between two of the enemy's rams. Pop, pop, pop, pop, go the rifles of her unerring sharpshooters, who pick off the rebel gunners at their ports, thus preventing them from pouring broadside after broadside into the Queen and Monarch. Meantime, all our iron-clads are sending shell and shot after the other rebel gunboats out of the range of our bully rams. There goes our ram Switzerland a railing, followed by the Lancaster Number Three. She goes through all right, while the latter, in " backing," goes into the bank, and being disabled, too, by knocking off her rudder, retires from the scene of action. The Monarch having got below the rebel fleet, is coming up, "head on." The Beauregard, while preparing to receive her, misses her mark, and goes chock into the side of one of her own fleet the Price taking off the starboard water-wheel of the latter. The shots from our gunboats tell with disastrous effect on the enemy's boats. The Gen. Price makes for the Arkansas shore, and, careening, sinks nearly out of sight. The Gen. Lovell now receives a heavy shot, and is the second rebel boat to go down. The rams on both sides, and our iron-clads, are all in close quarters-the latter pouring in heavy shot with crushing effect. The Little Rebel is now crippled by one of our shot. She is making for the Arkansas shore, followed by one of our rams-the Switzerland. The Little Rebel reaches the shore, when Com. Montgomery and all his crew break for the timber, and by the tallest kind of swimming, escape. At one time, three of the rebel rams were, apparently, locked fast, foul, or perhaps, sympathizing with each other in their discomfiture. They receive no sympathy from our iron-clads, now pouring broadside after broadside into them, completely riddling their hulls and upper works. The hottest part of the engagement lasts some thirty minutes, when the Gen. Bragg, Sumter, Jeff. Thompson and Van Dorn, backing out with all possible speed, skedaddle off down the river, pursued by the Benton and the rest of the iron clads, all sending shot after shot after the retreating rebels. fess that Col. Ellett, Com. Davis, and all of their officers and men, have covered themselves with glory in this brilliant and successful engagement. Montgomery's entire rebel, piratical fleet, save the Van Dorn, have all been sunk, burned, blown up or captured. The last seen of the Van Dorn she was making fast time-putting in her best licks-down the Mississippi, in the direction of Yallabusha River, closely pursued by a couple of Col. Ellett's swift stern-wheel rams. Both are faster, and will no doubt overtake the Van Dorn, thus wiping out the last of this piratical fleet on the Mississippi River. In the excitement and confusion of this great victory, it is impossible to give all the interesting details, incidents, etc. Our gunboats fired over three hundred rounds of shell and solid shot, while the enemy, being annoyed from the hot water and bullets from the sharp-shooters on our rams, did not slip in over seventy rounds. The Benton fired sixty-six rounds, as follows: No. 1 gun-Twenty-three rounds of forty-two pounds, (rifled,) heavy shot, weighing eighty-four pounds. Gunner, N. B. Willets. No. 2-Seven nine-inch Dahlgren shells. Gunner, P. Dwyer. The third shot from this gun cut the head out of the steam-drum of the Little Rebel. No. 3 Five rounds of nine-inch Dahlgren shell. Gunners, Lieut. Bishop and William Martin, gun captain. No. 4-Fourteen rounds of forty-two-pounders, rifled. Edward C. Brennan, gun captain. No. 5 (port gun) — One shot, a forty-twopounder, rifled. Gunner, N. B. Willets. This shot sunk the General Price. No. 5 (starboard) - Three rounds, forty-twopounders, rifled. Michael McGraw, captain. No. 11 (port after-gun)-Four rounds, thirtytwo-pounders. Gunner, N. B. Willets. No. 10 (starboard after-gun)-Nine rounds, fifty-pounders, rifled, by Lieut. Joshua Bishop, U.S.N. No. 6-Two rounds, fifty-pounders, Dahlgren, rifled, by same. Below, or near the foot of President's Island, the General Bragg (steamship Mexico) and the We have not yet found time to visit the other Jeff. Thompson-all faster than our iron-clads-gunboats, and ascertain correctly the number or run into the Arkansas shore, when all who were effect of their shots. (Later-nobody hurt) not wounded escaped to the woods under our We have captured and destroyed seven out of exploding shells. The Mexico and Jeff. Thomp- eight gunboats, and three tugs. son are captured-only one boat, the Van Dorn, escaping down the river, to tell the tale of their terrible defeat. The first twenty minutes decided the fate of the rebel fleet, while the fight lasted from 6.15 till 7.35 A.M.