Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-02-09
SECOND. EDITION.
THREE O'CLOCK p. N.
PCkTHHR GRAPUIC PARTICULARS
OF THE PI6HT orr CHARLESTOS.
OFFICIAL REPORTS OF TIN OYYICRRs oP
7Ea VESSELS H.GAGED

The following dispatches accompany Com-
Dupont's report OF The Ugh: OF Charisston, TO-
ceivea a, the Navy Department.:
u - STEAMER MaYcHDrrA,
Fort Royal, Jan. d, Its3.
Reer Adv;ral s. p Dupont, ee.-Sir: have
10 rcpcr: that 3; half-past tonr O'Clock this
morning two iron ciad rams from Char sston.
In the security OF the thick haze and the moon
Ia, ing lust set succee,;ed in passing thn bar
rear ship channel unperceiYed BY the squad
ron, amt made Al Attack upon at; this ship b.
Ina tl frst encountered.
Particular vigilance W IS Inhibited by oncsrs
and crew, In expectation OF vessels 70 run the
blockade.
A a. n. we had slipped cable and over
hauled a troop steamer running for the chan
mel by mistake At four 1 laid down. Lieut..
Commanding Abbott was on deck giving or
dsis TO Acting Master Dwy-r about reco vrrin Z
the anchor, when th-y saw smoke and faint
6pl.. az aIfc% 81 s.e- 81 close ST hand. heard
tn. exclaim '.shr has black smoke" "watch,
man the gums, ''spring the rattle" "caii AL
: hards Ia Quarters."
Mr.. DIVER came to the cabin door, telling me
3 straui'oat WA close aboard. L WAN than in
the act Of getting nay pea jacket, and slipped it
or as followed him out; jumped 10 poop lad
der; saw smoke and a low boat, apparently 8
tug, although thought il rnigEt ba little pro-
peiler for he 50 usdron. / sang ont "tr1iR your
eurs RICH: on bin. and BE- ready TO fire a. sooa
- order" Iha::ed "stsamPr ahoy! steam
clear OF and heaSe to- " hat steamer :s that -
then ordered my nm to iir- on bin. Told him
- fou will h. into US. What steamer is thati''
Eis answer TO first OF second hail. Haiioo;'
the other replies were lndistinc- either by in
tsntIon or from being spoken inside OF his nail
arn:or, until in the act OF striking MS with his
prov, " hen ne said, siThis Is the Confederate
states ram" i repeated the order. Fir.
, Fnr;' butno gun could be trained on him a.
h. approached on the quarter. S.ru'k us Just
at;f, Our aftPrmost 32 FOUNDER gun, and fired
heavy rife through us diagnn lily, panetra-
ting the s;dTboard side through our NORMANDY
condenser: he steam drum OF port boiler =
plotting against IN" port side OF ship, blowing
boie in its exit some four or five feet square.
he vessel MAS instantly filed and
FelOred with 81. Am. Reports We're brought to
me-. s'Shot through both boilers, fires put out by
team ?l.d SMOKE, gunner and u;.e IN an killed.
's.h number OF men fatally scalded, water over
fire floor, vessel sinking ia - The ram
he's CUt IS through At and belO W water line on
oar side. and the she'll has burst AZ other almost
ar water edge"
GitI.r ti,e ram struck she swung around under
our staIiUarG sOt.I.ipr, her pro = touching, and
hailed, s'SurTe nCrr, or II sink you:; .sDo you
surenCer;' After receiving reports, | an
swered, 81 can make no resistance; my boil+r
i destroyed s.ln,n d. you surrcnder!' l
81 Il ''Ies'-haViEG found Iny moving po %er
destroyed, and that co,Is bIIng nothing 10
b. II IT InJsEet against his sno:- PROOF eating
lie nail several times 20 send . b0 Z, and
iGi> ;,t' ned 10 fire again. After some delay a
beat vas lowered, AID Lieut. Com. Abbott
aShrd Ii Ia should 90 il her, and asked Tor
o. Gers what t. 10y. l told him TO Sc what
HEY G"nanced, aud .ell them the condition We
HeIe IL. He i'rccee,ird aboard, and accord .ng
I" ihfi demands gave his parol in behalf ot
AlDS"lf and all the fFreTS and crew. His r-po-t
a COZ. panIss Iil-. The ram having bsan de
trineu a half hour or nor, ran out for ste trner
ley stone STATE, which V. ssFi and three other.
