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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.
We have nine or ten prisoners scalded.
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.
(Signed)
operator.
Col. Fitch has a strong infantry force here.
In addition to the gunboat and ram fleet, five steamers lying at the wharf are also Federal prizes.
This is glory enough for one day. Order now reigns in
Memphis, under the protection of the
Federal flag.
In haste,
C. D. M.
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
, 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
and 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,
, and the last dollar's worth of confederate property either removed or rendered valueless.
about to depart for another sphere of action.
Thursday night the Federal fleet followed close upon their footsteps, and anchored five
