Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1903-03-13

Mississippi river below Vicks
burg. Out of nine ships which starte,
to run the gauntlet of fire two go
through, one was destroyed. four re
treated badly battered and two cam,
off uninjured. The stretch of river be
tween Port Hudson and Vicksburg wa
used by the Confederates as a water
way tapping the rich country up tn,
Red river. The Confederate garrison
at Vicksburg, which Grant was amin,
to subjugate, drew it's supplies from
the region west of the Mississippi by
steamers plying the Red river.
In February the Federal steam ran
Queen of the West, under the gallant
boy commander Charles Rivers ElIet
was captured while attempting to put
an end to the steamboat traffic dowr
the Red river and added to the Confed
crate feet in those waters. The Fed
eral ironclad Indianola followed the
Queen in the daring enterprise and
was also overcome and destroyed. The
news of the disasters to the Queen and
Indianola set old Farraguts blood on
fire. He originally went to the lower
Mississippi with orders to open up that
channel to the head Of navigation and
keep 1t clear of the enemy's ships.
Now Grants whole enterprise at
Vicksburg was at stake. At Port Hud-
son the Confederates had nineteen
guns in position on the bluffs to rake
the channel up and down the river.
and an army of 10000 men lay in
strongly fortified lines to cover the
fort from land attack. In order to de-
ceive the garrison as to the real move
ment smenacing the port General Banks
marched his army of 1900 men from
Baton Rouge to Port Hudson to threat
en- an attack on the rear. Banks in
tended to open on the fort with his
cannon and draw fire upon himself to
spare the ships, but he was deceived
by false map and failed to bring his
artillery within range.
Farragut formed his line with the
old style war sloops Hartford, Rich
mond, Monongahela and Mississippi at
the front, followed by the new river
ironclad Essex and the gunboats Al
batross, Genesee, Kineo and Sachem
dashed to the port side of the sloops
away from the Confederate fire. All
told, these ships mounted 121 guns.
The night was dark and heavy. Soon
after. 8 o'clock the fleet started slowly
up the channel. and shortly two signal
rockets on the bluff gave warning that
the movement was discovered. Almost
Immediately the Confederates opened
fire. the fleet answering in kind and
steaming steadily on. By the time the
Richmond reached the upper batteries
the smoke was so thick that the pilot
could not see beyond the end of the
ship. Huge bonfires of pine lit upon
the bank by the Confederates sent up
clouds of black smoke which settled
over the river.
The Hartford grounded once, and in
backing away narrowly escaped COLI
sion with the Richmond. which was
close behind. Finally the Hartford, |
with her consort. the Albatross. cleared
the batteries. They had been under fire
one hour None OF the other ships was
able to follow. The Richmond. after I
getting clear of the Hartford. was
struck by a shot In the safety valves
which upset them and made her en-
gines useless. The Genesee. dashed to
the Richmond, tried to pull her wound
ed consort through, but her power was
too weak against the strong current.
These two sturned back and anchored
below the batteries.