We lad tricd To alarm by iigns. saw a she,
explode as A. struck the ram, without in turin
her. Saw the Keystone State was struck sew
e. al times, ana saw IA" smoke and steam oour.
inG from her. The firing then receded 10 north
rird ard eastward, and Was pretty brisk at the
head of the line,
lsei every cdy a. work taking care of wound
fd, pumping ::hii', stopping leaks, examinin !,
engine, 81. About . a. m, got things i'm ord,.-
to start little steam ana hove up anchor The
Stellin and Flag seeing our condition L told
them thy might be needed 10 the northward 70
pick up men, the fighting now being over
In conclusion have 10 say, THAR in the squad
rem where all The vessels were cons picuous for
vigilance, this ship has never been found want.
ing. Everything was done the circumstances
permitted 1T a proper manner.
Very Txspecuy your ob't spry't,
ii. >. STELLwAGES, Captain
The following is the repor, Of Lieut. Comd'g
AopetI giving M account OF proceedings on
board the rt-lAl ram Al his reception on TIA,
vessel after the disabled condition OF the Mar.
e, ditS:
SIR:-1n obedience 10 Your order proceedsd
70 The Rrbei RAN, aud was received by I.iauts
Al ker and Phyrsck, and conducted by the
loiLner iislcr OF The house, where / was re.
oeiycd by his captain his name I did moi rac,i
lect) told him had come in the rame Of
Capt SteHT asen 10 give up the T.. s. steamer
IA. res qua, she br:ng IN sinking and perfectly
gel NO. SIS consi'ion. They asked me abou,
the cohdil OF our boats aud number of cravr
'oIo MN our o"a,s w''re not large enough ncr
Al proper 6ohdiion TO carry our number Of
crew. Ate lie had privately consulted with
the commodore, he Returned to me SAVING thar
thty had concluded To parole our office AMI
crew, provided l would pledge my sacred
Word OF honor that neither nor any OF the
onicers and crew VI the Mercedita would ayaiz
Take up arms against The Confederate S;atas
during lhs war, unless legally and rsgu,srIv
exchanged as prisoners OF war. Believing n
70 te ne proper course To pursu At that time
1 oonst nted. l was then informed that could
return 10 the Mercedita WIN
WI here state, in ihisreport, that was on
ocCh az the time the smoke Of the ram was dis,
covered, and In less than two minutes she was
INTO Us. L our order 10 IRE into her eould moi
, ns ooeSeu, as no gun In the snip could he de-
pressed or trained TO hit her-thouph every a.
fort was maGe-she being SO low In the vat,
ana coming upon US quartering. We had only
time 10 get the watch TO their quarters; and be-
lore We could ship our cable we were ,xithon.
steam - a shsll having passed connIatsiv
through chip and boiler.
am, VeIy respectfully, &c,
,.,, uvx + ABBOTT, Lieut.. Com'dg
taps HENRY - STHLLwAGBN,
u. s steamer Mercedita, &c.
commander La Roy, OF the Keystone State
reports to Rear Admiral Dupont:
RI have TO report that about q M of
'hle DAY, (Jsnuary 3ist while at snchor OF the
IL
snip was approached by what was suppo--d
70 be steamer; bot regarding her appearance
as SUSPICIOUS, ordered the cable TO be slipped
ana Nred gun, which was res pondsd 70 M q
sfeli, when L ordered the guns to be fired as
,h-y conis oe brought to bear upon the object.
Uh putting my head to the eastward n y,I
discovered there was one on either onarts-
ana we made them ont, from their peculiar
construction, to be iron.clads Of the mod.I OF
the Merrmac. vi
Owing to q fire In the fore hold va ..ood n
3e Aorsnward about tan min utes, and shosIing
wafer Kept southeast about ten uIn utes TO En-
able US to subdue the fire, and then I turned
around. and under full steam proposed az.
tempting to run down the ram; bar ahoutna
ia smell from one OF them entered on the port
sice under the forward wheel. house rnsrd
passing through the port steam chimney and
iaHalng In starboard, depriving "a OF our mo-
i've power. Ten rife shells struck the shin
ara tw burst on the uart ter deck, most of than
STRIKING the HULL being near aud below the
our steam ehimneys being DESTROYED, our
AM