Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-07
rcopyright, 1903, by c. T.. Kilmer,1

h@ 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 6 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.
 Tn 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 fleet in those waters. The Fed-t 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 Farra gut's blood on ATG. FIG OE1SA WSAI tO IAes AOWOA Mississippi with orders to open up that channel to the head of navigation and 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. Tn order to de- ceive the garrison as to the real move ment menacing the port General Banks marched his army of 17,000 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, Moncngahela and Mississippi at the front, followed by the new river lronclad 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. Soor after g 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 piloe could not see beyond the end of the ship. Huge bonfres of pine lit upor 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 colli- sion with the Richmond, which waA 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 shot in the safety valves which upset them and made her en- zines useless. The Genesee, lashed 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 1o ~P hn 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- gaheIa, 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 Me Iancthon 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 budge her from the bank Captain Smith then decided to fire his own ship and save his men.
 The Confederates kept up terrible fire on the luckless vessel, but her own gunners at the starboard pieces still fired as though all was we'll on board. The flash of the enemy's guns on the bluff 100 yards away was the only guide for the Federals.
 All the guns not at work in the fight