The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24

diers. Home, who wac a member Of
Smiths Battalion of Heavy Artillery
Mahones Division, a. p. Hiil's Corps
"A. n. V. He surrendered at Apo
mattox.)
Mr.. Josiah DAVIS. q double veteran
not only brave old ex- Confederate
but Mexican War veteran, followed
Abe fortunes OF General Bedford N
poorest. the famous Confederate Off
Ger and raider during the late Civil
War. Nothing delights this good old
man more than to detail 10 a crowd
of willing listeners some of the many
exploits of the Wizard of the sad
die as Forrest was fondly called
by his many admirers
curing the spring of 1853. It was the
ret plan of some OF the leading ON
GERS OF the Cumberland army to send
raid OF picked cavalry into Georgia
for tho purpose OF tapping or destroy
ing a part of the Western and Atlantic
Railroad between Chattanooga and Al
lanta. and, IL possible. extend opera
tions as far South as Atlanta. II the
reader Will remember. Stoneman had
attempted such a thing the year be
fore. and Andrews and his chosen
band came near accomplishing as much
in his celebrated attempt In stealing
fhe engineer general Both OF these
expeditions, however, met with failure
But this idea seemed to he paramount
among the officers, and 1t Is said that
General Garfield most heartily Endorsed
and urged before the proper authori-
ties. so that at last Colonel G. w.
sstreight brave and fearless Federal
.ofiicer. was chosen and given command
kof several thousand picked men from
1.-THE Army OF Tennsse. for this pur-
jpose.
These men were brought from Nash
willie down the river. and landed at
East Port. in Mississippi, near the
western border of the State of Ala
bama. and were hurried across the
upper part of Alabama, through ter
fi,ory where Union sympathi=ers were
.1nany, and where there were no rail-
roads or telegraphs. over Sand Noun
tain to the Georgia line as fast as
they could travel, day and night or
course. this soon became known to
the Confederate off'cers OF the Army
tot Tennessee, and as General Forrest
had so recently distinguished himself
An Ranking and completely routing the
Federal cavalry under General Smith
and his command of 10000 by dash
ing into Memphis ahead OF him with
only about 1000 men In broad daylight.
he was chosen to follow Stre!ght and
his men and intercept them at all
hazards.
riosion is heard. 1t sounds like a
mighty moan, and dies away In a fear
,5ul shrek. There Is a lull in the
sfring. The smoke lifts for moment.
when the Sachdn is seen TO lurch
forward and then fall heavily upon
the waters as thing without life.
lClouds of steam and smoke are rising
Srom her tunnels. A ball from the fort
has crunched through her side and
nj nd har hAtf
flying from her masthead, and she
keems to he In great distress
+ All OF the guns of the fort were now
burned on the Clifton, and every shot
sook effect and. In TESS time than IL
takes to tell IL, she. too, had hauled
down her colors. Then the Arizona
came in for pounding. She was
already crippled and backing away out
tof range of the guns. To keep from
sinking, she was seen TO throw over
board horses. provisions and everything
that would tend to tighten her The
poor horses had haltcrs tied around
their forefeet and sank Immediately.
Some OF The bacon and flour drifted
ashore, where II was afterwards picked
up for use at the fort.
The battle was over. The troop ships
steamed away and Texas was saved
from the hand of the invader.
The Texans were astonished at the
results of their victory. They had cap
tured two gunboats and crippled a
third; taken $50 prisoners. thirteen
cannon. many small arms and large
= quantities of ammunition and pro-
visions On board the gunboats three
,of1cers and ninety-four men were kill
led The fort lost not n man.
The Sachem was towed to the wharf.
but the Clifton had run aground. and
could not be moved. The prisoners
from both boats were taken to tina
fort. Captain Crocker, Of the Clifton,
was among the prisoners. Mounting
the earthworls he a:Ieed for the CON-
manding officer. Begrimed with pow
der and covered with dust. Lieutenant
Bowling presented himself. The Fed
eral officer could hardly believe his
eyes This dirty little boy his con-
queror 1t must be some lest, he
thought. And where are your sol
diers?' he asked the lieutenant.
"Here," said Bowling, pointing TO the
handful of men guarding the prisoners.
Are these all?"
"A1l," eaId Bowling.
The officer hung his head and NUT
tered to himself -Four sunboats and
$4,000 men defeated by this boy and
his forty-two Irishmen! 1t is some
thing unheard Off
Closer and closer crept the gunboats.
BY 8 o'clock the foremost was within
ilailipg distance of the fort Then, in
the intervals OF the firing, the mon
on board could he heard shouting:
"Come out Of your hole, Johnny Reb!'
"Come out and show yourself" "Why
don't you speak to fellow?" Come
over and take dinner with us" But
there was no reply from the fort. and
At gave no sign of life One might
have supposed that the soldiers had
lost hope and fed.
But, look closer. In the bomb
J | laix,nnfsl crnMrhah dnwn Ihesida thair