Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-16
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hustle appraised II: garrison th:! something
was going en-
scls had weighed anchcr they had passed. tHe
fo-,s u,.,!cr .,gss terrific fire, which they
r.turncd with nter.s:. Tho mortar tiaet
raipeh down si.rs OF Fort Jackson, TO Try
and keep tho men from the guns, philo The
cleaners Of the mortar fleet poured IN Scnrhpnr!
uoon fl. u;s:tr battery commanding the APP
proach at il short distance. keeping them Cum
paralively qnict
When thu. las: gesstl q! ours could he seen
among tho fire and smoke 10 pass the battery,
signal was made to the mnrtars to c Ease firing,
end the ,;iIla steamers were directed to retire
from contest that would sooa become un-
equal
1t was nov daylight, ana the fleet having
passed allng, tho io:ts began to psy Their az
tenton to our little squadron 0: steamels-the
| Portsmouth, which wa boins toTcd up, nnd
three OF the gunbosts, which iaiic1 To pass
through THESE lattnr became entanglU'i III
some wrecks and chains placed ia the river to
otstruct it, and which were only partially re-
moved. Gao Of these vessels, Winona, got
through as far as Fort. 81 Poilip, bu. having
! all the .nns hearing Oh hor, she sehstly re-
| tired.
The ltsska was fairly rni1loI. and had a shot
through her boilar, and the Kenocher eSLapetl
uihurt.
! aIu diSao5u,i 10 think i;ial our squadron
received but little damage, considering tha M.
equal contcst-nno Eunurod and forty TWO
| gLns OH board slip opposed to one hundred on
shore placed IA II ;;.0s. commanding position
For thirty lni.:sltas alter tbs ships passed.
the for:s fired very ireh!S on Ito vessels that
remained outside So much go taaS the PJrtS-
mouta WAS onsbiea 10 crop with the current
out OF gunsnot, though the lot fail pretty Tree
~ about her 1T last. think the fro from Tho
ships iaust have been very destructive oi lilo.
Tao last vi SAW ct our vessels thoy %AIc sia-d
ing up the river. Some explosions took place.,
| Hliicll r.iu uS feel rake" uneasy, tui "n!ch
may :ara b4en TIC rebel gunhoat5. w Genli
$50 thai car squalr3a Lad not Destroyed Iii
The cEcmf', ycSsgla Al tho !Ort for threo Or
four OIL tneI. wore moving about ii all G,fcc-
tons, cridaatiJ il state d! cxclssmen;.
| Bcloru tho 0ceI got cut y! sight, !! mai re-
ported L. Die that tbs ceicJSs,ci ram "M-h.b-
ss,' was coming c.i. TO attack US; aud, sure
enough, there she ~as, apparently s!ramlng
nuag shor., ready IL pou"cY upon tho ap
| parently de.enCeleS3 mortar vessels. Two oi
our steamers and some Of tho mortar vessels
opsaad Grs Oh hsr, but | acJa discovered
that tho MANASSAS" c5ull harm 10 one again,
and orde5ed the rejse:S to savo their shoe
| Size Tas beginning IL eli!t Smoke from her
porGs, &C hoies, ar! VAS discovered TO be on hire
aid sinking. Her pipes wcEc all twisted md
riddlcd with s:!os, and her null was also well
cut up. Sho had evidently been usel up By
t.,o squadron as they passed along. tried 20
s.Vo nar 80 cufios:'g, hJ g.:"rG haxscr
ariind he. and sccu"ine: her TO The bank, hu!
ss: after doing So she i:i'itly exploded. Her
| OIL: CUR wet eli, and e:a'i;in: tttncs through
"r b.rv port, ike snn,G huge animal, she gave
i. plunge anh disappeared uuccr tie 'Saicr
Mex. carr. astcarlai on his, wi.icn Appeared
10 o. yeEEc Of wSr nniong!n% II the rc;cI:;
and, after her; tEo o5te:s, ali bnrn.:g AM ti5al
Ing down ti.e stream
FIRES seemed 10 be- .a;;'-:s III Long up ihi
| river, aid NC siif.iusg, ;nat CIR squadron
wera burning an; dcsi:o no. tfn veH3cls as they
passed along. 1t appcsrs, however, ia: the
McRlo and two river bCs:s, aud their Gc:a
orased floating battery, brought dn@n iAn
nIgnt before, were left unl,url, and scge Still
flying tue Confederate fss
Iar matter CT lhe toAI.n. battery hncHm =
Il very serious stiair, rs .Iigy RE al! nard NJ
worn a, Forl jackson mounting he"7y Nfies
guns on it., which arc d further liac 10 .h:In
III i:io lo.t. she mounts sixteen Gu57, ,s a.
most GS Formidable d vessel ~ III" Mrrri.Iac,
perfectly sbot-proo!, and has four powerful
engines III her. | snvl AZ all events take such
stops as will prevent bcr !Tom destroying any
thing, and we msy still hold her in check
with the steamers, Though :hoy are rather ira
g;;ls LIZ such aE.r0ice, rnis il one q no i'll
Objects OF leaving an enemy int Dc rear. sup
pose that the ships fired on her as ,hny passed
through, out that her mail resisted Inc
shot. She had steam on this morning and
Was moving about quite lively. tried to put
Some nurtsr shall through her roof, hat With.
out effect, AZ She moved nti
The iurls ara now Gu: IT from I'll C'mmun-
catiaa With Nsq Orleans, as FTtsmine that
Flag Officer Farrssut has cut the wires
have sent tie Mialni around With General
Butler to the back OF Fort st. Philip. Ia Try
and th,uE in troops, At the quarantine, i've
miles, along the forts, and at The same time
open communication that way with the iias
officer, and supply him with ammunition
AIN also going to send pHrt OF the mortar iiaet
10 the back OF Fort Jackson, cue off tho escape
OF the garrison by that Way and stop sup
pics. a deserter who can be relied Oh, iniorms
us that they have plenty Of provisions for
TWO months, plenty Of ammunition and plenty
Of diScomior!s.
Our shells SET tho citadel on irn the Gfst
afternoon We opened. 1t burned fiercoiy for
seven hours, bal thought it fro raft behind
the fort, as they continually send them down
on US, but without any effect. But few CASH.
aliscs occurred 10 vessels on this sto If the
forts The Harriet Lane lost but one man
killed. and one, | fear mortaIly wouadcd.-
The Winona Inst three killed a3d three
| wounded, and rhe l,aSks. With fourteen shot
through her, had but iew men hurt These
lorts can hold out still for sonNilm', AMI
would suggest that the Monitor aud Mystic, il
they can DO sparcA, BIZ aeut here without c
moments delay to Settle III" question.
This mortar feet have been vory much OK
| posed and under heavy fire. i,r SIX daya dur
ing which time they KEEP the sheEs going
without intermisaon. One nf tham. the Maria
j. Carlton, was sunk hy ashot passing thrrnga
her inagazno and then through her bottom =
| ran hltills lost 5ui one man Killed and 81;
wounded. Inc bearing o! the officers aad
men was worthy -! the highest PRAISE. They
never once tagged during period OF Siz days;
never had az accident TO 6nc Of the vessels Is
| firing, and, vncn she'll and shot ware flying
| thick above thln1, shossi not tho ie."t desire
| to ha7o tho vessels mr7ed TO g pi=co o! safety
| The incidents Of :hc bonbsrdmcnt will be
mentioned in iny d:,ailcd report, merely
write this hurried letter to sp2T'a thu depsrls
| mcnt Of the state Of aHalra, and shall send II
off at once via I1avsns. The sight OF tnis
night attack was awfully grand. The river
| was lit up with RATS A!!0d with pine knots,
and Tho ships seemed Is &c Gsh,ing literally
| ar,idst flames snd a.nole Whcre ue were
tho fro Of the anerny vas high and compara-
lively harmless
I nrn in hopes lhrr ,hs ships abavo Jared as
we'll as Te did, thnr,h AMID such terrific tre'
It was gratifying to sea ,Aai not ship ws7er'
I'D, bat $1,000 aicedy On her course, aGd Sm
in hence, and gar IL, r..a..,', 10 diGb II, hat
they HOW have possession OF New Orleans.