Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-17
BY TELEGRAPH.
For --latest Dispatches see Second Page.
From Commodore Dupont and the OFF,
GERS OF the Charleston BlOckading
SnMnGrOn.

SQuaOtOhs
FLAGsHP WABASH, PoRr ROYAL HAIR
Dor, S. c., Feb. 1l.-Sir: In my previous
dispatch, No. 20, written Just as the mail was
closing, | informed the department that
would senda retutation in official form of the
statement made in Gen. Beauregard's pro-
clamation as to the blockade of Charleston
published in the Charleston and Savannah pa
pers, and accompanied by assertions made
with the apparent sanction Of certain foreign
tunctonaries The emphatic letter of Capt.
Turner (No. y, the clear and decided state
ment of the officers (No. q, which he for
wards, together with the previous inquiries
and examination of log books made by Capt
Gordon OF the Powhattan, who was the SEN
Tor officer present previous to the arrival of
the New lronSides, and whom had dispatched
to Charleston the day of the raid, leave me
nothing to add save to call the especial atten-
ton OF the department to the facts thus elicit
ed. Very respectfully your obedient ser.
want, S. f. DUPONT, Rear Admiral,
Cong S. A. Blockading Squadron.
Hon Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
U. S. FRIGArE New IRoNsIDEs, OFF
CHARLESTON, Feb. TO- To Rear admiral
s. +. Dupont, commanding S. 4. b. s. Il
have the honor to forward to you certificate
signed by all the commanding officers of the
vessels that were lying off Charleston bar on
the morning OF the attack of the rams upon
this squadron, excepting only three, one of
whom is on duty at a distance, and the other
two commanders Of the two vessels which
were sent to Port Royal to repair damages,
and which were the only two that were dam
aged, Notwithstanding the report of the enemy
In the Charleston papers that two vessels
were sunk, four set on fire, and the remainder
driven Npur pprsnnal I'm infI,r ,,f
these gentlemen, and your entire confidence
in their truth and uprghtness of character,
will give to their statement the force that is
necessary to retute satisfactorily and etfectu-
ally that which has been given to the world by
the authorities i'll Charleston and their sympa-
timers. 1t is with unaffected pain that | am
called upon to forward a document rejecting
SO severely but justly upon functionaries
holding the high position of consuls, and
one Of them, if this statement has
been made by his authority, the commander
OF vessel Of war of her Brittanic majesty
Nor can | account for it any otherway than its
beng premedtated act on their part, with
toregone conclusions to draw up report that
would prejudice our cause in the eyes Of the
world, or that these events were seen by them
with the distorted optics of prejudced and
partizan witnesses. The facts are so clear,
both as to the disposition Of the blockading
squadron during the day succeeding the en-
Sagement, and as to the amount of damage
done our vessels in it, that it does not admit
OF dcubt that these gentlemen have given
the seal Of their high offices to version OF
the affair which could not have been by a pos
slbility, either by inference or personal obser-
walton, forced upon their convictions as truth.
L have the honor to be very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
T. TURNER, Captain.
U. S.. STEAMER New IRoNslDEs. off
Charleston, Feb. l0.-We, the undersigned,
officers commanding the various vessels of
tho bIockading squadron off Charleston, have
seen the proclamation of Gen. Beauregard
- and commodore Ingraham, herewith append
ed, as also the results Of the so-called en-
gagement, viz Two vessels sunk, four set on
fire, and the remainder driven away; aud also
the statement that the British consul and the
commander Of the British war steamer Petrol
had previously gone. five miles beyond the
usual anchorage of the blockade, and could
see nothing of them with their glasses We
deem it our duty to state that the so-called
reports are false in every particular. No yes
sells were sunk; none were set on fire serious
ly. Two vessels alone are injured. The
Mercedita had her boiler exploded by she'll
prised by an attack at night, a thick haze was
prevailing. The steamer keystone State also
had her steam chest injured at the moment of
an attempt to run down one of the rams.
The Keystone State was at once assisted
by the Memphis, which vessel exchanged
SHOTS with the iron ram as she was withdraw
ing towards the bar, after having fired at the
keystone State, as did also the Quaker CITY,
SO hasty was the retreat of the rams, although
they may have perceived that the Keystone
State had received serious damage, no attempt
was even made to approach her. The Stettn
ana Ottawa, at the extreme end of the line did
not get underway from their position till after
the firing had ceased; the Stettin merely saw
the black smoke as the rams disappeared over
the bar. The Flag was alongside the Merce-
dlta after it seems she had yielded to the ram,
supposing herself sinking. The rams with
drew hastily towards the harbor, and on the
way were fired at by the HOusatonic and Au-
gusta until both had got beyond reach of their
guns. They anchored under protection of
their forts, and remained there. No vessel,
iron-clad or other, passed out over the bar
after the return Of the rams. In short the Una
dilla was not aware of the attack till the HOus-
atomic commenced firing, when she moved out
towards that vessel for her anchorage. The
HOusatonic was never beyond the usual line
of the blockade. The Quaker City in the
forenoon pulled up her anchor, which she had
slipped to repair to the point of the firing
The Flag communicated with the senior Off
Ger on board the Housatonic that forenoon,
soon after the firing ended, and the blockade
continued as before No vessel ran in or out
of that port that day, nor was any attempt
made to run the blockade. The keystone
State necessarily was ordered to Port Royal
for repairs. The Unadilla returned to her
usual anchorage after communicating with the
senior officer, where she remained during the
day. Throughout the day two small tug-boats
remained apparently in attendance on the
ram, under cover Of forts Moultrie and Beau
regard. The prize steamer Princess Royal,
which had been alongside the HousatOnc,
was despatched to Port Royal one hour and
half after the ram had retired to the cover of
the batteries, and the firing had ceased at
about $50 A. NJ. These are the facts, aud we
do not hesitate to state that no vessel did come.
out beyond the bar after the return of the
rams at between seven and eight A. NJ, to
the forts. We believe the statement that
any vessel came any where near the
usual anchorage of the blockaders or up to
deliberately and knowingly false. If the
statement from the papers, as now before us,
has the sanction of the Petrol and the foreign
consuls, we can only deplore that for
elgn officers can lend their foreign po
sltlons to the spreading before the world for
''i, unworthy object untruths patent to every
oHlcer OF the squadron.
@. WIN ROGERS TAYLOR, Capt Cong U. S.