Connecticut western news., 1902-05-01
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Icopyright, 1sca. by G. L. Kilmer.l

dered or abandoned and Con- 0 federate ships riddled by Fed
 eral shells, driven ashore or blown up constitute the whole picture in nearly all the accepted and popular stories of Farragut's attack on New Orleans. But was it in fact a one sided ernor Moore shared the fate of all the others in the end, but there was an ex- citing interval which lasted longer ''than 1t takes to tell 1t"
 The Moore was a paddle wheel steam ship of 900 tons, rigged out for a fight CT. She carried two thirty-two pound CTS and ninety-three men. Her stem had been faced lengthwise with fiat railroad iron, bolted on. She had no ramming beak, yet was called a ram- Her machinery was protected by cotton bales packed along the bulwarks from the hold to the upper deck. The morn ing of April 24, when Farragut's ships dashed past the Confederate forts on the Mississippi below New Orleans, the Moore lay near Fort Philip. Her com mander, Lieutenant Beverly Kennon, had learned his trade in Uncle Sam's navy and, feeling a fight in the air, did not close his eyes in sleep, but paced the deck and about 3:30 a. m. noted a bit Of stir down the river.
 Steam was up on the Moore in about three minutes, and Kennon slowly backed her away from Farraguts ad- vancing ships, which already filled the channel between the two forts. He wanted to reach a bend up the river where he hoped to turn with sufficient room and headway to ram the fore most ships of Farragut's fleet. By the time the Moore had turned there were two of Farragut's war sloops close at hand-the Oneida, ten guns, and the Cayuga, four guns. Kennon's ship was hailed from the enemy's deck, and he quickly replied, "The United States steamer Mississippip' The Mississippi was also a paddle wheel steamer, but the distinguishing lights on the Con- federate masts defeated the ruse, and the Oneida raked the mysterious black gunboat with full broadside at close range.
 One of the companion rams of the Moore the General Quitman, lay burn ing on the opposite side of the chan nel, and in the glare of her flames Kennon saw a Federal gunboat rush ing, as he described 1t. up stream like an ocean racer, belching black smoke and firing on each burning Confederate vessel us she passed" This proved to be the United States war sloop Varuna of ten guns and POO seamen. Without stopping to single out antagonists she delivered fire from both port and star board guns at once on everything afioat bearing Confederate lights. Ken non knew that that madly racing ship would carry destruction up the river and also that the Moore in her crippled state would be no match for the fleet steadily forging up from below. The smoke of the Varuna's broadsides and of the burning ships she had set in flames, together with the darkness, en- abled him to slip away unseen of the foe in tAe wake of the Varuna. His distinguishing blue light still gleamed from the masthead, and. not daring to lower 1t the usual way for fear of at- tracting attention, he seized a musket from sailor and shattered 1t to atoms with we'll aimed bullet
 In the race up the river the Varuna gained for a time and took no notice of her saucy adversary. In fact the Moore was completely yelled in the smoke and the shadows of the trees lining the bank. which she hugged purposely to baffie pursuit. By using oil in the fur mace Kennon soon made enough steam to get within range of the Varuna. It was nearing dawn, and the Moore raked the Varuna along both her port and starboard gangways until she got so close her guns would not bear. The Varuna opened on her pursuer and in the savage running fight had the ad- vantage. Her guns raked the Confeder- ate with horrible carnage. Kennon, finding that his bow gun was too far abaft to admit of depression necessary to strike the Varuna's hull, ran his yes sel close upon her and fired through the bulwarks of his own bow. This shot but 1t landed in hawse pipe, glancing upward and putting a hole in the smokestack. However 1t left a clear port for firing through, and a second shot struck the Varuna's pivot gun, exploded and destroyed nearly all the guns crew.
 Now 1t came to a fight to a finish. The Varuna put her helm to port and fired into the Moore's port bow. The Moore turned to meet the Varuna's move, took the fire and then, under cov- CT of the smoke, quickly put the helm over sharply and crashed into the Va runa near the starboard gangway, re ceiving her broadside at the moment of striking. The yaruna's engines stop ped, and the Moore backed clear, gath cred headway and rammed a second time in the same place. Before separat- ing the vessels drifted alongside, and the crews fought with muskets and pis- tols. Kennon expected to be boarded ano loaded his single after gun with canister to meet the emergency. He had no men to board the Varuna. But the commander of the Varuna let the chance go by, and the vessels parted. At parting with the Moore the Va hull of the Confederate, setting her on
 fire. After sharp fight with the fresh ram Stonewall Jackson, which she sent ashore in flames, the Varuna was Deached to prevent her MnkIng in deep water. Securely anchored and lashed to the trees. her guns were kept play ing upon the Moore until water cover ed the gun trucks. Meanwhile the Moore dropped down stream past the Varuna, but not answering her shots. for the reason, Kennon said, that his enemy's decks were crowded with help less wounded people.
 It was broad daylight, and the tops of several ships could be seen above the trees. Kennon, proposed to drift down and fight the advancing fleet, but his lieutenant exclaimed hotly; "Why