Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-28
copyright, 1903, by G. l.. Kilmer.]

/" past the Confederate land bat
teries at Port Hudson, on the
Mississippi river below Vicks-
burg. Out of nine ships which started
to run the gantlet of fire two got
through, one was destroyed, four re-
treated badly battered and two came
off uninjured. The stretch Of river be-
tween Port Hudson and Vicksburg was
used by the Confederates as a water
way tapping the rich country up the
Red river. The Confederate garrison
at Vicksburg, which Grant was aiming
to subjugate, drew it's supplies from
the region west Of the Mississippi by
steamers plying the Red river.
In February the Federal steam ram
Queen Of the West, under the gallant
boy commander Charles Rivers Ellet,
was captured while attempting to put
an end to the steamboat traffic down
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
news of the disasters to the Queen and
Indianola set old Farragut's blood on
fire. He originally went to the lower
Mississippi with orders to open up that
channel to the head of navigation AMI
keep it 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 menacing 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 feet 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 bonfres 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
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 turned back and anchored
below the batteries.
The Monongahela ran aground on the
west shore just as the Confederates
opened fire. The shock of striking tore
loose the lashings of her consort, the
Kineo, which tried to go ahead alone,
but also grounded under fire. Owing
to the dense smoke the pilots Of these
ships could see nothing, and the vessels
lay under the guns Of the enemy, which
soon got the range and quickly disa-
bled the batteries of the stranded ships.
A shot struck the bridge of the Monon-
gahela, and it went crashing to the
deck with Captain McKinstry in the
wreckage.
The Kineo finally got loose from the
bank and returned to the aid of the
Monongahela. Making fast, she pulled
her consort from the mud, and the two
again started up stream. In a short
time the crank pin Of the Monongahela
was so heated that the engines
stopped, and the ship, being wholly un-
manageable, drifted out of range.
At 1920 o'clock the old Mississippi
reached the bend at the upper bat
teries, where the leading vessels had
met with mishap. Just where the eff
feet Of the, shore guns was greatest
she grounded and heeled to port. With
his starboard guns firing as though
nothing had happened Captain Ne
lancthon Smith ordered the port guns
drawn in to tighten that side of the
ship. Even then the vessel did not
come to an even keel, and the engines
were unable to bulge her from the
bank. Captain Smith then decided to
fire his own ship and save his men.
The Confederates kept up a terrible
fro IN, ho 111o wa