low Vicksburgh, Miss.; also the particulars of the engagement with the rebel armed rams Queen of the West and William H. Webb, and the armed cotton-clad steamers Dr. Batey and Grand Duke, in which the Indianola was sunk, and her officers and crew made prisoners. In obedience to an order from Acting Rear-Admiral Porter, commanding the Mississippi squadron, I passed the batteries at Vicksburgh and Warrenton, on the night of the thirteenth of February last, having in tow two barges, containing about seven thousand bushels of coal each, without being once struck, although eighteen shots were fired, all of which passed over us. coal, and would have sunk what remained in the barges, but knowing that if another boat was sent below Vicksburgh, I would be expected to supply her with coal, I concluded to hold on to the barges as long as possible. In consequence of having the barges alongside, we could make but slow progress against the tide; the result of which was, I did not reach Grand Gulf until the morning of the twenty-fourth of the same month, at which point, and at others above, we were fired on by parties on shore. As I knew that it would be as much as I could do to get past the Warrenton batteries before daylight the next morning, I returned the fire of but one party. I kept on down the river, but owing to dense About half-past nine P.M., on the twenty-fourth fogs, made but slow progress until the morning of the same month, the night being very dark, four of the fifteenth. When about ten miles below boats were discovered in chase of us. I immediNatchez, I met the steamboat Era No. Five, hav-ately cleared for action, and as soon as all prepaing on board Colonel Ellet, of the ram fleet, and a rations were completed, I turned and stood down portion of the officers and crew of the steamer the river to meet them." At this time the leading Queen of the West. I then learned, for the first vessel was about three miles below, the others foltime, of the loss of that boat, and after consult-lowing in close order. As we neared them, I made ing with Colonel Ellet, I concluded to continue on them out to be the rams Queen of the West and down as far as the mouth of Red River. On the William H. Webb; and two other steamers, cotafternoon of the same day, I got under way, the ton-clad and filled with men. Era No. Five leading. On nearing Ellis's Cliffs, the Era made the prearranged signal of danger ahead; soon after which I made out the rebel steamer William H. Webb. Before I got within range of the Webb, she had turned, and was standing down-stream with great speed. I fired two shots from the eleven-inch guns, but both fell short of her. She soon ran out of sight, and in consequence of a thick fog setting in, I could not continue the chase, but was obliged to anchor. I reached the mouth of the Red River, on the seventeeth of February, from which time, until the twenty-first of the same month, I maintained a strict blockade at that point. I could procure no Red River pilots, and therefore did not enter that river. The Era No. Five being unarmed, and having several prisoners on board, Col. Ellet decided to go up the river, and communicate with the squadron, and sailed at noon, on the eighteenth of the same month, for that purpose. On learning that the Queen of the West had been repaired by the rebels, and was nearly ready for service, also that the Wm. H. Webb, and four cotton-clad boats, with boarding parties on board, were fitting out to attack the Indianola, I left the Red River, for the purpose of getting cotton, to fill up the space between the casemate and wheel-houses, so as to be better able to repel the boarding parties. By the afternoon of the twenty-second of the same month, I had procured as much cotton as I required, and concluded to keep up on the river, thinking that I would certainly meet another boat the morning following, but I was disappointed. I then concluded to communicate with the squadron as soon as possible, thinking that Col. Ellet had not reached the squadron, or that Admiral Porter would expect me to return when I found that no other boat was sent below. The Queen of the West was the first to strike us, which she did, after passing through the coalbarge lashed to our port side, doing us no serious damage. Next came the Webb. I stood for her at full speed. Both vessels came together, bows on, with a tremendous crash, which knocked nearly every one down on board of both vessels, doing no damage to us, while the Webb's bow was cut in at least eight feet, extending from about two feet above the water-line to the kelson. At this time, the engagement became general, and at very close quarters. I devoted but little attention to the cotton-clad steamers, although they kept up a heavy fire with fieldpieces and small-arms, as I knew that every thing depended on my disabling the