Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-05-07

snces. Judging from the deeds they inspire.
Here's a case In point, an affair quite un'
known, although Il was In IT, way one OF
tho most desperate aud sauguinc In our
annals. Out OF gunboat'- crew Of LIS
souls, that drove wcigclikc into ouu corner
Of The fight, i25 persisted and - were
wounded. Il was Ia the contest for Arkan'
sas, the second year Of the civil war
When the Union rams and gunboats Of
Ellet and Davis had cleared out the Con
federatc fleet on the Mississippi above
vicksbArg. the rivers flowing in from
Arkansas offered q refuge TO oyery floating
thing that escaped annihilation NJ their
hands. Gen. 4. &. liindman command
ell what there was 81 the Conicd'
eracy In Arkansas, and surmising that
the Union gunboats might take no
ton to Inspect the interior u his
balliwick. be ordered that stand
be made at the bluffs on the White river
below 81. Charles, a point 100 miles from
the mouth Of the Mississippi. He sent 10
the spot two gunhoats, the Poutehartrain
and Maurrpas. aud 100 men-thirty- u
them armed The thlrty-ilve rides were
all that could be scrnped together for
the purpose. At the same time he ordered
Texas regiment led by Col. Allison Mel.
son, then on its way from the Lone Star
State 10 REINFORCE him. 60 proceed TO the
same point Capt. A. 5, Williams. nn en-
gineer officer. was put In command OF the
100 men, the unarmed ones To aid In oh
structing the channel
On tho 10th Of June the Union ironolads
Mound City and 81. Louis and the wooden
Runboats Conestoga and Tyler. under Com
mander A. II. Kitty. OF the Mound City,
and the Forty-slxth Indiana regiment. led
By Col. q. n. Fitch. were slowly ascending
the river Just below 81. Charles. The In.
spring genius on the Confederate side was
Capt. Joseph Fry. an old United StAtr'
naval officer. who resigned In 1851 10 fol
low tho fortunes OF his state, Louisiana, In
the rebellion. lie was gallant fellow,
tall, well proportional, handsome, intolli'
gent. modest and brave, man with past
history and fa,cd future.
The approach Of Kilty's fleet took the
party at 81. Charles by surprise. Nelson
was not on hand with his Texans; In fact
he had been detained up the river waiting
for ammunition, which had yet to be man
uiaeturod out VI lead gathered In bits from
the country at large. He was known "a
be en- route, however, making all haste "a
the rendezvous, and Fry decided 10 fight II
attacked. A few hours delay might
dead against him. Iistotal force, iuclud
Ing Capt. Williams thirty'iiye rlemon
was III men, scvcnty'niuo OF them scamcu
on the gunbonts Pontchartrain and Maui
repas. The sailors were armed with ~
volvcrs only. The Pontchartrain carried
two aa.pounder rifles and these were put
into battery on the bluffs. Lieut.. ). W
Huntington. Of tho PontehartFain, com
mandcd the battery and worked It will
the crvw OF his vessel. About 40 yard
below Dnnnington's battery, Capt Fry
placed four guns from his own vessel, thu
Maurepas, In battery, and n short distanc,
below that Capt Williams stationed biz
thirty-fve riilemen TO act ~ shnrpshooterS
This presented three obstacles TO the Ap
proach Of kllty's iect In ascending III
narrow channel between the bluffs Still
another was added above the batteries
Capt. Williams had driven some piles II
the channel, intending u time allowed u
extend the barrier from shore to shore
The sudden appearance Of the enemy pu
sstop to that work, and Capt. Fry SUM