The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-06
A REBELS CONFESSION.
ONE YANKEE BOAT COULD LICK
 CONFED NAVY.

Letter Written Aboard Rebel Boat
 NIauropos Tells of Terrible bom-
 bnrdment of the Federal Fleet Under
 Command of Admiral Foote-Inside
 View of the situation in 1862,
 At the annual reunion of the Gideon Welles Naval Association, Mo- 3. State of Connecticut, held at Savin Rock last week, ex-Mayor Hendrick read most entertaining letter, written by a con federate sailor in 1862, who frankly con- fessed that he believed one Of the an- kee's boats could lick the whole Con- federate navy. The letter is so thor oughly genuine and honest in it's ex- pression that it stirred the shipmates up very considerably.
 The Twelfth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, was the first regiment De- fore New Orleans after the cltys cap ture by Farragut tAfterremaining in New Orleans a few days the regiment was ordered to Carrolltown, eight miles up the river While there Company c, Of which ex-Mayor Hendrick of this city was captain. was detailed to Lake Ponchartrain, there to intercept all contraband of war; either going out or New Orleans into the Confederacy, or seeking to enter the city from the con federacy. Mail matter was especlaliy to be confiscated. In this manner the following letter, addressed to "Jonn Taylor Esq, Steamer Empire Parish New Orleans, La.," came into the hands of the Federal forces, it's flve- cent stamp of the Confederate states carrying Jeff Davis likeness. The writer, gunner on the Confederate boat Maurepas, gives his views ln en- tertaining style.
 It is interesting to note, in this con nection that the Yankee fleet, of whose constant and destructive bombardment he so graphically tells, was in com mand of Admiral Foote, in whose honor the local Grand Army post was manned.
 THE LETTER.
 Fort Pillow, April 23, 1862. Friend John:
 I want to get a letter from New Or leans but I hardly know who to write to, as I expect most all of the boys nave gone to the war. I have written to Alex Cary and Charley Kellar some time ago but never got any answer III return. It makes me feel rather pad whenever the mail comes (which It does every day or two), that most eV- erybody on the boat gets letter but me. Now, if you should get this hope you will answer it, so l can have the satisfaction to say that l have had one letter. I learn from Henry Sisson that you are still on the Parish, so think that you will be likely to get this.
 Now for some of the news up in this part of the country. We arrived at Tiptonville, 40 miles above here, March 15. and on the 18th we done our first fighting and kept it up for a week. fighting Yankee batteries. On the 18th of March was the hardest hght we have had. The enemy had erected a battery of three twenty-four pound CTS during the night on the opposite side of the river where we was lying, so the first thing in the morning we crossed over to attack it. We ran within 300 yards Of it. then sent our own compliments in the shape of a 32- mound shell as a feeler. But Jehosa- phat! The shell hadn't hardly time to reach them when they let us have it hot and heavy. We sent them snei and canister pretty fast, tell you, they answering our fire promptly ana with spirit, as the looks of our boat can testify. We received sixteen "A pounders and mimic balls without num- Der. One "A went through our plot house; another through our pantry and sent dishes flying in every dlrec- tion; another went into our forward breastwork, just in front of the pllot but without going through; some otn- CTS In our wheelhouse and in the boats hull and carried away the big hog chain that goes over the roof between the wheel houses. The gunboats Pont- chartrain, Livingston, Polk and the flag ship McRae. opened their fire on the enemy. We fought them over an hour when our commander called us off. If we had stopped one moment longer we would have taken the pat tery. Our boat being the nearest we heard them give the order to fire one more round, then spike the guns and retreat. Just at that time we were re- called. Our captain was red hot about it. but orders must be obayed.
 The enemy had several batteries erected all along the Missouri shore and we used to have to run the block ade most every night to carry provis- ions to Island No. 10. They would fire st us all the time as we went by. have got so that I don't mind shot or shell at all Even now, while l am writing the enemy is shelling Fort Pill low. The shells are falling not over quarter of a mile from us. The enemy have seven gunboats and twelve mor- tar boats about 1-2 miles from Fort Pillow and have been bombarding the fort since the 18th of the month. From where we lay we can see the shells bursting over and around the fort. The Beebe mad Mary Kingsland of the Montgomery fleet arrived here this morning. I think they are about. as nigh the enemy as they ever will be.
 T tell you, those Yankee boats are some! I think one of them will whip our whole fleet They are built some thing like a triangle. They nave pul- works all over them.
 John. it would please me very much ,e ,,o, would answer this as soon as