rams. The third blow crushed the starboard barge, leaving parts hanging by the lashings, which were speedily cut. The crew of the Indianola not numbering enough men to man both batteries, I kept the forward guns manned all the time, and fired them whenever I could get a shot at the rams. night being very dark, our aim was uncertain, and our fire proved less effective than I thought at the time. The peep-holes in the pilot-house were so small that it would have been a difficult matter to have worked the vessel from that place in daylight, so that during the whole engagement the pilots were unable to aid me by their knowledge of the river, as they were unable to sce any thing-consequently they could do no more than obey such orders as they received from me in regard to working the engines and helm. No misunderstanding occurred in the performance of that duty, and I was enabled to receive the first five blows of the rams forward of the wheels, and at such angles that they did no more damage than to start the plating where they struck. The The sixth blow we received, was from the Webb, which crushed in the starboard wheel, I kept the bunkers of the Indianola filled with | disabled the starboard rudder and started a evident that they had on a full head of stean, and Captain Brown at once divined their character and purpose. They were none other than the long-expected rams, and hard fighting was to be the order of the next few hours. The Indianola at once put on steam, and was soon out in the channel. She started up-stream number of leaks abaft the shaft. Being unable to work the starboard engine, placed us in an almost powerless condition, but I continued the fight until we received the seventh blow, which was given us by the Webb. She struck us fair in the stern, and started the timbers and starboard rudder-box, so that the water poured in in large volumes. At this time I knew that the In-leisurely, it may be said with truth, for at her dianola could be of no more service to us, and my desire was to render her useless to the enemy, which I did by keeping her in deep water until there was two and a half feet of water over the floor, and the leaks were increasing rapidly as she settled, so as to bring the opening made by the Webb under water. highest rate of speed her movements were snaillike compared to theirs but so well in hand as to be brought into action at a moment's warning. The rams advanced rapidly, the Queen of the West naturally in the lead, the Webb, Grand Duke, and another, whose name could not be obtained, following close in her wake. Knowing that if either of the rams struck us The Webb was formerly a lower river towagain in the stern, which they then had excel- boat, and is noted for her speed and great powlent opportunities of doing, on account of our dis-ers of endurance. She carries a number of guns abled condition, we would sink so suddenly that of heavy calibre, is of wooden material, but has few, if any, lives would be saved, I succeeded in her machinery and boilers guarded by heavy running her bows on shore by starting the screw iron plates. We believe she can be used as a engines. As further resistance could only result ram, having an iron prow, but in this instance in a great loss of life on our part, without a cor- depended upon her batteries, leaving the others responding result on the part of the enemy, I sur-to come to close quarters. rendered the Indianola, a partially sunken vessel, fast filling with water, to a force of four vessels, mounting ten guns, and manned by over one thousand men. The engagement lasted one hour and twentyseven minutes. I lost but one killed, one wounded, and seven missing, while the enemy lost two officers and thirty-three men killed, and many wounded. Before the enemy could make any preparations for endeavoring to save the Indianola, her stern was under water. Both rams were so very much crippled, that I doubt whether they would have tried to ram again had not their last blow proved so fatal to us. Both signal-books were thrown in the river by me a few minutes before the surrender. In conclusion, I would state that the nine-inch guns of the Indianola were thrown overboard, and the eleven-inch guns damaged by being loaded with heavy charges and solid shot, placed muzzle to muzzle, and fired by a slow match, so that they were rendered useless. This was done in consequence of the sham Very respectfully, your obed't serv't, To Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C. The Indianola's heaviest and best guns are on her bow. Of this fact the advancing rams were evidently aware, for they sheered off to right and left as often as she changed position to get them in range, and managed, by the greater ease with which they could be handled, to give her no opportunity to use them with effect. Of course the Indianola was clumsy; iron