Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-28

! hear
l hope the people and Government Of Gh
United States will believe we are doing Gu
best in every case to execute the law but thel
must not imagine that any cry which may b
raised will induce Us 10 come down to thi
House with proposal to alter the law. Hear
hear, and a augh.1 I have had some ex
perience of whst any attempt Of that sort MAJ
be expected to lead to Laughter and thinl
there are several gentlemen sitting on thi,
| bench who would not be disposed, if l was 50
inclined myself, to concur in any such proposi
lion. [Cheers.]
The Day After the fright ns Charleston
We copy the following from the New YoIh
Times account of the receat engagement al
Charleston
CHARLESTON BAR, April s, 1863
When the Nantucket arrived off Charleston
bar this morning, from her Bnug anchorage at
Sseno inlet, the vessels of the blockading feet
were rolling uneasilY at their anchors, and the
entire line of bar, for thirteen miles, was a wide
streak of angry foam. The feet of iron-elads
remained in the position they had taken at the
close of yesterdays contest, near the upper eud
of Morris island, still within range Of the guns
Of Fort Sumter and the Cummings point bate
ries, while the navy tug Daff1dil was busy
communicating, first with one vessel and then
another, as is conveying instructions from Ad-
miral Dupont respecting further operations
Neither the feet nor the forts seemed willing to
renew the fight, and all day long silence Vas
preserved, excepting by bsttory at the lower
end of Morris island, that B3nt an occasional
she'll in the direction of spreading cloud of
smoke that rose from the woods of Folly island
where our soldiers were encamped.
As soon as the sea moderated sufficiently for
q smallboat to be lowered, 1 started upon tour
of inquiry and observation, from which ascsr-
tanned the following facts:
The Ksokuk sunk few minutes after eight
o'clock A. III. All night her crew worked faith
fully to keep her ahOst, and succeeded pretty
well until about daylight. The wind ct that
time rose, causing heavy swell, and as the
vessel wslowsd, the water streamed in at the
many shot-holes in her hull, first through those
on one side, and then through those on the
other, gradually gaining over the ability of the
pumps to discharge it. As the vessel settled,
the watsr found additional and still increasing
means of entrance by tbs total submergeuce Of
other shot-holeS, and finally it pOarad in with
such volume as to preclude all hopes of keep
Jag the vessel afost. Surgeon Gee. d. S,oeum,
who had been unremitting in his attention to
the wOunded as they lay on the berth deck, was
first to discover the imminent p9rii of the vessel,
and hastily ordering he removal of bis charge
informed Captain RAind, who was suffering
from a severe wound in the knee that con
fned him to his cabin, of the condition of sf-
fairs. A very slight inspection was sufficient
for Captain Rhind to understand that there was
not moment to spare, and he told the crew 20
look cut for their personal safety Fortunately
the tug DafId was within hail, and com ing
closer, ths work of tar shipment Commenced
in small boats. First the wounded were re-
n wed, Surgeon Slocum himself carrying the
insensible body of POOR Macintosh, an acting
ensign, whose skull had baen fractured by
fragment Of iron, and in fifteen miuute5, the
Last man having barely time to step from her
deck, the ilI-fated Keokuk gave g few lurches
and disappeared. Very little in the way of per
sOnal effects was saved by either eff cers or men;
and it was proYidentisl, considering ths hurried
manner in which the vessel was abandoned,
that no lives were lost. A. low tide the top of
the turrats, the flagstaff aud rim Of tho smoke
stack may be seen, just rising out of the water,
aud we sre confident that the rebels are aware
of the disaster. Already they are busy in what
appears to US 70 bs the construction of a bat
terry on the Morris island shore, within two
miles of the spot where tho vessel went down,
intending, most likely, to annoy US, if an effort
should be made to raise her or destroy her with
a torpedo.
THE CASUALTIES OF THE FIGHT.
u
aud not one but might have escaped injury had
ordinary precautions been adopted to prevent
the flying of bolt heads The sufferers were sl-
tsched to the KeOknlS and Nahaut and these
were the only vessels, I an told, that had not
been provided on the inside of tbs turrets and
pilot-houses with screen of boiler iron, stand.
ing few inches from the walls, sa1 having the
space filed with compressed hemp
or some other elastic substance.
INJURIES TO TIE VESSELS.
Inquiring among the iron-clsds, I learned
that each of them were struck on an average
thirty times To great extent the rebels used
proj ectiles of British manufacture, many of them
being the steel bolts, polished ike knife-blades,
that are thrown from WhitwoTth guns These /
wicked tokens of the manner ia which the En- !
glish nation sticks to its professions of neutral
ity, as seen buried in the turrets Of the Keokuk
were productive of any thing but an increase of
good will and respect toward a Government |
that has proved false to honor, and rscTesnt to |
humanity, by its attitude in the pending strug- |
gle. Wherever a shot struck, it lefs upon the |
aTmor of the vessel a well defoed scar, in ths |
shape of long groove upon the deck, or deep 1
in the tuTret or hull But these are /
glorious disfgurements, that initiate very little
against the strength of the vessel. The Nshsnt, |
The Passsic and the Nantucket are the cnly /
monitors disabled, but the damage viii be made 1
good within few days. Chief Engineer Sim
srs, of the navy, is here with corps of ms
,hsnics, and the proper tools and material to /
8nier at once upon ths repairs.
But though the monitors nigh! 90 again TO-
morrow into the fight, am Just informed that |
,5e attack will not be renewed.
There is no question that Sumter was badly /
battered from the effects of our fire. It is
hought that three of the easements on the north
OF A..
outbesst face the masonry, for a large space on
he outer side, Is very mueh' altered in appear
wee from what it wss before the engagement.
We think that these light-hued blotcbes are sig
litcsnt of the commencement of a breach.
RETURN OF THE LAND FORCE.
SToNO RIVER, s c., April 1.-THE military
portion of the expedition against Charleston, uu-
ier Major General Hunter, after experiencing a
disappointment which you can well imagine, is
low under orders to return to Hilton Head, and
IS these troops have been eagerly waiting to
perform the secondary psrt of taking possession
IT such batteries as tbs navy might reduce, it
would be unjust to close the record Of tho IN
movement without giving them a
Eord of commentator. That they have done
nothing, independent Of the navy, IS neither the
ault Of their leader nor OF themselves. Con-
emphbly few in number-sO few that it would
De difficult to convince the rebels of the real
weakness of the force, and yet comprising every
AVAILABLE man that could be Withdrawn from
'ther points IN the dspsrtment--it would have
been sheer madness in Gen. Hunter to attempt
even the most insignificant work
n this direction. The division Of Gsneral
Ferry was, however, placed on shore, and for
he last week has occupied Coles and Folly
stands. Extended Teconnoisssncos have been
nsde, that show the enemy has left nothing
lndone to strengthen his defenses against the
approach of a land force, having this point as
IS bsse. On James island, whore disaster over
.ook us last summer, there are now three
strong parallels of esrthwOrks commanding the
sntire length of Norris island and pyecluding
,he possibility of landing force there. Johns
slsnd, also, on the southern bank of the Stono,
Dristes with the bayonels of at least ten thou
.and men, and the approach by way Of Wahpoo
creek is also strongly fortified.
The Arago is to stop off the bar for dispatches
1t one o'clock 1 send this by her. To-mor-
row our troops will bs at Hilton Head, aud we
shall await aaxiously the next move, whatever