The National tribune., 1896-03-05
WHAT THE Usage DID.
Capt. Bragg Replies to Comrade Parr's
Criticism.


issue of Dec. ~ Comrade W. S. Parr criti-
cises a paragraph of mine in Your issue OF
Nov. z, entitled, "a Blue Jacket in the
Tolls" which said: "The monitor Usage
sustained and repulsed an attack OF "hoie
brigade of rebels, under Gen. Thos. Greene,
with loss to them of 700 men, Greene him.
self being killed"
The comrade writes a letter very interest,"
ingly, and yet he is ingenious. Note the
expression, " will try to tell how the Usage
didn't do itn 1 do not blame him Tor his
claims: when a man got within range OF
those singing bullets of wartime 1t was
usual to imagine that they were each ana
all for him, aud that the battle was oniy
being prolonged until he should be killed.
AS the comrade, by the assertion, was
an eyewitness" has knocked me silly"
must bring up the reserves. l have Delore
me the reports of his General (Smith), of
Admiral Porter, commanding the naval
forces. and of Rear-Admiral Thomas X.
Selfridee. then commanding the traduced
monitor Usage, all of whom were getting
whiffs of the same birthstone. That there
was battle all agree; also that Green iost
his head, and, believe, all claim to nave
shot II of.
The monitor Usage was at Blair's Planta-
tion on Red River. few miles below Pieas-
ant Hill Landing She was In mldriVer,
aground, with Banks's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Black Hawk fast to her starboard quarter.
This position was usually assumed by
river boat towing OF helping another
Selfridge says:
The Pilot of the Black Hawk who is
one of comrades witnesses who alone from
l.: Ia the hank
reported large force of troops coming from
the woods two miles back / sent the gum
boat Lexington below me to take up an en-
filading position. The battery of the rebels
unlimbered some hundred yards below
me and abreast of the Lexington.
was directed TO bring up and protect the
rear. The transports had necessarily passed
down. as my position was IN the rear. LII
| is very certain no transports were In slght
| from my decks; they may have been niue
| below, Concealed by the bend OF the TlVer,
but too far away 10 have any influence on
the result, the whole brunt of which fell on
| the Osage." -
Gen. Smith on the Hastings says: The
Usage and Lexington at that time LJust
before the engagement were lying at the
opposite bank, that ON the side OF the
enemy, half mile off"
Down the river from him, mind you, jus,
as we got under way" he continues, The
enemy's batteries opened on us, the first sho
falling little short"
don't wonder. That rebel battery was way
down the river, on the other (rsbel) side
below the Usage, and opposite The Iexing
ton, and were firing ut tine Usage lper
practice being detective, we escaped wlthou
serious damage" Good.
"He who fights and runs away.
| May live to fight another day.
But where was our hero OF this battle
He was above the Hastings, which was allow
the Osaye which was above The Lexington
which latter was abreast OF the rebel Dat
terry. He says: We were sienaied to AM
ordered back up the river 10 take the rlgh
of the line" Hold your buttons on, Blu
Jacket; that fright OF the line p" IN gun
boat scrimnage ia narrow river Is gooo
and they took 1t with alacrty, and stood no
on the official order OF precedence. havln
run ND the river till the tence-rails weT
burned, he says part of the infantry landed
Which part? l have penny which say
that our infantry climbed ashore.
SeIfridge, down there In the thick of tn
fight. could not see much, but modestl
b saws: "Tbe rebels came rapidly across tn
4 1lelGs IN COLUMN vi thC NV
the Black Hawk repor ed, who alone, froT
his elevated position. could see beyond th
, bank. So rapid was their advance, thst tn
Pilot. intent on watching them, staid &c
: long, and dared not leave the protection
the iron shield. No fewer than 60 bule
marks were afterward counted upon III
e | shield behind witch he was hiding"
4 Onr comrade says: The Lexingto
r opened w tn her bow-guns, drIfted under b
I h On bank and went below. The monte
E Neosbo followed x short-fuse she
4 canister high banl
: and went below"
8 / timidly assert that she was not with
e hearing distance of that fight. But Cay
6 Tiemeyer did have sand; rising III his wrai
4 To the full teiher of his shirt-collar, vii
!, patriotism oozIng from every pore, he sp
4 on hi. hands and exclaimed: Nine Colt,
L kill dot Saeneral." This remark reach'
n our observer, and simultaneously oil we
o Greene's head.
e On this point Selfridge says: During Il
e latter part of The engagement noticed
officer on white horse some 200 yards b
. low the troops, and, aiming one oil our gu
,, at him, when the smoke cleared away So
# him no longer"
- Our hero saws: "The artillery and
= fantry on the transports and all the gunboa
except the Usage, taking part-the transpt
. being dashed to her starboard side, was !
;. tween her and the rebels. and prevented h
q using guns" etc. As Seiiridge says, the Bla
% Hawk (which the comrade calls the VIII
70 Cloud was dashed tn the starboard quar-
80 of the Usage" II her turret had not be
ee moved since / helped, as an officer, to p
- her in commission for the first time, it sto
:, on her bow. Hence, boat towing
,e would not obstruct the range of her IN
a, more than 10 in 300 degrees, and, as she h'
90 | headed down stream and the rebs were
~ low her. not at all. Admiral Selirdge III
therefore be believed when he says:
:. loaded our two 11-inch guns with canist
"a and as The heads of the first regiment
- came visible fired. during
as three-ouarters of an hour that this singu
of combat lasted i had expended every rou
yo OF grape and canister, and was using shr
mel" In the army spherical casesbot, Wv
70 fuses cut to one second, the
structiveness of the Osage's fire delivered
point blank range was much increased" I
Now. comrade, the navy claims 10 gl
for this fight. We freely give it to "
ne Pilot of the Black Hawk, who was the OF
to one of your army exposed TO more than
IN cidental peril.
We Gen. Smith and Admiral Selfridge W
81. bringing down the rear, our gunboais be
get placed along the line of many transpo
l. Upon this attack these transports
Ill. down land one or two up) the river, out