This is from the April 13th report of Lt. George M. Bache, who commanded the USS Lexington, to Admiral David Dixon Porter. Evidently, this was fighting at extremely close quarters at times.
The Confederates attacked the rear of the three vessel Union fleet with a three gun battery. The Lexington steamed toward the battery and engaged it with 8 inch Dahlgren bow guns, driving the Confederates off in a few minutes and disabled one of the guns.
"When within 600 yards of the battery, we encountered a very heavy fire of musketry from the fiftenn hundred men, whom we passed at a distance of 20 feet. The enemy came boldly up to the bank, yelling and waving their side arms, so close that as a portion of the bank caved in from our fire, one of the rebels tumbled down within a few feet of the vessel.
I now got our port broadside to bear on the enemy's line, and while the Osage poured in a front fire of grape and canister, we raked them with shell and shrapnel."
The Confederates retreated into the woods and had a loss of 150 killed and wounded. General Green and a colonel were killed.
The Lexington fired 76 rounds of canister, shell, and shrapnel and had one casualty, Phillip Dudley, a colored landsmen, whose arm had to be amputated.
USS LEXINGTON
From wikipedia. Third ship to bear the name. Built as a sidewheel steamer iat Pittsburgh, Pa, in 1861. Purchased by the War department and converted into a gunboat. Joined Western Flotilla August 1861.
Mounted four 8-inch Dahlgren guns and two 32-pdrs.
I'd Never Heard of This Battle Before, But Now I Know.
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