Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-04-22
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

'AN "SSCN 1
From the Correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune.
On the morning Of the 7th the fog was
still thick, but by nine o'clock i: had Tear,I
ly cleared away, and there was no further
cause for delaying the attack. Tn to 10
o'clock preparations for the conflict were
continued on all the iron-clads. At | p.
NJ. the pilot of the flag, ship declared him,
self ready to move. The signal to get uns
der way was made, and al Is minutes be-
fore z the whole fleet was in motion. At
hall past J the batteries on Morris Island
had been passed by the first four monitors
without drawing the fire Of the enemy.
Shortly before 3 O'Clock the Ironsides
showed dlsobeIienco ito her Iudder. her
bow swinging to the strong ebb tide, and
threatening to bring her on the shoals to
her right. She was, therefore, compelled
to come to anchor to stay her course
Meantime the first four monitors had cen.
tinued on toward the fort. The enemy
allowed the Weehawken 10 come within
500 yards Of Fort Moultrie, when two
shot across her bon from this fort opened
the action.
The lronsides had again got under way,
and approached within 1900 Yards OF Fort
Sumter, when she once more became I'm,
manageable, and was again obliged to drop
anchor. The mon tors ahead of her had
then reached the converging point of the
fire Of TIE Cummings Point battery. Fort
Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and n work be,
tween Fort Moultrie ard Moultrieville,
aud known as Battery Bee. A sheet of
flame and volumes of smoke, extending
from Morris to Sullivan's Islands. ipaur.
urated what has been undoubtedly the
most terrific ~cannonade of the whole war,
il, indeed, 1t was ever equalled in the his,
tory OF the world. A perfect torrent Of
SHOT and shell was poured upon the mon
itors, wrapping them sometimes almost
entirely in spouts of water thrown up by
the striking projectiles.
The monitors continued their play. re.
plying vigorously from their batteries to
the enemy. They passed the northeast
face Of Fort Sumter, but WHOM thew came
near its angle with the northwestern face. /
they made out at a short distance three
distinct lines of distractions, consisting of
floating logs with torpedoes attached, and
net works Of cables held perpendicularly
in the water by weights. The Patapsco
got foul Of n Of them, and could not
make her screw work for some fifteen
minutes, but finally got clear. A torpedo
exploded close to the bow of the Wee.
hawken, without, however, doing any
damage.
The vessels all steering very heavily,
the narrow passage through the line Of
distinctions could not be reached. After
several vain attempts the four vessels
turned about and steamed back down the
harbor, all the while sustaining a havy fire,
and responding with their guns as ~vigor,
ously as they could. The Patapsco had
her 2OO-pounder Parrott gun disabled by
its own recoil early in the action. The
turret Of the Passaic was bent in, and
cramped her ll"lnch gun 50 as 10 prevent
its working, Shortly afterward, her tur,
ret stopped revolving, and she lost often,
sive power.
The Ironsides had meantime, yainly
struggled TO come closer to Fort Sumter.
The rebel gunners finding her q fixed
mark, piled her freely with shot and
shell. Her position was such that she
could not bring her broadsides to bear IN
til about o'clock, when she got an oppor-
tunity to deliver her fire at Fort Monltrie.
This was the only offensive demaa stTation
made by her during the action.
When Admiral Dupont found that he
could not readily move the Ironsides. he
signalled to the.four ironNclads behind her
to pass ahead and 90 to the support of the
four vessels already engaged. In trying 10
pass by, the Katskill and Nantucket brush.
ed the lronsideB on the port and starboard
sides, but after awhile uanaged 10 get
away and moved on.
They and the Keokuk and Nahant came
under the concentrio range ofthe forts and
batteries at about the time the other four
monitors were turning back.
They nevertheless advanced, with their
guns ut work brisSly, past the northeast
face of Fort Sumter, until their course was
likewise impeded 10y distractions. Tho
Catskill, Nantucket and Nahant received
the united fire OF both Forts Sumter and
Moultrie.
The Keokuk had s.eered a little more IN
the left, and for q while received the fire
OF FORT Sumter alone. She fred the Gun
IN her forward turret but three times, when
1t became disabled. Her after gun could
not be brought to bear effectively, and was
thus rendered useless. After continuing
under the united fires Of all the forts and
batteries for about three quarters of an
hour, all the monitors and the Whitney
Battery came back in obedience to a sigS
nal from the flagship.
The lronsides had already dropped back
some distance out Orange of Fort Sumter.
At 3 o'clock the entire feet was out Of I
aud the action ceased
The Ericsson raft, known as the devil,