blockading vessel
there. 1t was away on a cruise. By the
time the fleet had steamed back it would be
too late to make the attack.
Nothing was therefore attempted, except
that some shots from the Clifton were fred
into the fort early in the forenoon. No reply
to this was made: The water was very low,
= 1txy<I
gunboats and the transports were able to get
over the bar. The transport anchored about
two miles away from the fort.
Thus, for the most of the day, Sept. 5, the
whole fleet and transports remained in full
sight of the town and fort, giving the Con-
them. Late in the afternoon the Sachem,
Arizona and Clifton steamed up abreast Of
the fort and opened fire. Itwas not supposed
there would be much opposition. To the sur
prise of those on board of the Union gum
boats, however, a great sheet of flame burst
sound. The fort was replying with tremen-
dous fire from eight guns on the three light
armored boats.
The boilers of both the Clifton and the
Sachem were pierced with shot Steam poured
forth, enveloping both in fog. The Sachem
around fast aground She lowered her flag
in token of surrender
The Clifton came next, moving swiftly for
ward under full head of steam. On board Of
her was detachment of sharpshooters. The
Clifton ran close up under the guns of the
to give the sharpshooters opportunity to pick
of the Confederate gunners who were doing
such destructive work.
As she approached the fort, under full
steam, the Clifton struck hard aground and
swayed around broadside to the fort She
E,,.,, t,<vwv
ever, when suddenly shot passed clean
through her boilers also, and all was over
with the Clifton. She raised white flag,
and the Clifton and the Sachem were at once
taken possession of by the Confederates.
The Granite City had remained behind to
not in the fight There was, therefore, only
the Arizona now left. The channel was SO
narrow close to the forts that there was no
room for her to pass the Sachem, which lay
directly in the channel. The Arizona there
fore backed down stream and away from the
fight. At length she too grounded the third
and last but one of the gunooats accompany
ing that ill starred expedition to Sabine Pass.
The ebb tide caught the bows of the Ari-
zona and twisted her about till she lay di-
rectly across the channel. There was thus
no opportunity for the Granite state 70 come
The officers and crews of the Clifton and
Sacbem were taken prisoners; SO was Lieut..
Croker, commanding the fleet. On board
both boats were sharpshooters. These, too,
were captured A few men from the Clifton
escaped down the beach and were taken off
by the fleet With the rising of the tide in
the night, the Arizona got off and rejoined
the fleet.
The fort still might have been taken by the
land forces There were 1900 men against
zoo inside the works. But no attempt was
made against the Confederate garrison by
Gems Wetzel and Franklin. There was no
attempt made to land the troops.
The naval force of the expedition was Grip
pied. The land force moved silently out Of
,he bay that night and returned t. New Or
cans