The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-05 00:00:00

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, Tuesday Evening.
The Royal Mail steamer E•aropa has arrived.
She brings New York papers to the 17th, and
Boston files to the 18th of February, but her intel-
ligence has been anticipMed by our telegraphic ad-
vices published yesterday. We extract from the
papers the following document in reply to the state-
ments on which General Beauregard's proclamation
of the raising of the blockade of Charleston was
founded
To REAR-ADMIRAL S. F. DUPONT, COMMANDING.
d' United States Steam Frigate New Ironsides, off
Charleston, Feb. 10, 1863.
" Admiral,—l have the honour to forward to you a certi-
ficate signed by all the commanding officers of the vessels
which were lying off Charleston bar on the morning of the
attack of the rams upon this squadron, excepting only three,
one of whom is on duty at a distance, and the other two
the commanders of the two vessels which were sent to Port
Royal to repair damages, and which were the only two that
wero injured, notwithstanding the report of the enemy in
the Charleston papers, as the result of the engagement, that
two vessels were sunk, four set on fire, and the remainder
driven away. Your personal knowledge of these gentlemen,
and your entire confidence in their truth and uprightness of
character, will give to their statement the force that is ne-
cessary to refute satisfactorily and effectually that which
has been given to the world by the authorities in Charles-
ton and their sympathisers.
" It is with unaffected pain I am called upon to forward a
document reflecting so severely, but justly, upon function-
aries holding the high position of Consuls, and one of them,
if this statement has been made by his authority, the com-
mander of a vessel of war of her Britannic Majesty. Nor
can I account for it in any other way than its being a preme-
ditated act on their part, with foregone conclusions to draw
up a report that would prejudice our cause iu the eyes of
the world, or that these events were seen by them with the
distorted optics of prejudice and partisan witnesses.
" The facts are so clear, both as to the disposition of the
blockading squadron during the day succeeding the engage-
ment, and as to the amount of damage done our vessels in
it, that it does not admit of doubt that these gentlemen have
given the seal of their high offices to the ver ion of the
affair which could not have been by any possibility, either
by inference or personal observation, forced upon their con-
victions as truth.
" 1 have the honour to be, very respectfully, your obe-
dient servant, "T. TURNER, Captain."
" U. S. steamer, New Ironsides, off Charleston, Feb. 10.
We, the undersigned, officers commanding the various
vessels of the blockading squadron off Charleston, have seen
the proclamation of General Beauregard and Commander
Ingraham, herewith appended, as also the results of the
so-called engagements, viz. Two vessels sunk, four set
on fire, and the remainder driven away ;' and also the state-
ment that the British Consul and the Commander of the
British war steamer Petrel had previously gone five miles
beyond the usual anchorage of the blockade, and could see
nothing of them with their glasses.
" We deem it our duty to state that the so-called results
are false in every particular. No vessels were sunk ; none
were set on fire seriously. Two vessels alone are injured
seriously. The Mercedita had her boiler exploded by a shell
from the only gun fired at her, when surprised by an at-
tack at night, A thick haze was prevailing. The steamer
Keystone State also had her steam-chest injured at the mo-
ment of attempting to run down one of the rams. The Key-
stone State was at once assisted by the Memphis, which
vessel exchanged shots with the iron ram as she was with-
drawing toward the bar, after having fired at the Keystone
State, as did also the Quaker City. So hasty was the retreat
of the rams that, although they may have perceived that
the Keystone State had received serious damage, no at-
tempt was made even to approach her.
" The Stettin and Ottawa, at the extreme end of the line,
irlid not get under way from their position till after the
firing had ceased, and the Stettin merely saw the black
smoke as the rams disappeared over the bar. The Flag was
alongside the Mercedita, after, it seems, she had yielded to
the ram, supposing herself sinking. The rains withdrew
hastily toward the harbour, and on their way were fired at
by the Housatenic and Augusta, until both had got beyond
reach of their guns. They anchored under the protection
of their forts and remained there.

" No vessel, iron-clad or other, passed out over the bar
after the return of the rams. In short, the Unadilla was
not aware of the attack until the Housatenic commenced
firing, when she moved out towards the vessel for her
anchorage.
" The Housatonic was never beyond the usual line of the
blockade. The Quaker City in the forenoon picked up the
anchor which she had slipped to repair the point of the
firing. The Flag communicated with the senior officer on
board the Housateuic that forenoon, soon after the firing
ended, and the blockade continued as before. No vessel ran
in or out of the port that day, nor was any attempt made to
run the blockade. The Keystone State necessarily was
ordered to Port Royal for repairs. The Unadilla returned
to her usual anchorage, after communicating with the
senior officer, where she remained during the day.
" Throughout the day two small tug boats remained ap-
parently in attendance on the ram, under cover of Forts
Moultrie and Beauregard. The prize steamer Princess
Royal, which had been alongside the Housatonic, was des-
patched to Port Royal one hour and a half after the ram
had retired to the cover of the batteries at about half-past 9
a.m. These are the facts, and we do not hesitate to state
that no vessel did collie out beyond the bar, after the re-
turn of the rams, at between 7 and a.m., to the cover of the
forts.

