, 1863-06-29

the Monitors were not "boW on" that is
their sterns were toward tho Atlanta, and i
Tas necessary for proper action that the,
should turn around and face tho enemy. Fo;
| fear, on account Of tho shallowness Of tht
water, that he might run aground in execu
ting this maneuvre, Captain Rodgers steamet
DOM the Sound, as also did the Nahant tt
deep water, md having successfully turned
be steamc1 up with all haste to meet the At
!anta, which was coming down upon lin will
fu1 speed, Intending, beyond doubt, fight.
WHAT TIE ATLANTA "PnoPosED" TO DO.
In order Tint you may fully appreciate til.
sequel to this rebel adventure, / will here
preaching each other, narrate, as / have Il
from the officers themselves, the object and
intention Of their expedition. The following
was their plan: They were fully awaro Of the
presence Of the Weehawken and Nahant IL
WasEaw Sound, but they Intended to engage
these Monitors, md having captured them
to Eend them up In tor Of their gunboats to
Savannah. If On engaging our Monitors they
found themselves unable to whif and capture
them, then they intended to run past them
and put out to sea. Having gained the ocean,
they were to proceed Immediately to Charles.
ton harhor, and engage the blockading fleet
there, in conjunction with the rebel rams q.
Chatleston, which we're to come down to our
feet upon certain signa1s, which had already
been agreed upon, being made by the Atlanta.
Our blochaders having been annihilated. the
Atlanta and her consorts would proceed to
Wilmington and raise our blockade there In a
Einlt|ar manner. After these important vic.
tories had been gained, then IN indiscrimtnate
raid upon tho Northern scaboard towns and
cities was to be made, and general havoc cn-
sue upon the land and ecu.
TIE ATLANTA OPENS TIE BALI.
But we left tho Atlanta stcamine down upon
yrE no 4u$$ SrtI~. r.
Weehawkcn, we're making counter adyanees.
The Nnhant, for some reason or other. did not
seem to get along very well, and the Wee
haTken soon left hcr some distance astern,
Tie Atlanta, when she arrived within six
hundred yards Of the Weenawkeu, ran
aground, but succeeded in Immediately back
ing Oh and regaiuing her course. But again,
as If eomc strange fatality attended her, she
ran aground the second time, and in this con
ditlon opened fire Upon tho WeetloWkeu,
which was then Within four hundred yards Of
her. Our officers, however, did not know
TINT the Atlanta vas aground until tho action
WAS over. The first shot which the Atlanta
fired was from her pivot gun, but It fell short
OF the WceAawken, and demonstrated TINT
the gunner who sighted that shot was nov
Ice in he art.
TIE wEElAwKEE IS COURTEOUS As Usual
Capt; Rodgers himself, anxious as ever for
q good begiDniDg, sighted his iifteen-inch gun,
loaded with suIid eiut, anu uwaY went this
huge missile against the shutter Of the star
board nft portho and sl1ivering it as veil
as the iron and wood work adjoining, fell or
Into the water without doing further injury.
The Atlanta, In reply, fired another shot frsln
aer pivot gun, Which, like its predecessors,
fell short
Captain Rodgers again sighted his fifteen
inch Eet, and tho solid shot hurled through
Tie cir, carrying away In Its fearful passage
the p}lot-house of the Atlanta. The falling
Iron. and woodwork wounded scver}y two
Was not only with but one pilot, but also
minus her pilot-housc.
Nothing daurted, however, sic returned
the fire from her fore starboard gun, but alas
for the aim, the shot faiied to hit the Wee
hawEen. Rodgers again sighted, and grazed
tla wreck Of the pilot-Eouse. Tie Atlanta
did not return the fire, and again the Weehan-
ken sent forth fifteen inch which went COM
ElettIy through the Atlapta's smoke stack.
To this the Atlanta replied with her pivot
gun, and her shot fell within two fecs of tho
WeehawEcn. When within hundred Yards
Of the rebel craft Captain Rodgers, wishing to
encourage such hudablc ambition on the
part Of tie Atlanta's guns, sighted his run for
the fifth shot, and crash went the solid fifteen
incA ball against The Atlanta's side. just ait Of
the starboard fore port hole. You can Judge
Of the velocity Of this shot when Itell ron that
It completely bent IN . wrought iron armor
four inches thick, and ehiycrcd into fragments
q four-inc1 thickness Of live oak plank mud. q
four inch thickness Of Georgia pine plank.
