The age-herald., 1899-08-30
WHEN DEWEY WAS CAPTURED
Confederates Got Him in '63 in Front
 of Port Hudson
Mt. Pleasant, Tex. Special to the St Louis Globe-Democrat

Mt Pleasant, Tex. Special to the St. Louis
 Globe-Democrat.
 Captain J. J. Daniel, 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 Confederate stronghold. Port Hudson, on the Mississippi river. prior to placing his army in position, it became necessary to send war vessels to that point, and, if possible run the blockade. and thus cut off the supplies of the Confederate forces, which were contributed from Shreveport on transports down Red river. Farraguts fleet was dispatched to do the work, and on arrival began bombarding and throwing shells from the mortar ves- sels into the lines occupied by the Confed- crate forces, commanded by General Gard ner.
 The position of the Confederates was con- sidered very strong on account of the for tfficatons, consisting of nine batteries, with from eight to ten guns each, on bluff, and two mortar batteries down the river. George Dewey was young lieuten- ant just from the naval academy. on one of the largest vessels of this fleet, the Mis- sissippi, commanded by Captain Smith. This vessel had fifty-four large guns, 800 small arms, 4S0 marines and officers, with the capacity of turning loose a broadside of twenty-seven guns at one time. Said Captain MoDaniel in an interview today:
 After one of the most terrible artillery engagements I ever saw, and the loss by fire of one of the finest vessels of the United States navy, the Mississippi, on which was Lieutenant George Dewey, the Federals succeeded In running the block ade on the night of March 21. It was then and there that Dewey got his first lessons in the destruction of waa. vessels.
 Farragut's fleet was arranged in single file up and down the river, with the Hart ford (port holes closed) in the lead. The Switzerland smaller vessel, was fast ened to the Hartford on the opposite side from the Confederate batteries. Both ves- sels were painted black, and the night was as dark as Egypt. The Mississippi was next in line and was the first vessel to open fire on our batteries. Battery No. 9, a hot-shot battery on the extreme end of the line next to the enemy. 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 battery which used red-hot shot exclusively.
 '"The process of firing was necessarily slow on account of handling the balls and the heat produced in the guns. There were only four shots fired, three of which took effect, set the vessel on fire and burned 1t up. It became necessary for all on board to get off the ship to save their lives. Lieu tenant George Dewey, with 9SO men. low cred boats and escaped to the opposite side of the river and took refuge in sugar mill. During the night a force of 300 con- federates crossed the river in lifeboats, pro- ceeded to the mill, captured Lieutenant Dewey and the 9S0 marines and brought them prisoners to Port Hudson Being sur rounded and having no place to keep pris- oners where they could be protected from. the fire of their own men, and not wish ing to hold them up between us and the enemy they were immediately sent to Baton Rouge and exchanged. I was in the fight and commanded the confederate bat teries that did this work"