Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-03-21
AND, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 81, 1862.

harbor to witness the spectacle of ship
on FIRE. Many articles Of value, we learn,
were removed from her by our gunboats
before being fred.
| Tugs and steamers were sent to the as
sistance Of the Minnesota and St. Law
renee from Ole Point, after they ground
ed, but their efforts to haul them off were
unavailing. The first gun fred in the
engagement is said to have been fred by
the Confederate gunboat Beaufort, at the
! frigate Congress. All our steamers and
gunboats are said to have been managed
with the utmost skill and dexterity, rem
dering great assistance to the Virginia
! in thissnagnifcent and successful engage
menE We are without means Of getting
at the loss Of the enemy in killed and
wounded, though it is believed to have
been very great. Our total loss in killed
and wounded, as far as we can learn, is
nine killed and twelve wounded, most of
them slightly.
Twenty three prisoners were brought
up to this city on Saturday night. They
were taken off the frigasc Congress by the
gunboat Beaufort, while our other gun
boats took off others. One of the pris-
oners died while on his way to the city.
He and another wounded were shot by
their own forces while being saved from
the sinking fr;gate Congress. The wound
ed prisoners were carried to the hospital.
| The Virginia had two men killed and
some five Or six wounded A shot en-
tered the port-hole and struck the gun on
the muzzle, knocking off piece nine
inches long. This disabled the gun,
which was Immediately replaced by an
other Of the same calbre. Capt. Buch-
anan and Lieutenant Minor, of the Vir-
ginia, are said to be wounded, the former
slightly, the latter severely. On board
the Patrick Henry shot entered one of
her ports, we understand, and passed
through one of her boilers, disabling it..
She was compelled to haul off Temporal
rily for repairs. There were four men
killed and three wounded on board Of her.
Other damages not material. On board
the gunboat Raleigh Midsbipman Hutter
was killed, We understand, though we
did not learn of any other casualties =
The James river steamers arrived at the
scene of action, it is said, about one hour
after the engagement commenced. They
easily passed the Newport News batteries
and after joining in the Gghi rendered
very efficient aid
BY this daring exploit we have raised
the James river blockade, without foreign
assistance, and are likely, with the as
sistance of the Virginia, to keep open
the communication. Several small prizes
we're said to have been taken by our gun
boats from the Yankees, one of which,
the schooner Reindeer, was brought up
to the navy yard on Saturday night
Two others we're said to have been car
ried over to Pig Point on Saturday. An
other report, we hear, says that but two
persons were killed on board the Vir-
ginia. Andrew j. Dalton, u printer,
who left our Office few days since to
Join the Virginia, and who was at the
bombardment Of Sumter, and participa-
ted in several other engagements during
the war, we learn, was one Of the wound
ed on board that vessel on Saturday. The
engagement was renewed again on Sum
day morning, about half-hast 8 o'clock,
BY the jamestown and several Of our
gunboats firing into the Minnesota and
St. Lawrence. At high water we expect
the Virginia will pay her respects to
these vessels. Since the above was writ
ten, we have been enabled to gather some
additional particulars.
Some detention occurred on board the
Virginia on Sunday morning, we learn,
or she would have commenced the en-
eagement much earlier than halfpast
eight o'clock, at which time she, togeth-
err with The Patrick Henry, jamestown
and our other gunboats, opened fire on
the Minnesota, which still lies hard ard
fast aground. The tide being at the ebb,
the Virginia did not take the channel
where the Minnesota lay, probably for
fear of grounding, but getting within a
good range Of her, she opened fire with
terrible effect, completely Kidding her,
and rendering constant exertion at the
pump necessary to prevent her from fill !
ing. Early in the morning, the Erics-
son battery, now called the Monitor, was
discovered 90 Newport News Point, she
having gone up there during the night
A sharp encounter then took place be-
tween her and the Virginia, during
which time they were frequently not
more than thirty or forty yards apart
Unfortunately, the Virginia ran aground,
and the Ericsson, using her advantage, |
poured shot after shot into her, but With
out doing any serious damage. In a
short while, however, the Virginia sue
ceedod in getting of, and putting on full
head Of steam, ran her bow into the
Ericsson, doing, as il is thought, great
damage.
We are rejoiced to say, that notwith-
standing the firing was much heavier than
on Saturday, there we're no casualties on
either Of our vessels--not a man being
in the least injured by shots from the
-. III Q.voroI n Tho ana