The Nevada Democrat., 1861-09-05
Aerada RFulutrat.
Fate OF a PrIyateer-The ..Pctrel'' sunk
by the Y. >. Erlgate St. Lawrence. a

Ny the ~ - EElk0te SAs LhNFcences -
The Philadelphia Press gives some inter,
esling particulars of the late engagement
of Charleston, between the U. S. trlSatc ST.
Lawrence aud the privateer Petrol, (fOr,
merly the revenue cutter Gov. A,ken)
The officers OF the ST. Lawrence wisely
Judged that many pr.vaIeersmen Ould not
! know her true eharacteI. aud 10 still fur
/ Iher her .RrmAmeat aud ohlect. the y0rt
holes we're kept closed aud her men put 0ul
Ot.sight. She cruIsed for month along the
Atlantic coast. between Cape Henry aud
1 SavAnnsh. and on the mOrHing Oi the let Of
A gust, while jutt outside The hslbor Of
Charleston. espied hung rakIsh schooner,
tilled with men, and mounting 3 or 4 guns,
sailing rapidly down upon her The port
holes were still shut, but the flag was vt
the peak. and the ST. Lawrence looked not
unlike great lum6eriy mrrchantman Oe.
ealmed In strange latitude, and too un-
wieldy Ter any purposes save The budding "f
big cargo Cor The Ayarice of an enemy to
cOurl aud daring priv ateeT 10 secure
| AS the stranger came down. the ST. Law
renee hOisted all sail aud affected to he
ANXIOUS to get out To sea. In reality, how
lever, she Was edeing closer ia shore, aud
making arIangrInenls below tO receive the
/ reckless visliUrr with appropriate laTgces
! Directly shot came skipping over the
water. falling into the SEA lew rods ahead
Of the trlgalS; and "A number followed im
/ quick succession, but nearly all either stri
king be, 0hd or passing over. The iihal dis
/ Charge CONSISTED OF grape aud cAanlster,
which made some little daliance with the
! trigaler rigging, aid adm0uised the CON
mander that the play Was growing serious
/ Al this time the Vessels were within speak
! lug disIauce. aud Inan in uniform Was seen
mounted upon the pirates deck, who shOu-
| ted to The St. Lawrence TO lay to aud send
/ over boat. The crew were distinctly seen
! i0urlshing their Gutlasses. ana the Rnnners
ramming and pointing their gunr. She car
ried three guns, supposed TO be fihed can.
! non.
Then the ST. Lawrence threw up her ports
aud ditclosed whole bruadride OF cannon.
with the gunuers al the breech Of the guns.
holding lighted FUSE; aud directly The
broad decks we're filled " ith seamen in blue
Jackets, armed With mnskeis. who sprang
/ into the shrOudr aud ran out on the yards,
! lying prone ia the maiuiop. Oh the bowFpril,
/ iH iOrec4stle, aud Ut every point where aim
could he ken with advantage. la word
/ the ugly mrrchaDtmsn Was meiamUTphOsed
/ into bristliug war ship. with man at
/ every point aud a broadsde OF cannon
! looking into the very eyes Of the pirates.-' e
/ The latter taken aback recOiled moment.
but before they had time for action, even
| for thought, the guns belched forth iron
! at1ffinar fhn
! rigging and sails as with knives. breaking
the spaTs aud bOOms, aud literally carving
/ the schooner into pieces aud opening gnlis
/ into which the waters rushed az through
! sluices. filling the hold aud admOnishing The
rebels that their sole hopes 0f lie lay III
/ the ships boat or wrestling with the sea-
/ The fire still continued aud the water Was
/ full Of drftWUOd. Many Ol the men jumped
overheard. and the rest, launching the liie-
10 l. jumped in aud held up white hand
| kerchirf as a sign Ot surrender. But one
man had an opportunity 10 20 down into
the cabin for bis properly and he was The
Lieutenant "a fellow named Harvey, Tor
merly a mdrhpman in the U. S. service,
under command Of Cap. Sarlorl. Harvey
recovered his Huhk.
The ST. Lawrence nlill continued The IRE
with small arms. but directing the aim at
the hulk. and not a. the small boat. The
crew, excepting four men. were not injured
In ten minutes fran the time OF the dis
charge Of The Grst gun. the yeseel swayed
heavily and went under. carrying down
four men. one Of whom. namrd Carpenter
was former Philadelp phian. living in South
wark. The officers Of the ST. Lawrence now
discovered the life boat aud ibe flag OF hu.
initiation. They dropped boa. aud made
out to the rebels. and finally passed them
OH board ship. where they were lroned as
fast an received and securely confined be
low. In the engagement the 81. Lawrence
received two EhOis--ODe in the fOresall' Ibe
other in the quarter deck. She transferred
her prisoners to the Flag on Sunday NOR
ming, aud they were at once brought to 'bls
port
The Petrol was formerly the Gov. Aiken
a revenue cutter. and WAS seized ia Charles
ton barbOr, after the surrender OF FORT
Sumter. She has proved grave. mayhap,
for some of the very men who seized Der;
and NAV every Federal vessel that treason
has appropriated likewise BE- its hammock
and CONN.
TEMPORARY madness may perhaps be me-