-one hour and twenty minutes. Our rams, in addition to their admirable and effectual butting propensities, at the same time poured stream after stream of hot water from their ports, while their sharp-shooters, under cover, picked off their pilots at the wheel, and gunners in the ports. This is certainly the most extensive, decisive, speedy, disastrous and effectual ram and gunboat battle on record, on the Mississippi River or elsewhere. All must con At 7.35 A.M., in company with Lieut. Bishop, and pilots Duffy and Birch, we left the Benton in the tug Dauntless, and board and land the Gen. Bragg, a large and valuable gulf steamer. After our party remained there one hour in landing her, and placing a guard over the prize, Lieut. Bishop, on examining her hold, discovers that one of the shots she received passed through, firing a bale of cotton in her hull. After cutting away the bulkhead it was soon extinguished. The Bragg received several shots, and a hard lick from one of the rams. Her boilers were red hot, but an explosion was prevented by the timely care, attention and skill of engineer Samuel Bostwick, of the Benton. Lieut. Bishop has been promoted to the command of this prize by Com. Davis, for gallant and meritorious service. The tug Spitfire saved one rebel tug, while the tug Terror took charge of the Little Rebel. One of the rebel gunboats, after burning to the water's edge, blew up. Her boilers and magazines exploded. It was a terrific spectacle. Fragments of the wreck were blown a distance of a mile. One of our gunboats passing at the time she went off, fortunately escaped uninjured. None of our gunboats, seamen or officers, sustained the least injury during the engagement. We captured from eighty to one hundred prisoners from the rebel fleet. Their loss of life is over one hundred and fifty by drowning, scalding to death, and being shot by the ram sharp-shooters. We observed a number of poor men from the rebel gunboats, who were scalded, drowning. They shouted lustily for help, when small boats were lowered, and a number rescued. nine or ten prisoners scalded. We have We regret to learn that Col. Ellett, commanding the rams, was wounded by a splinter. He was on the Queen of the West when she received a shot from a rebel gunboat. We have heard of no others injured in his command. As our fleet passed Memphis, a gang of three hundred of Jeff. Thompson's men, under his personal command, fired on our gunboat men from the shore, without effect, however. He then made his escape by railway, for Grenada, Mississippi. Thousands of men, women, and children lined the Memphis wharf and bluffs, as our fleet passed down fighting the rebel gunboats. There was a tremendous cheering from a portion of the populace when they saw that we were victorious. The hull of a new and large steamer, building on the ways, together with the tug Queen of Memphis, were fired and burning, as our gunboats passed the ways, at Fort Pickering. There is a strong Union feeling in Memphis, yet the rebels are very rabid. They shouted for Jeff Davis, and used other obnoxious language. The city council met at three P.M., when the Mayor made a formal surrender of the city to Com. Davis and Col. Fitch. The Council, at the suggestion of the Mayor, tendered two hundred policemen to assist in the preservation of order, and closing of all coffee-houses and bars. There was only one confederate flag flying over Memphis. It was on a staff in front of the Commercial Hotel, where the last Star-Spangled Banner, made and presented by Mrs. Anna Crandall, floated to the breeze thirteen months ago. The reign of terror is now over in Memphis. Our flag now waves over the city in tranquillity and triumph. Master G. W. Reed, of the Benton, delivered | the last letter from Com. Davis and Col. Fitch, to the Mayor. During the forenoon, while the battle was raging, the office of the Memphis Appeal was removed to Grenada, Miss., by railroad. Jeff. Thompson and his men escaped in the same direction, by rail. The Beauregard was sunk early in the action by the Queen of the West. The wheel and one side was knocked off the Price by the Monarch. The Benton put three shots through her heavy iron casemates, cotton and timber. She is sunk, a complete wreck. An eighty-four-pound shot was fired into the Jeff. Thompson's boiler. It exploded, when she burned, and was