Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-07-23
The Attack on Charleston.


On the glorious Fourth Of July the
heavy bat series we have recently erected on
Folly Island. commanding the rebel batts-
RES at the month of-Lighthoase Inlet. in
tended to dispute the sntrauce to the ship
channel, were opened upon with dsstruc-
tive fire. making short work of them
The Federal batteries had been erected un-
der masks OF folisgs. and the astonished
rebels knew nothing Of their existence
Our guns were of the heaviest calibre. and
numbered thirty -four. Large numbers of
troops had been sent to Folly Island, and
there was every indication Of earnest
ness and activity in the military depart
ment. 81
Admiral iDahlgrecn on his arrival at
Port Royal. and relieving Admiral Du.'
pont. Immediately ordered the Monitors
to prepare for active service. The work
being done on them, and in contemplation.
unnecessarily. so far as efficiency was con-
cerned. was ordered instantly to cease. and
shout Of Joy and glsdness went up thro'-
out the whole squadron. These fancy i'm
provements could be put on after the war
is over. Now the vessels were wanted for
the purpose for which they were construct
ed. Improvements and notifications cod
be made when tho vessels were ont of COM
mission, and where there was an abund.
ance Of men and mechanism to perform
the work. and not when valuable time
would be wasted Tin the face of the ene-
my" Glorious decision. and honored be
the man who made it!
Instead Of establishing himself in the
chair of royalty on the Wabash, and re-
ceiving the homage Of the courtiers, Ad-
miral Dahlgren raised his flag on the hum
bic little transport Mary Dinsmore. which
had been armed and equipped for the pur-
pose, and on the Fourth of July was pre-
pairing TO move on to join his iron-clad
feet in the harbor of North Edisto. The
officers and crews of the Monitors rusting
for service. and Disguised and sick from
delay, disappointment and inactivity. were
in ccstacies at the prospect of having u
chance to test these little glorious vessels
on the walls of Sumter, and equally conf
dent of success. They felt that they were
relieved from the tyrannical restraints i'm
posed upon them to shield incompetency,
and that the day for proving their earnest
ness in the great work Of national retribu
tion was approaching.
Admiral Dahlgren had ordered all the
workmen from the Monitors to proceed at
once to the completion of the repairs on
tho captured iron clad Atlanta, intending
to use her also in the attack on the defen-
ces of Charleston. She was nearly compile
ted when the Arsgo sailed, and was being
manned for the occasion by officers and
crews from some of the heavy woodea
vessels, which OF course could not take
part in the fight. 1t is thus evident that
Admiral Dahlgren is not so kind hearted
as to have any fears of Irritating the ene-
N.Y." and as we have at the head of both
the navy and the army of the Department
of the South two earnest, active lighting
men, 70 doubt is felt of the success o. the
movement now in progress.
OF the fact that Fort Sumter was on the
point of surrendering when the M,nitoss
were called out OF action we know that the
resident and Secretary of the Navy have
me most convincing proof. They have
letters from those who saw tho holes thro'
the wall, from those who walked through
the breaches, and from those who. living
in Charleston, gave the assurance that q
"cart and horse could be driven through
them" They have the assurance, from
those who know all the defenses. that our
Monitors can enter with impunity and
crush them all; that those who think them
impregnable are frightened by the ghosts
and phantoms sent out by the rebels them
selves to terrify those IA command. Hav-
ing Witnessed the farce under the walls of
Sumter, and being cognizant Of all these
) facts as to the effect Of that badly managed
affair, where the Monitors we're not given
half chance to test their powers. we can
not. even at this late day, think of the af-
fair or write about it without q feeling OF
disgust and modification that we cannot
refrain from expressing.