The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-02-20

ueT bno guns VI IHB OuindmGUt hHu
poured such hot and effective FIRE into
their wooden walls, that they inflicted
but little damage to his boats, and were
quickly and completely disabled and
beaten.
INCIDENTS OF TIE BATTLE.
The Cincinnati bears many honorable
scars. Several shots have left their
marks upon her iron plated sides, show
ing in each case shallow and raking
dent. One of her largest guns was
struck on the right side of its muzzle,
tho shot chipping cut a piece Of the
metal as large as q mans two hands,
and actually splitting the muzEle eigh-
teen inches down from the mouth
This will disable the gun entirely. An
other gun, a 32-pounder, believe,
bears a deep dent on its side, about
eighteen inches from the mouth. Just
behind the forward port gun, and where
the sides Of the boat ore not covered
with iron, several shots have gone en-
tirely through tho bulwarks. One Of
these completely decapitated one of tho
gunners. Another passed through the
bulwarks, scattering the splinters right
and left, glancing along the timbers
over the machinery, and passing into
the wheel, but not doing much damage.
The most terrible effect of the enemy's
fire upon the Cincinnati is seen in her
upper works, the deck seeming to have
been swept with the destructive missiles,
the smoke stacks pierced in several
places, and the small boats riddled and
almost destroyed. One large shot struck
the iron plated pilot house, leaving an
ugly mark but doing no, damage. The
conoussion was violent, and is described
by the pilots as surprising the Commo.
dore and them into very decided grunt
But one was killed outright on the Gin.
cinnati. A few we're wounded with
splinters, whose names we have sent
you. Capt. Pratt was badly hurt by O
spent ball striking his leg. The men
describe the crash of the balls through
the timbers Of the vessel as a terrible
sound, but none of them finched, say
their officers, but the party manning
the gun at which one of their number
was beheaded. At the ghastly sigh
they scattered and fed back for mo.
ment, but Immediately rallied and stood
their ground. The Cincinnati came
into port with the largest rebel flag fly
ing under the Stars and Stripes, heI
appearance being greeted with many
cheers and congratulations among the
persons on the Cairo levee,
SAD ACCIDENT TO TUE ESSEX.
Just as the battle was about over, O
shot, from the largest gun in the fort
struck the boiler of the gun boat Essex
bursting it and causing the death of O
number Of her officers and crew from
the scalding steam. The Commercially 3
correspondent says:
But for the shot that sent the steam
boiling among her crew, tho "Essex
would have been one of the first boats
Sin at the death" She was fighting
with noble defiance when crippled
and her wounded and scalded men orcpt
upon deck when the enemy's flag went
down, and gave cheers for tho event
1t is said of Jasper P. Breaz, one oil
the seamen scalded, that hearing that
the rebel flag was lowering, he clambc
cd upon deck, saw that the flag was in
deed down, and exclaiming "now I an
content TO die, fell dead. This time
the boat was in tow Of the boat"B," +" and
out of range. The "Essex" gone, the
"Cincinnati'' and "St Louis" and "Ca.
rondolet" took up the ba tile, if might
be, the moro earnestly. No man eau
claim that he fought better than another
no boat can ask to havc her achieve
ments put before those of another, for
every man did his whole duty, each
boat did all that men could expect o,
ask of her. The "Cincinnati," however
got the largest number Of shots, for sh,
was the flag ship and, flying the flag
officers pennant, led the fight. Tn,
rebels knew the pennant, Gas they have
since said) and were most anxious Il
disable the boat bearing it.
\ THE REBEL Less.
A special dispatch to the Missouri
Democrat, dated Fort Henry, Feb.
says:
No less than nineteen bodies of deaC
rebel soldiers killed during the BON
bardment were exhumcd in tho for
yesterday, where they had been hastil,
buried by the rebels before our boat
came ashore. They were all buried il
one heap. This makes the enemy
known loss to be at least twenty one. =
! Undoubtedly from fifty to one hundre,
wounded we're carried of in their wag
onS or ambulances.
REBEL INTERNAL MACHINES.
During the day preceding that of tn,
battle, the gun boats Tylor and Cones.
oga went up the river and sucoeedeC
in removing six torpedoeS or inferna
machines, which the rebels had sum
; in the channel below the fort, in tn,
hope of blowing up or disabling on
fioet when itshould attempt to approac
them. These instruments were con
structed of boiler iron, were about iv
feet in length, aud containing sixt
pounds of powder each. Had the
been suffered to remain and explode, o
they were inteuded to do, they woul
doubtless have inflicted serious damag
to the boats; but Captains Phelps an
Walk succeeded in removing theI
: without injury.
S A lot of condemned horses aud mule
3 we're sold at GallipOlis last week, one