finally blown to atoms. The Sumter and Bragg were captured, and surrendered to the Benton. The name of the flag-ship that escaped is the John C. Breckinridge, and not Van Dorn, as reported elsewhere. The following note, addressed "to any Federal Lincolnite," was found on the desk of the telegraph office: "I leave this office to any Lincolnite successor, and will state that, although you can whip us on the water, if you will come out on land we'll whip you like hell. "OPERATOR." (Signed) MEMPHIS APPEAL" ACCOUNT. Memphis has fallen. But it is a source of pride to us, in this our first issue from another theatre of operations, to record the fact, that she fell honorably, and with her "flag nailed to the mast-head." For months the city has been the object of Federal hopes and aspirations, not only because of its important position with reference to the Mississippi valley, but because it was believed that there existed among its people a Union sentiment which would extend and give tone to the community of the entire State. At last they have succeeded in attaining their object. Their gunboats now swarm before her portals; the Stars and Stripes are now flaunting from her public edifices; her streets are guarded with Federal soldiery, and a Federal commander has usurped the powers which belong to her municipal rulers. Yet not one voice, to our knowledge, has been raised in behalf of the new administration-not one heart has throbbed in sympathy with the invader. In order to convey to our readers a comprehensive account of the surrender, we should `observe that the evacuation of Forts Pillow and Randolph had taken place two days before. All of the ammunition, stores, and many of the guns had been brought away. Yet, so quietly was this done, that notwithstanding the close proximity of the enemy, they were not aware of the fact until the last man was miles away from the position, en route for Memphis, and the last dollar's worth of confederate property either removed or rendered valueless. Thursday morning found the troops all in Memphis, about to depart for another sphere of action. Thursday night the Federal fleet followed close upon their footsteps, and anchored five house, which so disabled her as to make it necessary to run her ashore to prevent her from sinking, and the crew from drowning. miles above the city with steam up. At the same time seven Federal regiments were landed and marched down from Mound City to Hopefield, and deployed on the Arkansas shore to the distance The Federal ram Monarch made directly for of four miles below the city. At nine o'clock on the confederate fleet, and passed down rapidly. Thursday evening the scout-boats of Com. Mont-The Beauregard and the Price now made for the gomery notified him of the presence of the Federals, by sending up rockets, which was the sign agreed upon, when a signal-gun was discharged from the flag-ship. Contrary to public expectation the enemy did not advance during the night, but at early dawn they were discovered slowly rounding the point behind which they had lain concealed. They formed in line of battle at the foot of the island above the city. The confederate fleet consisted of the following boats: General Van Dorn, (flag-ship,) General Price, General Bragg, Jeff. Thompson, General Lovell, General Beauregard, Sumter, and Little Rebel, all fams, and was under the command of Com. Montgomery. Owing to the fact that the Van Dorn had on board over two hundred thousand dollars' worth of public property-a part of which was one hundred thousand pounds of powder-the flag of the Commodore had been transferred to the Little Rebel. Each of these boats carried an armament of two guns, with the exception of the Jeff. Thompson, which had four. The instructions given in by the Commodore to the captains, were that they should fight as long as their coal lasted, or until they were disabled, when they were to sink, burn, or blow up their respective crafts, rather than allow them to fall into the hands of the enemy. Monarch, all three coming rapidly together, but, unfortunately, the blow aimed by the Beauregard at the Monarch missed its object, and struck the Price on the wheel-house, which was entirely torn off, and from which injuries she subsequently sank in shoal-water on the Arkansas side. Her hull is still visible. Soon after these collisions had taken place, it was discovered that the General Lovell had been struck by a shot, which disabled her machinery. She was then headed for the Tennessee shore, but before