Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-10-30

to be rushing about in every direction, Shrek
ing and screaming. They were crying. ."Fire!
Murder Oh my God The ships afre! It's
going to blow us up. We're lost" and SINH
lar wild CALCULATIONS. Some of them actually
jumped overheard in their fright.
The Manassas recovered itself and Captain
Austin saw that he was beside the Richmond
with fine chance to run into her amidships,
and he again told the engineer to crowd. cn
the steam. 1t was inst then that the acci-
dent to her machinery was discovered, and
one engine would not work at ali.
AT this moment the Richmond gave her a
broadside and Immediately after the Eincen-
mes. gave her another. Most of,he balls wen,
over her, but some six or seven struck her,
making slight ntentations in her iron sheat-
ing. Her flagstaff and chimney were shot
away, and Capt. Austin and the engineer went
up on top ard cut away the wreck OF the
chimney.
She then made the best OF her way from
them, crippled as shn was, and they fired sew
eral more broadsies at her without doing
any more ,lamagc. She will DC repaired and
ready for service again BY tomorrow morning;
and Capt Austin, who is delighted with her
success, says he will guarantee to silk every
vessel, from the Niagara to the Water Witch.
~ 4. =. g., IL,
The Richmond and Water Witch, having
steam up, cut their cables and threw out
hawsers to the Iinccnncs and Preble with all
the haste that their fears pushed them to,
while. at the same time they fred their broad
sides at the cause of their fright. But in
their hurry, confusion and terror they fred
wild, and only few balls struck the Manas-
sas, these doing her no harm. Our gunboats
now came within range, and at once opened
fire upon the vessels, and kept up an iron
rain UPON them all the time they were get
ting under way. 1t did not take the Lin
colnites long to get ctf, however, and they
started down tie Southwest Pass with all
the speed they were capable Of. The McRae,
IVY and Tuscarora we're close after them for
awhile, and the firing was kept up unint"r.
ruptedly until hall: past four o'clock.
Still the terror.stricken blockaders kept up
tLeir fight, and so great was their wild haste
taa<ssach the OPEN gulf that they ran hard
aground OH the bar. TIE Prehlc. which had
been settling steadily, despite the inccssant
working Of all her pumps. now sank and
creened over on her beam ends. Her men
were taken of up;n the other Y. .sscls. She
is Il total loss. although the enemy may sic.
ceed in saving her rigging and come Other
articles of vau, by wrecking her. Never
more. however, can she float uYon the water.
or menace Cur coast.
At nine o'clock the McRae, Ivy and Tu7-
csrora came up within range OF TIC stranded
vessels and oi:ened fire upon lI+'", hullins
them several times, and dung *o'.s damage
to their rigging. But the enemy, although
fast aground, Lad complete use Of their guns,
and in the broad light Of day they could now
sec with What Insignificant brH;' they had u
contead against. They recovered from their
panic wien they found they could not run
away, and replied to the peppcrng OF our
little craft with whole broadsides. For one
hour this caunouading continued, and then
Commodore Hollius withdrew his bcnts and
quietly returucd tie way he Came. His
twelve or fourteen guns We're no match ior
their forty, nor we're his fraii craft able to
withstand shot as well as tEcir staupeh bull
warks. To have approacbed thenl too close
would probably have cost him tho boats that
bad cleared the river once, and might be
needed to clear it again.