The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-25
HE CAPTURED DEWEY.
a Confederate Captain Got Him In
'63 In Front of Port Hudson.

Mount Pleasant, Texas, Aug. 25.-
Captain J. J. Mcdaniel, a prominent
cotton merchant and well-known ex-
Confederate soldier of Mineola, bears
the distinction of being the only man
who ever held Admiral Dewey prisoner
of war
In the spring of 1863, when General
Banks was preparing to invest the Con-
federate stronghold, Port Hudson, on
the Mississippi river, prior to placing
his army in position, it became neces-
say to send war vessels to that point,
and, if 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, Farragut's fleet was dis
patched to do the work, and on arrival
began bombardfng and throwing shells
from the mortar vessels into the lines
occupied by the Confederate forces,
commanded by General Gardner.
The position of the Confederates was
considered very strong on account of
the Qualifications, consisting of nine
batteries, with from eight to ten guns
each, on a bluff, and two mortar bat
teries down the river. George Dewey
was young lieutenant, just from the
naval academy, on one IT the
largest vessels of this fleet, the Mis-
sissippf, commanded by Captain Smith.
This vessel had fifty-fOur large guns,
500 small arms, $50 marines and officers
with the capacity of turning loose a
brOadside of tWenty-seVen guns at one
time. Said Captain Mcdaniel in an in
terview today:
After one of the most terrible artil-
lery engagements ever saw, and the
loss by fire of one of the finest vessels
OF the United States navy, the Missis-
sippi, on which was Lieutenant George
l. 1~.F7
ming the blockade on the night of
March 81. 1t was then and there that
Dewey got his first lessons in the de-
StructiOn of war vessels Farragut'S
fleet was arranged in single file up and
down the river, with the Hartford port
holes clOsed) in the lead. The SWitzeT-
land, a smaller vessel, was fastened to
the Hartford on the opposite side from
the Confederate batteries. Both YES
sells were painted black and the night
was as dark as Egypt. The Mississippi
was next in line, and was the first YES
sci to open fire on our batteries. Bat
terry No. g, a hOt-shOt battery on the
extreme end of the line next to the en-
envy, was the first battery to receive
the fire of the enemy'S fleet. This was
commanded by Captain Ramsey, of the
First Alabama, and was the only bat
terry which used red-hot shot exclu-
sively.
1.-THE process of firing was necessar-
iIy slow on account of handling the
There We're only four shots fired, three
of which took effect, set the vessel on
fire and burned it up. It became neces-
Sary for all on board to get off the
ship to save their lives. Lieutenant
George Dewey, with $50 men, lowered
boats and escaped to the opposite side
Of the river, and took refuge in a sugar
mill. During the night a force of 300
COnfederates crossed the river in life
boats, proceeded to the mill. captured
Lieutenant Dewey and the $50 marines,
and brought them prisoners to Port
Hudson. Being surrounded, and hav-
ing no place to keep prisoners where
they could be protected from the fire
of their own men. and not wishing to
hold them up between US and the en-
envy, they were Immediately sent to
Baton Rouge and exchanged. I was in
the fight, and commanded the Confed-
crate batteries that did this work."