cannot be as easily handled as wood, and one large man is seldom able to gain material advantage in a rough-and-tumble struggle, over three or four small ones who act in concert and determinedly. The ball opened. A shot from the Webb came whistling in the air. It passed over the Indianola, and went down with a splash a few hundred feet behind. Another came, with similar effect. The rams darted here and there, advancing and retreating, endeavoring to get near enough to try their iron prows against the gunboat's sides, but by no means anxious to receive a shot from one of her heavy guns. Had she been able to get a fair range, she would doubtless have crippled either of her assailants by one well-directed shot, but this she obtained no opportunity of doing. The firing proceeded rapidly. The available guns on the Indianola were run out and fired as rapidly as circumstances would permit, while the Webb and Queen of the West kept up a lively cannonading from their bull-dogs. Those who witnessed the gunboat and ram fight opposite Memphis have some idea of the manner in which the latter do their work. The MEMPHIS, March 5, 1863. Webb, although gradually advancing, kept at a The Indianola met with no adventure worth respectful distance, but so engaged the Indianola's recording, until reaching a point thirty-five miles attention that the latter had little time to devote below Vicksburgh. Here she put in for a short to the rams, which fairly danced in the waters time, for what reason we have not been advised. on all sides, watching an opportunity to give her This was on Tuesday afternoon, the twenty- a poke with their iron noses. With nothing but fourth ult. She had not been there long before the Webb before her, the Indianola would have the outlines of two or three boats were discover- had but little work on her hands. She would ed, as far as the eye could reach, below. It was doubtless have made short work of her in little time, and proceeded on her way comparatively "The Yankee barge sent down the river last unharmed. The experience of this war on the Mississippi has shown that, notwithstanding the labor and treasure expended in bringing gunboats to that point known as invulnerability, common steamboats with iron prows, and vital portions well protected, have been able, in the hands of fearless commanders, to perform exploits which the iron-clads dare not attempt. The experience held good in this instance. While the Webb was pouring in the shots, the rams managed to nearly surround the gunboat, and one of them soon found an opportunity to use her prow with force on one of the Indianola's sides. Another closed with equal success. They ran back, then forward, meeting squarely and glancing off, sinking two coal-barges which the gunboat had in tow, and, incredible as it may appear, succeeded in eluding all of her shots. Every engagement must have a termination, and this one was soon over. The Webb and Indianola briskly kept up their firing, the rams their butting, and presently the contestants were in close quarters. The Indianola had made a gallant fight, but was literally overpowered. She had sustained many hard blows from the rams, and her commander received information that the water was coming into her hold. He arrived at the conclusion that she was in a sinking condition, and that further resistance was useless. He accordingly went on deck and waved a white handkerchief in token of surrender. This was evidently regarded at once in the light in which it was intended, and the firing ceased on the Webb. As soon as communication had been established, Captain Brown was ordered to run the boat to the Louisiana shore. He complied; the confederate fleet came over, and the boat's officers and crew, with the exception of one man, became prisoners of war. Doc. 125. DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIANOLA. REAR-ADMIRAL PORTER'S DESPATCH. U. S. MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, YAZOO RIVER, March 10, The Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy: I HAVE been pretty well assured for some time past that the Indianola had been blown up, in consequence of the appearance of a wooden imitation mortar, which the enemy sunk with their batteries. The mortar was a valuable aid to us. It forced away the Queen of the West, and caused the blowing up of the Indianola. The following is an account of the affair, taken from the Vicksburgh Whig of the fifth instant: "DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIANOLA.