The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-19


like the Albemarle, was a surprise to
its own people as well as to its enemies.
Six weeks before she took to the wave
she was an empty hull, anchored in the
channel of the Yazoo river, four miles from
dry land. Her guns and engines were lying
loose on deck, rhe iron for armor was sunk
in the mud ami water Of the overflow, and
the bands and bolts had yet to be forged
out of metal scattered over sixty miles otter
ritory, wherever It could be gathered, and
the timber for her gun carriages was still
standing thick with foliage. In this situa-
ton Capt. Isasc y. Brown found her, and
with authority 10 complete her, regardless
of expense, set 10 work with unframed me-
chanics and next to 10 machinery. Brown
had served in the old navy, good school
for strong men.
He stopped at nothing, and though
working under every disadvantage, with a
powerful Union fleet within six hours
steaming, and hostile guns constantly
sounding in the ears Of his improvised
force of helpers, he was ready with the
falling Of the waters TO weigh anchor The
armor had not been put over her stern, and
for appearance sake boiler iron was tackled
on to cover up the wood. She looked, says
her commander, "as if small seagoing
vessel had been cut down to the water
edge, leaving box for guns amidships." "
She carried ten guns-siX in broadside and
two fore and aft-wth a crew of one hun
dred seamen and sixty riaemen from the
army Of Missouri. The under officers were
all from the old navy, and Brown declares
that his only trouble with them was to
tlo ALL INT ha
Union feet before she was ready for bat
tie. When within sixty miles of the Miss
issippi Brown sent word TO the Confeder-
ate commander at Vicksburg, Gen. Earl
Van Dorm, that he was ready for opera
tions. Van Dorm ordered him to steam out
of the Yazoo and attack the upper Union
feet and come to Vicksburg
There were thirty-seven Union vessels in
sight of that place. he said, and plenty
more up the river" 1t was to be expected
that the formidable Union fleets OF Farra-
gut, Davis and Ellet would not rest in
their moorings to await the Arkansas, and
she sailed down the Yazoo, all hands alert
for the enemy. On the first day the as
founding discovery was made that owing
TO a leakage in steam al! the powder on
board had been rendered unit for use. A
landing was made and the powder was
spread out on t6rpaulins, shaken, turned
and dried under the fierce July sun, and
the next day the ram steamed on toward
the mouth OF the IaZoO. Another night
and morning run brought the vessel to
Old river, an abandoned channel Of the
Mississippi, so broad as TO form lake. Its
length from where the Yazoo enters to the
opening into the Mississippi is about ten
miles Midway of this body of water were
seen three Union vessels steaming up the
course It seems that deserters from some
Confederate force in the Tszoo had reached
one Ct Farragu:'s vessels and announced
the coming Of the ram. Although the in
formation was secuted as impossible, owing
to the sparse resources of the COnfederates
in that region, the ironclad Carondelet,
the ram Queen of the West and the gun
boat Tyler were sent up to meet anything on
those waters. Brown hailed their appear
ance with n speech to his men. Gentle
men," said he, "in seeking combat, as we
now do, we must win or perish. Should
fall, whoever succeeds 10 the command
will do so with the resolution TO 20 through
the enemy's feet or go 10 the bottom.
Should they carry us by boarding, the Ar
kansas must be blown up; on no account
must she fall into the hands of the enemy.
Go to yOur guns
That speech meant business, and the off
GERS took of their coats, while the men
stripped TO the waists and bound wet hand
kerchiefs on their heads The rifemeu
fixed bayouets and stood ready for board
ers. Brown ordered his pilot TO stand for
the CarOndelpt the central vessel of the
three, but before lie could ram her she put
about. first firing her bow guns at short
range The Tyler and Queen OF the Yves;
also put about, and poured shot from their
stern guns into the piucky ram. Then came