Memphis Daily Appeal CS
PARTISAN WAR ON THE RIVER.
Federal Account of the Attack upon the Catahoula
From the Memphis Bulletin.}
As the steamboat Catahoula, which is now running between this city and Helena, in the place of the regular authorized traffic boat Gladiator, was passing up to this city this morning, she was fired into at between half past nine and ten o’clock, from the Arkansas shore, when a little below the bend and between President’s island and the Arkansas shore, at a spot a little over three miles below this city. On approaching the spot nothing was to be seen to indicate what was coming, when suddenly a single gun was fired. This was followed by from seven to ten more shots, a considerable number of men, in uniform, sprung up from the ambush and poured volley upon volley on the boat, aiming especially in the direction of the pilot house. A perfect hail of buck shot and Minie balls struck upon and flew about the boat, which is pierced in all parts of her larboard side with marks of the shot and bullets.
There were on the boat besides the usual crew about twenty passengers, including two ladies and two children. In several instances the Minnie balls penetrated the hall where the passengers were seated and passed close to persons standing on the guards. The escapes were wonderful. Only one person was wounded and none killed. The wounded gentleman was Mr. Benjamin G Badger, the chief engineer of the boat. He was in his room in the texas washing, when a Minnie ball struck him on the left arm between the elbow and the shoulder. The bone was broken, but since the arrival of the Catahoula in this city, the arm has been set and the patient is doing well. Mr. Badger is a resident of St. Louis. A passenger was struck on the leg, but the ball was a spent one and did not penetrate the boat. A soldier had a bullet to pass through his coat lap. While the firing proceeded the position of the pilot, in a pilot house wholly undefended, was frightful in the extreme, and only courage the most indomitable could inspire the pilot with the coolness and self-possession required to perform his important duties under circumstances so trying. This courage, however, was possessed and manifested by the pilot of the Catahoula, Mr. James Nichols. An idea may be formed of the horrible danger he was in from the fact that no less than ten panes of glass in the pilot house are broken by shots. In one place a Minie ball has penetrated the wood work and the side exposed to the cowardly brigands who assailed the boat, is dotted with holes. The windows and boards about the clerk’s office bear testimony that that place was peculiarly aimed at, but fortunately no one was in the office at the moment.
When the firing was done the boat was within fifty yards of the shore where the would be assassins were skulking. Those who saw the men estimate their number at about sixty. The boat was in command of Captain J.A.Williams. The passengers generally were cool and courageous in the difficult circumstances in which they were placed. The punishment for this proceeding will in all probability fall on the town of Hopefield, opposite this city. Twenty citizens of Memphis are to be sent from their homes on account of the firing upon the boats Continental and Dickey. There is no doubt that this assassin-like attempt, so near this city, will draw down severe punishment. The Meteor passed down since the Catahoula was fired upon. Up to two o’clock, nothing has been heard of any attack upon her.