The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-06

Dahlgren and PARROT were4 pivot-guns; the
Dahlgren on the forecastle or forward, the Par.
rott on the quarter deck By turning the
| pivot-guns on port or starboard batteries, we
had six guns in battery. The day of the
| fight we fought the port battery. There is the
Clifton as she stood manuel and armed, and
| her guns in position, the 9th day of Septem-
Der, 1863 when she got orders to 60 up and
take tho fort at the mouth of Sabine Pass.
After getting signals from somebody, and we
answering, "All hands up anchor" was called.
Then, after the anchors were up and fast,
"Nigger Louey /" beat General quarters" and
right merrily did we respond, for the old Cliff
ton and her crew were vets, and had had many
scraps with the rebs before, in which we came
out victorious. a7.t
The Clifton steamed to the fort at halfspeed.
Our guns opened with shrapnel shell and five
second fuse. During this time you could hardly
see the fort for the smoke of bursting shalls. so
rapid did we fire. The rebs answered our fire
at irregular intervals. They made good line
shots, but all too high. We got close to the fort,
and the shsrpshooters opened. Then the signal
bell is given, and the old Clifton goes ahead at
full speed; we are now abreast of the fort, the
guns roaring and the muskets rattlihg-ovesy.
thing is going our way. Bump, bump; every
body falls forward-the old boat is aground
right under the nose of the Philstines.
When the rebs saw this they gave one yell,
and how they poured it into us was caution.
1t was their inning and they kept In until the
game was over.
When the vessel grounded she slowed head
toward the fort, which only left us three guns
for use. Soon the muzzle was shot of; but we
fought on, and those that were not anted to
man the guns fought with their Enfield rifles.
Soon our other broadside gun was knocked of
the carriage; but we fought them with the
9-inch gun and Enfield rifles. Tho vent blew
out of the 9-inch gun, and you could put your
arm down in it, and of course it was useless to
fight longer; besides our Enfields were so clog
ged with powder that we made poor Roadway
firing them. We had to jam the ramrod
against the side Of the ship to force the bullet
home.
About this time everyone was looking for
Franklin's troops, which he had promised to
land below the fort; but nary troop came,
and something had to be done or we would be
all killed. There WAS grape and shell from the
fort, splinters from the ships side, hot water and
steam, all pressing the question, whats to be
done" and we surrendered. When the white
flag went up great many Of the boys cried
like babies at the idea of being trapped in q
mud-hole in Texas.
Curses loud and deep went up against Frank
lin and his expedition. My opinion is, if
Franklin had made show of landing troops
the rebels would have run, and would not have
stopped until they struck the Rio Grande.
There were gunboats In the river. with every
thing serene;
We will make them pay some other day for the
battle Of Sabine
But we didn't make them pay any thing; for
according to another prison poet, Col. Duganne
l think. "We hunted the small door they call
graybacks in rebel prison until the war was
over."-JoHN CARBoY, alias Robert Mckenzie,
.. S. s. Westfeld, Clifton, and Est rella, In
dependence, Mo.