The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-10
LATEST INTELLIGENCE
The Latest News from Charleston.
The Blockade Still ESeotual.
General Mcclellan to be Recalled.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 8.-'rhe iron steam
er Princess Royal arrived at the Navy
Yard to-day. She brings highly impor-
tant news, both as relates TO he's capture
and the rebel attack on our blockading
fleet at Charleston, showing conclusively
that there is no foundation for the as
sumption Of the rebels that the blockade
of Charleston was ever raised by the de- |
parture Of the blockadiug fleet only two
vessels out Of the eight or ten having
been disabled or obliged to leave.
II appears from the statement of sn in
| telligent eyewitness that the cause of
| the attack of the rebel rams on our
squadron was owing to The capture of
the Princess Royal, The Captain and pi-
lot Of that vessel having escaped ashore
during the darkness Of night and COM
municated the intelligence to the rebels.
The Princess Royal endeavored TO run
the blockade by way of Beach Inlet on
the 9th, but was discovered by the pi-
lot boat Blunt. On signal being given,
the Unadilla proceeded toward and cap
tured her without other assistance. II
was then discovered that the Captain
and pilot had succeeded in getting ashore
by a small boat, carrying important des-
patches to the rebel Government. At
daylight a thunder Of guns was heard,
accompanied by sharp flashes Of fire. 1t
was supposed that our feet was engaged
in making an attack, or the Alabama or
Florida were endeavoIing to force an en-
trance.
At daybreak two rebel iron clads were
seen coming down from the direction Of
Stone Inlet towards our fleet They at
tackled the Mercideta first; one ram struck
7 her in the water ridge, keeling her over,
and at the same time fred shot, which
entered one of her boilers, causing the
death of three persons, including a
gunner, by the shot and steam.
The ram then hailed the Mercideta aud
Capt. Stellinger then lowered one Of his
small boats after leaving one of The plugs
out allowing the water to enter it.
The ram answered our hail by--"Con-
federate ram Palmetto State. Do you
surrenderT' This was repeated three
times. Capt. Stellinger replying at each
enquiry, 81 am in a sinking condition.
+ The rebels answered, "G-d d-n you
to hill, if you don't surrender we will
blow you Of the water"
The boat which Capt. Stelliuger low
cred then conveyed his executive officer
to the rebel ram, and the officer asked 10
D be admitted on board This was re-
5 fused The Lieutenant then repeated
Capt. Stellinger's statement that we were
!, in a sinking condition.
The rebel replied, "You can't sink
lower than the rails. We can't take you
on board" st-
The officer then gave his parole as de.
" handed and returned on board his ship
The rebels were thus successfully de
!, ceived as to the condition of the MERGE.
/. dita. Thinking she was in a sinking
condition, she lay in shoal water, ano
hence the reply that she could not sinh
below her rails. The ram steered to.
word the keystone State and sent sho
through her steam drum, causing thu
death of twenty one persons on the spo
o and nine by scalding by steam. Fifteer
o were wounded. They are lying at ? or
o Royal, and some are in precarious con.
y dition. In the meantime the gunboa
o Housatonic engaged the other ram, dri
70 wing her away. At hhlf-past six in thu
morning both rams left the scene anC
preceded up to Charleston. During
this attack on our fleet the Princess Ro.
10 val, which lay near the HousatOnic, ant
. which was the chief object of prize oil
u both sides succeeded in getting of
70 mainly through the exertions of her thir,
~ % 3istant engineer, Thurston, who pile,
% into her fires all the iIhamable mate
y rial on hand. Her safe arrival at thi
% port as we'll as her escape, is chiefly
% owing to his endeavOrs.
20 The Mercedita steamed down to Por
&c Royal escaping with only one Of her boil
n. ers injured. She arrived fafely at Por
Q, Royal, and would be repaired in day
IN The Keystone State was entirely dis
abled, bat was towed TO Port Royal b,
" the Memphis.
The rebel statements that the Fedora
III fleet had entirely disappeared from tn
port of Charleston are entirely unsustain
ed by the facts. During the day tim
our blockading feet are not particular q
ne TO keeping TO the station, and on the da,
of this assault most Of the vessels sale
towards the keystone State to asoertai
her condition, and whether she wante
00 any assistance. This may account 70
90 their apparent absence at the time Of th
visit of the foreign Consuls, as mention
.e ed by the rebel papers, Our vessels a
usual resumed their position at dark
The New Ironsides arrived the next da
Ina 10 reinforce the blockade.
IA Information is also brought by th
Princess Royal Of an attack by the iron
clad Montauk on Fort McAllister on th
2Sth ult. She was not at all disabled. Sh
received seventeen shots in her sides an
- twelve IN her turret, without receiyin
any injury whatever, although engage
five hours. She returned 10 her anchor
" age for want of shells. IL being fOgg
next morning she did not return 10 IL
in attack.
WASHINGTON, Feb As the specul'
, ton in gold is largely based on the ide
/, that the Government will have 20 NAL
large purchases of gold to pay its ourrel
interest, il may not be imprOper.t TO sta
" that the Government has bought no go
ale for the past six months and has a sutl
cient supply now on hand for all its n,
cessities for the next payments.
a The President to-day nominated 10 Il
~ Senate, for confirmation, Brig. Genera
Milroy, Oglesby, and Wilcox, to be Nj
jor- Generals, and Col. Armory, Of Il
18th Massachusetts,, to be a Brigadie
General.
Maj General Burnside was to- day e.
amined by the Committee on the Coz
N. duct Of the War and was afterwards a,
compaRied by them to each house of Coz
gross, where he was warmly welcome
nrivatelv Inv neubera