The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-05-22
The Gsunboat Galema ON flames River
She SiIenCes Two FOrts. r
Correspondence OF The Baltimore American.

Ess. GUNBOAT GALESA May 81
Dear Brother: Isuppose by fhis time you have
heard of the Galena leaving Hampton Roads
was glad of it. for such & fine shin as this ought
not to be kept idle in such times as these and the
boys were all anxious for a fight We got under
way and left the Rouds fifteen minutes past seven
O'Clock on the morning of the 9Th, and it was not
long till we passed SewaiIs Point, without one
shot being fired at US. AS we passed Newport
News we were hailed by loud and long cheers from
the men of the Fort, who were glad to see us make
a move to help their brother soldiers. But we had
only passed them about twenty five minutes when
te our great joy, a battery hove in sight II was
first seen by the well experienced eve of our gal
liant Captain. He gave orders TO Lieut. Newman
to call all hands to quarters, which he did in hs
usual cool way, for he is always cool and brRYe.
This order was promptly obeyed by the crew who
thought every minute an hour to try their skill on
the rebels. They soon had chance for fifteen
minutes to ten clock the bail WIS opened by our
pivot gun forward The shot fell short The sec-
ond and third were fred. but there was no reply
We ran in under their gun range, and then they
opened on us from six eight guns but all of the
shot fell harmless against our iron sides. hardly
think they knew what was coming at them We
let fly from whole battery, and made it pretty
warm for them, We sailed back and forward by
the fort three four times and soon levelsd their
tag aud made it drag in the dust. After an action
of forty minutes they ran like fred sharks as thew
always do from the well directed fire of Our brave
sailors Not one shot struck us up to the end OF
the engagement.
Fort NO THE action commenced about one
o'clock, three quarters of an hour after we haf
silenced the first battery. In this fora We found
mo- formidable opponent than the FIRST. 1t mount
ca elve guns, and after an hour and fifteen min
Utes bOmbardment, eleven OF them we-e sileneed.
The remaining one fought US for an hour afterward
making this Commandment of two hours and fifteen
minutes duration. The gunboats Aroostook and
Port Royal were with us, but did not take an ac-
tive part in the engagement, though they did some
execution with their long guns
The rebel gunboats jamestown and Patrick
Henry were lying under the gVns of the second
fort but, instead OF assisting its defense they got
up steam aud ran away with ali speed toward
Richmond Our damage in the engagement was
small hOne shot struck the Arcostook ard went
through her bUlwarks under the hammock netting
No one was injured. 0De or two shots struck us
but they only left their mark iron mail and
glided off.
After passing the second fort we atarted up the
river, eut the buOys have been rem owed and there
we STUCK hard and fast, waiting for high tide, The
batteries silenced were called the per and Lower
Shoal batteries. Greas praise is given to Captain
4.ogers, First Lieut.. Newman and Engineering
Chief Thompson.
LATER.-We are just getting off shore, and ii
boat has come on board fir ON Gen Mcclellan, by
which / send this. We viii be OF for City Point
in the morning.