Daily national Republican., 1863-02-16
U. 8. STEAMER " NEw InoNsIpK, ;

.- orr CHARLRsToS, Feb. 10, 1868.
We, the undersigned officers, commanding
various vessels of the Blockadlng Squadron OF
Charleston, have seen the proclamation Of Gen.
Beauregard and Commodore ngraham, here.
with appended, As also the results of the So
called engagements, viz; two vessels sunk,
four set ON fire, and the remainder driven away;
and also the statement that the British Consul
and the Commander Of the British war steamer
"Petrel," had previously gone hye miles be-
yond the usual anchorage Of the blockade, and
could see nothing of them with their glasses.
We deem II our duty to state that the So
called results are Jdlse in sVerV pdrtieiAdr, no
vessels were sunk, none were set on fire serI-
ously. Two vessels alone are injured of conae-
qnence-the "Merredita" had her boiler ex-
ploded by a shell ftom the only gun fired at her
when surprised by an attack at night, a thick
haze was prevailing; and the Keystone state''
also had her steam chest injured at the moment
OF attempting to run down one of the rams.
The " Keystone Stats" was at once assisted by
the Memphis" which Vessel exchanged shots
with the iron ram, as she was Withdrawing to-
wards the bar, after having fred at the " Key
stone State" as did also the Quaker CIty.''
30 hasty was the retreat of the rams, that, al
though they may have perceived that the "Key-
stone State" had received serious damage, no
attempt was ever made to approach her. The
Stettin" and "Ottowa," at the extreme end
Of the line, did not get under way from their
position till after the firing had ceased, and the
" Stettin" merely saw the black smoke as the
rams disappeared over the bar. The "Flag''
was along side the "Mercedita" after, II seems,
she had yielded to the ram, supposlng herself
sinking. The rams withdrew hastily towards
tie harbor, and on their way were fired at by
the /" HOusatOnic" and "Augusta," until both
had got beyond reach of their guns. They au-
chored under the protection Of their forts, aud
remained thore.
No vessel, irOR-clad or other, passed out over
the bar after the return of the rams In shore,
The UnAdllla was not aware of the attack until
the HousatonlC commenced firing, when she
moved out towards that vessel for her anchor
age.
The IIOusatOnC was never 6syond he usual
line Of me blockade The Quaker City, In the
forenoon, picked up her anchor which she had
slipped to repair TO the point of firing. The
nag communicated with the senior officer on
board the Housatonic that forenoon, soon after
the firing ended, and the blockade continued
as before. No vessel ran In or out of the port
that day, nor iCds any attempt made 10 rWl he
blockade. The Keystone State necessarily was
ordered to Port Royal for repairs. The Una
dllla returned to her usual anchorage. after
communicating with the senior officer, where
she remained during the day. ThrougGold he
day, teo small t,tg-bOdts remained apparently in
attendance on the ram, under cover Of Forts
Monllrle and Beauregard. The prize steamer.
Princess Royal, which had been alongside of
the Housatonlc, was dispatched to Port Royal,
one ho'r and a hdb after The ram hal retired 10
ne coper q Ms batteries and the firing had ceased,
or about $50 a. IN.
These aT0the facts, and we do not hesitate to
slate that no vessel did como ont Beyond the
bar after the return Of the rams, at between
ana a. M, to the cover Of the forts. We be-
leVe The statement, that any vessel came any
where near tho usual anchorage of any Of the
blockAdeTs, or tp TO Ms bar, after the with
drawal Of the rams, 20 be deliberately and
knowingly false.
II the statement from the papers, as now be-
fore us, has the sanction Of the Petrel and the
foreign uOnsuls, we can only deplore that for
elgn officers can lend their official positions to
the spreading before the world, for unworthy
object, tRtr1fths, patent to every officer of the
sqgadFon. WM. Rooms TAYLOR, Capt,
CONG y. 8. Steamer Housatonlc.
]. II. sTRoNg, Conf,
Cong L. s. Steamer Flag.
JAs. AAPIsoN FRAHET, Com,