El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-24
NJ yy|\'
discussing the recent bombardment of

discussing the recent bonn bardment of
San Juan.
the most remarkable bonn oardmeut
| which l know OF in the history of naval
warfare, said Col. Greene, 'hss receiv-
| ed no place in current histories, ano
but the barest mention of the govern
meut reports and records OF the war OF
secession. This was the storminR of q
little battery consisting of only thr ee
pieces, 'tuated on the James river, be-
low Richmond, and known locally a.
Howlett's Bluff.
"Tne james river about fifteen miles
below r chmond. makes q wide detour,
and, after seven miles. turns upon it
Sc I, forming the narrow neck of land
called Dutch Gap This was sfterward
made famous by the attempt of Gener-
| al Butter to reach Richmond by cut
ting q canal. The federal gunbOats
had made and abandoned several at
| tempts to force their way up the James
river. and it was during one of these
attempts that the bombardment of
Howlett's Bluff occurred.
The battery was situated upon
bank OF clay which rises almost sheer
$50 feet above the river level a. the
share b nd above Dutch Gap. Owing
TO the height of the fortificati"n the
guns from the federal vessels could not
reach them, and the federal vessels
could not reach them, and the federals
themselves were subjected to a very
dangerous fire. l was the commander
OF the squadron, and knew the nature
OF the cliff upon which the battery
rested.
"a bank Of clay, as you know, wheu
undermin ned, does not slide gradually
as q sa ndbsnk does, but comes away in
large sections underneath, aud when
The foundations are gone the upper
shelf naturally takes very sudden
drop. l determined to throw explos-
i've shells into the lower strata of the
cliff, hoping to let the battery down
into the river.
fhls plan was executed. with ap-
parently gratifying effects, and was
congratulatlng myself upon my shewd-
mess, when the cOnfederates noticed
the msneuvers and took measures to
Illustrate it. Their counter move was
sim Dlicity itself. Their simply moved
their three guns back some thirty feet
to secure position. | was extremely
irritsted at the failure of my plan. but
as could not raise the guns far en-
ough to reach the battery had about |
decided to give up the attempt, when
my assistant suggested a novel method |
of attack.
The guns admitted of an elevation
of but 30 degrees, but they could he |
depressed to an angle OF As degrees.
and the assistant had learned at Anna
polls that the extreme angle at which |
a ball would ricochet was about As de-
grecs. The plan he proposed to rum
close under the cliff, inside the range
OF the confederate guns, and from
there to try tie effects of the ricochet
shot.
Il demurred for some time. but final
ly gave him permission to try his plan.
and two OF the six vessels comprising
the heet made dash to gain the desir
ed pos ton.
This was Immediately ACCOMPLISHED
damage. The guns were de-
pressed and the trial mad. At the
1rst shot the water thrown up drench-
ID all on board the vessel, but the Off
,er saw TO his Subtraction that the
hells had rebounded and dropped d.
'ectly into the battery above. After I
fifteen minutes of this novel bonn bard
nent tho confedstraos abandoned their