The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-09
WHEN DEWEY WAS A PRISONER.
Captured by The ConIsderaiss After Rls Ship Vas
Burned Nsar pon Hudson.

Mount Pleasant. Tex, Sept S.-Capt
| j. j. Mcdaniel. prominent cotton
merchant and well-known ex-Confeder-
ate soldier. of Mineola. bears the dis
tinction of being the only man who
ever held Admiral Dewey prisoner of
war. In the spring of 1868, when Gen.
Banks was preparing TO invest the Con-
federate stronghold, Port Hudson, on
the Mississippi river. prior To placing
his army in position. IL became neces-
sary TO send war vessels TO that point,
and. III possible. run the blockade and
thus cut off the supplies OF the COnfed-
crate forces. which were contributed
from Shreveport on transports down
Red River Farraguts fleet was de-
spatched to the work, and on arrival
began bOmbarding and throwing shells
from the mortar vessels into the lines
occupied by the Confederate forces
commanded by Gen. Gardner.
THE position of the Confederates was
CONSIDERED very strong on account of
the foifincations, consisting OF nhir
batteries with from eight TO ten guns
each. On bluff, and two mortar bat
teries down the river George Dewey
was young lieutenant ju~t from the
Naval Academy on one of the largest
vessels of this fleet, the Mississippi.
commanded by Capt. Smith. This ves-
sci had fifty -four large guns, Ave hum
dred small arms, 4S0 marines and off,
GERS. with the capacity OF turning loose
broadside OF twenty-seven guns at
one time. Said Capt. Mcdaniel in an in
terview recently.
After ogle OF the most terrible arr
tillery engagements | ever saw. and
the loss by fire OF one OF the finest ves-
sells af the United States navy the MIS-
sissippi. on which was Lieut.. George
Dewey the Federals succeeded I'm run
ming the blockade on the night of
March 2l IL was thon and there that
Dewey got his iirst lesson i'm the de-
struCtion OF war vessels. Farragut's
fleet was arranged in single file up and
down the river with the Hartford
tport holes closed) i'm the lead. The
switzerland, a smaller vessel was fas-
tened to the Hartford on the opposite
side from the Confederate batteries.
Both vessels were painted black. and
the night was as derk as Egypt The
Mississippi wes next In line and was
the first vessel - open fire on our bat
teTies. Battery No. 2. a hot-shot bat
terry on the extreme end OF the lire next
10 the enemy. was the first battery TO
receive the fire OF the enemy's fleet
This was commanded by Capt Ramsey
of the Alabama artillery nd was the
only battery which used red-hot shot
exclusively.
The process Of firing was necessarily
slow on account OF handling the balls
and the heat produced I'm the guns
There were only four shots fired
three ot which took effect. set the ves-
sci on fire and burned IL up. 1t became
necessary for all on board TO get off
the shin 10 save their lives Lieut.
George Dewey with $50 men. lowered
boats and escaped 90 the opposite side
>f the river. and took refuge i'm a sugar |
niH. During tho night force OF 200 |
,onfederates crossed the river in life |
Doats. nroceeded to the mill. captured |
Lieut.. Dewey and the $50 marines and |
orour.rt them prisoners To Port Hud- |
'on. keing surrounded. and having no !
pFace 10 Keen prisoners where they
'ouid be protected from the fire ~ their
'wn men. and not wishing 20 hold them
10 between ne and the enemy they
we're immediately sent To Baton Rouge
ma exchanged. I was in the fight and
commanded the Confederate batteries
hat did the work"