The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-17
the LOSS OF TINE HATTERAs.
Official Report Of the Action BE-
tween the Privateer Alabama
and Gunboat Hatteras.
Two Killed and Five Wounded on Board
the Hatteras.
THE REMAINDER OF THE CREW RESCUED,
ks., ke.s 49,
Report Of Conn ndcr Blake, OF the Hat
teras.


usrrp STATS CONSULATE, Krscsros. JAsa,ca,
Jan Il, 1868. J
sa-It Is my painful duty 10 inform the Department oil
tho destruction Of the United states steamer Hatefas re-
Gently under my command. by the rebel steamer Ala
bara on the night q tho l1th nst of tho coast d
Texas. Tho circumstances Of the disaster are an
follows
Upon the Of the III inst at half past three
O'Clock While anchor IN company with the fleet under
Commodore Bell, Galveston Texas, ordered BY
signal from the United States flagship Brooklyn 10
chase a sail the southwark and eantward got under
way Immediately and steamed with all speed in tho
direction Indicated. After some time the strange sail
could from the Hnttera and was sfscrtncd 70
be steamer which fact communicated 70 the flagship
BY signal | continued tho chase and rapidly gained
upon the suspicious ycsFel.
Knowing the slow rate OF speed OF tho Fatteras, at
suspected that deception VIA beng praotsed and
hence ordered The rhp 10 be cleared for action,
with everything readiness FOR determined attack and
vigorous defence when within about four miles 81 tho
vessel observed that she had ceased to steam and was
lying broadsde and awaiting ~ II was nearly seven
o'clock and quite dark but Notwithstanding the obsen'
r,y OF the night felt assured the general charac
ter Of the vessel manoayrcs, that should so
encounter tho rebel steamer Alabama Being abr-
work but four guns on the aido % tho
Ilattoros-two short thirty two. poundors thirty
| FOUNDER rited rarrott gun and twenty poindsr
rifed gun concluded 70 close with her that my gnns
might be elective II necessary. came within easy
speaking range about scvcniynye yards. and ask
ing "Whnt thaty' received the answer, Her
Br,tannlc Ma c-iy's .bip Vixen replied that would
| send . hoai aboard, and Immediately gave Tho rider.
ID the meant me boti vessels were chihs'ng thfn 20
sona te stranger endeavoring 70 gain desirable posi-
tiop FOR rakng IRE Almost simultaneously With tho
piping away y thc boat 10 strange craft again rrpled
eve the Confederate sio1Inef Aabams, which was
accompanied with brondfide a The same moment
returned the NE.
Being Of tho many vulnerable points Of tho
Hntteras ho Ell, ny closing win the Alabama Ia DO
able board her emf thus ~ The Of this irai'ca
steamed directly fof Tho Alabama but shc WAS
enabled by her great speed aud the onness ~ the bottom
81 the Iatisra, and consequently her diminished speed
| % thwart my attempt Wien ] had gained a dis
range masket pistol shots we're exchanged
! The nrng cont. nued with great yiear 90 @scr
Il iength shell entered smd,hlps ~ tho hId sitting
nre % y, and II the same nslanis can hardly a., dc
the she'll passed through The sick bay exploding
in an adjoining compartment aiso producing ire An
other entered the cylinder, hng the engine RON add
tbe-ve-s. work the pumps upon winch the
reduction the IRE depended With The vcyrel - ire Ia
two pieces aud beyond hnnan power bot .lcs- wreck
upon the water th hcr waking beam shot away and
her engine rendered melsns, sthi maintained
an active Are with doabl. hope q disabling he VIA
baaa and attracting the attention = the feet on Calves
ton which was only ta.nty eight niles distant.
II WIS soon olofcd y 100 tnas To shells had uttered
the Haftcar AZ the waier line tearng ~ cate sheets "
ron and the water rubbing ln, utterly doiying
oyery ATTEMPT % remedy III evil and that -no
and nbssrvi1R that the AlsbaDa 90 my
pcft bpw, entirely hr,"ud canve 81 my guns,
doubtless preparing for rakDg IRE ~ the deck frt
had right u sacrifice n-seiy md vboat d~-,fa
result the 1--we y ~ under my command To
was making much progress ordered tbe magazine TO
be noded and aflcf1ard- Zee gun % be nrcd The Ala
baaa then ase1 aaxiiallre Ahh desired, " which
| Affirmative anANer given.
The iiauetas nov going down, and order
the pes ~ my oi"ra and men cansed the armament
on III. rsr, side thrown overheard Had not dons
| ~ am conhdebt "a. vessel would ave gone
| After considerable delay, caqsed by tho report
that steamer was sccn oonieg from Galveston. tho
Alabama sent ls.stsnce, aud have the pleasure u
informing ~" department tia every hsins bet .sr
conveyed safely rom N. Hati.rss 60 the AAbsma Ten
minutes sfef eaylng 10. Haitefas he went ~n DOW
Hf.t 18th Dor pennant her mast bead, Nth all her
mnstets aud every character. the enemy not
be,ns sbu q bsr RAPID snsias 70 obtain single
Ihe battery upoa the Aisbsaa. brought into action
| against the fauerA, