The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-04-03

| finish of one of the most daring
naval adventures of the war. On
that date the boy commander,
Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet, lost his
ship to the enemy through the treach-
cry of pilot.
Ellet was just out of his teens. On
i the death of his father, Colonel Charles
Ellet, with whom the boy had fought
in battle, he was promoted to the rank
of colonel and given control of small
fleet, with the Queen of the West for
/ flagship. The vessel was a river steam
boat rugged as ram. She was with the
Federal squadron above Vieksburg.
AT midwinter, 1868, the Confederates
controlled the Mississippi between
Nicksburg and Port Hudson, their bat
teries at these points keeping the Fed
eral ships either above or below, eX-
cepting as they took the risk of running
the fire of the forts and fighting for
right of way in the channel with Con-
federate ships If chased by powerful
enemies, the Confederates would steam
up Red river, where the channel was
too shallow for heavy Federal ships and
also guarded by Confederate batteries.
Elet ran the Vicksburg batteries in
broad daylight, ramming the Confeder
ate steamer Vicksburg as he passed
The Queen of the West was struck by
twelve shells and set on fire, but the
flames were subdued, and after an eX-
citing cruise, during which the raiding
sailors burned large quantities of Con-
federate stores at the docks, the expedi-
ton was steaming up Red river on
Feb. IA.
Ellet received warning that the Con-
federates had afloat in those waters Il
vessel named General Webb, which
could sink his ship at one shot. He
decided to risk the encounter and get
in the first shot himself. Fortunately
as it proved, he met and captured Il lit
tie unarmed transport steamer, the
Era, and left her at anchor in charge of
guard. Proceeding up the river with
the tender DE Soto, Il small ferryboat,
in his wake, he ordered his pilot to
steam slowly toward Gordon's Land
ing, where he was told there We're
three large Confederate ships with
steam down A bend in the river be-
low the landing hid the ram from the
enemys view, and Ellet hoped to dash
in and destroy the ships at blow.
The pilot on duty was substitute
for the regular pilot, who was sick in
his berth. AS soon as the nose of the
ship appeared around the bend the enc
my. N,a,,nI with fo,,, thi,.tIr tuyo mound.
er guns from on shore. Owing to the
protection of the bend there need have
been no difficulty in backing the Queen
of the West out of range, and at the
third shot Ellet ordered the pilot to
back UP. instead the ship was run
ahead and grounded, where every shot
struck the target.
When the ship struck, the engineer
reported the steam pipe cut, and the
vessel was instantly filled with steam.
Without steam power she could not
move. After firing thirty shots at the
helpless ship the Confederates rowed
out with skiffs to board her Ellet or
dered the ships yawl lowered to save
his wounded, but some of the sailors
had already taken it and disappeared.
The De Soto had dropped astern of the
flagship, and her yawl was out of reach.
For the protection Of the main deck
Of the Queen Of the West her sides had
been barricaded with cotton bales.
These were cast overheard, and the
sailors, leaping after them, used them
for floats to drift with the current Ell
let reached the De Soto on a cotton
bale and ordered her yawl to succor
the wounded on the De Soto. Two Off
GERS volunteered to go with the yawl