The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-02-13
Tna Charleston Blockade.
pulLAnrirnI,,Fcb. 2.

Tna Charleston Blockade.
pmLAprtrnt,, Feb. 2.
Tho iron steamer Princess ROYAL, in
charge of Acting Master Van See, mr.
rived oil the navy yard LAY She brings
highly important Intelligence, both u
relates tp her capture aud the rebel Mt
tack On our blockaIing fleet at Charles
ton, showing ooucusivcly that there IS no
foundation tor the assumption of the rtb-
ella that the blockade of Charleston was
oyor raised by the departure of the block.
nding flcct, only two vessels cut ol tho
eight or ten having been disabled or ob-
ligcd to leave. Ii appears from the state
Me"1SHs1 8l 4his slliysa SyeM'pfHT MaI
on our squadron was owing to the cap.
turo of tho Princess Royal, the captain
and pilot Of that vessel having escaped
ashore during tho darkncss ot the night
aud communicated the Intelligence 10 the
rebels.
The Princess Royal cndrGvurcttto run
the blockade by the way ol Beach Inlet
ON the 2ath. but was discovered 10y the
pilot boat Blunt. Ca signal being CIV
sn. the Unadilla proceeded toward and
captured her ilhout other assistance. .---
II was then discovered that the Captain
and pilot had succeeded in getting ashore
by a small boat, carrying important dis
patches to the robel Government,
At daylight thunder Of guns was
heard, accompanied by sharp hlshcs of
fire. twas supposed that our fleet was
engag ID it, making m attack or that the
Alabama or Florida were cndcUyoring %
force an entrance, Al aybrcok two reb.
cl iron.clads were seen coming down
from Stone Inlet toward our fleet They
attacked the Mcrcidia first; one rain
struck her OH thcwutcr ridge keeling her
over, aud at the same time firing shot
which entered one of her boilers, caus-
Ing the death OF three persons, including
gunncr, by n sho aud steam, Tho ram
then hailed the Mcroedla, aud Captain
Stellwagcn launched one OF the small
boats, after leaving one of the plugs out,
allowing the water to enter IT, The ram
answered our hail, hy Confederate ram
Palmetto State, edo YOU surrondorr--
This was repeated three times; Captain
StcllwHgcn replying at each inquiry, 81
nm in sinking condition. Tie rebels
answered, "God damn YOU to he'll, tyou
don't surrender we will blow you out OF
the water. Send boat aboard"
The boat which Captain Stellwagen
lowered, then conveyed his executive of
ncer TO the rebel ram, aud .thc officer
asked TO be admitted on board. This was
refused, The Lieutenant then repeated
Capt, Slollwagen's statement, that We
were in sinking condition. Tho rebel
replied; "You cannot siuk lower than the
rails. We cannot take YOU on board. 81
The officer then gave his parol as de.
manded, aud returned TO his ship, The
rebels were then successfully deceived
as to the condition OF the McrccdNa.-
She laid in shoal water, and hence the
reply that she could not sink below her
rails. The ram sleersd tow1d the Key
Stone State aud sent a shot through h,r
steam drum, causing the death oi twenty
one persons on the spot, and eoSlding
niue by steam; fifteen were wounded and
are lying at Port Royal; some OF them
are IN . precarlons condition. In the
meantime the gunboat H"usatonic en-
gagged the other ram driving her away
At hali-past six IN the morning both
rams len tho scene and proceeded up to
Charleston. During the attack on our
leet the Princess Royal, which lay near
the Huusatonic, aud was the chief object
of prize Oh both sides, succeeded in got-
ting OF mainly through the energies OF
the Third Assistant Engineer Thursten,
who piled into her 6reS all the in1amma-
BILE material at hand. Her escape is
chiefly owing To his euGeavors, as W ell as
her safe ARRIVAL at this port,
Tho Mereedita steamed down to Por,
Royal, escaping with only one of her
boilers Injured. She arrived safely al
Port Royal, and would be repaired ia I
day,
The keystone State was entirely dis.
abled, tui was toYed to por, Royal BY
the Memphis.
The rsbel statements that the Fedora
6eet had entirely disappeared nom th'