Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-08

! der ready and we let her have il, with what e.
! feet the smoke and darkness prevent me from say
: ing but know we did not see her agsio. Durin
tins tine our cable was slipped sDd We were VI
der weigh. By this time line Of afire shipsu wa
seen stretching across the river in blszs Of flame
while astern of them i've large armed steamer
came down the river. Just then the earpeute
came aud informed me that the ram hsd made
hole in our side, through which the water wa
pouring in g stream as large as a mans leg
This was stopped, and our Captain decided d
send the squadron down the river We following
and covering them. The Vineennes Capt Handy
entered the Southwest Pass followed By the Preble
Captain French. The fire ships drlfted ashor,
tclear Of US, and we escaped eonhaQrafion. Day
light broke as we cleared the basin and by eigh
o'clock, A. NJ, we were close to the bar The Pre-
Bile passed over and went clear; but the Vincenne:
aud our ship grounded, anu there we were Nos
the battle began. The rebel steamers e0Olly took
up such positions they considered most desirable
4 and opened on us with their rifed guns
The Ivy, the AcCrea and the William H. Webb
were the most prominent in the contest. We re-
spended and our crew behaved most admirably;
7 and, notwithstanding shells were flying around us
in all directions, they worked az their guns as
though the whole matter was Joke The discharge
from our nineinch brosdside guns were terrific,
but the boats kept directly out OF reach.
About nine O'Clock the Vincennes was abandoned
By heFcrew and officers, and a slow match con-
neeted with the magazine and lighted But for
once ordered Captain Handy to return to his
ship. You can fancy our smaZement at this con-
duct OF the commander of the Vneenues. Well
By ten O'Clock the enemy withdrew and we had
the first mou.hful since the night previous One
of the rebei shells twenty four FOUNDER -
came through the after port into our smoking
rootr, but fortunately did not explode Another
shell smashed one Of our quarter boats over my
division.
On Saturday we were glad to sse the Mcclellan
= 81
us She made fast to Us, and before midnight we
bad the steamer South Carolina at anchor near US
On Sunday the two steamers sueceded in towing
our ship and the Vincennes off the bar ard here We
are al shoat and ready for any emergency. ~
CoYNENTs OF THE NORTHERN PRESS CowAIDIcS
CHARGED TO THEIR OFFICERS.
The North Is not pleased with the result Of the
affair, and thinks it twas discreditabe to the Off
Ger in command" The Washington correspondents
tells what is thought Of it in Washington in the fol-
owing blunt style. He writes:
The official dispatch has not told all THE facts
From other intelligence received here the affair on
pears TO be most diScTtdiiabs to the Cier IN command
A panic sesms to have seized those in authority J
md the officer commanding one of the ships aban>
Toned her, and ordered slow match to be applied
o the magazine. The ship was saved from desIruc-
ion only By junior officer refusing to carry out !
he order. and taking the responsibility. e-
One of the officers Ess been ordered home to take
lis trial by court martial There is no excuse for
failure TO capture the whole rebel feet The I
secretary Of the Navy and Assistant Secretary
Tex have taken the matter up warmly, and will |
rider court Of inquiry into the whole affair.
The Herald adds, editorially: -E-
IG was owing to the fright and inlJscaity Of our
dUaL 66fcsrs that the Tebe 0td Ic1s not captured OF
eStrOyed Let fhe whole matter be thoroughly
fitted We are placed in possession Of some fact
rom the official dispatch Of Capt. Pope. But there
re other facts still behind, which win come out 10
he investigation which will doubt be ordered b
De Secretary of the Navy, who with his Assistant
ecretary Fox, is devotiag himself with great
lergy to the service Of the country, not only in
lie departments generally, but in the getting up OF
e great naval expedition, and in the displacing Of
inefficient men from command We hoTe they
III follow up their energetic course as to the Mise
ssippi squadron in all similar cases, and thus weed
It imbecility and put on board our ships men Of
ergy and courage.
Ificial Report of the santa Rosa Battle.
HEADQUARTERs DLPAErNEST CT FLORIDA !
FORT PICKENs Oct. IL, 1861 II
CoLoSEL: I briefly reported to you on the 9th r
1t that the rebels had landed on this island par
lily destroyed the camp Of the Sixth Regiment Of
w York volunteers. and had been driven off BY | 2
r troops.
l now report more IN detail the results Of the at
OK. For the better erstanding Of the several a
lvements It may be well to state that the enemy
lded about four miles from this fort. The place .
~ be recognized on the map By three ponds and
mound; that the island there is about hree-feurths
mile wide; that short distance below it nsr
VS. to some two hundred yards, then widsns again
d at camp the distance across is about i've eighth
a mile. That succession of three or four sand =
lges run on the sea side, parallel to the coast =
ing the island and low swampy ground, inter :
ersed with sand hillOcks. Some bushes and few :
ses extend along the harbour side, both shores =
ing sandy beach. >
Wilson's camp Is near the sea colst AMI less than
nile from the fort The two batteries spoken Of
his report, and to which he retreated batteries
nc0ln and TOtten-ars the first on the harbour :
the other one the gulf side, about four hun y
ed yards from Fort Pickeus
About two o'clock on the morning of the 9th :.
L l was awakened by the officer of the day, who =
ported that picket driven in had reported the -
lding Of sixty men on the point. Having little -
1idenee IN the correctness of this report, d. 4
,ted that no alarm should be made, and shortly y
er he reported that the alarm was false. o.
About half past three he again reported that ~
eys of muSketry were heard at the camp of the "a
,th Regiment New York Volunteers. I immedi- -
ly ordered the roll TO be beaten, Major VOgdes :.
take two companies and proceed to the spot and ~
jor Arnold to man the guns on the ramparts on IN
space ~
About half an hour after this time the firing was
IVY and the light of the burning camp SEEN and on
snt staff officer to communicate with Major Of
gdes, who returned very soon and SAID he had
eu in with large body of the enemy on the in
e shore, and he could not fSd the Msjlr. l i'm
diately ordered Major Arnold to proceed to sup =.
It Major Wedges with two companies and at tle -
ne time sent an order to Colonel Wilson to sd =;
ice and attack the enemy. -.-...--s. 81 ~
also dispatched staff officer on board the A.
amer Mcclellan with orders for him to take po -
on opposite the landing place, and open on the ~
my, unfortunately at the same time directing ~
to 60 to the Potomac, lying near, and ask for -
ne men to assist him in case landing was neees- -
y. Captain Powell directed him to tow his ship -;
The scene Of action, which 50 delayed him that IN
did not arrive until after the enemy had vacated ~
ltain Powell acted from the best motives, and ~
Ter ordinary circumstances. from correct prinei ~
;; but the result was unfortunate, as the Nc n,
Han could have driven the rebel seamer away. -
we must have made prisoners Of most Of the IL,
aders. t-.s ~. - a.
1t the requeat Of Msj)r Arnold late in the morn G
l sent forward light feld-gun, which, how nnr
r did not reach him until after the affair was u,
r. To-
IS I propose only briefly to aude to the volun ~
-s respectfully refer you to the official report
irked A of the Colonel of the regiment. The .,
zet o. this regiment aud the guards. sustained OF
principal, if not entire loss, and behaved well J
,tar ID Az 4 cOmpauv on duly with the regulars. to