A fight in a Church.
--The capture of the
Captain and a portion of the crew of the U. S. gunboat
Rattler, who had gone ashore at
Rodney, Miss., to attend church, has been noticed.
The
Mississippian gives some further particulars of the scene:
Lieut. Allen, of
Logan's command, having been informed that the crew of the gunboat at
Rodney were in the habit of attending church, determined to try an experiment; dressing himself in citizen's garb he leisurely sauntered into town last Sunday, and had the pleasure of finding some twenty-two of the
Yankee officers and men dressed in their best toggery, snugly seated in the quiet and unsuspecting congregation.
With this information he left town and soon returned in command of a squad of men; he entered the church, and apologized to the preacher for having to disturb him for a few moments, stating that he had called to demand the surrender of the
United States soldiers in the congregation.
Instantly the engineer of the gunboat jumped behind the door and fired on
Lieut. Allen, the ball passing through his cap.
Allen returned the fire and sent the engineer to his long home.
A general scattering and firing ensued, resulting in killing two Yankees and wounding another, and in the capture of
Capt. Ventress, of the gunboat, one
Lieutenant, and fifteen men. I saw them late that night on their way to
Logan's camp.
This is certainly one of the nicest little episodes of the war, and was managed with great coolness and courage, our men not receiving so much as a scratch.
Capt. Ventress, who, I am sorry to say, is a Virginian, says his father and brother are in the Confederate army; they are from
Richmond, I understand.
When asked by a citizen what command they belonged to,
Capt. Ventress touched his cap and replied, "To
Logan's command. " The
Yanks bore their capture with a good deal of
nonchalance, seeming to regard it as a good-joke.
Those on the gunboat seeing the affair, commenced a furious shelling over, but not upon, the town.
Lieut. Allen addressed the commander a note, stating that his force belonged to the army of the
Confederate States; that the people of
Rodney were in no wise responsible for what his men had done, and if a solitary shell were thrown into the town he would proceed to hand his prisoners.
Capt. Ventress also wrote a note requesting that no damage should be done to the town, as the whole affair was a legitimate military transaction.
One old lady in the midst of the melee jumped up and shouted "glory to God;" but the way the balance of the congregation rolled around and mixed up promiscuously in the midst of the fight is said to have been rich beyond description, and certainly very excusable.