reaching the same she was struck by a ram, and instantly sunk in deep water about two hundred yards from shore, at the foot of Huling street. While the Lovell was sinking, several boats, manned by non-combatants, left the shore to aid the crew who were struggling in the water, when, with a brutality characteristic of Yankee conduct during the war, two broadsides were fired at them from two of the passing gunboats of the enemy. Among the killed, by the sharp-shooters, of the crew of the Lovell, was Capt. William Cabell, the pilot, who received a shot through the head and died instantly. Another boat, the Little Rebel, was disabled about this time by a ball, when a Federal gunboat ran alongside, and depressing her guns, poured in a broadside below her guards, which, to use the bottom out." Most of those on board escaped by swimming ashore, Com. Montgomery being among the number. His escape was made after an encounter with three Yankee pickets, who demanded his surrender as he was nearing the shore. In the fray we have every reason to think somebody was hurt. The Federal gunboats consisted of the follow-language of one of her crew, "fairly blew her ing the gunboat Benton, (flag-ship of Commodore Davis,) Captain Phelps commanding; she mounts fourteen guns; gunboat St. Louis, Capt. McGanegle, thirteen guns; gunboat Mound City, Captain A. W. Kelley, thirteen guns; gunboat Louisville, Captain Dove, thirteen guns; gunboat Cairo, Captain thirteen guns; gunboat Carondelet, Captain Walke, thirteen guns; three mortar-boats, and twenty rams and transports, including the Monarch, Queen of the West, Lancaster No. Three, John H. Dickey, Henry Von Phul, Cheeseman, and others, the whole fleet numbering forty-two. This overwhelming force advanced, as near as we can describe it, with several of their rams in front, their iron-clad gunboats in the centre, two and three abreast, and their mortar-boats and transports bringing up their rear. The fight was commenced by the confederate ram Jeff. Thompson, which fired several shots, to which no reply was made. Soon after, however, the firing became general, and for three quarters of an hour the booming of the heavy artillery was incessant, the Federal fleet firmly advancing and our own little fleet slowly retiring. During this cannonade an attempt was made by a Yankee ram, the Lancaster Number Three, to run into the Beauregard; but, by a skilful manoeuvre, the latter eluded the shock, and in turn dashed into her Federal antagonist, striking her a tremendous blow just forward of her wheel Here the narrative of the fight terminates. The Jeff. Thompson, Beauregard, Sumter, and Bragg were respectively disabled, run ashore, or set on fire, their crews meanwhile escaping to the woods. The Jeff. Thompson is blown up, the Beauregard sunk near the shore, her upper-works remaining above the surface. The Sumter and Bragg were the only boats that could be brought off, and these were subsequently anchored in front of the city, with the odious flag of the invaders flying at their mast-heads. Finding that the Van Dorn, after a long pursuit, could not be overhauled, a portion of the Federal fleet returned to a position in front of the city, when a boat, bearing a white flag, approached the levee and landed an officer and three men, who at once proceeded to the Mayor's office, and presented the following demand for the surrender of the city: U. S. FLAG-STEAMER BENTON, OFF MEMPHIS, June 6, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to request that you will surrender the city of Memphis to the authorities of the United States, which I have the honor to represent. After a consultation between the commander of the Federal land forces and the Mayor, the city I am, Mr. Mayor, with high respect, your most was placed under the control of a strong guard obedient servant, C. H. DAVIS, Flag-Officer Commanding, etc. To his Honor the Mayor of the City of Memphis. Mayor Park replied as follows: MAYOR'S OFFICE, MEMPHIS, June 5, 1862. C. H. Davis, Flag-Officer Commanding, etc.: SIR: Your note of this date is received and contents noted. In reply, I have to say, that the civil authorities have no means of defence; by the force of circumstances it is in your hands. Respectfully, JOHN PARK, Mayor. The of Federal troops. During a walk through the streets after midnight Friday night, we passed several of the patrolling parties. Everything was quiet, and but few persons were seen upon the streets. During the afternoon succeeding the battle, the