The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-03
ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
IndianoIa Blue Jacket Corrects Shipmate
sutton.

| Indianola Blue Jacket Corrects Shipmate
! Sutton.
| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Reading
| the Story of the Arizona in the issue of Aug.
| 30, | see Shipmate G.. III. Sutton has made
| some mistakes. He says that in the Spring
of 1862 the Arizona joined the West Cult
| Squadron Just after the loss of the grand
old frigate Mississippi at Port Hudson that
about the 1st of April, 1862, on Grand Lake,
the Arizona met the ram Queen of the West
! that short time after Admiral Farragut
had a picket-boa out to watch for the
Queen of the West, he not knowing that the
Queen had been destroyed.
Let me make some corrections In the
| Spring of 1862 the Queen of the West was at
Island No. 10, and in June, 1862, was in the
battle of Memphis. In November and De-
cember, 1862, she was up Yazoo River.
About the list of February, 1863, Col.
| Charles Ellet was sent down the Mississippi
from Yazoo River with the ram to sink, if
possible, the gunboat City of Yicksburg,
under the guns of the batteries, having one
of his guns loaded with terpentine balls, de-
signed to set the rebel boat on fire.
| He did not succeed in destroying the rebel
vessel, but passed the batteries at Vicks-
burg, and went down the river, up Red
| River to Fort De Russy, and got aground
under the fort.
The firing from the batteries was so ter
rific and the Queen being disabled, he
abandoned heA escaped on a cotton bale
and made his Way down the Red River to
the Mississippi.
On the 18th of February, 1868, Admiral
Porter sent the gunboat IndianOla to run
the batteries at Vcksburg to cooperate
| with the ram. The Indianola, after passing
the batteries, went down the river looking
| for the Queen, but met Col. Ellet coming up
| in the little steamboat Era, that he had
captured.
Lieut.. George Brown, of the Indianola,
learned for the first time that the ram Queen
of the West was lost. The Indianola pro-
ceeded to the mouth of Red River and
| blockaded it for several days. Then she
found that the ram Queen of the West had
been repaired and was on her way with the
! ram Webb and several other boats to attack
the Indianola.
Lieut. Brown started to join Admiral
Porter's fleet above Vicksburg. Going up
the river the Indianola, being encountered
with two coal barges with coal for fuel, one
on port side and one on starboard side, could
make little speed against the rapid current
of the river. The rams Webb and Queen of
respectful distance from the Indianola's
stern guns-11-inch Columbiads.
On the night of the oath of February, 1868,
il being very dark, the rebel fleet overlook
the Indianola at or near New Carthage.
The rams struck the Indianola eight or nine
times A fierce engagement followed.
After fighting two hours and o half the In
danola's stern was stove in and one wheel
gone. Lieut.. Brown found the Indianola in
sinking condition and disabled, and con-
trary to Capt. Lawrences orders we were
compelled to surrender.
The Queen of the West after the fight
made for the Red River. In April, 1863, the
grand old frigate Mississippi, in command of
Capt. Smith, and Farragut with the Hart
ford, were forcing their way past the bat
teries at Port Hudson. The Mississippi was
lost and part of her crew taken prisoners.
They Joined the Indianoa's crew in the old
Bridge Prison over Pearl River, Jackson,
Miss, and both ships crews came through to
Libby Prison, and was back at Vicksburg,
Miss July 4, 1863.-FRANCIs SWEENEY,
Gunboat Indianola, StOneboro, Pa.