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Civil War Harper's Weekly, May 30, 1863

Welcome to our online archive of Harper's Weekly newspapers. We have put our extensive collection of these original newspapers online for your study and research. These papers are full of unique content you will not see anywhere else.

(Scroll Down to See Entire Page, or Newspaper Thumbnails below will take you to the page of interest)

 

Blockade Runner

Vicksburg Blockade Runner

Vallandigham Arrested

Vallandigham Arrested

Capture of Jackson

Capture of Jackson, Mississippi

Port Gibson

Port Gibson

Kilpartick Raid

Kilpatrick's Cavalry Raid

Death of Stonewall Jackson

Death of Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson Obituary

Stonewall Jackson Obituary

Raven

The Raven Poem

Louisiana Campaign

General Banks's Louisiana Campaign

Cavalry Raid

Cavalry Raid

Cavalry

Cavalry

 

 

 

 

VOL. VII.—No. 335.]

NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1863.

SINGLE COPIES SIX CENTS.

$3,00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1863, by Harper & Brothers,   the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.


HOW STEAMBOATS RUN REBEL BATTERIES.

WE reproduce on this page a picture of the tug "RUMSEY," Captain Joseph Biggs, as she appeared when prepared to run the gauntlet of the rebel batteries at Vicksburg on 26th April. On the Vicksburg side she was protected by a barge filled with hay solidly piled to a height which completely screened the steamboat. On the other side another barge, containing a loose deck-load of cotton-bales, protected the captain and his crew from rebel sharp-shooters. Cotton bales were likewise piled around the pilot-house for the protection of the pilot.       Thus accoutred, the gallant little craft boldly ran past the rebel batteries without suffering any damage or losing a man. Captain Biggs and his vessel are now with Farragut between Vicksburg and Port Hudson.

GENERAL GRANTS CAMPAIGN.

ON page 341 we reproduce some of Mr. Davis's sketches representing scenes in the campaign of General Grant and Admiral Farragut.

One of them shows us THE BOMBARDMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE REBEL BATTERIES AT GRAND GULF by Admiral Farragut. The place was being strongly fortified, and would have become as formidable as Port Hudson or Vicksburg had the rebels been suffered to complete their works. It is now in our hands.

THE CAPTURE OF FORT GIBSON

 by General Grant, followed quickly after.

The Herald correspondent wrote:

On Saturday we reached Port Gibson, and took formal possession of the town. Just as we entered the village we discovered the suspension bridge which crosses the Bayou Pierre on fire. This compelled us to remain a few hours, until a floating bridge could be constructed. The enemy appeared on the opposite side of the bayou, above and below the town, and shots were exchanged, but with no damage to our army.

Port Gibson is a town of two thousand inhabitants, well built and enterprising. A railroad connects the Port with Grand Gulf.

In the afternoon the bridge was repaired, and we crossed over.

Three miles beyond Port Gibson, on the Raymond road, we came across two large piles of bacon belonging to the rebel army, and containing at least 50,000 pounds. Of course this was incontinently appropriated. Five miles beyond we came to the upper bridge across Bayou Pierre, a substantial iron suspension bridge, which the enemy, in his retreat had attempted to burn. The negroes had put out the fire before the bridge was entirely destroyed.

The other pictures show us GENERAL GRANT WRITING HIS DISPATCHES TO WASHINGTON ON THE BATTLEFIELD BY THE LIGHT OF A BIVOUAC FIRE, and GOVERNOR YATES SCOURING THE FIELD AFTER THE BATTLE IN SEARCH OF THE WOUNDED. Mr. Davis says that the Governor's industry and zeal in this praiseworthy enterprise elicited universal encomium.

THE BERWICK'S BAY EXPEDITION.

WE illustrate on page 310 two scenes in the recent naval campaign in Berwick's Bay, Louisiana,

via., THE DESTRUCTION OF THE "QUEEN OF THE WEST," and THE. CAPTURE OF BUTTE LA ROSE by our flotilla. The former operation is thus described in the official report of the commanding officer of the flotilla :

EXTRACT OF    OFFICIAL REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER COOKE TO COMMODORE MORRIS.

"GUN-BOAT ' ESTRELLA' GRAND LAKE,

"April 15, 1863.

"During the afternoon the smoke of the enemy's steamers was seen in the distance, apparently in Lake Chicot. At dark they were not yet in but we expected them, and made preparations accordingly. After two o'clock A.M. of the 11th inst. we could occasionally distinguish their lights in the distance, and at daylight saw a large black steamer and white riverboat approaching us. We were all under way immediately, and opened the engagement with our bow-guns—30-pounder Parrots—at long range, our three vessels forming a crescent—the Estrella on the left, the Arizona, Captain Upton, on the right, and the Calhoun, Captain Jordan, in the centre—all approaching and gradually surrounding the enemy.

"The large black steamer pointed toward the Arizona, as though she were going to ram her; but our firing was so rapid and accurate that she did not advance. Captain Jordan, of the Calhoun, pointed his vessel to run down the black stranger; but she was seen to be on fire from our shells, and was soon wrapped in flames fore and aft. At this juncture her consort turned and fled. Having superior speed and lighter draft we could not follow her, and she escaped. We now lowered all our boats to pick up the crew of the burning steamer,

who were clinging to cotton-bales all around her. From them we learned she was the Queen of the West, commanded by Captain Fuller, of Teche notoriety. We picked up ninety of her crew, besides Captain Fuller, and understand twenty or thirty were lost. The burning wreck drifted two or three miles down the lake, where she grounded, and the flames soon reached her magazine, which blew up, scattering the fragments of this famous vessel in every direction.

" Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"A. P. COOKE, Lieutenant-Commander

"Commanding Naval Forces Berwick's Bay.

"Commodore HENRY W. MORRIS,

" Steam Sloop Pensacola, New Orleans."

Of the capture of Butte La Rose a friend of the author of the sketch which we reproduce writes as follows :

"UNITED STATES STEAMER 'ESTRELLA,'
"April 28, 1863.

"I herewith forward to you a sketch of Fort Butte La Rose and vicinity, as it appeared during the action of the 22d inst. After a few days of very intricate navigation of the innumerable bayous in this region, the Berwick's Bay fleet, under command of Lieutenant-Commander A. P. Cooke, approached the fort under a full head of steam at ten o'clock A.M. The fort was silenced in about twelve minutes. The rebel gun-boat Mary T. was crippled, and only escaped by the assistance of one of the rebel transports. The steamer Clifton was slightly injured in her machinery. Our loss was two killed and three wounded. We captured the fort, two heavy guns, sixty prisoners with all their small arms, and a large quantity of ammunition."

THE TUG "RUMSEY" ACCOUTRED FOR RUNNING THE REBEL BATTERIES AT VICKSBURG.

Picture
Vicksburg Blockade Runner

 

 

 

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