business houses were all closed. people kept aloof from the enemy, and they were not interfered with until a squad was sent to remove the confederate flag from the mast on Front row. This the crowd refused to permit to be done, when two companies were landed from one of the transports and marched to the spot. After surrounding the pole, and a dispute of sevThe first of the public buildings visited by the eral hours, during which a collision was several small squad that came ashore was the post-office, times imminent; it was cut down amidst the exover which the Federal flag was raised. In pass-ecrations of those present against their invaders, ing through the streets no disturbance occurred, and vociferous huzzas for the Confederacy, Jeff but the crowd at every corner gave the most un- Davis, etc. mistakable signs of their hostility to the government whose ensign was about to be thrown out. It was reported that one pistol-shot was fired at the men on the post-office engaged in raising the flag, but we were unable to obtain any authentication of the rumor. Groans and hisses greeted the enemy's banner, and the spirit of the populace was so strongly manifested, that it was thought advisable by the Federal officers to place a guard around the flag, which was done. During the afternoon Mayor Park received a second communication from Com. Davis announcing that he had placed the city under military authority, and that he would be pleased to have his cooperation. We subjoin the correspondence: U. S. FLAG-STEAMER BENTON, SIR: The undersigned, commanding the military and naval forces in front of Memphis, have the honor to say to the Mayor of the city, that Col. Fitch, commanding the Indiana brigade, will take military possession of the city immediately. Col Fitch will be happy to receive the cooperation of his Honor the Mayor, and the city authorities, in maintaining peace and good order; and to this end he will be pleased to confer with his Honor at the military headquarters, at three o'clock this afternoon. The undersigned have the honor to be, with high respect, your most obedient servants, C. H. DAVIS, To his Honor the Mayor of the City of Memphis. REPLY. To Flag-Officer C. H. Davis and Col. G. N. GENERALS: Your communication is received, Mayor. That the fleet of the enemy was vastly superior to ours, not only in the number of vessels, but also in the weight of ordnance, was well known before it was determined to give battle. Why this conclusion was arrived at, will be explained by the report of Commodore Montgomery, and until that document appears we decline all comment. Our men commenced the fight gallantly, and prosecuted it bravely. No censure can attach to their conduct, which was witnessed by thousands who had congregated upon the bluff. Our loss of men will not, we believe, exceed fifty in killed and wounded, and one hundred prisoners. On the boats captured and destroyed, there was but a small quantity of stores and munitions, and everything in the city of value to the government had been removed. Beyond the mere fact of obtaining possession of the position, the victory of the enemy was a barren one. They have only learned of the existence of a condition of things which we are proud to record of the Bluff City— namely, that her citizens remained loyal to the confederate cause, and that none of that Union spirit which has so long been charged as existing among her people was manifested. The city is conquered, but her people are not crushed, or converted to Lincolnism-neither have they lost a particle of hope in the ultimate success of the South. They almost unanimously pledged themselves to the cause at the ballot-box a year ago, and they remain true to the pledge, even under the great adversity that has overtaken them. To their honor be it recorded! Doc. 61. OPERATIONS OF A REBEL GUNBOAT. THE following is the report of Captain Fry to C. S. GUNBOAT MAUREPAS, ty-second ultimo, with a crew of less than ten men, exclusive of my firemen and coal-passers. It was absolutely necessary, if I proposed doing anything besides frightening the enemy, that I should have the coöperation of a land force, which, despite all my efforts, I was unable to obtain. One or two companies of cavalry would have sufficed if I could get no more; but the first colonel I could hear from concluded I was under his command, and ordered me to stay where I was until further orders. This order, of course, I disregarded; as, according to my judgment, no man under the rank of a