New Orleans daily crescent., 1861-10-14
Neh ORLEANS 4ailp Crescent.
1000
MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER IA. 1861.
'fRutal 9MteIliaenfR.

THE GREAT NAVAL VICToRY.- Last Saturday
the 18th day Of October 1861, has now place in
history, and place, too, inferior to none CON
nected with the history of the people of America,
the Fourth OF July only excepted. Thursday gave
to the South also another hero, one who will rank
with the Jones, the Hulls the Perrys, and the De-
caturs, those glorious defenders of the rights of
the old Union. Yes, henceforth the name of Ho-
lins will be mentioned with pride throughout the
broad extent Of the Southern Confederacy He
has fought against odds, we believe, which have
never before hcen encountered, and obtained
victory which, so far as we recoect, has no paral-
lei in history. Five extemporised gun boats, armed
with II guns all told, attacked fleet of four men
of war, armed with about 40 guns, sunk one of
them, put the balance to flight, ran them ashore,
and captured transport schooner from them
This expedition, which had such glorious
termination was fitted ont here and over in Agers
by Capt. Hollins, amidst the most profound
secrecy not the slightest hint of what was intended
getting noised abroad until the vessels were almost
ready for departure, and 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 of them were old towboats,
raced and shaved down into gun boats:
The Manassas the iron clad marine batterng
ram built by private parties as an experiment,
was armed with one sixty -four pound Dahlgren gun,
and was commanded by Lieut.. Marley, of the Nc
Rae. The Calhoun, Com. Hollins' flag ship, carry
ing one 24-pounder and two brass 18-pound Dahl
grens. The Tuscarora, Lieut.. Beverly Kennon,
commanding, carrying one 8-insh columbiad and
one one 32-pound rifed cannon. The Ivy Capt
oIp hial nd
pound rfed cannon. The Jackson, carrying two
8nch columbiads. The Confederate steamer
McRae, Capt. Huger, armed with one 64 pound
pivot gun, four 8-ipch columbiads and one "a
pound rifed gun. launch, having on board one
2l.pound brass rifed piece and two fire barges,
was also along. This was the whole force, and
including the of all the boats, the number of
men engaged in the expedition was about 300, all
told.
The boats left the city on Wednesday afternoon
and arrived, without accident, at the forts thai
night, where they lay all Thursday and Friday,
getting ready It 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 II O'clock the little fleet
left the forts in the following order The Manassas
leading the way, with orders to go right in among
get at sending up rocket at the instant she made
an attack. Then came the Tuscarora, and the tow
boat Watson with the fire barges in tow; these
had orders to set fire to the barges the moment
| they saw the rocket from the Manassas. After
these were the Calhoun, Ivy, McRae and Jackson
| and last was the launch, bringing up the rear
! The towboat Watson was under the command o
| Lieut. AVeitte.
| The night was intensely dark, and it was almost
| impossible to twenty yards ahead. The Ma
| nassas put on heavy head of steam and dashed
on in the direction where it was thought the enemy
were lying. Suddenly large ship was discovered
only about length ahead and before Lieutenan
Marley could have time to fire the signal rocket
| into her they went, with an awful crash. An ap
| palling shrek heard on board of the doomed
| ship, and the iron steamer was borne off by tn,
| current, and found herself in the midst of tn,
| enemy's fleet. The signal rocket wassfred, til,
| enemy beat to quarters, and Il perfect storm
iron hail was falling upon and around the Manassas
| the machinery of which, it was soon discovered b,
| her commander, had in some manner become
| deranged. This was most inopportune and peril
| Gus, and the Richmond, soon observing that some
| thing was wrong, began playing upon her with al
the power Of her guns. Lieutenant Warey fount
| that only one engine would work. and with this ht
began working his way out of REACH towards
shore; but the shot fell thick and fast around anG
upon the " old turtle" and her fate seemed hang
| ing on hair, when the brave little Tuscarora anG
/ the Watson came up with the five barges on fire
| and soon cut them adrift on the stream
| The Manassas had, no doubt, pretty badly
| scared the Yankees; but they might have re-
| covered from that, and showed Com. Hollins a
| hard fight, but for the barges these caused a
| regular stampede to take place. and, unfortunately
for olS side, it was not expected and consequently
they got long start in the race which was to fol
| low.
Com. Hons did not know what had been the
result of the firing neither did the rest of the COM
manding officers. 1t was too dark to make obser.
vations, and they did not like to risk signals Sc
daylight was waited for impatienty 1t came a,
last, and presented the following picture: The
enemy, some miles down, heeling it for the open
sea by way of the Southwest Pass, with one Of
their ships sunk on the middle ground. The Man
assas close in shore, among the willows, concealed
| as well as possible; the Watson and the Tusca
rora aground on the bank, not far of. The rusca
rora was soon pulled off by the rest and the flee
| commenced pursuit of the retreating enemy
| Lucy SoOH CauIt Nilliu IhliSe, ana IL ledFy can
nonade began The sunken ship seemed to be il
very bad fix, as she nearly on her bean
ends. The Richmond drew up on the outside ant
! protrected her with her full broadsde. The other
vessels of the enemy soon got aground, but neal
| by, and in great measure protected also by the
Richmonds guns. Our fleet pitched shot and shell
| into them with q vengeance, and our informan
tells that he at least two shots hit the Rich
Tond, which fred from the Tuscarora ant
| two or three from the Ivy. The shots from thu
Yankees were all badly aimed, and not one touch
ed any of our vessels though over five hundred
passed all around them. Atrer continuing thu
cannonade until about O'Clock, Com. Holm
concluded that the sport did not pay foS the pow
der, and feeling that he had won glory enough 70
one day, and that the enemy were in a fix that
| would take them sometime to get out of, he order
ed his feet back to town. On their way up the,
came across the Yankee tender schoo oner Josep
| E. Toons, loaded with COAL deserted, and he CAP
tured and brought her along. AL the vessels al
rived at the city yesterday morning.
The Manassas struck the vessel which she ra
into Gt is not exactly known whether she was tn
Vincennes or Prebe) near the bow, and cut int
her upwards of twenty feet, if we may Judge fror
the facts that spnters, copper and nails wer