The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-03
HELD DEWEY A PRISONER.
An Incident of Farragut's Attack on
Port Hudson.
From the st. Louis Republican.

From the st. Louis Republican.
Capt ]. ]. Mcdaniel a prominent cot
ton merchant and a well known ex-Con-
federate soldier of Nineola. has the dis
tnction Of being the only man who ever
held Admiral Dewey a prisoner OF war
says a Mount Pleasant (Tex.) special In
giving your correspondent an account of
the events connected with the affair."
Capt. Mcdaniel said:
In the spring of 1863 when Gen. Banks
was preparing 10 invest the Confederate
stronghold of Port Hudson, on the Mis-
slslppl 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. Farragut's
fleet was dispatched TO do the work, and
on arrival began bombarding and throw
ing 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
lortihcadons, consisting of nine batteries
with from to 10-inch guns, each on
bluff and two mortar batteries down by
the river.
George Dewey was young lieutenant
just from the Naval Academy on one of
the finest vessels of this heet-the Mis-
sissippi-commanded by Capt. Smith. This
vessel had tifty-four large guns, 500 small
arms, $50 marines and officers, with
capacity of turning loose a broadside of
tWenty-seven guns a one time. On the
night of the 21st of March an effort was
made to run the blockade, in which they
succeeded, after one of the most terrible
artillery engagements of the war, and
the loss by fire of one of the finest YES
sells in the United States Navy-the Mis-
sissipp-on which was Lieut.. George
Dewey, who then and there got his first
lessons in the destruction of war vessels.
'FarraSuts fleet was arranged in single
lille up and down the river, with the Hart
ford, portfolios closed, in the lead The
Switzerland, a smaller vessel, was fasten-
ed 20 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 the next in line and the first to
open fire on the batteries Battery No 9,
a hot-shot battery, on the extreme end
of the line next to the enemy, was the
hrst the enemy came in contact with. This
battery was commanded by Capt. Ramsey
of the First Alabama, and was the only
one to use 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 il.
Lieut. Dewey, with the $50 men, low
cred boats, escaped to the opposite side
of the river and took refuge in a sugar
mill. During the night, with 800 men,
crossed the river in life boats and proceed
ed to the mill, where we captured Lieut..
Dewey and the $50 marines and carried
them to Port Hudson. Being surrounded
and having 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 enemy,
they were sent to Baton Rouge the next
day and exchanged"