News report in the Elmira Daily Advertiser taken from the January 21, 1865 New York Herald.
DAILY ADVERTISER
ELMIRA, N. Y.
MONDAY MORNING JAN. 23, 1865.
Painful Intelligence from the 161st.
We take from the New York Herald of Saturday the following painful intelligence from the 161st N. Y. V. We are glad to learn that it is no worse:
Vicksburg, Jan. 10, 1865.
One of the most painful accidents in river navigation happened yesterday afternoon twenty-five miles below here. The transport John H. Dickey, from the mouth of White river, heavily laden with troops, horses, mules, and stores of various kinds, was proceeding on her way to New Orleans, when she met the steamer John Raine, bound up to this port.—The steamers were both in a great bend of the river at the time of meeting, and could be seen for a long distance before nearing each other; besides, it was before six o'clock P. M. and daylight—so there can be no excuse for the criminal negligence of the pilots of the boats, who allowed them to collide with each other, where the slightest attention to their duty would have made such a conjunction impossible.
It is not known yet who the guilty parties are in causing this accident, but an examination will soon be had which will probably elicit that information. At present the pilots of both boats accuse each other of the gross negligence which resulted in the accident.
TROOPS ON BOARD THE DICKEY.
The One Hundred and Sixty-first New York Veteran Volunteers, Lt. Col. Kinsey commanding, and a portion of the Twentieth Iowa Tolunteers [sic], were on board the John H. Dickey when the collission [sic] occurred.
THE EXTENT OF THE CATASTROPHE.
The John Raine had no cargo of any kind, but she being a much newer and stronger boat than the Dickey, the latter steamer, although heavily freighted and bound down stream, suffered the more destructive shock. The Dickey was struck on the larboard guard, near the wheel house and every thing was cut away on that side to the bare hull. The chimneys were thrown overboard by the jar, and it was at once necessary to put out the fires in the furnaces to save the wreck from burning by the flying sparks. The engineer of the Dickey did almost heroic service in their successful but dangerous efforts to suppress these fires, which threatened serious consequences if not instantly put out. The effects of the collision were scarcely visible on the guards and upper works of the John Raine.
THE CASUALITIES IN THE 161ST NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
Surgeon Wm. D. Murray, N. Y. V., has kindly furnished me with a complete list of casualties resulting from the collision:
WOUNDED—Sergeant George S. Prentice, A, three fingers of left hand amputated, Angelo Prentice, A, bruised head and left hand; Charles Williams, compound fracture of cranium, mortally, Lucius D. Caldwell, E, simple fracture of left leg, Erastus Sheldon, E, sprained right ankle, Jas. Kennedy, G, bruised head and back, Jacob McGuire, G, bruised slightly, Terrace Crllaban, G, bruised left knee, Valorus D. Starr, G, sprained left knee, Geo. Cable, bruised knee and back slightly, Corp. Hugh O'Niel, G, lacerated wound over left eye, Stephen H. Marsh, G, sprained right leg, Corp. Warren S. Knoght, G, incised wound in the right hand, Miles Gatch, G, compound fracture of cranium, left side severely, Serg. Theron B. Moore, E, sprained left ankle, Nelson Barnes, incised wound right hand, L. C. King, F, bruise slight, Samuel Nostrand, I, bruised right side, Charles E. Beyer, I, bruised right leg, slight, Corp. Eli Rogers, K, bruised back.
DROWNED.—Sergeant Everill F. Jewett, E, Thomas Murphy, G, Wesley Winship, H.
In addition to these there were three soldiers of the Twentieth Iowa Volunteers wounded.
The 161st was raised for the most part in Steuben and Allegany counties, containing also one full company and many other representatives from Chemung.