Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18
POPE.s ARMY sPIkING

disabled also. The Cincinnati was again
struck by one of the enemy's rams, the
General Sumter
Having pushed on with all speed to
. the rescue of the Cincinnati. the Caron-
delet passed her in sinking condition.
and. rounding to, we fired our bow and
starboard broadsi6e guns into the re-
treating General Bragg and the advance
ing rams. General jeff. Thompson, Cen
eral Beauregard and General Lowell.
Heading upstream, close to shoal, the
Carondelet brought her port broadside
guns to bear on the Sumter and Price.
which were dropping down stream.
At this crisis the Van Dorm and Little
Rebel had run above the Carondelet; the
Bragg, jeff. Thompson, Beauregard and
Lowell We're below her. The last three,
she returned their fire with her stern
gun, and, while in this position l Or
dered the port rified 50-pounder Dahl
gren gun to be leveled and fired at the
center of the Sumter. The shot struck
the vessel just forward of her wheel
house. and the steam instantly poured
out from her ports and all parts of her
easements, and We saw her men run
ming out of them and falling or lying
down on her deck.
None of our gunboats had yet come to
the assistance of the Carondelet. The
Benton and Pittsburgh had probably
gone to aid the Cincinnati, and the st.
Louis to relieve the Mound City. which
Dorm. The smoke at this time was SO
dense that we could hardly distinguish
the gunboats above us The upper deck
of the Carondelet was swept with grape
shot and fragments of broken shell;
some of the latter were picked up by one
of the sharpshooters, who told me they
were obliged to lie down under shelter
to save themselves from the grape and
other shot of the Pittsburgh above us,
and from the shot and broken shell of
the enemy below us.
AS the smoke rose We saw that the
enemy was retreating rapidly and in
great confusion. When they were near
ly, if not quite. beyond gunshot, the
Benton, having raised sufficient steam,
came down and passed the Carondelet;
but the Confederates were under the
protection of Fort Pillow before the
Benton could reach them.
This engagement was sharp, but not
decisive. From the first to the last shot
fired by the Carondelet one hour and
ten minutes elapsed.
On the 18th seven of Col. Charles
Icllet's nine steam rams arrived-a use
full acquisition to our feet. During the
afternoon of June t heavy clouds or
Pillow. followed by explosions, which
continued throughout the night. the last
of which. much greater than the, others,
lighted up the heavens and the Chicka-
saw bluffs with brilliant light and
convinced US that this was the parting
salute of the Confederates before leav-
ing for the lower Mississippi AT dawn
next morning the fleet was all astir to
take possession of Fort Pillow. the flag
steamer leading. We found the. case
mates, magazines and breastworks blown
to atoms.
On our way to Memphis, which now
lay open to us, the enemy'S steamer
Sovereign was intercepted by one of our
tugs She was, run ashore by her crew,
who attempted to blow her up, but were
foiled in their purpose by boy of six
teen, whom the enemy had pressed into
service, and who, after the abandonment
of the vessel, took the extra weights from
the safety valves and opened the fire doors
and flue caps and put water on the fires.
and, having procured a sheet, signaled
the tug, which came up and took pos
session.
The morning of the 9th of June We
fought the battle of Memphis. which
lasted one hour and ten minutes. 1t was
begun by an attack upon our fleet by
the enemy, whose vessels were in double
line of battle opposite the city. We were
then at a distance of a mile and half
or two miles above the city. Their fire
continued for quarter Of an hour. when
the attack was promptly met by two of
our ram squadron. the Queen of the
West (Col. Charles Elicit leading and
the Monarch Uieut. Col A. W. Ellet,
younger brother of the LEADER. These
vessels fearlessly dashed ahead of our
gunboats. ran for the enemy's fleet and
at the first plunge succeeded in sinking
one vessel and disabling another. The
astonished Confederates received them
CALAMITY and effectively.
The Queen, of the West and Monarch
were followed in line of battle by the
sunboats. under the lead of Flag Officer
DAYS, and all OF them opt ned file, which