, 1863-05-16
Wl1icaqq Writnn1c,


IStTED STATES STEAMER NEw InosstpEs.
snAhlEsTsH* ). e., May t, 1853. +,
hcsers. Editors Of the d,ae,Icau:
Neafly month has now passed since the
time new facts concerning The att:,ct tar, r-
pecn feve11td. The graphic and truthful nc
soun1 q the work Of that day, which appcared
Ill Tue -amrf!can, met with tie almost unani
n9us approval Of The officers aud crew Of this
55nap, 81 and OF the Other ships Of this squadron
n',,et, t..e;, ..4;;m, on Inc contrary, 1t created
hlueh excitement and i'll feeling toward. its
author, especially ::on the las.sAip wabash IL
Hh9sc o1necrS we're all certain that Charlestou
couia moi be taken. There is here creot dis.
sailtiaGt1on Ind chagrn manifested ut 1j,e re-
Ault; Seariy I'LL the officers here seem to
.nihA 'nat 1he place can Very easily be take,
the proper way. ~ - 7AN'''eAs" ~
Little Or nothing WAS said in anr Of ths
reports about tue amount Of du1nage done
Iue enemy, anu it may not be upinte terr,tfnn IN
many to know that Fort Sumter was IN m7cf
aamuged us torender it almost uutenalle. On
|ltEdra"lng from the conflict, Que Of ths
f".I;. fLaIG;.ins s:ld mat that face of Fort Sumter
looking toward the city was very scriousIy
damaged; that several Of the cmbrasures were
uestrotcd, ard that several shells burst in tht
G1etins'cs This statement Was corroboratcd
~ 1ae pilots. They considered the greatest
uamage d"ne to that f.ce. The eastern face
can be very distinctl,Escen from where We are
now stationed, and have time and again
scanned it closely with glass. and could sec
two Of the middle tiers OF casomates knocked
in, and Of the lower tiers heavy shot or shtll
knocked oH large portions Of tile embrasnre.
anu, q COURSE, entered the casemate, In
several other places, there arc large holes in
the vail, very distinctly sccn
As soon as ouriron-clad lcet withdrew from
within the bar, staging Or scafoldiug was
erected oy the rebels On the two sides spoken
OF, and since that time they hare been yery
busJ repairing damages. Thus, perlod Of
almost i month las been employed by The
1cbGls IN requiring the tort, aud they are still
working at it
Vas the fort injured? All this would seem
to suy thar it was. Yet, il Tic face of ils thIs
evidence, there are persons who say We did
eAe Iebeis no harm, ihat the fort was not in.
lured. This was done by about 15O sho,s 1he
ir"nsldcs did not fire a gun at Sumter. shc
tired eight III Fort Moultrie, although she
vas pnocr the heaviest fire for more than a,l
huus, it, ;'la was struck between sixty and one
hundred flmes. II slv had been using her
guns all that time, instead of lying with
closed ports, Under the heavy fire Of thc
enemy, the forts might have been almost
sllensed, as her broadsidc is equal to four
moAltbIs, and her officers and men would
nave mad the satisfaction ofknowins that they
Ild something toward the reduction of the
forts; but even that little SATISFACTION sas de-
1lled them. Thus the strongest shin and
heaviest battery that crer foatcd. bIlilt at
Yast expense to the Government. and IN
which the greatest hopes and expectations Of
the Government and nation were ceutcrrd
was permitted to 60 in aud remain under the
most destructive tire ever known for more
thall an hour, lire eight guns at something
South Carolina, I surpose-come ont to 'ally
nninjured, *'nobody hurt,' to 20 out in the
Atlahtic Ocean blockade, and wait untfl the
Government sends-not more iron cla1s- lint
MAN to take Charleston.
heask why Charleston was not taken. and
nc arc told that the iron-clads arc failures ::
wllle some OF the Northern papers say it was
the President and Secretary Of tho Navy who
weIe 20 blame. Thus, this miserable disgrace.
tul future is made new weapon to WELD
against the Administration and those here win
have the control of nfftirs have not muIe eyrn
the shadow of an effort to wrcst this impor.
tant place from the hands Of traitors. Fort
Sumter is the only casclnated fort here, and all
TIC open forts could be silenced BY tl!s ship
alone i'll very few hours. Morris Island hu;tl
only two batteries; Fort Wagner and Cum
m7ngs'. Point The latter was silenced,
and had its magazine blown up by
only two shells. There was but one
MAI, Killed in the feet, and yet there
arc those who say that Charleston can
not be reduced, and the iron-clads arc failures.
AnI'& 10 - = 4A1 olEiJ CUAuCEltu N1In luis
affair, which time alone will clear up: but
there GILL be but little doubt that there is a
combination against iron, clad vessels for one
thing. A man seldom tries very lard to do a
thing which he does mt want to do, and clu
see no reason to blame the Government for
the failure. I think Admiral Dupont alone is
to blame. We had plenty Of vessels; in fact,
more than could be used to advantage, rs was
demonstrated on that day. would Venture to
say that two or three iron-clads wonld do the
work J1"optr'y managed. Considering, then,
the hcciIcun.stancrs. it # ould be folly to despond
We have gained very valuable information Of
the strength Of the rebel works, aud proved
that our iron.clads cannot bc injured by shot,
the best in the world, excepting our own flf-
teen inch shot. Let us take consolation from
the fact that VIC have the means now in our
hands to humble and destroy this vile nest of
treason-tllat the Government has done Its
whole duty, and that Charleston will be ours
just as soon as there Is energy enough Infused
in this department to make real, earnest and
Jealous attack.
As for The crew Of This ship, we long for the
day when We will 1c allowed to train our guns
Oh the powerful batteries the rebels are now
building on Morris Island, almost under our
very guns. All We want is permission, and
col;4ut or die is our motto.
A blockade runner has stated here that the
rebels were leaving Sumter when our fact
withdrew, and that two shot which went into
the easements, killed and wounded tifty
rebels. Yours, &C., O,