Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-15
TIE Fight at Charleston.

The -ksscgru Of the 9th init, gives graphic and
highly interesting description of the late attack
Charleston, from which we make the following ex-
tract: .--- .=........."
AT two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon despatch
from Fort Sumter announced that these ten vessels
had crossed the bar, and were cautiously steamiug
inward--the foremost having at that time reach.
cd point about three hundred yards from the Fort
The mSt news was brought to us, all hour otcr.
BY tts dali astotation of the first gun from Fort
Moeltrie; which Immediately answered 10y .
heayS report and clond Of white smoke frOu, the
;urret os one Of the Monitors At ten ninutes after
three. the enemy having come within range. Fort
Sumter opened her batteries, and, almost sim1ta
Ia"usly. the wn,te smoke could be seen putting from
the low sand hills OF Morris and Sulliyan's Islands,
Indicating that the Beauregard Battery the left
aud Battery Wagner on the extreme right, had be-
come engaged Five of the iron. catls, forming in
line Of hattie front of Fort Sumter, mantaineda
very rapid return fire occasionally hurting their l5
iurh shot and shell against Fort AGu!:rie and the
minor batteries but all directing their chief efforts
against the east face of Fort Sumter. Gradually,
hut visisiy, the distance between the attacking
sells and the Fort was lessened, and as the enemy
drew nearer the firing became hot and almost con
tlnuOuS. -.
About hall past four o'clock the battle became
fierce AID general. The scene at that hour, as
viewed from the battery promenade, was truly
grani battery Bee had now mingled the hearse
thunder Ut its guns in the universal din, and the
whole eSpanse Of the barber entrahcr from Suiii-
vans Island to Cumming s Point became envGj-
opel in the smoke and constant flashes OF the Coli.
:t. The iron clads kept constantly shifting their
position. hut, which way they went. their
ports, always turned towards the battlements of
Suer poured forth their terrible proectles against
the walls Of that famous stronghold. Ever and
enon, as the huge shot went ricochetsng towards
The mark, the wafer was dashed up in vast sheets
OF spray, towering far above. the paraPet OF the
Fort while the VT eaths Of smoke constantly ascen:
ding from the barDet'e guns showed how actively
the artilicrymen Of the post were dscharging their
dut,es In the foreground. our own staunct little
|. issn-ciads the Palmetto .Sttte and Chcura could
be seen steanins energe;icaiiy up and down Their
chosen fighting position, evidently impatient to
iekteipate i'll tfef rsy. - -.-.y--.
G Up 70 this time the frigate 1ronsides had bor,
very conspicuous part In The fight Her long hull
lay At the distance, apparently, of mile from our
batteries, and her tremendous broadsides were more
than once fifty answered by brosdsides from the
Fort. 1t soon became apparent that she was una.
bic to stand the severe fire directed against her.
Steaming rapidly southwark, she gave Fort Sumter
few parting shots and Withdrew from the action
The Keokuk, u double turretted Monitor, soon after
followed her example; and before five o'clock the
firing badesidemtly begun to slackeu Tie remain
ing Monitors, however, still kept up the bombard
Mcnt, and our forts land batteries replied with mi
: diminished alacrity. At quarter afler five p H.,
Monitors began to retire, and+at half past five the
enemy fired the last shot of the engagement.
. Gratifying as were the general results Of the
fight the late hour at which it closed precludcd the
possibility OF our receiving the foil details fam the
Forts. a despatch from Sort Sumter informs US
that the ,Irou<ides and Heokuk were both very
roughly handled, and retired seriously injured.
The GeokuE had her flag shot down, her boat sho:
away, three ho'es,in her smoke stack and portion
Of her how shot eff. The practice CT our guaflers
was most crsditaole. Nearly every shot struck
some one of the iron eiads, bat with what effect is
no, known. Fort Sumter was struck thirty four
times. O,,e Of our guns was dismounted, but 9th.
erwise the Fort is in COED condition. Fort Monltrie
was unniurcd The casualties at Fort Sumter were
i dr,umer BOY, named Ahrens, niortally wounded:
two ne,, severely wounded, and three others slight
'lyiri n.i ct Fort Moultrie, one man Vas acct
ientaly hnrt hya ball from the flagstaff, on which
he WAC replacing our lag, which had been shot
sway. We le;.rn that he afterwards died. Two
snail houses the back beach OF Sullivan Island
we're demolished by the enemy's fire" 49,.