New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-09

boiler, md tho Renuetcc escaFed rnhurt. am
siosed - thui ihAf osl t.r-dfon recover buy
Lttle damage consicering tho unequal eoniest, lf2
guns cn board tlip oppoed TO loo on shore placed IN
a most commanding Iosilion. For twenty minutes
after the sLls tasFei the forts fred yeFv ieebly on
The yes os hat remained outside, 70 much go, that
the Portsmouth was enabled 10 drop WIN IN" cur
ren. ont Of gun flO., though tho fhot fell pretty
freely sbout her at last. think the fire from tie
chips inust have been very destfuc.iye If Lie.
The lasL wo s.w of our vessels they were stand
Ing Up the river. Some oXpl0sCn tool; place, vi !ch
made Ms feel ratier uneasy. but which may have
squadron bad lot de,troved all the enemys vessels
at the font, for lnree or ionr OF them were moving
about in al tc,ions, evidently III state oil e&'
citemont.
Before the Gee, got on, Of sight II wns reported 10
me that the celebrated ram Manassas was comlnR
Gu. TO attack Us, aud sure enough there she was,
appaIenty stclming along shOfc, ready 10 poAnce
NJ on he apparently dcienfclees mortar vessels
Two Of our steamers ard Of the mortar vessels
ovened fire on her, but | soon discovered tha; TIE
" .nahsas could harm 10 one agal1, ana oICe. ca
the vessels TO fave their sLOi. She was beginning
10 emit smoke from her rcrfs or holes and " as ds-
covered 10 he on fire end SINKING. lieF
pipes weTe all twisted ani rdded with
shot ard ler built also well cut up Ste had ev-
idenly been ufed up y the squadron % they passed
along. tried TO tave her, as q curiosity By getting
hswser around her ana securirg her TO lie bank
but Just after doing she family exploded, her only
gun went oil, and emitting hames through her bow
port like some huge animal, sho gave II plunge aLd
dslvpcared under re water. Next came a steamer
on ire which appeared g. be ,ossel Of war belong
ing 10 ne Rebels and after her two others ali burning
and floating down the stream. Fires SeLed TO be
rae ng all along tie up riyer,' aud We supposed
that our aQuadron were burning and dcstroying the
vessels AZ they parsed along. II appears, howe.er,
that tie N ,RGe, one or two n'er poa's ine ihe'f
r., i brated floating battery. brought down the git
l.. le
Confederate hAs.
Tbe matter OF the floating battery becomes very
,eyiOus nlar as they are all ard Il work 1T Fort
,Jack kson, mounting heavy Ilfed guAs on 1t, winch
are 81 30 further Glc 10 item n tie Fort ste
uol.i,;s sixteen guns is ala ost as formidable Ncs-
81 Il. the Meuinac, pefic,ly fhot-prooi, alt h.f
four powerful engines IN her. l shsl, a. al ey,nf,
take such pteps ~ will prevent her f0u Geslo ng
ANYTHING, and We may still Iold her in cheek w.tn
the steaners though tboy an rather fra9c tof sch
"A seryi,e. Ihis Is one ot tac Ill elects oi having al
elemy in the rear. suppose That lie slils Al,l ou
Ter q, they passed through, but has her nail Ted
ths shot, Sho had steam on this momiBg, and was
moving about quite lively. tIled 10 put n,Or-
tar phel through hor rool bu. without elect, she
moved on.
Ihe fplts are row cat OF nom III communication
with New-O Orleans, a. pgesumo that Flag Officer
Faragut hae cut tlo wiges. have rent the Miami
sro,nd s. .th Cen. Butler 10 tie back Of Folt 81.
Phl.p % ;ry 10 throw ia troops ut the QuaIsLtne,
five miles nong the forts, and al the time open
communication that ayWiih Elfg Ciicer Fagragut,
and supuly him with emmunton. 1 am also going
t send part oi the Mortar leet 90 the back OF Fort
sckson TO cut o the escape of the sar.son by that
way and stop Supplies.
,e egter who he relied On informs that they
have plenty Of provisions for two month"; plenty Of
ammunition and plenty ot discomiorfs. Our shell
eet The citadel fire he hrrt afternoon We opened.
IL burned 6trcely ioT seven honr, bu, thought it
fire raft behind tao iCft, Ia t,oy continually send
them down on us, but without any effect.
Bot few cGsusitits occurred to vessels on this side
of the forts. Tie Harriet Lano lost but one Insa
killed, md one, l fear, mortally wounded. The
Wipoaa los: three killed and three wounded, and
Ito la ca, with fourteen shot through her had but
few men hut. These forts cGn bold out still for
sorrc zine, and | would suggest that the Monitor
AID Mystic, If they can bs SPARED, be cent ere WITH
OF. moments delay, 10 settle tho question.
The motlar leat have been very much exrofcd
and nader heavy fle for ak days, during which
tine they kopt tbs shells going witiou itermis ion
one of them, the Marin !, Carlton, was sunk By
shot passing down through Ler magazine aud then
through her bottom. The ho.illa .osI but ono man
killed and FIX wounded.
Tie bearing OF the officers and men was worthy
Of tue higbest praise. Thoy never once fisgged,
dGring period Of ak aays. never bad al accident
" ops VI We ysssela W LsiDg, It'd wben tLsu and