The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-10-30
The Splendid Naval Victory.


The New Orleans Crescent Of Monday
contains the following minute and glow
iug account Of the recent brilliant naval
engagement at the head Passes Of the
Mississippi:
Last Saturday, the l2lh day Of Oc,o.
Der, 1861, has now place in history, and
place, too, inferior to none connected
with the history OF the people of America,
the Fourth Of July only excepted. Thurs.
day gave TO the South also another hero,
one who will rank with the Jones, the
Hulls, the Perrys, and the Decaturs, those
glorious defenders Of the rights Of the old
Union. Yes, heneeforth the name Of
Hollins will be mentioned with pride
throughout the broad extent Of the South,
ern Confederacy. He has fought against
odds, we believe, which have never be
fore been encountered, and obtained vic
tory which, 50 far rs we recollect, has no
parallel in history. Five extemporized
gun boats, armed will. seventeen guns all
told attacked fleet of four men .of.war,
armed with about forty guns, sunk one
Of them, put the balance to flight, ran
them ashore and captured transport
schooner from them.
This expedition, which had such a Clio.
rious termination was fitted out here and
over in Alsires by Capt. Holins, amids,
the most profound secrecy, not the sigh.
test hint Of what was intended getting
noised broad, until the vessels we're al
most ready for departure, and even then
nothing definite could be learned, nor did
any one know exactly what was going to
be done.
The following vessels constituted the
force EN- gagged, and the most CT them
were all towboats, raced and shaved
down into gun boats
The "Manassas," the iron clad marine
battering ram, built by private parties AS
an experiment, WAS armel with one sixtv
foar pound DahIgren gun, AMI WAS com
manded Lieutenant WarIey, Of the Nc
Rae. The Calhoun, Commodore Holius'
flag ship, carrying one "a FOUNDER and
Two brass l8 pound Dah!grens. The
Tuscarora, Lieutenant Beverly Kennon,
commanding, carrying one S'inch coIum.
biad and one 80 pound rifled cannon
The Ivy, Captain Fry, carrying one 8
inch columbiad an1 one 50 pound rifled
cannQn. The Jackson, carrying two
inch columbiads. The Confederate s;ea
mer, McRae, Csptajp IIpger, armed with
one 81 pound pivot gun, four inch col
umb'ads and one "a pound rifed gun -
A launch, having on board one "a pound
brass ri1ed piece and two irebarges was
also along. This was the whole force,
and including the crews Of all the boats,
the number Of men engaged in the expe,
dilion was about 800, all told.
The boats left the city on Wednesday
afternoon and arrived, without accident
at the forts that night, where they lay
oil Thursday and Friday, getting ready.
1t was, at first, the intention to have made
the attack on Thursday night, but the
fog was too thick, and it was deferred
On Friday night about IL o'clock. the
little feet left the forts ir the following
order: The Manassas leading the way,
with orders TO 60 right in among the
f,et and run down the first vessel she
cJu'd get at, sending up rocket at the
instant she made an attack. Then came
the Tuscarora, and the towboat Watson
with the fire barsss 10 tow these had
orders 10 set fire to the barges the mo
ment they saw the rocket from the Man
nssss. After these were tie Calhoun,
Ivy, McRte and Jackson, and las, was
lhe launch. bringipk up tha rear. The
lowboat Watson was under the command
OF Lieut.. Aveitte.
The night was intensely dark, and II
was almost impossible to see twenty
yards abead. The Manassas put on a
heavy head Of steam and dashed on ia
the direction where il was thought the
enemy we're lying. Suddenly a large
ship was discovered only about n length
ahead. and before Lieutenant Marley
could "a ~ l{po to ere the signal rocket,
Ia q 4 16 went with an awful crash
sbriek was heard on board
dVI)lrd sbir, ard tie iron steam