Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-02-21
THE War News.
nr11rnua YTrroRY !

Complete
The attack By the gnn boats took place
Friday, that by the land forces Saturday We
suhloia Interesting details.
THE FIGHT wTu cryBoATs FErRAy.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gozotte.
Who accompanied the Gun Boat Expedition,
gives the following graphic description OF the
fight Friday;
AT twenty-five minu'rs 70 ihrcc the frSt
rn' nm. hr1J by the FcsrelS from llic wa 'er bat
rrrv. We were then Rsiir aud a half 4 =
tan, lra,a tue f,ri. The ball struck the water
about one kAnlred valds ahead cf Us. Two
.minutes later s.pothcr ball "A 81 poundrr. from
the some het,egs wae drv'l al rs. hut dropped
ah.rrr. about one hundred and fifty yards
Several shots were directed iowars Us. but
Without tfi,ct. bcforc open'd Gre.
Al seven minutes 10 three the ST. Lauis o.
rs.ne,l tho hattie for Our feet hy the discharge
oi her eight inch shell gun. The >h.h fell iu
tn The water, within a lew wards nr the lwssi
battery Of the fort. Our ft>t fired slowly at
hlsi. but With g. oil cff'c,--a great number Of
,ur she'll burs, ing within til encmy ; forti.icI-
tio-s.
We advanced on the fort s'oviy. but s;esldi-
ly-ihe four gunboats maintaining their line of
battle admirably.
Alta quarter past three the firing increased
in rapilly on boil, s'dcs. Shell after shell was
spni frou our boats at Intervals Of less than
f~e seconds The cnemy's fire Ind 10y This lime
brcnmc terrific. They were using 32-pourd
hall principally. ard firing mnre frequently tllan
we. rrd with great accuracy. Our fret uS.'d
twelve guns, each ironcli i boat wnrkiIg It's
three how pieces. The Cuncsioga and Tay-
lor KEPT about 800 yards in eur rear firing
shell AT loHg ringe. The C,nestoga fired th:E y
xix eight inch shell during the action; the Tay-
lur sixty-oue. Their diaiuhce from the fort
was too great for rf-c;ive worki1gr but they
kept the encmy's guns engaged drriug great
er part of the action, and thus dver'cd many
khOls that Otherwise would have beer aimed al
the iron cIadWssels.
Abou+ tiircc- quarters Of 81 hour after the
commencement Of the engage menf, the boats
had steamed within three hundred yards of the
i'ort, and tie hottest OF the battle took place
Oar ciinncrs had by this time got the range o.
the rebel batteries much better thar. at first
and their shot and she'll were made to lIll with
in the brcasiworks and cntrcnchmcnts with
great tiIict. The water battery WAS silcnccd
ard the guns deserted hy the enemy. From
the deck Of the gunboals the rebel soldiers
cond be seen running up The hill TO seek shell
ter III The cnirenchtncntS of the upper batter
irs just us this occurred an officer was OBJ
served 10 emerge from a relout and wave a
swor1 above his head could t tell whe'h-
rr he was cheering his men to victory o. driv
ing them back TO their guns
Al half PAST three shell from ono Of oul
boais struck The rebel flagstaff, breaking it of
elise TO the ground. An nficrr of the Cori
Immediately ran ont and erected il near it;
former site.
Scarcely bad the rebel ensign bNrn diSplace,
wien 80 pound ball struck the flagstaff of iho
St. Louis. carrying ii away close to the ship
deck 1t hal no sooner fallen than one of oul
brave men jumped before the mouth Of a can
non just about to be fired, and seizng the spar
placed il in an upright position. and cooly re
manned a mark for the enemy, while he sccur
e1l it 10 the ships deck with rope. y few
moments after this The flagstaff OF the Lnns
vile was carried of That of the Carondnle
went next, and that Of tue Pitsbur5 followet
soon after.
As We ucared the fort the enemy commenc
cd pouring ''plunging sAol'' into Is with grra
rapiditv. Their guns were well intcd, ant
did great execution. A thirty-two pouul bal
struck the pilot hnusc of ouF vessel, piercing
the inch and a half iron and the f.tecn incl
oak. In striking the iron plate it was broken
4 number Of larg. fragments scattered, within
the pilot house. mnr;ally W uuding one Of tn
pilots. T. A. Riley. Of Cint innali, striking In
aag officer, Cnmm"durc Foote, in the anc,c
and slightly injuring iwo othrr m!n. imnc
diately after this, shot entered our deck il
the s'arbnard side. AMI passing through
glanced downward 10 hc shell room s'r;kn:
the slips cook, Charles w Baker, in the heat
literally tear ing tho skull Gff Several hc,,v
balls now glanced over the pilot hnl<e. pier,
ing the chimneys, and carrying away the chin
ney guys. These w,;re followed by n coupl
Of shots which struck cur vessel just ahov
water mark.
II was now discovered that the wheel In
been, injured by tue SHOT which killed. tho p
lot. Two of the .sppkcs were b,oken. aid Il
vessel did not respond well 10 the kflm. A
attempt was made 10 steer her ~ The relic,
ing tackle, bat il was fund t!sat the onrl'.r
vas too strong. The C'sn4no,sore i5;,l ing lt,
the ship should turn broasE>;le totll4 eipcn,,
ordered her 10 drop down slowly.
The other boats we &, md were suiI;.ri
quite as sevcr,.l, as Ike hac slip.
One Of the guns o. th CIroudp!ct buts.
during the iutler par Of tle engagement; Il
tilIer ropes Of the !. .ujsvilt were cut ava
rendering il almost impossible to steer CO
rcctly; the l'ittsbuTI received a number
shots below water mAl K c,IGsiny her to lea
very raIidy. These two latter accitlt tnts hr
pening almost simultaneously with the injnl
to the flag ship, rendered withdrawal abs
lu,ely necessary. The order was then given f
the entire fleet 10 drop beyond he range oftI
flrt.ag re --a
Thoash fpeIisz. that the eoadi. i'm OF or
boats demanded this navyrncni, it was wi
great releetiluca tLat tue Commodore rcco
ciIel himself To ID, 'Eh, enemy had almo
ceased Ggings having betn driven from thr l;N
rr forts uisl,culnBcisctl TO seek refuge bclil
guns that bore. lM,t poorly rjphn IS. On {
however, 10 nsti<e our Disabled conlitiun.
had 80 sooner commaAccl 10 retire than ,l
again ran to the lower baiterits, and opened
brisk and effective fire. 'Bhe Erst of the
shots entered the port bow of the C2rondnlt
cutting of two mems heads, and woanding t.
other men-
The boats retired slowly TO the point wbcH
they started for the scene Of action, about t'
nl;ies from the fcrt. The fire nf the el er
kep, pouring in upon us from thirteen gui
while cur position IN the RIVER prevented
from using more :han half that number.
ve foatcd sllwly down the current the rcy
ronx courage and bodily sa!Iid forth from lin
intrenchmcnts. Hitherto the entire spa
within the fort appesrel one sheet of untr,
dea snow; but FIVE mipniEs did iiot clapsn. ul