Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-02-11

uallicu ooHu ueE uaS. Lucy "SA0 etuoACo W
send q. boat to US; and Lieut. T.. Abbot com.
mahdipg, came off 1with.a boats crew and
surrendered hisvessel in the name of Com.
! Stell wagon, of the Mercedita, carrying guns
and 1853 men, He stated that his 7essel was
| in sinking condition, and begged our officers
| to relieve them. A shot had pierced her
boiler, which had burst and scaldel large
number of men. Lieutenant Abbott begged
Com. Ingraham to take the men with him on
board the Palmetto State, as in their haste to
come to US they had neglected to put in the
plug, and their small boat was only kept
aAoat by the strenuous efforts of the men
bsiling the boat. BE also stated that the
water in the Mercedita had, at the time of
his leaving, already risen as high MS the en-
gihe floors.
Commodore Ingraham regretted that. he
could not comply with the request, as he had
no room to accommodate them aboard of his
vessels and no small boats or,any other means
ofaGording them relief Lieut.. Abbott then
pledged his word of honor Tor the officers and
crew Of the Mercedita not 10 serFe in any
manner against the Confederate States until
regularly exchanged, upon which condition
be was sent on board his own vessel. The
Merccdita was taken completely by surprise
Tkey were reused from their slumbers by the
shock, the'men not having scarcely time to
dress themselves Lieut. Abbott and the
men with him were nearly destitute of CLOTH
ing. e..
The Palmetto. State, leaving the Mercedita'
to her fate, stood out to sea, and engaged sev
era other vessels Of the Abolition block
ading fleet. occasionally exchanging shots.
The latter, however, fed at our approach,
firing st long distances and leaving us far
astern. One or two shots were exchanged
With the United States frigate Powhatan: The
latter, however. followed the example of her
companions and fed. We then stood North.
ward, towards the Chicora, which q: TIL,
time was almost surrounded by the enemy,,s
vessels. AT S a. m., there being no more of
the Abolition feet in sight, We stood back to
tho entranceof Beech eassRss s@bayiss sig
.pailei the ehic5ra TO; yfdla.,1 On passing, Il
se were salnled. .bS ssou! tris. 3 santer!
and Ripley, and arrived Al The wharf in tae
city little before & p. NJ.
THE MOVEMENTS CT TIE CHrCoRA.-Ihe
Chicora, Captain John r. Tucker, started
from her wharf at half past eleven, Friday
night, and crossed the bar at 4,30 q. m. We
commenced action at sos. The Palmetto
State engaged Ell Abolition Vessel on the
right while we engaged the one on the left.
As We PASSED the blockader on The right, the
Palmetto State wns laying rlvngs;le of her
Keeping on our COARSE wepruceedel to with
in fifty yards of the vessel .on.the left, and
tLen gave her shot from onr bow gun, the
blockader at the time being under full head
way. We rounded TO and ga'e her full ben
f. of our broadside guns aud litter gun. She
Immediately rang her bell fire and made sig-
nails Of distress TO the rest Of the fleet. The
last. seen Of her by signal officer Saunders,
she was stern down very low ip the water.
and disappeared Very suddenly. This vessel
is supposed to have gone down. Notwth-
standing. the Chicoro immediately steamed
towards her, nothing could he discovered OF
the vessel.
The Chicora proceeding farther out to sea,
stood Northward and Eastward, and met two
vessels apparently coming to the relief of the
missing steamer. We engaged them. One
of them, after firing few guns, withdrew.
Standing to the Northward, abont daybreak
we steamed up to small sde-wheel two mas.
ted steamer and endeavored to come TO close
quarters. She kept clear o. US, driving away
as rapidly as possible, not, however, without
receiving our compliments aud carrying with
her four or five Of our shots. Shortly after
the steamship Quaker City and another side
wheel, steamer came gallantly bearing down
upot bue Suieofo atu SOLuiucuCeQ ITlUI at
long range. Neither would permit our bon
to get within respectable distance. Two
of our shots struck the Quaker City and she
left apparently perfectly satisfied, in a Grip.
pied condition. Another sile-wheel two mas
ted steamer, with walking beams, now steam
ed toward the Chiccra, coming down on our
stern. Capt. Tucker perceiving it, we round
ed TO and proceeded until within about tire
hundred yards, when the belligerent steamer
also rounded to and gave US both broadsides
; sld shot from her pivot gun. We fred our
forward pivot gun with s.n incendiary she'll,
and struck her jus; forward Of her wheel
house, setting her on Gre disabling and stop.
ping port wheel. This vessel was fred both fore
and aft, and volumes of smoke observed to
issue from every aperture. As we nearod
her, she hauled down her flag and made
signal of surrender, but ntill kept under way
with her starboard wheel, and changing her
direction. This was just after daybreak. We