-We stated a day or two since that we would not enlighten our readers in regard to a matter which was puzzling them very much. We alluded to the loss of the gunboat Indianola, recently captured from the enemy. We were loth to acknowledge she had been destroyed, but such is the case. week was reported to be an iron-clad gunboat. The authorities, thinking that this monster would retake the Indianola, immediately issued an order to blow her up. The order was sent down by courier to the officer in charge of the vessel. "A few hours afterward another order was sent down, countermanding the first, it being ascertained that the monstrous craft was only a coal-boat; but before it reached the Indianola she had been blown to atoms- not even a gun was saved. Who is to blame for this folly - this precipitancy? "It would really seem as if we had no use for gunboats on the Mississippi, as a coal-barge is magnified into a monster, and our authorities immediately order a boat that would have been worth a small army to us to be blown up.' D. D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral Commanding Mississippi Squadron. REAR-ADMIRAL PORTER'S LETTER. } U. S. MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, YAZOO RIVER, Thursday, February 26, 1863. MY DEAR : We are all in quite a state of excitement here, in consequence of the appearance of the ram Queen of the West at Warrenton, seven miles below Vicksburgh, with the rebel flag flying. She was discovered early yesterday morning lying there with steam up, ready for a start. The account I received from Commodore Ellet led me to believe that she was in such a condition that she could not be repaired for some time; you may judge of my surprise, then, when told she was near Vicksburgh. I always thought that the ram crew skedaddled without any necessity, and now I am pretty well convinced of it; at all events, they spoiled a very important operation - holding possession of the Mississippi River between Vicksburgh and Port Hudson, and cutting off all supplies. The rebels had only one vessel on the whole river; that was the Webb, a worn-out, leaking vessel, and not in any way to be feared; hence we should have had things all our own way. There were on the way and past Vicksburgh twelve good guns, such as they have not got in all "rebeldom"-at least in this part of it-and three vessels; one, it is true, was an old ferry-boat that we had captured, but she had a gun on, and would have answered to protect the coal-barges while the other two cruised together. Well, all that was knocked in the head by the ram getting ashore, through the treachery of the pilot, under a battery. The prize New Era, and the persons who escaped, were only saved from capture by meeting the Indianola, which vessel made the Webb turn back, and she (the Webb) escaped up Red River. I knew that Brown could take care of the Webb by himself, but I have no idea that he will be a match for the Queen and Webb both ramming him at the same time. The Indianola is a weak vessel, and the only good thing about her is her battery. Amid the incidents of war ridiculous things occur, and I must tell you of a little affair that happened here, and has created great mirth on our side, notwithstanding the loss of the Queen. I think the loss of that vessel is worse than the affair of the Galveston squadron. I have scarcely patience to write about it or to be amused at any thing. During the time of the running the blockade by the Queen of the West and the Indianola, five of the guns in the forts at Vicksburgh were burst and dismounted; therefore it was an object to make the enemy fire as much as possible. I got a mortar in easy range and opened on that part of the town where there was nothing but army supplies, and soon provoked a fire of four of their heavy batteries. The shell at first fell over the mortar and around it, bursting close to our men, but the range began to grow shorter, until they let us have it all our own way. Finding that they could not be provoked to fire without an object, I thought of getting up an imitation monitor. Ericsson saved the country with an iron one why could I not save it with a wooden one? An old coal-barge, picked up in the river, was the foundation to build on. It was built of old boards in twelve hours, with pork-barrels on top of each other for smokestacks, and two old canoes for quarter-boats; her furnaces were built of mud, and only intended to make black smoke and not steam. Without knowing that Brown was in peril, I let loose our monitor. When it was descried by the dim light of the morn, never did the batteries of Vicksburgh open with such a din; the earth fairly trembled, and the shot flew thick around the devoted monitor. But she ran safely past all the batteries, though under fire for an hour, and drifted down to the lower mouth of the canal. She was a much better looking vessel than the Indianola. When it was broad daylight they opened on her again with all the guns they could bring to bear, without a shot hitting her to do any harm, because they did not make her settle in the water, though going in at one side and out at another. She was already full of water. The soldiers of