"Vie believe the statement that any vessel came any-
where near the usual anchorage of any of the blockaders or
up to the bar after the withdrawal of the rams to be deli-
berately and knowingly false. If the statement from the
papers as now before us has the sanction of the rebel and
foreign Consuls, we can only deplore that foreign officers
can lend their official positions to the spreading before the
world, for an unworthy object, untruths patent to every
officer of the squadron.
"W. ROGERS TAYLOR, Captain, commanding
United States' steamer Housatenic.

"J. H. STRONG, Coro., commanding United
States' steamer Flag.
"JAMES MADISON FRAILET, COM., command-
ing United States' steamer Quaker City.
"E. G. PARROTT, Cora., commanding United
States' steamer Augusta.
"P. G. MATENOTTOR, commanding United
States' steamer Memphis.
"C. J. VAN ALSTINE, commanding United
States' steamer Stettin."

Lieut. Blake, commander of the Federal steamer
Hatteras, sends the following report of the destruc-
tion of that vessel by the Alabama :

" United States' Consulate, Kingston, Jamaica,
January 21.

" Sir,—lt is my painful duty to inform the Department
of the destruction of the United States' steamer Hatteras,
recently under my command, by the rebel steamer Alabama,
on the night of the 11th inst., off the coast of Texas. The
circumstances of the disaster are as follow :

" Upon the afternoon of the 11th inst., at half-past 3
o'clock, while at anchor in company with the fleet under
Commodore Bell, off Galveston, Texas, I was ordered, by
signal from the United States' flagship Brooklyn, to chase
a sail to the southward and eastward. I got under way
immediately, and steamed with all speed in the direction
indicated.

" After some timo the strange sail could be seen from the
Hatteras, and was ascertained to be a steamer, which fact
was communicated to the flagship by signal. I continued
the chase, and rapidly gained upon the suspicious vessel.
Knowing the slow rate of speed of the Hatteras, I at once

- .... v.••,‘j
suspected that deception was being practised,, and hence

ordered the ship to be cleared for action, with everything in

readiness for a determined attack and vigorous defence.

When within about four miles of the vessel, I observed that
she had ceased to steam, and was lying broadside and await-
ing us.

`‘ It was nearly 7 o'clock, but quite dark ; but, notwith-
standing the obscurity of the night, I felt assured from the
general character of the vessel and her manoeuvres, that
I should soon encounter the rebel steamer Alabama. Being

able to work but four guns on the side of the Hatteras, two
short 32-pounders, one 30-pound rifled Parrott gun, and brie
20-pound rifled gun, I concluded to close with her, that my
guns might be effective, if necessary.
" I came within easy speaking range, about 75 yards, and
upon asking, What steamer is that ?' received the answer,
`tier Britannic Majesty's ship Vixen.' I replied that I
would send a boat aboard, and immediately gave the order.
In the meantime both vessels were changing their positions
—f the stranger endeavouring to get a desirable position
or a raki,,.
fire- Almost simultaneously with piping away
the boat the strange craft again replied, We are the Con-
federate steamer
Alabama,' which was accompanied by a
broadside. lat the same moment returned the fire. Being
well aware of the many vulnerable points of the Hatteras,
I hoped by closing with the Alabama to be able to board
her, and thus rid the seas of this Piratical craft.
"I steamed directly for the Alabama, but she was enabled
by her great speed and the foulness of the bottom of the
Hatteras, and consequently her diminished speed, to thwart
my attempts, when I had gained a distance of bat 30 yards
from her. At this range musket and pistol shots were ex-
changed. The firing continued wmiitdhsgrpegatinvit3enr
hold,
both
sides. At length a shell entered amidships
set-
ting fire to it, and at the same instant, as can hardly divide
the time, a shell passed through the sick. bay, exploding in
an adjoining compartment, al o producing fire.
Another entered the cylinder, filling the engine-room
and deck with steam, and depriving me of any power to
manoeuvre the vessel or to work the pumps, on which the
reduction of the fire depended. With the vessel on fire in
two places, and beyond human power a hopeless wreck upon
the water, with her walking-beam shot away and her engine
rendered useless, I still maintained an active fire, with a
double hope of destroying the Alabama and attracting the
attention of the fleet off Galveston, which was only 28 miles
distant.

"it WAS soon reported to me that the shells had entered
the Hatteras at the water line, tearing off entire sheets of
iron, and the water was rushing in, utterly defying every