The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-28

Z K - 3
up the river. I was then nearly down
to the chain. wien both forts opened
on me, striking ME several times. i
then turned up the river. and struck
large ship-rigged vessel squarely.
firing my, gun at close range. The
collision disabled my gun and threw
every man except the man ut the wheel.
off his feet
1.-TWO other gunboats fired into me
as they passed. Day had then broken,
and I discovered the McRae CLteu-
tenant Huger commanding) making q
gallant fight against four gunboats at
short range. stood to her assistance,
the enemy leaving her on my approach.
Two OF tho enemy's largest vessels
bore down upon me. could not re-
treat. lIy gun was disabled. my vessel
shot through and through, and In this
situation, to save the crew, ran
head on to the bank. cut the delivery
pipes. landed in the swamp. when the
Manassas slid off and sank.
Lieutenant Beverly Kennon.
Lieutenant Beverly Kennon, conf
.mnndng the Confederates States
steamer Governor Moore, says: on
our port beam, distance about 200
yards lay the, United States steamers,
cayuga and Oneida, with the Pensa-.
cola, Brooklyn and mississippi on Our
port quarter. from 200 to 400 yards
away. AS soon as we recognized each
other we opened fire, & using she'll,
they grape and canister. OF course
our two guns could not damage them.
while they cut us up terribly. and. IN
addition % the broadsides of the ene-g
my. our forts struck us several times.
This was the second heavy fire we had
received. The first was delivered by
the Pensacola, Cayuga and Oneida,
about $40 "A. NJ, at from ~ TO 20o
yards. discovered an enemys YES
sci ahead going up the river at full
speed. I went in pursuit !
was now almost surrounded by the
enemy, but the swift heels Of the Gov
ernor Moore soon brought q thick
veil Of darkness between us.
8"About daybreak we stwere about one
hundred yards astern of the Varuna..
and six hundred yards ahead OF the
balance Of the enemy. When abreast
OF the quarantine we were forty yards
apart and gaining, the enemy's fire
killed and wounded q great many or
my men; out Of twenty three on the
{forecnstle, two-thirds had been killed.
or wounded. The smoke was now very
thick, and tn e ships ten feet apart As
a dernier resort she took advantage of
It, and raked us with her after pivot.
sheered SO as to give US her starboard
sbroadside. AS quick as lightning our
helm was put hard a-port, and. in the
stwinkling OF an eye the crashing noise
made by her breaking ribs told how
amply we were repaid for all that we
had lost and suffered. I had intended
boarding as soon as struck her. but
had not men enough a one-thlrd OF
my crew We're hors de combat. ] backed
AL nP md 10 r1f hor no afy,s
she was now fast sinking and ran for
tho sh ore. which she reached Just as
she sank. i now stood down the
stream, to run into the Cayuga, but on
approaching her I was suddenly con-
fronted with tho Oneida, Cayuga, Pin
ola, Iriquois, Brooklyn and Pensacola
To attack that fleet would have been
madness, so III attempted to so about.
when all OF the ships opened on us
with shot, shell, grape and canister.
Our steering gear was shot away, as
also a relieving tackle walking beam
damaged, and engines injured to such
an extent as to- make them entirely
useless, In this HELPLESS condition I
ordered the ship fired and the crew to
take care OF themselves wv lch mo st or
them did by swimming to tho marsh
Not one was drowned but some were
killed after reaching the marsh. At
the beginning of the fIEht our crew
numbered ninety-three. About a dozen
escaped to the marsh; twenty four were
made prisone rs--among them sseyen3|
wound ed--leaving a loss Of sixty FOUR
killed and wounded, Several OF; TIL 8
wounded died, making the total killed
$ftfty-soven. Our flag was flying whenl
8the#ship blew up and sunk. so badly.
out to pieces that only ri small por-
stlon containing four stars remained
showing that we had defended 1t to-
tile last, gFs n n ss2S l8
slsSsI threw ny sword and sid oarnls.l
s Is M
lof the oneida, sYore that WOULD