Brigadier-General can possibly form a correct judgment of the contingencies governing the movements of a gunboat. Having armed a few citizens, I proceeded with them to act as sharp-shooters up the river to Jacksonport. At Grand Glaze some two hundred of the enemy's cavalry preceded us ten minutes. The turns of the White River resemble a bow-knot, and cavalry, and even infantry, by cutting across points could keep ahead of us; and in ambuscade, could have killed every man on board of us. We, however, never saw the enemy till we got near Jacksonport, which place had been evacuated in part in anticipation of our arrival with a large land force. The enemy (Ninth Illinois cavalry) retreated in time across Black River. I fired about ten shots into the woods in the direction of their flight. The gentlemen who volunteered their services to me rendered efficient assistance in rolling out and burning the cotton. My crew destroyed the sugar. The river had fallen so that we rubbed hard in getting up, and was falling so rapidly that I had not a moment to spare. I barely saved the boat as it was, and had to leave unburned about nine hundred bales. These were housed, and our party had determined to burn the house containing them, but on the representation of a person who came to me and said that it would burn the town, I prevented it. I learned subsequently that it might have been destroyed without risk to the city. HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, Į FORTRESS MONROE, VA., June 6, 1862. Major-General John E. Wool, Fortress Monroe, Virginia. SIR: I have the honor to report that I left Hampton Roads about three o'clock A.M., on the morning of the second inst., in charge of the privateersmen, prisoners of war eighty-five in number-and five men, taken from merchant vessels while attempting to run the blockade, on board the steamer Massachusetts for City Point, Va., where in accordance with your instructions, I was to endeavor to effect the release of our of ficers held as hostages by the rebels, by delivering their privateersmen within their lines on parole. I communicated with the enemy about two o'clock P.M., of the second, sending your letterenclosing a list of the prisoners-to Major-General Huger, to whom I also sent a letter informing him of my presence there with the prisoners, and my readiness to release them upon the condition mentioned in your letter. To this letter, I received a reply from the Headquarters, Department of the Appomattox, at Petersburgh, in which I was informed that at ten o'clock A.M., of the third inst., an officer would be sent to "receive the paroled prisoners, and with such instructions relating to them as the government imposed." The citizens, in their enthusiasm, got some of Accordingly, during the afternoon, Major Ash, my men drunk, and my citizens in some instan- aid-de-camp of Major-General Huger, came to reces left off work to plunder. One got the Pro-ceive the prisoners, in case I saw fit to turn them vost-Marshal's trunk, containing his commission, uniform, and some papers. I have the original book containing the oath of allegiance exacted from the citizens as the price of their being at liberty and exempt from plunder. over to him, or to await the reply of the "government," which would be delivered to me at ten o'clock A.M., the next day, June fourth. I acknowledged the receipt of this, and added that my instructions would not permit me to act unless the exchange was simultaneous. About five o'clock P.M., June fourth, I received a letter stating that there was some misunderstanding as to the extent of General Huger's promise in his letter of May third, which could only be settled by conference, and time must be allowed for that. A man named Peoples rides a fine horse, goes heavily armed, and pilots Federal scouts on foraging expeditions. At his nod one is spared and another sacrificed. His house was close to the Federal camp. I stopped at his place, burnt the house, corn-crib, etc., considering it important as a retaliatory measure. I have taken prisoners several persons who have voluntarily taken I replied to this by inquiring whether they the oath of allegiance, arrested suspicious persons, would confer with me on this business, or with and caused the arrest of a traitor spy named whom and when. I waited for a reply to this Lewis Smith, who has served in our army, and until five o'clock of the fifth, having, at three was greatly trusted. I have the Federal vouch-o'clock, gone ashore, and left a letter with a |