File:The naval history of the United States (1896) (14597834408).jpg

Identifier: navalhistoryofun02abbo (find matches)
Title: The naval history of the United States
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John), 1863-1934
Subjects: United States -- History, Naval To 1900
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and company
Contributing Library: University of Massachusetts, Boston
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Boston

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ippi, listened daily to the stories of escaping negroes, and won-dered when the big ship would come down and give them a tussle. Thecrew of the ram were no less impatient for the fray; for they were tired.of being hidden away up a little river, plagued by mosquitoes and gnats.The dark shades of the heavy forests were seldom brightened by a ray ofsun. The stream was full of alligators, that lay lazily on the banks allday, and bellowed dismally all night. The chirp of a bird was rarelyheard. In its place were the discordant screams of cranes, or hisses of themoccasins or cotton-mouths. When at last the carpenters clatter hadceased, and the ram, ready for action, lay in the little river, the crew weremustered on the deck, and told that the new boat had been built to clearthe Union vessels from the Mississippi, and that purpose should be carriedout. No white flag was to flutter from that flag-staff; and she should sink > — >0CHc/5 0> o H Xrr, c H ~CDu C > HHrn 2 m C/) > n
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BLUE-JACKETS OF 61. 753 with all her crew before she would surrender. Any sailor who feared toenter upon such a service might leave the ship at once. No one left; andthe Arkansas started down the river to look for an enemy. She was notlong in finding one. At the mouth of the Yazoo floated three Union gun-boats,— the Carondelet, the Tyler, and the Queen of the West.As the ram came down into sight, her men heard the roll of the drums onthe decks of the hostile vessels. The gunboats quickly opened fire, which.was as promptly returned by the Arkansas; and, as she came swiftlyrushing down the stream, the three vessels fled before her. The men onthe ram were all new recruits, and made awkward work of the firing; butas she came to close quarters she sent her shells crashing into the Unionships, while the shot she received in return rattled harmlessly off hersteel-mailed sides. The Carondelet was the first vessel to come to grief.She had hardly fired four shots when a heavy solid shot crash

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