The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-02-10
10, 1868. ELEVENTH VOLUhE-NUMBER s55.

rang her bell for fire and made Signals of distress
I to the rest of the feet The last seen Of her by
signal officer Saunders, she was stern down very
low in the water, and disappeared very suddenly
This vessel is supposed TO have gone down Not
wthstanding the Chicora Immediately steamed
towards her, nothing could be discovered of the
vessel.
The ChIcora, proceeding farther out to sea,
stosd Northward and Eastward, aud mot two
vessels apparently .coMiug to the relief Of tho
missing steamer. We engaged them. Ono of
them, after firing few guns withdrew Standing
, to the NOrthWard, about dag. break. we steamed
up to small sidc-whCel twO-mastcd steamer and
endeavored to come to close quarters. SIZE kept
clear of US, driving away as rapidly as p,ssible
not, however, without receiving our compliments
and carrying with her four or ivo of our shots.
Shortly after, the steamship Quaker City and
another side-whee steaaer came gallautly bear ing
down npon the Chicora aud commenced firing ut
long range They neither would permit our boat
to get within respectable distance. Two Of our
shots struck the Quaker City, aud she then left
apparently perfectly satisfied, in a crippled con-
dition. Another side-w heel two-mastcd steamer,
with walking beams, steamed towards tho
CEIcora, coming down on our stern. Captain
Tucker perceivuS it, we rounded 10 aud proceeded
until within about five hundred yards, when tho
belligerent steamer also rounded to aud gave us
both brdadsides and shot from her pivot gun
we HTcu our IorWaru pivot gun with an lncondlary
shell, and struck her just forward of her wheel
house, setting her on fire, disabling aud stopping
her port wheel. This vessel was fred both fore
and aft, aud volumes Of smoke observed 10 issue
from every aperture. AS we neared her, she
hauled down her flag and mndea signal ofsurrendcr,
but still kept under way with her starboard wheel,
aud changing her direction. This was Just after
day break. We susceeded in catching this vessel
but, having already surrendered and the Captain,
supposing her boilers struck aud the escaping
steam preventing the engineers from going into
the engine room TO stop her, ordered not 70 fire.
She thus made hcr escape. After this vessel had
got out of our reach, to the perfectly safe distance
OF about three miles, she kred her last riied gun,
again hosting her flag aud setting all sails, firing
her riied gun repeatedly at Us as she Lett.
The Chlcora now engaged six more Of tho
enemys vessels at one time-thrce side wheel
stslmers and three propellcrs-all at long range
Discovering that the fag boat, Palmetto State,
had ceased firing and standing fu sirvre, Urucs
were given to follow her. On our return, we
again across thrce-mastGd bark rugged
vessel, which we engaged, firing our guns as VIC
passed, striking her once or twice. We then kept
our course to the Bar, having sustained no
damage in the action a single casualty on
board. The last ship mentioned above kept firing
at US until we got ost Of range, and we giving
them our return compliments. .One Of the
blockaders certainly sunk. We engaged her
at the distance oionly one hundred yards, and she
settled down with her stern clear under the water