Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-22

cover Roadway after her conflict with
the General Price. drove down upon the
Beauregard. which vessel after her en-
counter with the Queen of the West was
endeavoring to escape. She was thwart-
ed by the Monarch coming down upon
her with a we'll directed blow, which
crushed in her side and completely dis
abled her from further hope of escape.
Men on the deck waved a white flag in
token of surrender, and the Monarch
passed on down to intercept the Little
Rebel, the enemy's flagship She had
received some injury from our gunboats'
fire and was making for the Arkansas
shore, which she reached at the moment
when the Monarch. with very slight head
way, pushed her hard and fast aground.
Her crew sprang upon shore and ran into
the thick woods, making their escape.
Leaving the Little Rebel fast aground.
the Monarch turned her attention to the
sinking Beauregard, taking the vessel in
tow and making prisoners of her crew.
The Beauregard was lowed by the Mon
arch to the bar, where she sank to her
boiler deck and finally became total
loss.
The others of the enemy's fleet were
run ashore and fired by the crews before
they escaped into the adjoining Arkan-
sas swamps The jeff Thompson burn
ed and blew up with a tremendous re-
port; the General Bragg was secured by
our gunboats before the fire gained
Roadway, and was saved. The Van Dorm
alone made her escape, and was after
ward burned by the enemy at Liverpool
Landing upon the approach of two of
our rams in Yazoo river, in order to
prevent her from falling into our hands.
Two other Confederate boats were burn
ed at the same time-the Polk and the
Livingston.
he ornh ho1 he Pno
regard into shoal water, from which it
was hoped she might be raised, I receiv-
ed the first intelligence, from dispatch
boat bearing orders. that Col. Ellet was
were: Continue the pursuit as long as
there is any hope of overtaking the
flying enemy"
One other episode of this day should
engagement Col. Ellet was Informed that
white flag mad been raised in Memphis,
and he Immediately sent his young son,
Medical Cadet Charles Rivers Ellet.
flag of truce to demand the surrender Of
the city They landed in a rowboat and
delivered Col. Ellets dispatch TO the
mayor. and received his reply; then. sur
crowd, they proceeded to the post Office,
assembled to the top Of the building, and,
while stoned and fired upon by the mob
below young Ellet lowered the Confed-
over the city of Memphis. This incident
occurred considerable length of time
before the formal surrender of the city
into the possession of the United States
troops under command Of Col. G. N.
Fitch
At first Col Ellet's wound was not con-
sidered necessarily dangerous, but few
days showed us all how futile was the
hope that our brave commander would
ever again tread the decks of his victo-
rious fleet. He continued to send dis
patches and issue necessary orders from
his bed as long as he could receive the
reports of his subordinates. Finally, his
rapidly failing strength gave way; the
to which he had been re-
moved, and on board which he had been
joined by his heart-broken wife and his
young daughter, left Memphis on the
night of the 18th of June and as his YES
sci neared Cairo on the 21st his gallant
state funeral in Independence Hall. His
devoted wife. stricken by grief, survived
him but few days. Both are buried at
Laurel Hill cemetery. Philadelphia
The boats constituting the ram fleet
of the Mississippi river were not built for
the purpose they were to serve; they were
simply such river steamers as could be
purchased under the urgency then press
ing. Some were sidewheelers, others stern
wheel tugs, with strong machinery and
great power, and were hurriedly strength
ened and braced to sustain a severe head
long blow. In letter to the Secretary Of
War respecting the rams. while they were
being fitted out. Col. Ellet wrote: 1.-The
boats / have purchased are lily adapted
for the work l shall require of them: it is
not their strength upon which I rely, but
upon the audacity Of our attack. for sue
cess.
His idea Of an effective "steam-ram''
was not hermaphrodite thing, half ram,
half gunboat. nor did he favor those
sharp knife-like prows which II they cut
a hole in an enemy would plug 1t at the
same time. He wanted a vessel of me-
dunn size, easy to handle, and of great
speed; she should be built very strongly.
fitted with machinery of great power and
have weight sufficient when projected
against an enemy to crush the side OF
any vessel that could float.
Col Ellet did not rely on heavy ord
nance, and did not recommend arming
his rams. At the battle of Memphis there
were no firearms on board the ram fleet
except a few short carbines and some
pocket revolvers; his reliance was upon
the prov Of his vessel. The Monarch had
eleven sharpshooters out of detail of
fifty from the 59th Illinois Regiment,