, 1863-02-09
OUR FLEET NOT DRIVEN
OFF,
Full Details of the: Rebel
Attack.
The Merecidita and keystone
State Crippled, Not Sunk.
FEDERAL LOSS TWENTY-FIVE
: KILLED..
TIE BLOCKADE NOT RAISED.


The fact that the Nary Department has as
yet nothing officially to make public re-
garding the breaking of the Charleston block |
nde, gives rise to mzny sur1niscs. Tho ex-
plot Of the rebel ra=.s IL said TO have oc-
CURED On tue 1st inst. No naval commander |
would delay an hour In sending dispatches to !
the Department concerning SO important an
occurrence. The time from Charleston to |
Fortress Monroe, from which point we have |
telegraphic communication, Is hardly two
days. By the evening of the I'd inst, ormorn-
ing uf tho 4th, the Department should have |
had full details. 1t is now On the eve of the
sth, and no particulars are yet received.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. s.-The iron steamer
Princess Royal, in charge of Acting Master
Van Sicc, arrived of the Navy Yard to-day
She brings highly Important Intelligence both
AS relates to her capture and the rebel attack
On our blockading 1eet at Charleston, show
ing coucluslsely that there is no foundation
for the assumption Of the rebels that Tie 11ock-
ade cf Charleston sras ere1' Taises1 By tie de-
laftp,e Of tie 11oekadiny fleet.
Only two vessels out Of the eight or ten
were disabled OF Obliged to leave
Itappears from the statement Of an intelll
gent eye witness that the cause Of the
attack Of the rebel rains on our squadron was
owing to tho capture Of the Princess Royal,
the Captain and pilot Of that vessel having
escaped ashore during the darkness Of the
night, and communicated the intelligence to
the rebels.
The Princess Royal endcayorcd to run the
blockade By way Of Beach Inlet OIL tile Goth
but was discovered By the pilot boat Blunt.
On signal being given the unadilla gave chase
and captured her without other assistance.
II was then discovered that the Captain and
pilot had succeeded in getting ashore by
small boat, carrying important dispatches 10
the rebel Government
! Atdaylight q laundering ofguns was heard,
| accompanied by sharp flashes Of fire. 1t was
supposed that our feet was engaged in ula-
| king an attack, or tl,at y THO -AL.ba.aa or
Florida were cndcayoring to force an Gu
trance. 1t daybrcak two rebel iron.clads
were seen coming down from. the direction Of
Stono Inlet, towards our fleet. They attack
cd the 1{cccdita first.
Ono raun struck her near the waters edge,
! keeling her over, and ut the SANE time llriny
shot which entered one Of her boilers caus-
ing the. death Of three persons, including a
gunner, by the SHOT and steam.
The ram then hailed, the Merccdita. Capt
Stcllwagen, lowered one Of his small
boats, after !eayiug one OF the
plugs out, allowing the water 10 enter, it
The ram answered our hail with "Confel
crate ram Palmetto State. Do you surrcn.
dcr:" This was repeated three times, Capt
Steljwagcu replying at each inquiry. II AM
ina sinking condition" Tho rebels answer
I'd, "God damn you to he'll, If you dQu's sur
render NC will blow you out Of the water
Send your boat aboard' The boat wAicl
!. | Cart. StelIwapcn had lowered then conveyed
bis executive officer to tile rebel RIM, aud til.
, officer asked to be admitted on board. Til
WAS refused. The Lieutenant then rcpeate,
| Capt. Stellwagen's statement, that NC were il
, ! Il sinking condition. The rebels replied "fol
S | can't sink lower than the rails. VIC canno
8 take you on board,' The officer then CAV
e his parole, as demanded, and returned to hi
e ship.
4uE IEUG1b n E1E A4us SuEtCnSlu443 AECEAhE Y
l. as to the condition Of the Mcrccidita, think
n ing she was in a sinking condition. She lal
:. | in shoal water, and hence the reply that s11
n could not sink below her rails.
II The ram stsered toward the Keystone Stat
&c md sent shot through her steam drum
p causing the death Of twenty-one persons
:. twelve by the shut and nine by scalding |
If steam. Fifteen more were wounded, and a,
!c lying at Port Royal, some in a precarious COZ
ID dition. In the meantime, the gunboat Hou
er atomic engaged the other ram, driving Ii
o. away. At half-past six iu the morning, bp
rs rams left the scene end passed up to Charle
e ton.
nj During this attack on onr feet the Prince
y ROYAL, which lay near the Housatonic, al
NJ Was the chief object Of prize on both side
u succeeded in getting of, mainly through +
It. assistance of third assistant engine
mt Tburston, who piled into her furnace all the
Is. hammable material at hand. Her escape
res chiefly owing to his endcayors, as we'll
OK her their safe arrival at this port.
ire The Mcrccdita steamed down to Port Ro,
ed and with only ono Of her boilers injurt
She arrived safely at Port Royal, and wor
!nn,ss ms be repaired in a day.
~ ~. The Keystone State was entirely disable
ul- but was towed TO Port Royal By the Mempl
rs, The rebel statements that the Federal fl
~ had entirely disappeared from the port
M Charleston arc .ntin'y unauthorized BY
He facts.
ln- During the dag time our b1ockading
ls ns is not particular as to keeping to the stati
the and on the day Of this assault most Of
vessels sailed towards the Keystone State
ng, ascertain her condition. and whether
~ ~ wanted any assistance. This may account
hat their apparent absence at the time ol
visit Of the foreign Consuls, Us mentioned
~, ~ the rebel papers, Our vessels rs usual
uld turned to their positions at dark.
The new Ironsidcs arrived the next day
ss ake reinforce the blockade.
nv information is also brought by the Print
,ad- Royal, Of the attack By the iron.clad u
be- taak, on Fort a{cAllistcr, the 2Sth ult.
~ was not at all disabled. She received Sc,
oye teen shots In her sides, and twelve on
end turrct, without receiving any injury wlla
snd: ma CT, although engaged five hours. She
not turned to her anchorage for want Of sh
m, II being foggy next morning, she did
Wea return to the attack.
md: / FROM WASHINGTON.
c re-