The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-04-14
THE ATTACK ON CHARLESTON.
The Enemy Defeated.
pu, the Charleston. Mer curry of the eth.

At Last the long period OF doubt ana ueIay 10 a'
end and this goody city, girdled with the hery
circle Of its batteries, stands confronted VIII tue
,na.t formidable Armada that the hands of man
ever put anoae' .ou;,onca
wa flashed to the city from Fort Sumter, that the
,ur cts of the far-famed Monitor gunboats were
looming up against the southeastern HORIZON,
nurino the afternoon the entire fleet hove III sght:
EIGHT Mon itors, besides the frigae lronSioes anu
tworety-seyen wooden war vessels, took up their
nnsitoa inst beyond the bar. As the news De-
lame bruited about the city, very many OF our
non-combatant population previously ncredulous
of danger made hasty preparation 10 uePa,'
and every train that has left the city since mas
1,ane beayilv laden with the eAventh- hour refu-
gees and their effects .
sunday night passed quietly by. Monday
morning bought US reports of the movements OF
the taIsuorts up the stono River, and the deb ar
cation Of a considerable force Of Yankee troops on
Coles Island. But throughout Monday and Mon
day night, the arrnored feet held its position be-
y.nd tie bar. On Tuesday morning 1t was 3D.
served that another Monitor had arrived, making
force CT no less than ten ronclad vessels includ.
aing the 1rsnsides
At two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon dispatch
from Fort Sumter aun ounced that these ten YES
GELS had crossed the bar, and were cautiously
stcaming inBa1d-the foremost one having at that
time reached point about three thousand yards
from the Fort The next news was brought to us,
an hour later, by tie dull detonations ofth" first
gun from Fort Moultrie, which was Immediately
answered by heavy report and cloud OF white
snake from the turret of one of the Monitors. AT
ten minutes after three, the enemy having come
within range, Fort Sumter opened her batteries,
and almost simultaneously, the white smoke could
be seen putting from the low sand bills of Morris
and Sullivans Islands, Indicating that the Beau
regard Battery on the left and Battery Wagner
on the extreme right, had become engaged. Five
Of the iron cads forming in line Of battle IN front
of Fort Sumter, maintained very rapid return
FIRE, oceasonly hurting their l5lsch shot and
shell AGAINST Fort Moultrie and the minor bate
ries but az directing their chief Efforts against
the east face of Fort Sumter. Gradually but visi
bIv the distance between the attacking vessels and
the Fort ras lessened, and as the enemy drew
nearer the Grlug became hot and almost contnu
Gus.
About LalGpast four o'clock the battle became
fierce and general. The scene at that hour as
viewed from the Battery promenade, truly
grand Battery Bee had now mingled the hoarse
thunder OF the guns in the universal din, AID tie
whole expanse of the harbor entrance, from Su-
vans Island to Cummings Point, became envelop-
ed 10 the smoke and constant flashes of the con-
fict The iron-clads kept constantly shifting
their pests, always turned towards the battlements
of Sumter, poured forth their terrible projecties
against the walls of that famous stronghold. Ever
and anon the huge shot went ricochettBg TO-
wards the mark, the water was dashed up in vast
sheets of spray, towering far above the parapet Of
the Fort while tie wreathes Of smoke constantly
from the burbette guns, showed how actively the
artiIlcrymcn Of the post were Gischarging their
duties In the foreground, our own staunch little
iron clads, the Palmetto State and Chicora, could
be seen steaming energeticaly up and down their
chosen fighting position, evidently impatient to
partici pate in the fray.
Up to this time the frigate Ironsides had bornea
very conspicuous part in the fight Her long hull
lay at the distance, apparently, of mile from our
batteries, and her tremendous broadsdes were
more than once fifty answered by broadsides from
the Fort. it soon became apparent that she
unable to stand the severe fire directed against
her. Steamng rapidly southwark, she gave Fort
Sumter a Jew parting shots and withdrew from
the action. The kcokuk, a double turretted
Monitor soon after followed her example, and he.
fore fve o clook the firing had evidently begun to
sisckcn. The remaining Monitors, however, still
kept up the Commandment and our forts and bate
rIcs replied with undiminlshed alacrity. At a
quarter after five. p H., the Monitors began to re-
tire, and at half past FIVE the enemy fred the last
shot Of the engagement
Gratifying were the general results Of the
fight, the late hour at which it closed precluded
inc possibility Oh our receiving 1ull details from
the Forts. A despatch from Fort Sumter informs
us that the Ironsides and Keokuk were both verv
roughly handled, and retired seriously injured
The keokuk had her flag shot down her boat shot
away, three holes in her smoke stack and Il por-
ton of her bow shot off. The practice Of our gun
ners was most creditabe. Nearly ercry shot
stuck some Of the iron clads, but with what
effect is not known. Fort Sumter was struck tkr-
ty-our times. One of our guns were dsmounted.
hut otherwise the Fort is in good condition Fort
Moultrie unipj1rcd. The casualties at Fort
Sumter were drummer boy, named Ahrens, NOR
sally wounded; two men severely wounded, and
three others slightly injured. At Fort Moultrie
one man was accdently hurt by fall from the
flagstaff, on which he replacing our flag, which
had been shot away. We learn that he afterwards
died. Two small houses on the beach of Suui-
vans Island we're demolished by the enemy s fire.
CHARLESTON, April 9.-An official dispatch
from Col Graham, commanding Morris Island,
received In this city on Wednesday morning
stated that an ron,cad monitor, supposed to be
tht Kookuk, had sunk at nine o'clock on the
beach inside the bar and eff Morris Island This
gra,ity ing intelligence shortly after confirmed
by dispatch from Fort Sumter and the arrival of
several officers and others who saw the keokuk
going down until she disappeared.
The keokuk was one Of the most powerful of
her class. Her loss will be staggering blow to
the enemy. Che vas built last spring and sum.
iner, and said to be impervious to the largest
shot or shell capable of being threwn from the
most formidable Notifications Her armament
consisted of two fftcennch Dahlpreus one in