The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-06-14

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these tactics were altered. The
Freedom was placed broadside on,
20 as to enable both guns 10 be
brought to bear on the enemy, the at.
ter gun firing al the hill battery,
while the forward gun-served by
Captain Ward himself, ably assisted
by Masters Mate Gray, wi o, though
still suffering from a sprained ankle,
was as nimble as Lamp Lighter
fired O few more rounds more at the
depot batteries, 80 ss to render the
destruction complete. When this
had been done to the entire satistac-
tion oi Captain Ward, he trained his
forward gun to bear on the hill bat
terry, aud blazed away. The enemy
now fired in volleys; gun succeeded
gun in such rapid succession that
had to close my note book, in which
had been, to this moment, record
Ing every shot from ourselves and
the enemy. The balls, Or rather
slugs, tell around us, across the bow
and stern, and over our deck as
thick as hail. One ball went Sc
close to my port ear that | felt wha,
had often heard and read of before,
the winj of tho ball. The enemy,
in TACT, fred with admirable pro-
cision. One ball struck the ugly old
long boat that we captured the other
lay, and which wo have appropri
ateJ as u coal barge, and glancing
off, fell into the water between her
starboard side and the Free60,n, to
the port side OF which she was &c.
cured, thue, doing Us admirable
service az a breastwork. Another
ball struck the water close to ouI
port bow, and riocheting, wen,
through the pIanking OF the bull
warks, tearing off pretty large
splinter; glancing thence, it grazed
the wrist OF John Vickers, ordinary
Seaman, struck the gun carriage,
and fell upon the deck. 1t proved
to be a sugarloaf shaped concern
about three or four inches in dame
ter, and from nine to ten inches in
length-an ugly customer. | dis
tinctly saw it come on board, tor
was on the port side, near the pilo,
house, and really thought it had
killed or severely wounded some oI
our gallant fellows who were work
ing the bow gun, and was ineypress
ibly pleased, on inquiring that such
was not the fact.
1t now became apparent that il
was OF no manner of uso our firing
at a battery that our guns could
hardly reach, while the shallow wa
ter prevented us from going in close
therefore, Captain Ward ceased
llring-an example that was follow
cd by the An0cOsta-and wo lay
motionless on tho river for som,
time, receiving the enemy's fire
which wa did not return. At length
the word was given, and we sheered
of, The magazine, which had been
attended to by Mr.. Walters, wa,
closed, and the engagement was at al
end.
Tho number of roun ls fired by
the FreeJOrn was seventy.nine- =
namely: forty'iour shells and thirty
five round shots. The Anacostl
fired thirteen rounds, Of which tire,
were shells. The after gun of tn,
Free6orn fired thirty'five rounds, o
which thirty were shells. The sho
were fired by the bow gun. Tn,
iirst shot was fired from the Free
born, thus commencing the engage
nent, at quarter past ten o'clock
and the last round at ten minutes t,
twelve. And here | may mention
'he remarkable fact that our oil,
fashioned thirty'two.pounder, mount
ed on the forecastle, proved TO b'
far superior to the more me lern at
lair on board the Andcosta.