our army shouted and laughed like mad, but the laugh was somewhat against them when they subsequently discovered the Queen of the West lying at the wharf at Warrenton. The question was asked, what had happened to the Indianola? Had the two rams sunk her or captured her in the engagement we heard the night before? The sounds of cannon had receded down the river, which led us to believe that Brown was chasing the Webb, and that the Queen had got up past him. One or two soldiers got the monitor out in the stream again, and let her go down on the ram Queen. All the forts commenced firing and signalling, and as the monitor approached the Queen she turned tail and ran down river as fast as she could go, the monitor after her, making all the speed that was given her by a five-knot current. The forts at Warrenton fired bravely and rapidly, but the monitor did not return the fire with her | wooden guns, but proceeded down after the Queen of the West. An hour after this the same heavy firing that we had heard the night before came booming up on the still air. A rain commenced which defies all efforts to describe, and has been falling ever since, inundating every thing around here, and shutting out all sounds excepting the thunders of heaven, which are reverberating all the time, day and night. You can form as good an idea of affairs below as I can. I shall not believe in the safety of the Indianola until I see her, The firing of the heavy guns may have been a ruse to entice some more of our gunboats down there, but it won't succeed. Brown may be there and out of coal, and I am afraid to set a coalbarge adrift for fear the ram might pick it up and be enabled to cut around with it, for they have a short supply now. D. D. PORTER. RICHMOND, VA., March 7, 1863. In the early part of the war, the Southern Confederacy was much diverted with the Yankee fright at "masked " batteries, little thinking the day would soon come for them to turn the tables on us and join in a general guffaw over our panic at gunboats. During the summer of 1862, the newspapers (believed by the immense Conrad) pleaded earnestly for the fortification of coasts, harbors, and rivers, and endeavored to prepare the public mind for the disasters which would inevitably ensue as soon as the gunboats began to swim in our waters. But Mr. Davis sneered at navies, placed his reliance in the somnolent Mallory, and expended his energies in the creation, on the average, of two brigadiers to each private. True to the prediction of the newspapers, cherished by the noble Conrad, the gunboats came. They knocked down the mud-banks at Hatteras and alarmed the good people of the Old North State beyond measure. Their next essay was upon Fort Henry, a little pen, which Mr. Benjamin supposed to be placed, as near as he could guess, at the confluence of the Nile and the Ganges. After that the gunboat panic seized the whole country, and it became a serious question at the navy department whether liberty and the Southern Confederacy could exist in the presence of a cannon floating on a piece of wood in the water. In this state of direful trepidation the unhappy South remained until the night at Drury's Bluff. On that eminence the fragmentary crews of Mr. Mallory's exploded navy were assembled to contest the advance of this modern horror-the iron gunboat. Sailors, marines, and middies did their best, and, with the aid of Providence and some spunky clod-hopper artillery from the neighborhood, succeeded in driving the gunboats off. Here was bravery and skill; but the exploit was no greater than the Chinese had performed on the Peiho. Yet the whole Confederacy threw up its hat, wept, danced, chuckled, and shouted as if Leonidas and Thermopyla had been found Doc. 126. GENERAL LEE'S ORDER again. The event was great in that it dissipated in a moment the gunboat panic. Since then gunboats have been regarded with such indifference that the gentlemen who are acting during Mr. IN REFERENCE TO OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIA, IN 1862. Mallory's permanent nap have discarded navies altogether, and turned over all marine operations to a wild Tennessee cavalry under Wheeler, mounted on scraggy ponies. HEADQUARTERS AND NORS, RUG VIRGINIA, GENERAL ORDERS, No. 29. February 28, 1863. The General Commanding announces to the army the series of successes of the cavalry of Northern Virginia during the winter months, in spite of the obstacles of almost impassable roads, limited forage, and inclement weather. The horse-marine system has answered admirably till now. But of late a new terror has turned up. The telegraph brings us tidings of something which is tremblingly described as a "Turreted Monster." Gunboats are deemed not 1. About the first of December, General Hampmore dangerous than dug-outs, but when the ton, with a detachment of his brigade, crossed