Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-04-18

and incrsduli,y with which the report was treat.
ed. The pss,sge Of arms been the ironclads
and some FIVE or tx formidable forts, was fear.
ful aud terri6c-the history Of the world, proba.
bly, presents no parallels The following thrilling
account is by correspondent of the Tribune /:
At y. NJ on Tuesday the 7th the pi.
lot Of The flag ship declared himself ready
rhe sigual to get under way was made, an !
ut fifteen minutes before 2 the whole feet
was in motion. AT p o'clock the batter
les on Morris Island had been passed by
the four ilrst Monitors without drawing the
Gre ot the enemy.
Shortly before o'clock the Ironsides
showed dlsob.dience to her rudder, her bow
swinging 10 the strong ebb tide, aud threat
enlng 10 bring her on the shoals 10 her
right. She was therefore, compelled to
come to anchor TO stay her course. Mean
time, the first four Monitors had continued
on toward the fort.
The enemy allowed the Weehawken to
come within 500 yards OF Fort Moullric,
when two shots across ber bow from this
fort opened the action.
The Ironsides had again go, under weigh
Sumter, when she once more became uu.
manageable aud was again obliged to drop
anchor. The monitors ahead Of her had
then reached the converging point of the
FIRE of Cummings Point battery, Fort Sum
ter, Fort Moultre, and a work between
Fort Moultrie and MouItrieville, known as
Battery Bee.
A sheet of fame aud volumes of smoke,
extending from Morris to Sullivan,s Islands
nauguratcd what has been, nndouhtedly,
the most terrific cannonade of the whole
war. if indeed, it was ever equaled in the
history of tho world. A perfect torrent
of shot and she'll was poured upon the
Monitors, wrapping them sometimes almost
entirely in spouts of water thrown up by
the striking projrctiles.
The Moultors soainued their way, re-
plying vigorously from their batteries TO
the enemy. They passed the northeast
face Of Fort Sumter, but when they came
near its angle with the northwestern face
they made out at q short distance, three
distinct lines Of distinctions, consisting of
floating logs with torpedoes attached, und
networks of cables held perpendlcularly
in the wafer by weights.
The Patspsco got foul Of one of them,
and could not make her screw work for
some fifteen minutes, tut finally got clear
A torpedo exploded close to the bow of the
Weebawken, without, damage
The vessels all steering very Lesvily, the
narrow passage through the line Of obstruc.
tions could not be reached. After several
vain attempts, the four vessels turned about
aud STAINED back down the barbor, all the
while sustaining heavy fire, and respond
ing with their guns as vigorously as they
could
The Patopsco had her 200 FOUNDER Par.
rot gun disabled by its own recoil early in
the action.
The turrent Of he Passaic was bent in,
and cramped her l inch gun SO as to pre-
vent its working. Shortly aiterward her
,urret stopped revolving, and she lost all
offensive power.
The Ironsides had, meantime vainly
struggled 10 come closer to Fort Sumter.
The rebel gunuers finding her fixed mark
piled her freely with shot aud shell. Her
position was such that she could not bring
her broadsides 10 bear until about O'Clock,
when she got an opportunity TO deliver her
fire IA, Fors Moullrie.
This was the OILY offensive demonstra.
ton made by her during tue action.
When Admiral Dupont found that he
could not readily move the lrousides, he
sigualed TO the four irOn.clads bchlud her
TO pass ahead and 60 to the support Of the
four vessels already engaged
In trying to pass by the Catskill and
Nantucket brushed the lronsides on th'
port and staboard sides, but after awhile
managed to get away and moved on.
Tuey and the Keokuk aud Nahant CAM
under the concenrric range OF the forts ant
batteries at about the time the other foul
MONT ors were tuning back.
Hhey nevertheless advanced, with thei
guns at work briskly, past the northeas
face of Fort Sumter, until their course Wa
! likewise impeded by distractions.
The Calskll, Nantucket and Nahant re
ceivcd the uuited FIRE of both FoIts Sumte
and Muulrrie.
The KeOkuk had steered a little more I
the left, and for u v lille received the fire
Fort Sumter alone She f ed the gun i
her forward turret but thee times, when
;, became disabled.
D Her utter gun could not be brought I
e hear Effectively aud was thus rendered us,
1 l-ss. After continuing under the uni E
Y fires of all the forts and batteries for abol
|, three quarters of an hour, all the Mouito
and the Whitney Battery came back
> obedience TO signal from the flagship.
The Ironsides had already dropped bac
- some disteuce out of range, of Fort Snmte
i AT Eve O'Clock the entire feet was out
r range, and the action ceased.
J, The Ericsson raft, known as the Dew
= was attached to the bow Of the Weeha'
i ken, but proved hindrance instead Of
}. help, by embarrassing The steering Of Il
= Weehawken.
: The monster torpedoes intended to
connected with the raft were not used,
', they required delicate handling, and fea
y were entertained ITO their success. III
d Devil Was lost The day after the fight, al
It washed ashore.
% 1t was the intention Of the Admiral
!. renew the attack on the next day, but win
% the reports Of the commanders of he ire
L n