The National tribune., 1905-10-05
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
(Conttnuad fre~, page ID


erything seemed cuiet in Vicksburg. but
the event showed that they had made
fun preparations TO rect such an at
tempt. 1t was generally known
throughout the army what was going
to be Gone, and the officers and men
were awake and full of tense expect
ancy. The fleet got under way little
before 8. and those who watched where
it lay during the day saw an immense
mass of blackness detach itself from
the bank and float out into the current.
This was the huge, clumsy old Benton.
on which was Admiral Porter one
after another other masses of blackneSs
separated from the shore and followed
the flagship. For over an hour these
masses floated slowly down toward the
point before Vicksburg with an oppres-
sive silence reigning around as the
Union soldiers strained their eyes
through the darkness to watch the
progress of the boats. They were hard
ly moving faster than the current of the
stream. About IL o'clock the enemys
pickets began to see that there was
something wrong, and opened Il scat
tering fire of muSketry, which soon
grew into crash. Then the larger
guns began to open, one after another,
and party of daring Confederates.
rowing across the river, set fire to the
remaining houses in De Soto. so as to
give background of flames to assist
the aim of the cannOniers as the gun
boats floated past. Large wOoGpiles on
the Vicksburg side We're also fired, and
famed up with rapid1y-increasing
brightness. Soon every one of the A
pieces of artillery were being worked
with the utmost rapidity b. their ex-
cited crews, and the thunder and crash
ing made an uproar as if the world
were breaking to pieces.
An Officers Description.
scrhcs what he saw
The firing began at 1885 p. m. and
continued about an hour and quarter,
during which a perfect tornado of shot
and shell continued to shrek over our
deck and among all the vessels of the
fleet. Five hundred. perhaps thou
sand, shot were discharged. but not
more than one in 10 struck or did any
damage to the fleet. They mostly went
over. On running out the guns good
view could be had through the ports of
the rebel batteries, which now flashed
like a thunderstorm along the river as
far as the eye could see; but the inces-
SAINT spatter of rifle balls. the spray
from falling shot. the thunder of steel
pointed projectiles upon our sides did
not incline one to take protracted
view of the scenery. 4 few discharges
of grape, shrapnel and percussion shell
were all we could afford at the time to
bestow upon our rebel friends in ex
change for their compliments. At each
round the Confederate artillerymen
gave a shout, which seemed surprising
" near At one time we could not
have been 100 yards from the Vicks-
burg wharves Our vessel, with the
steamer and barge dashed to our star
board side, became almost unmanage-
able. drifted in the eddy and turned
her head square around. looking the
batteries in the face. At this time We
seemed to be receiving their concen-
trated fire at less than 100 yards from
the shore. The smoke from our own
and the rebel guns. the glare of the
burning buildings from the opposite
shore. rendered it difficult for the pilots
tc make out the direction we were 60
ing. The enemy. supposing we We're
disabled, set up a fiendish yell of tri-
umph. We soon. however, backed
around, and once more presented our
broadside to them. and slowly drifted
past, as if in contempt of their impo-
tent efforts. Shells burst all around
the pilot-house. and at one time John
Denning, our pilot. was literally bap
tised with fire. He thought himself
killed. but he brushed the fire from his
head and found that he was unhurt."
Spectators in vicksburS.
The people of Vicksburg swarmed
spectacle.
The huge, black Benton swung in to
within As yards of the wharf and there
had the satisfaction of sweeping the
water-batteries, now exposed to plain
view with an awful brOadside from her
port battery. Then she floated on
grand, sinister and threatening, and a
little past midnight was below the last
battery.
The Lafayette and the Price followed
her closely. bat came near fouling with
the Louisville, which had been misled
nv, q Lon lights
to make two full turns to regain her
course.
The rebels redoubled their fire upon
the huddle of three boats, which they
thought they had disabled. The boats
finally Strengthened themselves out
went ahead. and presently were out of
danger The Mound City had already
gotten by. followed by the Pittsburg
and Carondelet. which had some trou-
BILE with the eddying current. Two of
the Captains Of the transports became
frightened at the awful fire. and tried
to turn back, but the Tuscumbia made
them go on. One of these transports
the Henry Clay-was struck and set on
fire. The Captain and crew became
pdnic-stricken, and abandoned her, but
the pilot stuck to her until her steering
gear was disabled, when he escaped on
n plank, and was picked up by one of
the Union boats sent out from the Lou
isiana shore.
ItI- ontTHidH DttIi dff1OIIS the
eager watchers from the Louisiana
shore, and went out on the river in a
yawI. in the midst of the firing, to rem
der any help that he could. AS soon
as the Benton passed below the bat
tories. he boarded her to see COmmo-
dOre Porter.
When the latter gathered his fleet
together. and took an account of stock,
he was gratifed beyond measure to
find that none of the boats except the
Henry Clay had received any serious
injury. nobody had been killed and but
IL wounded.
Gallant Rivermen.
Gen. Grant was much encouraged by
this success. He Immediately ordered
six more transports to be gotten ready,
loaded with supplies, to run by the bat
terieS.
The steamboat crew were frightened
at the awful ordeal, and refused TO go.
Volunteers were called for among the
rivermen in the army, and the whole
of Logan's Division seemed made up OF
this class, for they nearly all offered
their services, as well as hundreds of
men from the other divisions. Fully
10000 offered themselves, where only
10 wanted bod