These flying fragments struck the men work.
ing the larboard fore gun, killing ono and
wounding thirteen Of them. Tho force Of the
blow Eas 50 great that every man working the
pivot gun fell to the deck completely stunned.
The bail itself rolled off from tho Atlanta's
side and fell into the Wa:er.
TIE "ATLANTA" SHOWS TIE WHITE FLAG.
The last ehot Of the Wcehawken caused a1l
mingt to rapidly fade from the mental vision
Of the Atlanta's officers, and Immediately the
the white aag was seen waving from the wreck
Of her pilot house. The action was only of
fifteen minntes' duration and she fell prize
to the Wsehswken's prowess in twenty-six
from the time she appeared In sight,
Rnd as the white flag huttcred from her deck
the Savannah ladies' were seen rapidly going
Up Wilmington River to bear to tho people Of
Savannah not the glorious news Of victory,
but The Ead tidings Of defeat. -
DETAILS OF THE SURRENDER. :.
Upon seeing the white flag our men cheer
ed most Justify, and Captain Rodgers lu1me-
diately dispatched Captain Harmony, of the
in small boat to the Atlanta to
receive her commanders sword and take pos
session Of her in the name Of the Navy Of the |
United States. As soon as Captain Harmony
,rriyed on boardhe received the sword Of Cap |
ain Webb, llaulcd down the new Confederate |
LAG which was flying at her steqp, and ran up |
onr own victorious ensign. He fhen went for
ward a1,d was ordering lis men to castauchor, !
when Captain Webb exclaimed, "For Gods /
AXE, Captain, don't cast off these anchors, |
xe have a torpedo underneath this bow.H
captain Harmony turned to him with the ut |
most nonc1alence and Eaid, III don't care anv.
!ung about yonr torpcdocs, I can stand them |
you can, and If you don't wish to be blown |
lp with me, you had better tell me how to
alse the torpedo"
To this Captain:Webb readily assentea, and
'a}ling some Of his men, pul1eys were at
ached to large iron rod Which ran out from
nc Prov, and coon there appeared coming
mt Ut The wafer huge torpedo attachcd to |
nc tad Of this rod, which projected thirty
GET bcy FOND tue bow. Capt. Harmony ordered
lis men carefully to remove the cap from tho
ospetao f,aI and then ~ # with water, in order
Lat the powder might be destroyed. This
Fas done. and the torpedo, holding fifty
onnds OF powder wa6 raised alofr On this
od, and was secured at an angle Of abont |
otty.fvc degrees from the deck.
TIE CREW OF TIE ATLANTA.
One cannot imagine a more villainous look.
ng fet Of men than this came Atlanta crew.
hey are MI Georgia "crackcra," the poorest
white trasA' Of Georgia, without education,
r anything, in fact, that would entitle them
be called men, Except tha. they have tho
tman form. Not one man among them is
allor, but they are all soldiers. The officers.
eng perfect gentlemen, compared strangely
It'll this gang Of cut-throats. The men,
oWcver, were grievous1y disappointed, and
ouoly dccalmed against their III luck. -.
WHAT WAS FOUND ON BOARD.
Upon examining our prize, Captain Rodgers
puma 11nt she Lad IN Immense stock Of pro-
isions and stores. These, at the le.st caIcu-
lt10n, were amply suficicntfor a two months
Fuise, and Of the best quality, The clothing
ound on her Was Of superior make and tex
IRE, and sufficient to keep the crew well sup
lied for ycar. Her chronometers and sex
arts, OF which she had O large number, were
cry choice and valuable. The ofIlcers' quar-
RS Werc fitted up very 1uxur1ousIy, aud re.
caled well selected stock Of liquors, cigars, !
'bacco, &c. Everything about her, in fact,
sdicated not only that she was pct of the |
:bels, bnt that her unfortunate voyagers had
a1ted upon a long cruise. -.
TIE TORPEDO ARHAxGE1ENT. |.
It is evident that the rebels Eavo taught, US
good lesson On the torpedo subject, as con-
Ected with iron.clads, from which Wo rnay
ell afford to learn. It has been question
oT torpedo could be safely carried in front
vessel without Interfering with its steer |
e and other movements, and be at the samo
me secure from explosion until the proper
me. Ihn Atlnnta's torpedo gearing SOLVES |
!e question. The forward part Of tho ram
the Atlanta Is solid iron, twenty feet in
myth, and so oYerlaid by steel bars, with
eiE ends protsuding below the cutwatcr,
At huge steel eaW Is formed which wnn1d !