Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-05-08
The .RIack Terror.n

".
in his Sketches of War History" was
spent by the Union army in trying to
gain foothold ON the high grounds in
the vicinity of Vlcksburg. ON the east
side of the Mississippi All attempts
had failed At last IL 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 lndianola, got by the fcrts,
only ~ be captured and turned 10 Con.
federate use.
The river curves In $ 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
dummy monitor to draw the fire away
from his main tactics. An old coal
barge was selected and in twelve hours
was transformed into 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 fresh coat OF
coal tar, and with an immense Qua
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 war correspondent
| 1t few the Stars and Stripes, and n
black flag ornamented with skull and
cross bones.
Slowly the boat made It's way, carried
by thc current. Suddenly it was chal.
| lenged by a shot from a 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-knol
current, II proudly moved with 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
| 1t. and turned heels aud dashed down
! the stream.
The dummy, passing safely all the
forts, steered by the eddy, landed on
the west side of the river ss skiIlfully
as pilot could have done It.
Some federal soldiers rushed TO 1t, saw
what 1t was and pushed 1t of into the
current Down It drifted toward the
captured Indlanola The officer took one
look at the bulky form, and with
promptness laid two big guns muzzle to
muzzle. and blew up the boat. Then he
escaped with his hundred men 10 the
land and over the hills
The Terror calmly drifted on until It
caught fire and burned.
| Harrison Made Good His ProIaise.
| DIR. j. n. Mccormack, Of Bowling
Green, Ky, In conversation with Drs
/ Brayt0n Potter aud other physicians.
| told little story of the late General
| Benjamin Harrison. During the civil
war" said the doctor, Colonel Harri-
| SON for lac was then colonel~was for
| a time in command ut Bowling Green.
| Many soldiers were sick, and he appro.
! priatcd the hotel of the place. the
| Mitchell House. for use as n hospital,
| Mr. Mitchell mnrlnured 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 70
! 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 20 send his bin
| directly to the President. lie did so.
anu L ttHiAAthA iAoi Ai5'h 5fil hiiu his
check for the money In indianapolis
/ News
At last the actual preparation OF
| plans has been directed for the Baltic.
/ Black Sea Canal As the project now
| stands ii is intended for use by 300
ton barges, and IN It's length of ,525
| miles there will he humorous locks aud