the case is altered to an interview with a "Turreted Upper Rappahannock, surprised two squadrons Monster," then the brave defenders of the Father of Union cavalry, captured several commissioned of Waters can do nothing better than make two-officers, and about one hundred men, with their forty toward the mountains. horses, arms, colors, and accoutrements, without loss on his part. The reported fate of the Indianola is even more disgraceful than farcical. Here was perhaps the finest iron-clad in the Western waters, captured | after a heroic struggle, rapidly repaired, and destined to join the Queen of the West in a series of victories. Next we hear that she was of necessity blown up, in the true Merrimac-Mallory style, and why? Laugh and hold your sides, lest you die of a surfeit of derision, O Yankeedom! Blown up because forsooth a flat-boat or mud-scow, with a small house taken from the back-garden of a plantation put on top of it, is floated down the river before the frightened eyes of the Partisan Rangers. A Turreted Monster! "A most unfortunate and unnecessary affair," says the despatch. Rather so! "The turreted monster proved to be a flat-boat, with sundry fixtures to create deception!" Think of that! "She passed Vicksburgh on Tuesday night, and the officers, (what officers ?) believing her to be a turreted monster, blew up the Indianola, but her guns fell into the enemy's hands." That is passing odd. Her guns fell into "the enemy's hands after she was blown up!" Incredible! Mallory and Tatnall did better than that with the Merrimac. "The Queen of the West," continues the facetious despatch, "left in such a hurry as to forget part of her crew, who were left on shore." Well done for the Queen of the West and her brave officers. "Taken altogether," concludes the inimitable despatch, "it was a good joke on the Partisan Rangers, who are notoriously more cunning than brave." Truly an excellent jokeso excellent that every man connected with this affair (if any resemblance of the truth is contained in the despatch) should be branded with the capital letters "T. M." and enrolled in a detached company, to be known by the name of "The Turreted Monster," henceforth and forever. We employ the conditional tense because, as the reader will perceive by General Pemberton's telegram of a later date, some doubt yet exists as to the true story. General Pemberton does not precisely contradict the original statement relative to the turreted panic, but indicates that the guns did not fall into the enemy's hands, because one of them bursted, and the vessel itself is sunken in the river. 2. On the fourth of December, under the direction of Colonel Beale and Major Waller, with a detachment of sixty dismounted men of the Ninth Virginia cavalry, Gen. William F. Lee's brigade crossed the Rappahannock below Port Royal, in skiffs, attacked the enemy's cavalry pickets, captured forty-nine, including several commissioned officers, with horses, arms, etc., and recrossed the river, without loss. 3. On the eleventh December, Gen. Hampton crossed the Rappahannock with a detachment of his brigade, cut the enemy's communications at Dumfries, entered the town a few hours before Sigel's corps, then advancing on Fredericksburgh, captured twenty wagons with a guard of about ninety men, and returned safely to his camp. On the sixteenth December he again crossed the river with a small force, proceeded to Occoquan, surprised the pickets between that place and Dumfries, captured fifty wagons, bringing many of them across the Occoquan in a ferry-boat, and beating back a brigade of cavalry sent to their rescue. He reached the Rappahannock with thirty wagons and one hundred and thirty prisoners. 4. On the twenty-fifth December, Gen. Stuart, with detachments of Hampton's, Fitz-Hugh Lee's, and W. F. Lee's brigades, under the command of their officers, respectively, made a force reconnoisance in the rear of the enemy's lines, attacked him at Dumfries, capturing men and wagons at that place, advanced toward Alexandria, drove his cavalry with considerable loss toward Occoquan, captured his camp on that stream, burned the Accotink bridge on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, then passing north of Fairfax CourtHouse, returned to Culpeper with more than two hundred prisoners and twenty-five wagons, with a loss on his part of six men wounded, and Capt. Bullock, a most gallant officer, killed. 5. On February sixteenth, Captains McNeil and Stamp, of Gen. Imboden's cavalry, with twentythree men, attacked near Romney a supply-train of twenty-seven wagons, guarded by about one hundred and fifty cavalry and infantry, routed the guard, captured seventy-two prisoners, and one hundred and six horses, with equipments, etc., and though hotly pursued, returned to his camp with his captives without the loss of a man. |