The weekly Butte record., 1863-02-14
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EASTERN NEWS.

showing conclusively that there Is 10 fognda
ton for the assumption Of the rebels that The
blockade Of Charleston was ever raised by the
departure Of the blockadiag feet Only two
vessels out Of or 10 baVing been Obliged to
leave. 1t appears from statement Of az eye
witness, that the cause Of the attack OF the
rebel rams on our squadron was owing 10 the
capture Of the Princess Royal
The Captain and pilot Of that vessel having
ESCAPED during the darkness Of the night com
municated the intelligence to the rebels. The
Princess Royal endeavored to run the blockade
BY wav Of Beach Inlet, and was discovered by
the pilot boat Blunt. 4 signal being given 10
the Unadla, she gave chase and captured her
when discovered The Captain and pilot sue
ceeded in getting ashore. carrying important
dispatches to the rebel Government. At day
Night the thunder of guns was heard, supposed
to be the outer feet engaged in making an
attack on the Alabama or Florida eudeavoring
to make az entrance. At daybreak the rebel
iron-clAds were seen coming down from the
direction Of Stone Iulet, towards the fleet
They attacked the Mercedlta first, and one ram
struck her near the waters edge keeling her
over. For some time there vas firing Of shot.
which entered one Of her boilers. and caused
the death OF three persons. The ram hailed
the Mercedita when Captain Sieiwagon low
cred boat after tearing the ping out and
allowing the water TO enter. The ram answer
ed, i" Do you surrender This was repeated
t hree Steilwagon answering at each
inquiry, " | am 10 sinking condition" The
rebels answered, " II you don't surrender We
will blow you out Of the water. Send your
boat aboard" The boat which had been low
cred then conveyed the executive officer to the
rebel ram, and the officer asked to be admitted
aboard. This was refused The Lieutenant
then repeated, " W are in a sinking condition.
The rebels replied" Y You can't sink lower
Nhan the rails-we can't take you on board
Ne officer then gave his parole as demanded,
and returned The rebels were thus success
fully deceived 10 regard to the condition Of the
Mercedita she lay in shoal water, aud hence
the reply that she could not sink below the
rails The ram then steered towards the Key
stone State and sent a shot through her steam
er drum, causing the death Of 2l persons and
wOunding five more.
In the meantime the gunbo4t Housatonic en-
gagged the other ram, driving her away. At
half past iu the morning both rams left the
scene and passed up to Charleston. During
the attack on our feet the Princess Royal
succeeded in escaping and arriving here
They were successful chiefly owing to the as
sistance of the 81 Engineer of the Thurston
The Mercedita steamed down to Port Royal
with only one Of her boilers injured. at which
place she arrived safely and will be repaired ln
a day The Keystone State was disabled, but
was towed to Port Royal by the Memphis
Ihe rebel statement that the Federal feet had
entrey disappeared from Charleston is unau
thorized by facts. Oar vessels returned to
their positions at dark. The new ironsics
Al 1,,- to tho Lioc-,
ders. Information is also brought by the
Princess Royal Of the attack by The iron clad
Moatauk on Fort McAllister, on the 29th ult.
She was not disabled in the least, although
receiving : shots in her sides - on her tur
ret ard was engaged FIVE hours. She returned
to her anchorage for want Of shells, aud the
next morning being foggy she did not return
to the attack The Princess Royal has on
board besides large amount OF arms and am
munitions, the complete machinery for the
construction of one iron clad; also, as pasSen-
ger, an English mechanic who is well versed in
the process of making and hardening projec-
tiles
NEw YORK, Feb. 10.
A New Orleans letter Of the "a inst. to the
World, SAYS our consul at Monterey writes as
follows " Wagon trains for the Confederate
army have been bought at Monterey and down
the country as far as San Louis Potosi.-
Goods for the interior are sent across the RIO
Grande at Fort Duncan. One a-eat purchas
Sd in Europe three vessel loads Of arms aud
Meir arrival is daily expected at MatamoTas.
\ cargo Of medicine was also purchased IN
Europe, and is known TO be due at that port.
The Houston (rexasl Telegraph Of the 18th
states that the guns Of the gunboat " Westfe'd,
which was blown up in Galveston Bay, have
been fshed up.
The Times New Orleans letter says there
is rumor ahoat respecting disorderiy spirit
having manifested itself among our troops on
Ship Island, owing to the arrival there Of
colored regiment Reports 90 SO for as 10
state that several officers have been arrested
for mutiuous conduct
\ Port Royal correspondent says that the
attack by the Montauk and the guuboa's
Seneca. Wassahaken and Dawn, assisted by
the mortar steamer c. II. Williams, upon Fort
McAllister. 0gechee river. Georgia. was re
sumed on Sunday morning, but We have not
been able to ascertain that much progress was
made in reducing that tort6cau0n.
Under the guidance OF a negro pilot the
Meataak was taken early in the morning with
in Coo yards of the battery. and commenced
work at once, continuing until l. O'Clock, NJ,
Nhen the ebb tide compelled her TO retire
She was unable To break the work in coase-
quenee of the immense thickness of the en-
bankmeut, nearly 30 feet. The Montauk was
struck 46 times, but received DO other damage
than the starting Of bolts IN the pii0t-h0uSe and
SCATTERING her Smoke-stack. The other vessels
took position Of long range ard kept up
fire until sigaallel to leave. The Seneca and
mortar steamer each received one shot but
neither vessel was injured. In view Of more
important service requiring the Montauk, the
attack cu this fort, fer the pTeseot viii pToba-
bly, be reIuquiShed
Another Port Royal letter. Of prior date 10
the above, says the Moniauk had been en-
gagged for several days attacking an ironclaa
battery on the 0geechee river. The rebels
have mere superior guns than were ever used
before. They also use steel-pojuted shot, but
although the ,ayret was struck l6 times the
shot all glanced o8.
ST. LoUIs, Feb 10.
! dispatch from West Plains Of the 1la,