The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-03-21

Ielt 'He scene oil their tfiumpnS ana re
turned TO the yard, where they await an
other opportunity of displaying theiI
proves.
The enemy's loss. killed and wounded
during the two days battle, is exceeding
ly large, and estimated at from six to
twelve lundred. The scene around the
Congress is represented as heart-sicken.
ing. The officers of the Beaufort, who
ran alongside OF her on Saturday night
and who boarded her for the purpose Of
removing the wounded, and who were
brutally frsa upon by the enemy while
engaged iatAis work of mercy to their
own kith and kin, represented the deck
of the vessel as literally covered with the
dead and dying. One of them assures
us that as be went from fore to aft. his
shoes were we'll nigh buried in blood and
brains. Arms, legs, and heads, were
found scattered in every direction, while
here and there. in the agonies Of death,
would be found poor deluded wretches,
with their breasts torn completely out.
OF the crew of the Cumberland but
few survived to tell the tale. AS she
went down her crew went with her, ex-
cept some few who were taken as prison.
ers by us, and few Others who escaped
to the shore. Out of the five hundred
aboard of her, it is estimated that not
over hundred at most escaped, the re-
mainder either being killed by our shot
or drowned as the vessel went down.
Of course, the greater part Of those on
board the .gunboats were also drowned,
as there was not sufficient time for them
to have made their escape. Added to
this, very many in the camps Of the en-
my at Newport News were killed by the
shells which the Virginia threw among
them.
On our side the loss was indeed small.
and when we consider the storm of she'll
to which at times they were subjected,
we can but wonder while we rejoice that
so few of them suffered injury.
On the Virginia there were two killed
and eight wounded. Among the wound
ed, we regret to mention, Capt. Buchanan
and 1t. Minor. These wounds however
we are happy to state, are but slight.
On the Raleigh, Midshipman Hutter
was killed, and Captains Tayloe and AL
,exander wounded, the aforementioned
quite severely.
On the Beaufort, Gunner w. Robinson
and two seamen were wounded. This
was all the damage sustained by this YES
sci among her men. Two Yankee pris-
oners aboard of her were struck by the
balls Of their friends. one of them killed
and the other severely wounded. The
former was standing in the door of the
wardrobe 1.-THE time the Beaufort was
alongside the Congress. and one of the
tsaowerr OF bsslis sent by the enemy os1
shore from their Minnie mhskets, struck
him on the forehead, penetrating his
brain and killing Him almost Instantly
On the Teaser, one man was wounded
very slightly. ~
On the Patrick Henry, four men were
killed and three wounded. While the
loss of the enemy is counted by hun
dreds, ours, as will be seen from the
above amounts to only seven killed and
seventeen wounded.
This loss on our part, as small as it is,
was not the work of the enemy's shots
from their vessels, but the result, for the
most part, of the fire of muskets from
shore.
During the contest the mainmast of
the Raleigh was carried away. The flag
stats of the Virginia were also cut down.
The report that the Congress was fired
by the Federals to prevent her falling
into our hands, is without shadow Of
truth. She was fred by hot shot from
the Virginia, for firing into our boats
while she had a flag of truce at the time
flying, after she had struck her colors and
surrendered to us.
Among the prisoners taken off the
Congress was the slave Sam, the property
of = Drummond, Esq, of this city who
escaped to the enemy some time in Oc-
tober last. He is now safe, having reach
ed his home sooner, and under different
circumstances than he anticipated.
On the arrival Of the Virginia at the
yard, her men were mustered and adj
dressed by the commanding officer in
terms of praise sor their noble bearing
during the engagement. They respond
ed with hearty cheers, and expressed a
desire to again re-enact the scenes
through which they had just passed,
whenever opportunity presented.
The injury sustained by the Patrick
Henry was not as great as at first suppos'
d--being so trifling that few hours re-
pairs were sufficient to place her in read
iness for action.
The officers of the Virginia are repre-
sented as having acted with the utmost
courage and bravery during the contest.
II is related Of Capt. Buchanan that du-
ring the thickest of the fight he remain
ed on the deck of the Virginia, and that
ne discharged musket after musket at
the enemy as they were handed up to
him. 1t was while thus exposed that he
received the wound of which mention is
made above.
1t is said that all Of the batteries on
Newport News were sileneed except one,
and that our shot and shell were thrown
with such unerring aim and precision
among the enemy that great numbers Of
them were killed and wounded.