Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-15
The .RInck Terror.n

The winter OF 1867, says h. Williams,
in his Sketches of War History" was
spent by the Union army in trying to
gain a foothold on the high grounds in
the vicinity of Vicksburg, on the east
side of the Mississippi. All attempts
had failed. AT last it was determined
that the army should cross the PENN
sula below the city, while the vessels
of the navy ran the batteries. Two of
Admiral Porter's vessels, the Queen
and the Indianola, got by the forts,
only to be captured and turned to Con
federate use.
The river curves in S form, so that
any vessel must be under the fire of
the batteries for eight or ten miles. The
admiral finally decided to send down a
dummy monitor to draw the fire away
from his main tactics. An old coal
barge was selected, and in twelve hours
was transformed into a formidable
gunboat.
Pork barrels formed the smokestacks,
old canvas played the part of quarter
boats. The furnace was made Of mud,
intended to furnish only black smoke
instead Of steam. Such was the Black
Terror, shining with a fresh coat of
ker" gun protruding from the open
port.
Under the cover of the night the mon
ster dropped down stream, smoke pour
ing from the pork barrels, the furnace
burning damp oakum, and with no one
On board, not even a war correspondent
1t flew the Stars and Stripes, and
black flag ornamented with skull and
cross bones
Slowly the boat made its way, carried
by the current. Suddenly it was chal-
lenged by a shot from battery.
The craft deigned no reply, but stood
steadily on it's course.
Then came the concentrated fire of
all the batteries.
Still no reply. Sped by the five-knot
current, it proudly moved VITA impress
sive majesty, apparently uninJured.
The heavens Numbered and the earth
shook. Never" says Admiral Porter,
did the batteries of Vicksburg open
with such din. Shot few thick about
the devoted craft"
The Queen, under the Confederate
flag, hearing the firing, came up the
river to investigate. 1t saw the mon
ster gunboat. paying no attention to the
batteries, bearing directly down upon
nd do
the stream.
The dummy. passing safely all the
forts, steered by the eddy, landed on
the west side of the river as skillfully
as a pilot could have done 1t.
Some federal soldiers rushed to it, saw
what it was and pushed it of into the
current. Down it drifted toward the
captured Indianola. The officer took one
look at the bulky form, and with
promptness laid two big guns muzzle to
muzzIe. and blew up the boat. Then he
escaped with his hundred lDen to the
land and over the hills
The Terror calmly drifted on until it
caught fire and burned.
Harrison Made Good His Promise.
DIR. J. y. Mccormack, of Bowling
Green, KY, in conversation with Drs.
Brayton Potter and other physicians,
told little story of the late General
BENJAMIN Harrison. During the civil
war;" said the doctor, Colonel Harri-
son-for he was then cOlonel--was for
a time in command at Bowling Green.
Many soldiers we're sick, and he appro-
priated the hotel of the place, the
Mitchell House. for use as hospital.
Mr. Mitchell murlnured somewhat, but
had to give way to military necessity.
Colonel Harrison assuring him that he
should be paid for the use of his house,
even though Harrison should have to-
pay out of his own pocket. The war
ended, and the years went on. Mr..
Mitchell was well-to-dO and presented
no claim. Finally, when Harrison be-
came President of the United States,
Mr. Mitchell concluded to send his bill
directly to the President. He did so,
and President Harrison sent him his
News.
At last the actual preparation OF
plans has been directed for the Baltic
Black Sea Canal AS the project now
stands it is intended for use by 900
ton barges, and in its length OF l,525
miles there win be numerous locks and