Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-11-27


How The MONITORS SHoOT.-The Charles
ton corre.roptlent of the Roston Tro-.ile,
-.
On iucsday, IN accordance with previous
instruction from the Admiral, the monitors
Patupsco and Lehlsh moved up to within
sixteen huHdred yards Oi the front and open
Ell fire with their great Parrott rifle guns.
These two monitors remained IN this posi-
tljn each day. -1lng down at night or early
IN The morning to procure fresh supplies of
sIut and she'll from the ordnance vessels,
winch. the weather being too rough TO per-
NIT the monitors % 20 alongside the vessels
with 'aiety, had 10 De- cirrled. boat load at
a time, causing delay easily Obyiated if
there were but suihciency Of steam tugs
here 30 do tins and similar work.
Every evening when We ceased our lahOrs
from having exhausted our stock Of ammuni-
uOu, We examined tie Tort carefully to see
the effects OF oar hrc. CaseInate after case
mate crum1ics 20 fragments, the gaps in the
wall grow larger daily, bat yet at sunset the
rebels haul down their battered flag and fire
the sunset gun as unc0ncerned as if they
were not the recipients Of a destructive FIRE.
On saturday, sue weather was quite calm,
and tie only motion of the ship was that Of
the long swell rolling IN from the sea, conse-
qu' nrly our tire was much more rapid and ac-
curate than on the previous days. There
was nouslt % delay our FIRE. but the necessi-
ty % stop occasionally 70 cool the heated
guns and wash them out.
The excitement during the afternoon was
great. We Thought We had discovered the
position of their magazine, and threw shell
after shell into the front, directed at precise
point About TWO O'Clock a well-directed
shell from tile 500 FOUNDER Parrott at Fort
Gre.--. exploded on the southwest corner Of
sumter near the haSstaH, knocked down the
hag and staff, amid the cheers Of our men
aHOat and ashore.
Immediately INe men mounted the parapet
of Sumter and planting small Confederate
hos, probably a regiment ensign, began amid
tine storm OF shell and solid shot to raise the
large flagstaff. thi> they succeeded IN doing
Inc nag, winch was once very large oIe,
had been gradually shot away IN fragments,
until there was n0usht lett OF 1t but the
union, and tins was pierced with a dozen
holes and badly tom Ihe top OF the stan
had aiso hten shot away;
W nlie the services 'i an the other oincers
/ OF tins snip Were required at ther various
stations at quarters the surgeon at the re
| quest oi the commander acted as signal ON
crr ana ~ 'lk'H'' taxing position Oh toP
I oi tAe pit1t-honse' 'he most elevated Posltlon
IN the ship Ihence signals from the nag
ship. our consor'- or the ironsldes, and also
the effect oi every shot ana al movements on
the part ol the enemy could oe readlly seen
UPon the TWO Confederate nags being rais-
ed. we directed our hre upon them, tne doc-
tor giving notice now the shot struck, wheth-
er high or low, right or lett our hrst shot at
them passed just over the second struck the
parapet TO the right and exploded, knocking
away large portion OF 1t; the third shot
struck the parapet at their base, knocking
both down, and sending splinters of one high
into the air.
They were replaced however at once, a new
hag and staff in place of the one DESTROYED
and the torn and tattered old tag again ta.
tened as well a. possible to the broken sta1