The Republican journal., 1906-05-10
board with his kit, and sent to the re-
lief of the lighter. with instructions to |

had the satisfaction of seeing them
scatter in all directions and we were
not again molested that day.
Owing to the very strong wind Mr..
Wilkinson did not reach the ship until
about 2 O'clock p. m. Though | had
been in the service for year and a
half l now got my first impressions OF
the horrors of war. OF the sixty men
on board the lighter when they reached
the ships side IA were dead and 26 were
wounded, some seriously and others
but slightly, but it was heart-rending
to hear their grOanS of anguish. The
wounded were sent up to the town and
given in charge of the army surgeons
and request was sent to Gen. Foster
to send a battery to occupy ROdman's
Point to prevent the rebels from erect
ing battery at that place during the
night. He sent us word that he was
| being pressed too hard by the enemy in
the vicinity of the forts and was I'M
able to spare any men, and Tor GOdS
sake to get a message to the army and
fleet below to come to our assistance
with all possible despatch before it was
! too late. Edwin McKiver, masters
mate on board the Louisiana, volun-
teered to make the effort to reach the
forces and fleet below in a small sail
boat, and at a O'Clock p. m. lie left the
side of our ship in little skitf with
very big sail. He shot out from the
side of our ship at great speed and
! though for seven miles he had to run
seven batteries, and some OF them were
firing at him all the time. he succeeded
in passing them all and reported to the
fleet below. The river was only about
a half mile wide, but he kept in the
| fuc not thau 70
unable to get his range. For twenty
four hours we anxiously watched and
nray1d for reinforcements, out none
came.
During the night the rebels succeeded
in erecting a battery of six guns on
Rodman's Point on which were mount
ed four English guns known as the
Whitford rife, throwing a solld u
pound shot, and two 2opounderS that
threw both shot and shell. At daylight
on the morning of April 1st they open
I'd on US and as we were within easy
range they made it quite hot for us.
This move on their part was somewhat
unexpected and daring thing for them
to do as we were so near 1t was a
neglect of duty on the part of the cap
tain that he had not sent out boats
during the night to make reconnois-
Sance ca to a certain extent we we're
caught mapping.
We got underway as soon as we could,
in order to get into position to rake
them, but the heavy north wind which
still prevailed had blown the water out
of the river to that extent that we got
hard and fast aground and were much
worse off than before, as we laid with
our bow toward the battery and could
hrino INIT one GUN to bear. viz. a 80
nonndar parrott rife and in our bonn
Ia rGmpnt of the day before we had the
least amnnition for this pnn. Finding
HAT fherr was great danger of the
rahels nuttino A shot into our boiler
ava scaIdinr ms ike MICS we drew the
firps blpw off steam and rounded up
our hacks and urepared to take it. And
We l2o,]si didn't we have to take it, 1t
Is safe to saw that no other vessel re-
caivpd as many shots llOSl in one dav
9c wa did 4 Schooner land inst astern
"a ms that the crew had deserted. She
had several bales of cotton and these
we brought ON board and made a
hreastwo7k of them around our bow.
leaving am pmbrasure through which
the 30-prundtr looked. and which we
fred 4yery half-hour during the clay.
We snccpfded in dismounting TWO of
their guns and another mad burst, SO at
NIGHT nalf of their battery had become
worthless. The cotton made fine
breastwoTk. for though frequently hit
they had no slot that could penetrate
it. But this battery was not all that we
had to contend with. The rebels had
great fear of us and were bent Oh our
Obstruction If possible while they had
us at a disadvantage. There was a
large confield on the right bank of the
river which AS we laid aground bore off
our starboard quarter. In this field
the rebels had erected a battery and
mounted 32.pounder smooth bore
gun and they opened on us with that at
about O'Clock. About the same time
a two-gun battery OF 20 Founders open
ed on us from the left bank OF the river,
and the reader may be assured that it
was hot shop for us for time.
had charge of the after division of
guns and there was nothing for me to
do for a time, but when these two new
: batteries opened on us l had a chance
to get in my work. Mounting a king
post so that | could see the rebel bat
terry and direct the firing | opened on
them with the after pivot gun that
threw 60pound solid shot, and direct
ed Masters Mate Harridan to open on
the other batteries with the two "a.