The National tribune., 1902-07-17

man one gun, and there was no magazine,
shell room, or place where ordnance stores
could be secure.
Before this time, Aug q, Gen. Ruggles,
of the Confederate army, had occupied
Port Hudson with a considerable force.
and was hard at work fortifying that
natnrally-strong position, and was mount
ing heavy guns as fast as they could be
received from the Confederate Govern
ment. On Aug. %, four days after the
troops had evacuated Baton Rouge, Capt.
Porter, with the Anglo-American and the
Essex, steamed up the stream to inspect
the reported works being erected at Port
Hudson, and to take possession of n small
quantity of coal that was held by citizens
at Bayou Sara. He had the misfortune
TO burst his 10-inch Dahlgren gun while
shelling the men engaged in building forti-
fications, and to see the coal burning as
he approached Bayou Sara. Matters now
commenced to assume serious proportions.
Here were two vessels between the two
points held by the enemy, almost out Of
coal, short Of provisions and ordnance
| stores.
l. The case was one that required prompt
action, but Capt Porter was equal to
this. as he had been to all other emer-
gencies, and it was but a short time be-
| fore the Anglo-American received orders
| to go at once to New Orleans to procure
full supply of provisions, coal and ord
nance stores. On the night of the oath
the Essex conveyed the frail Anglo-Amer-
lean down stream by the works, which
now had several guns. The passage down
was without special incident, and we ar
| rived at New Orleans on Aug. %. Some
delay ensued in getting the stores and pro-
visions required, and it was not until the
| 18th that we left.
Capt. Porter had arranged to remain be-
low Port Hudson to again convoy the
| ApuIn 4 hy ha Ha hnyy-
| ever, became impatient at our inforced
delay, and returned to Bayou Sara, where
he proceeded TO punish the citizens who
| had been firing at us for several days, and
who had destroyed the coal that he ex-
| pected to secure.
We arrived in sight of Port Hudson at
10 o'clock Oh the morning OF the 29th, and
| at once saw that we had trouble ahead of
| US. A hasty conference between Capt.
| Riley and his two line officers resulted in
| determination to make the attempt to
pass upward by the batteries and save the
/! Essex, and thus enable her to hold the
lower river. The line officers were given
final instructions, the senior being ordered
| to remain on the upper deck while the
Junior was ordered to the lower deck,
where we had our small rifle. and where
the fremen were stationed. The moment
that we arrived abreast Of the lower works
that nj guns in position, the order came
TO fire. rs we could plainly see from the
movements being made in the works that
guns were being trained upon us. We
were unable to fire our rife, a passin.
heavy shower having wet the cartridges
and the gun was useless.
A moment later and the shot and shell
were cras"ing through our little craft
sending the splintcrs in every direction. A
shot having carried away the fue-cap OF
the starboard boiler. and one Of the fire
doors beng torn away. the hrcmen de
serted their posts, and the result was q
rapid reduction of steam pressure, it soor
falling from 30 to Is pounds. With this
latter pressure We were not able to much
more than hold our own against the
current, and we became an easy target
every shot that was fired going through us
One of the officers soon discovered tn,
reason of this slowing down, and witt
his navy revolver managed to persuade tn,
hremen to leave the forward hold, wher,
; they had taken refuge when desertin,
their posts, and to go back to the fir,
doors. Remembering that there were sew
eral barrels of resin on the port guart
near the boilers, he hastily seized an a,
! and in very short time the contents wa.
broken up and thrown into the fire unde
the boilers. The great heat caused by tn,
combustion of the resin generated steam
very rapidly, and it was not long befor,
this officer saw with unspeakable joy tina
the pressure was increasing, and soon he
paddle-wheels commenced to strike tn,
. water with business-like sound that wa.
/ heavenly music to those who heard it.
The river being at its lowest stage. W,
} were forced to hug the foot of the bluff
closely, and in so doing were obliged t.
almost brush water battery that pait
US its respect. The enemy had at worl
on US that morning two 32-pound guns ant
, 10 held pieces, and as they were not undel