Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-10-24
The Naval Exploit on New OrIeans-Incidents of
Attack

The New Orleans True Delta furnishes the following in
teresting particulars Of the attack of batering ram
Manassas upon the Federal Fleet in the late naval ex.
plot OF that city:
There hirtytwo souls all told on the Afsnsasss
when finally started her experimental nip Ideat
Marley had command.
Lieut. Marley bsd orders from Commodore Holns 10 run
ahead o. the whole expedition and make
Jude circumstances and all hazards Her nine inch
gun wa not used at all aud in fact she only had
cAltroges LOT II I'D her magazine The p0Ithoe forward
was closed down and te after batch forward
hatch alone was opened four inches permit the
sno plot 10 nave Rooi view ahead MIR. Aus
tn who knows inch of the river poied her himself
/ the pilot having left her at the fort.
1t peculiar hazard this-:o tey new invention
without precedent which to form even az
TO The result and 20 run boldly into the mids of enems
Meet on the literal principle Of victory DEATH The
men aboard Of her frightened they would
have deliberately made the but they would
nave been human II they had not felt the oppression of
awful suspense Shut in that iron bound they knew
that in a short time it might he their coffn.
IL pitch dark. better night could not have been
seec'ed or the purpose and the ram gded Doselessy
DOW the current Never before had she we'll Ten
miles an hour was suppose to be her maximum speed but
she was making at least thirteen knots The ran up
making gentle and really musical ripping sound She
had left the other boats tar behind but still sic kept her
Ali of sudden Austin discovered the dim outline Of
sap ght ahead De sang out to the engineer: Let her
snInbn tg had be ou' ne at 'ao" ana
mace and the hand of her gusge the high
est point How much pressure on the boilers given
can never BIO known but il far above her allowance.
Now she was discovered by the watch the enemy's
decKs ana they the blue light
from the Richmond probably private signal to the Maya
ra below Austin made out the bow of the vessel she
and steered her for it so as to strike between
the momentum of the terrific, and the crash,
was truly fearful. Every aboard the Manassas
kncked down by the violence of the concus 3on and the
an s ont he we're
pro" whole sheets OF the PEBBLES copperng and big spln-
tiers of her solid live.oak bow
The dismay the CONSERVATISM the panic of horror that
ensut upon the deck OF the stricken Prebe may be in
Hgned, but cannot be pictured in words Most OF the
aroused from sumber rushed Practically about
with fright Some of them must have been wounded and
their piercing, agonzng shreks few of them
to leap overheard into the river and deck perfect
saturnaia OF renzed terror regned The, knew what
to follow and could not understand what had occurred
In the Manassas their yes distinctly heard with such
cries as, We're sinking She's going to blow up We're
The Richmond, VncenRes, Prebe and Water Witch
al ano4or IN ohe me OF WIN spring cables ara steam
the Prebe her officers the Richmond lying right before
them, with her full broadside exposed Here spen-
did opportunity and they had doubt from their
against the Prebe, that they could cut her in two Not
On board all OF the ships that they commenced
ringing their fog bells, which proved that yet they
SO confused and Ignorant OF the nature OF our attack
caused by the extreme a kness and rang the fog bells
as to show the Manassas their position snd enable her to
auoid them.
Again Austin sang the engineer: ''Now let her
out Hardy and give her " this moment that
Mr. Hardy discovered that Of the condenses had been
broken by the shock of the conclusion striking the Pre-
ble which rendered knew
she had not power enough In the other her into
thing else. He therefore, passed the word that the
chnery disabled and all she could do would be to hsu
1 as pest she could. SITTER was TINS dsappolntment 10
Lieutenant Marley he the full side Of the Richmond
right before him but there help fer it, and might
even be critical matter to escape
Working engine she made circuit around to head
stream aad this brought her right the Richmond
and the Vincennes By this time the officers board those
vessels had recovered their preeeuce OF mind sufficiently
comprehend that this extraordinary collision aco
dent, but .ool and aUdacous assault by the enemy
and that the long low black looking object floating right
before them the Of their danger and alarm
Then they manned their guns which already shotted
and the invuneraby of the Manassas tairy test
ed Fis the whole broadside of the Richmond and
directly after the entire hroadsde OF the Vncenhes, fol
lowed by the eight inch shells of the Water Witch The
roar Of cannon was Tremendous and seemed to those
cooped up in the little ram all the thunderbos of JoVe
were raned upon them.
The flag staff snd of the chimney stacks OF the Ma
nassas cut off clean by knife, bat the Of
the ships had been sufficiently depressed and all their
balls, except two three, went her. She has but
one lndenaon near the bow IN Der IRON armour to show
she struck at all but believed that other shots
reached her and glanced of WITHOUT leaving percepole
mark OF their visit Now the confidence OF all on board
turned and after having passed through such voey
scathed, they knew they were safe and sound
Three rockets the signal of successful
attack, and the Manassas kept the river although
d2wa stream, jnst before The Richmond now took the
Vccennes in tow and the Water Witch Rrapp!ed the Prebe
all the time keeping up heavy fire on ram but without
her except once aud then kn0eked down her
naming chimney the vent Of the other one. This
choked the outlet for the smose and they yet
burning the tar, sulphur and alcw the asphyxang gas
that from rushed down and spread throughout the
boat. threatening to suocae every one in few minutes
Nothing was to be done except for some one to 60 on deck
and cut away the wreck while the ships less than
of nile distant raining their balls all about them.
Eeizng Mr.. Hardy rushed the companion way,
could Lieut. Marley who had not discovered the sca-
dent, hold him back Austin him up, and knowing
could stand alone the aTChed roof followed
him up There. on the unguarded top Hardy cut away the
fallen chimney aud s with the axe While Austin
bracing his eet firmly apart held him steady ali the "hie
balls and shells wbsting past aud around them
The opened and the suphunus smoke rushed cut
Just as those below were getting almost sp1ocated
As an incident Of the panic among the LiDco!es when
the off tie soops- and lett the choo2-
TOone to lock for herself her eli ers and
ashore and made OF into tie where hey ~n pro-
badly st&rVe death for tired for several hours on
Saturday morning to find them, but did not succeed.
MORE TIE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.-C Com n0d0re
6Ollins received despatch last evening from Colonel
DUNCAN, the commanding officer at Fort jackson, sta
D ting that Dr. Bradbury, recently prisoner board
the Richmond, had arrived there The Doctor reports
that be captured By the U. S. steamer McClelan
! on Saturday last while small boat, about mile
below the Head OF the Passes and carried aboard the
Richmond. He gives, the enemys report, that il
was the steamer Richmond that the Manassas into
that she received much damage thereby below the water
lne ard that it with the greatest difficulty she
reached the bar when she aground prevent being
sunk. In the engagement with Com Hoins' mosquito
feet the Richmond received shell aboard which ex
poded in he cabin with what damage is not stated
The sioopof-war Vircennes got fast aground and il
was found necessary her guns overheard to gel
her Of At time her officers had concluded to blow
her up prevent fleet from capturing her, slow
match was lighted, but became exngushed before com
municating with her magazine These two vessels were
dragged off by the steamers South Carolina and Nc
Celan, when DIR. Bradbury released The Lin
contes report that they have very recently captured