Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-01-03
Successful Sinking of the Stone
Fleet off Charleston.

| ron, capt. d. II. hiiiPo, io" iyoeo
Dec. 90, and Port Royal harbor 2lst, ar
rived at New York on Wednesday.
Among the passengers from Port Royal
was Lieut.. G.. w. jackson of the New
Hampshire Sd Regiment also nine pri-
Yates discharged on account of i'll health.
In addition to the news contained in yes
terday's dispatch from Fortress Monroe,
we furnish the following of interest from
the correspondent of the New York Her.
aid:
SINKING TIE STONE FLEET OFF CHARLESTON.
"At hacpast this Thursday, Dec.
10, afternoon, the tide being nearly full,
we recrossed the bar and ran a hawser to
the barque Theodosa, of New London,
which was to be the first victim, and
towcd her across the bar to the Upper
boat, ON the left hand side of the channel.
When we had her in good position,
Capt. Stevens, through a speaking trum-
pct, ordered the captain to cast off the
hawser.' Aye, aye, sir came back the
reply and the hawscr was let 60 and
reused in again on our deck in the twink
linz Of an eye. The trembling old
barquc, being under some headway, moved
slowly on to the exact spot we wished her,
and then struck the bottom; and her an
chor dropped for the last time i'll the wa
ter, the CHAIN rafting out as cheerfully
as any chain might which had made its
last run, anl the old barque settled down
into its own grave. The plug had been
knocked out as the anchor dropped, and
the water rushed madly aud wildly AMI
mady in. In moment the whaeboats
were lowered and alongside, and the dun
mage of the officers and crew rapidly
passed over the bulwarks and into them.
We did not wait for them, but hurried
out to tow in another before dark. The
first ship touched bottom, and the plug
was drawn as the sun went down. Each
had finished its course at the same mo-
mcnt one to rise on the morrow as bright
and glorious as ever, the other to waste
away and 90 to pieces under the combined
action of the clements which it had brav-
ed so long and SO well. Alas that 4
vessel, worn out in the service Of its own-
cr. should be sold aud come to such an
ignoble end.
The Rebecca Simms was towed in and
anchored at the other side of the channel,
and the water soon filled her hold, and
she sank slowly and in a dieniied man
ner, rocking uneasiy, to be sure, as the
water poured in, but going down with
every rope aal spar in place, as brave
man falls in battle, with his harness on.
At eight o'clock We were again to
work. We towed in and sunk four more
before the low water made it impossible
for the loaded ships to be placed in posi-
tion, and then We ran out again and an
chored outside the bar
At sunrise to day Dec. 20 we began
our labors again We have towel in and
scuttled four ships to-day, and the Poca-
hontas has also towed in four, which have
been sunk, AMI tie channel Is efectnally
bIochadel Many of the vessels had been
stripped Of their sails before they were
towed in, but several We're still unstrip-
pei. One ship, the Robin Hood, of Mys-
tic, originally an East Indiaman, and the
wonder of her day, was selected as fit
repository OF all the sails not worth send
ing to the North and such cordage anil
other articles as tac enemy would like to
OBTAIN. When ready she was to be
burned. Daring the afternoon the men
were engaged in cutting away the masts
of the ships, and at sundown, out Of SIX
teen vessels, but one, the Robin Hood,
was unshorn OF her masts and spars.-
The scene presented in the harbor when
the work was done was novel and inter-
cstine. Here were fifteen dismasted
hulks, in every possible position, lying
across the chanucl-soma on their port,
others on their star5oard sides. Some
were under wa.er forward, others aft
The sea swept over some Of them; other
stood OH upright keels, ana spoutcd wa
ter from their sides, as the heavy swels
raised them and dropped them heavily
down upon the sand again; and proudly,
among taem all, was the East Indaman,
brave Robin Hood, with her graceful, ta-
pering masts towering aloit ana appar-
entity still adoat.
In the background were Morris Island,
the hroWnlsh red walls OF Sumter and
the low walls OF MouItrle' over which flew
rebel ensign large enough to wrap
ship in. One poor, miserable tu9-boat,
constituting the rcbel navy lii these wa
tiers, and small Schooner, made up the