The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-08-30


and that the last named was soon released,
while the other two remained long in eaptiV-
ity-a fact which raised unpleasant suspi-
cions at the time. As the two have published
a very readable popular book giving their
experience, we give here the account Of Mr..
Colburn as written to The World:
It was near 10 o'clock Of beautiful moon
light night when we cast loose at Milhken's
Bend, and our little tug snorted down the
river, accompanied by the transport A. B.
Hine. We quietly chatted awhile and fin
ished a solitary bottle of dry catawba which
some good friends had sent on board for our
comfort. We had as a squad fifteen sharp
shooters from the Forty seventh Ohio, under
Capt. Ward, Surgeon Davidson, the tugs
crew of eight, four persons on their way to
join their regiments, and our party of three
all volunteers. should here mention as IL
Illustrating the temper of that army, that
when fourteen volunteers were called for
the whole regiment stepped forward Com
pany A was selected, and still there was
squabble to 60 Fourteen were then marked
OFF; a fifteenth begged permission of the coll
onel and one actually paid premium of IS
to his comrade for the privilege of going on
this hazardous service. The barges were
covered with tiers Of hay in order to protect
the tug between them; but the hay was
deemed almost unnecessary, and so'put on
quite loosely, and the ends of the boat were
quite exposed.
At midnight we came in sight Of VIcks-
burg, and soon after the Confederate pickets
on the Louisiana shore began to open IRE on
us. Soon a rocket shot up from the upper
batteries. There was no need Of such warn
ing, for the boats might be seen almost as
clearly as by sunlight, and the loud puff OF
our exhaust pipe gave ample warning when
we were three miles distant.
At LOS the first shot was fired and struck
80 near as to leave US lin doubt whether the
barges were hit. A lull of a few minutes
and then another, followed closely by re-
bound. It kept up in this way as we were
rounding the bend, the shots all seeming to
come very near TO US, as we could perceive
by the momentary throb Of the hull when
struck. With the exception Of Capt. Ward,
the pilots, engineers and iRemen, the rest of
US were posted along the barges, 0zDthe alert
| for an attempt at boarding.
Owing to the o loon of the river we had to
| run portion of the distance by, then turn
and run the whole line back again. Thus we
were exposed first to a starboard and then to
| q bow fire, and when in front Of the main
| batteries to concentrated fire from three
| directions. At first we peered from behind
! the hay bales on perceiving the fash OF the
| Confederate guns, but soon the shots were 50
rapid and from points so @vsdely apart that
that exciting amusement was dropped. The
screaming Of the sheIls as they went over us
| the splash in the water and the spray were
subjects OF jesting and imitation till an i'm
mense shell burst but three feet or 50 above
cur heads with stunning report.
Twenty minutes Gong minutes thosel
under this fire and nobody hurt. The bGrges
still in good form and the little propeller
making eight miles per hour. Now we an
| well past the upper batteries; but the maiI
| seems in the clear air as II we were Just II
| front OF their nuEzlez- Several shots strikl
the barges, but on we go. A glance at on
| Hatches-it is q quarter past Owe ar
| almost past the worst and begin to congra4u
| late each other, when suddenly weare hurleC
this way and that, and all the roar Of th
Confederate guns Is drowned in one terrih
report, as If q magazine had burst under uz
Ny first thoughtsWas that, the poWS1erhaG
been slowed on; the barges and&hSd lgn1bed
but In clambering up among smoke and
Games could see nothing like q t1g. A "a
inch she'll as we afterward- learned, hal
struck her'bozlers; she had exploded and Cd
white hot cinders;wer9thTow up ina spout
ing shower, whilesteam and Enoka envelope
the barges like s.paIl The8Hetle craft N
been literally YshR6tersdssO seou1A-
Almost at the same minute the hatterie
cornmenced e-vengeful; ana ssitsesznedt
me, a savagesfre upon us fasterand- faster
TheshallssbcTst a1l.around,and+ above Us wit
Q stunning and binding effect The coal
had st Ere tosShe ayaales,1n several places
the shells aidedsi In the work. In vain did "
trampaes upon them. andk throw shsn. oVel
board, burning. our ,sfeets and
In the effort. No buckets wsreato ,6ez9ound
they had been hlownawRy. DoWn:bssWee
the barges hung the fragmenfsoe the tug b
the tow. ropes.
The rsbaasssst up q hideo1s yell, as II
mOckery aAOurF crippled condition The bat
teries .kepeions firing the blazing hay high
tng upfther1ver. We werezfhA slowly drif
ing with the current past the front OF q
} city. Our disaster happened right abreast {
the court house. As soon IS Weco1ld 8
through the binding smoke We found H
Browne standing bareheadsd on the To-
! most bale, as II he were q defants targes Il
the rebel -gunneEs- Capt. Ward had sbes
blown forward thirty faeAi9Fon the sugdu
} the river, and two Of. his menrWeEs eng1gs
in fishing him up. The woundedasnd scaEde
men were crying for hslp, answered only B
/ the,Ghalls and OCCASIONAL cheers.
Wsshn11iey cozsnftqa axld. dscided to-k'