Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-22
Is 81
THE UNARMED RAMS THAT WON A

the fleet of Confederate ironclad rams
then known to be in process of consruc-
ton on the lower Mississippi river
Never was work more promptly or more
efectually performed. Col EIlet pur-
chased a number of steamboats, at diff
Ierent points on the Ohio river, the best
he could find in the short time at his dis
posal. He took some old and nearly
wornout boats. strengthened their hulis
and bows with heavy timbers. raised
bulkheads of timber around the boilers.
and started them down the river to Cairo
as fast as they could be got off the WAYS
Ldoness, Mingo, Monarch, Queen of the
West, Samson, Switzerland and T. D.
Horner.
While the work was progressing, AND
before any one of the rams was nearly
completed. information was received
that the Confederate fleet had come out
from under the batteries of Fort Pillow
Quilt about fifty miles, In a bee line,
above Memphis), had attacked our fleet
of gunboats lying near Craigheads
point, and had disabled two of them.
Col Ellet received most urgent tele-
grams from the Secretary of War to
hurry the rams forward at the earliest
possible moment. In consequence of
these demands. five of them were i'm
mediately dispatched down the river I'M
ing continued as they proceeded, and for
several days after their arrival at Fort
Pillow. The other rams followed, and
about the 25th Of May. Col ElIet Joined
the fleet on board the Switzerland, and
the ram fleet was now ready for action.
Col Ellet at once conferred with Flag
Officer Charles H. Davis Tin command of
the Union western flotilla, which was en-
gagged in the task of opening the Missis-
sippi from Cairo to Memphis) on the
propriety Of passing ort Pillow. and en-
gaging the enemy'S fleet wherever found.
Flag Officer Davis did not approve the
plan suggested, but offered no objection
to Col Ellets trying the experiment. Ac-
cordingly, immediate preparations We're
begun for rnnning the batteries with the
entire ram fleet.
During this period. of preparation con-
slant watch was kept upon the fort and
the enemy's fleet On the night Of the
18th of June, 1862, l crossed the timber
point in front of the fort and reported
to the colonel commanding my conviction
that the fort was being evacuated. About
2 o'clock in the morning 1 obtained per-
mission, with many words of caution
from Col. Ellet, to run down opposite the
fort in a yawl and. after lying off in Or
der to become assured that the place was
abandoned. to land, with the assurance
that the rams would follow in case my
1 landed with my little band, only to
find the fort entirely deserted; and after
planting the national colors upon the
ruins Of one of the magazines (Which
were blown up by the retiring Confeder-
ates), We sat down to wait for the COM
ing of daylight and the rams They came.
followed by the entire fleet, and after a
short stop all proceeded down the river,
the rams taking the lead. to Fort Ran
dolph. where they delayed long enough to
plant the national flag and to examine
the abandoned Notifications. the gunboats
at this point taking the advance.
The advance of Halleck upon Corinth
after Shiloh. and it's evacuation May 30.
gave the Union forces possession Of the
Memphis and Charleston railroad, broke
the second line of Confederate defense,
and turned all the positions on the river
above Memphis. Fort Pillow and Fort
Randolph were thus made untenable Gust
as Columbus had become untenable after
the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson on
the Confederate first line of defense) and
hence were evacuated.
After leaving Fort Randolph the ram
fleet proceeded without incident to with
in about twenty-five miles of Memphis,
where they all rounded to and tied up