Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-03-24
"reminiscences.
A NIGHT ATTACK.
Terrible Work of the Confederate Ram,
Palmetto State.


and the officer of the deck restlessly
paced the quarterback peering into the
darkness and scanning with eager
glance the misty waters The silence
was unbroken save by the ceaseless,
sullen roar of the surf as it broke on
the distant shore, and even that sound
was subdued by the distance into a
rhythmic, rumbling murmur. Soothed
by the sound the officer of the deck
was congratulating himself on the
prospect of a quiet watch when the
voice of the lookout rang out sharply
on the silent air.
ION deckw
AYE, aye" responded the officer.
There's some kind of a vessel COM
ing towards us, sir.
'Whereaway?"
Just off the starboard quarter, sirr'
Looking in the direction named the
officer saw huge, shapeless mass APP
parently rising from the misty gloom
and momentarily becoming palmer to
the view. Selling the speaking trum-
pet, the officer hailed:
ship, ahoy! What ship is that?"
The challenge sounded soud and clear
OFCA bAAC NabCASs b0S ~ nan
came back to denote the strangers
character.
IAN hands TO quarters and the dis
cordant whirr of the rattle rang through
the silent ship. calling the sleepy sail
ors from their warm hammocks and
rousing them from rosy dreams to con-
front the stern realities of war. Ere
they could gain their stations a voice
from the strangers deck rang out:
IN show you what ship this is, :"
and almost with the words an earth
quake shock shook the Mercedita from
stem to stern; at the same instant the
deafening boom of a cannon burst on
the air, followed by a loud explosion,
that made the good ship tremble like a
whipped hound.
In moment the deck became pam
demonium. The shouts and cries of the
wounded men rose above Their of the
escaping steam, which poured like a
stream from the port boiler of the Mer-
cedita. The shell from the stranger
had pierced the steam drum, and the
hapless wretches who had escaped
death by the shell were being slowly
scalded to death. In vain the officers
shouted their commands The crew,
demoralize6 by the calamity that had
so suddenly befallen them- ran hither
and thither to1escape from the kissing,
burning steam. Suddenly cry arose.
"The ship is sinking-lower away the
boatsp'
Two boats were lowered quickly,
filed with men, who rowed rapidly
away from the seemingly doomed ves-
sell At this juncture the calm, clear
tones of a mans voice were heard above
the noise and confusion:
Surrender or I'll blow you out of the
water"
Not a gun had been fred on board
the Mercedita, so complete was the sur
prise, and now, with the low, black
hull lying close under her ports, de-
Tense was impossible. There was but
one thing to do. Not knowing the loss
he had sustained in men, or the extent
of damage done his ship the COM
mander of the Mercedita was obliged,
though reluctantly to strike his colors
and send his sword and ships papers
aboard the enemy. He was informed
that he was the prize of the confederate
ram Palmetto State, Commodore Ingra-
ham commanding, and received orders
to proceed to Charleston with his YES
sci, himself and all hands being pa
rolled.
During this scene another vessel of
the squadron, the keystone State, lay
at anchor near the Mercedita. Her
commander, hearing the confusion
on his consort slipped his cables and
steamed out to sea, hauling his fires
down and getting more steam as he
proceeded. When he had gained suf-
fcient steam he turned and stood bold
ly in towards the ram, which had
drawn away from her prize and lay
calmly awaiting the approach of this
new enemy.
At speed of nearly fifteen miles an
hour the Keystone State bore down on
her adversary, but when she was about
cables length away port dropped
quickly on the sloping side of the ram
and sullen boom sounded on the
morning air. The iron messenger of
destruction sped on it's way and pierced
the gallant ship from bow to stern,
crashing through one of her boilers on
its way and killing many gallant tar
nc SldliCn N6SSGl IGH16Q ike
drunken man, but seemingly undaunted
by her rude reception continued on,
firing as she came. Her heavy shot
and she'll rcbounded from the iron sides
of the ram like pebbles from a brick
wall, leaving a streak of fire behind
them but doing no damage to the I'M
wieldy hulk. The shells of the rams
FIVE inch Armstrong guns pierced the
sides of the gunboat as if they were
made of paper.
This unequal contest could have but
one ending, for the gallant union ship,
riddled with holes and disabled in her
machinery, was obliged to strike her
colors Like the Mercedita she was
ordered to Charleston, and the Palmetto
State. after firing few shots at the
other vessels of the squadron, steamed
into Charleston harbor, leaving her
prizes to make their way as best they
could.