The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-01-23

they could not fire back. ...
Soon after crossing the lar of the
Charleston harbor, en- our homcward course
we met a fine sailing vessel, the Emily st.
Pierre, Of Charleston Captain McGowan
stopped and hailed her. s.. -
where do you hail from ?' said he
From Liverpo,l!" was the reply.
"Wbithcr bound ~
"To Charleston"
What flag do you sail under?'
20 far under the American flag"
"Thrn YOU can't 90 into Charleston" said
our captain. "rhey will not let the Ame,i-
cah flag go into that port. | was Just dr.
ven out of there. They fired upon me
when | was sailing under the American
flag"
"Then suppose. must 60 in under the
Palmetto flag" said he Of the Emily ST. Pier
Then ought to take you," shouted our
captain, with energy; "War has been dcclar-
et hey have firednpon me and you are a
lawfnl Prize
"You can do what you like" replied the
other, with voice which seemed t. be trem-
ulous from one Cause or another: You are
the stronger party
Captain McGOwan concluded that, mas
much as he had not at present n commission
from government, he would let the Emily ST.
Pierre. go her way, but declared that If he
had his commission it would be delightful
to bring her off after the treatment he had
received this morning from Charleston.
The military men on board highly compli-
mented the South Carolinians on their sho, &
ing, in this first attempt They say it was
well done; that all which was needed was a
little better range. which they probably
could nave obtained in a few minutes
Their Enc was perfect; and the opinion is
expressed that some one had charge Of. the
guns who understood his business.
at was very good sport for them," re-
marked one of our officers. 'to shoot Mt u.s.
and there was nothing TO trouble them
They had it all their own way. But when
Uncle Sam gets man. of war in the channel
throwing shlls into that sandhill, they wiz
learn the difference" 7"
Two guns were employed; the smaller, is
is believed, twelve FOUNDER, and the larger
a thrty-two FOUNDER This, however. is on
ly conjecture. Whatever their size, they
were we'll manned They were fired rapid
ly and with a will
One of the officers hazardcd joke soon az
af or we left the Charleston harbor. "The
people Of Charleston" he remarked, "pride
themselves upon their hospitality; but it
exceeds my expectation. They gave us sew
eral balls bef,,re we landed -e s-
1t /, believed that if tie South Carolinians
had uot ,nade mistake We should have par
taken Of their hospitality, whatever it may
be, as prisoners. IF ,he'battcry On Morris
Island had waited ten minutes longer before
firing we should have been completely at
their mercy. 1t was only necessary for
them to wait until we were within range of
the guns of Fort Moultrie. and escape would
have been impossible So that, had its pre-
mature firing, we should inevitably have fal-
len into the hands of the enemy, if we had.
escaped shooting and drowning
Although we had surgeon on board, he
had no instruments or medical stores. -
1t is believed that the cutter which was in
tow Of the steamboat was the William
Allen, which was treacherously surrendered
to the South Carolinians by its Commander
.. FORT SUMTER
Any one who is familiar with the Carries
ton harbor cannot fail to appreciate the inn
portance of Fort Sumptcr. From the deck
of our vessel it had the appearance Of a new
red brick buildidg 1t completely COM
mands the chanrel, Fort Moultrie and Nor
iiS Island. Our officers, however, are III
doubt whether it commands the masked bat'
terry, is appars rsntly, simply an earthwork con-
structed among sand hills. The portfolios
of Fort Sumpter overlooking Morris Island
were closed, and it is passible that the guns
on that side of the fortress have not been
mounted. .u -+ :, -
THE RETURN VOYAGE. .r ......l. .f
We crossed the Charleston Bar, outward
bound, about 9 o'clock. There was then a
consultation as to cur future movements
The impossibility Of entering the harbor and
landing at Fort Sumter was sufficiently ap!
parent. We had 10 instructions except To
go to Fort Sumter, and 1t was decided that
the only thing to be done was tc put back 70
New York as soon as possible.
| We arrived off Warren street a little after
8 o'clock, and anchored in the stream, until
Lieut. Woods could report and receive or
ders relative to the disposition OF the troops.
Thus we concluded sea voyage of nearly a.
week. duration; and although the Star Of
| the West failed to fulfill the mission on
which she was despatched, every one who
was on board feels that everything was done
that could have been done. :
DISTANCE OF THE VESSELS FROM THE FORTS.
4 lue SldT VI the W est Was ABOUT UVe- clHnIS
Of a mile from the battery on Morris Island.
When she turned we We're about mile and
a-haif from Fort Sumpter and the same dis
tance from Fort Moultric. The Morris Is
land lattery is apparently about mile and
a quarter from Fort Slmpter. Had we not
turned about we should have soon been withi
in less than thrce-fourhs ola mile of Moul-
| trie. - .; o.
Since our return, it has been ascertainci
that two shots took effect on the steamer;
one, as already stated. on her port bow, and
a second, as she was turning, on her STAFFORD
quarter. One shot passed between the
smoke stack and the engine beam. -
| II is not true, as learn it has been stated
in some Of the morning papers, that the
Star Of the West struck her co!ors. We
came out of Charleston with the stars and
! stripes still flying. : s'a ,..is
4 man whom DIR. johnson once reproxej
for following useless and demoralizing bu
sineSs, said:
A