Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-21
copyright, 1903, by G. L. Kilmer.]

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 a pilot.
Ellet was just out of his teens. On
the death Of his father, Colonel Charles
Ellet, with whom the boy had fought
In battle, he was promoted to the rank
Df colonel and given control of a small
Aeet, with the Queen Of the West for
flagship. The vessel was river steam
boat rugged as a ram. She was with the
Federal squadron above Vicksburg.
AT midwinter, 1863, the Confederates
controlled the Mississippi between
Eicksburg aud Port Hudson, their bat
'1Eries at these points keeping the Fed
Hal 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-
Hederate ships. If chased by powerful
enemies, the Confederates would steam
up Red river, where the channel was
hoo shallow for heavy Federal ships and
also guarded by Confederate batteries.
Ellet ran the Vicksburg batteries in
broad daylight, ramming the Confeder-
Rte 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. II.
Ellet received warning that the Con-
federates had afioat in those waters
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 lit
tie unarmed transport steamer, the
Era, and left her at anchor in charge Of
a guard. Proceeding up the river with
the tender DE Soto, small ferryboat,
In his wake, he ordered his pilot to
steam slowly toward Gordon's Land
ing, where he was told there were
three large Confederate ships with
steam down. \ bend in the river be-
dow the landing hid the ram from the
-enemy's view. and Ellet hoped to dash
In and destroy the ships at a blow
The pilot on duty was a 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 opened with four lhirty-two pound
eer 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 tiAc ship struck, the engineer
reported the steam pipe cut, and the
vessel was instantly filed 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
Sdered 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
Tor floats to drift with the current. Ell
let reached the De Soto on a cotton
bale and ordered her yawl to succor
sthe wounded on the De Soto. Two OFF,
GERS volunteered to 60 with the yawl.
While the yawrs party was picking
up the wounded the ConfederateS ap-
speared on board the luckless ship. e.
,aet's men would have fired her to pre-
vent her use by the enemy, but the
wounded were still aboard. One of the
officers who attempted to remove the
wounded captain Of the ship was taken
prlsoner, but the others escaped with
the yawl to the De Soto.
Ellet and the officers of the De Soto
picked up the sailors in the river and
were about to start back for the Queen
OF the West, when dense fog came on
1suddenly and the boat lost her rudders
by running into bank. The next hope
Day in the little captive Era, which had
been left fifteen miles below. The De
Soto drifted down to the Era, and after
putting all hands aboard Of the Exon
-federate she was ightened of her car
go, the De Soto scuttled and the pilot
-ordered to make the Mississippi as soon
as possible AS the De Soto had drifted
away from the scene Of disaster Ellet
noticed the Confederate ships sending
up black smoke, showing they We're
preparing to take a hand against the
daring Federal raiders. .-
On the trip down Red river the act
ing pilot betrayed his Confederate SYM
pathies in speech, but Ellet was COM
peeled to leave him at the wheel Of the
Era, as no one else on board knew the
channel. Upon reaching the Missis-
sippi he ran the boat aground, although
she drew but two feet of water. Luck.
lily the Era fell in with the Federal
dronclad Indianola, which had run the
Sylcksburg batteries and was patrOlling