Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-04-22
THE FIGHT AT CHARLESTON.
Repulse Of the Federal Iron-C lads.

Repulse Of the Federal 'front.' lads.
Particulars of the Terrible Conflict.
From the Correspondent Of tho N. Y. Times.
BALTIMORE, Sunday April 70, 1861
have just reached this point from Charles
ton HaIbor, via Fortress Monroe, by the
g%unboat Flambeau, bringing official dis.
patches from Admiral Dupont.
The iron>clad fleet, in its attack on Fort
Sumter, has met with a repulse, but not a
disaster. The attack was made on the
afternoon Of Tuesday, the 7th instant, and
continued for two hours and a half. The
fleet had got over the bar the day previous,
md lay at anchor in the main ship chan.
mel along the shore of Morris Island, at a
distance of about a mile.
The line of battle was formed in the fol,
lowing order:
!. The Wechawken, Capt. j. Rodgers.
=. The Iassaic, Capt. Percival Drayton.
3. The Moniauk, Com. j. J.. Worden.
4. The Patapsco, Com. d. Ammon.
3. The lronsides, Com. r. Turner.
q. The kattskill, Com. G. w. Rodgers.
I. The Nantucket, Com. D. Men. Fair.
fax.
8. The Nahant, Com. j. Downs.
y. The Keokuk, Com. A. G. Green,
The lronSides was Admiral Dupont's
flagship.
The official order was to pass the bates
ries on Morris Island without returning
their fire, and pass inside of Fort Sumter,
and devote themselves to bombarding Fort
Sumter at a distance of from six to eight
hundred yards.
AT o'clock the head Of the line was in
motion, the rest following. The batteries
on Morris Island did not open on the fleet
at all, and the enemy made no fire until
the fleet had reached a position between
Forts Sumter ard Moultrie, when a terrif,
lc broadside came from the barbette gun
OF Sumter. AT the same time the batte>
ries on Cummings Point and Sulliyan's
Island opened, and the iron ships ,oerc cr.
posed to a coHcentric tire from re different
points, unparalleled IN The history Of ],carfarc.
The fleet found it impossible to pass up
beyond Fort Sumter, and assume to APP
pointed place, owing to distractions which
extended across the entire channel, from
Sumter 10 Moultrie, while above these,
near the middle ground, were three other
rows of piles, and above these three rebel
iron-clads. The fleet was thus compelled
TO sustain this terrific IRE, and nobly it
did so, for thirty minutes. Daring that
time, not less than hir%Jvc hundred shots
1oer1 tired Gy tie enemy, one hundred and sirty
being counted iHa single minute.
At the end Of this time, five of the nine
iron -clads were found to be more or less
disabled, and at four O'Clock the Aag,shinI
signalled to retire.
The Keokuk, with splendid audacitv.
had run up to within five hundred yards
of the Fort, and near her was the Katts-
kill. The whole feet devoted themselves
TO Fort Sumter but, owing TO the limited
time the ships were GRABBED to remain
comparatively few shots were fired.
The lronsides, caught in the tide, was
in great part unm%anageable. In conse,
quence, Admiral Dupont had to signal to
the feet 10 disregard the movement of
the flagship.
The iron clads received each from twen>
ty to ninety shots. The Keokuk was the
worst used up, receiving several shots be-
and above the water line, The other
four, though in reality but slightly MUIR
ed, were yet rendered temporarily unfit
use. They will be speedily repaired.
The keokUk was, however, so badly dam
aged that she sunk this morning in the
position near her original anchorage. She
wal! be blown up, TO prevent her falling
into the hands OF the rebels.
Fort Sumter shows some ugly marks on
her eastern front.
The land force had been landed on folS
ly lslana, near Stone, but did not cosop,
crate in the attack.
The attack should really be regarded in
the light Of a reconnaissance, and though
it was not successful. yet it was not as dis.
astrous as 1t might have been. When YOU
the full details you will see that the
result is, on the whole, far from discouru
The trial was decisive. The ordeal of
two hours served to prove that the
defensive powers Of the iron fleet are sur,
ieient to Withstand the terrible force of
the offensive. engiuery Of the works il had
TO assail while the Limitations Of the of.
power Of the ironeclads took away
all the advantage. The result Of the re-
connoissance proves the utter insufhciency
Of the iron-clad feet to take Charleston
without assistance.
The Nahant received thirty wounds.
several being bad fractures Of deck and
tides, above and below the water-line.-
The most fatal blow was by a heavy ri1ed
hot which struck the pilot. house and
destroyed several bolts, woundinc all the
inmates.
The Passaic~ received twenty-five OF thir.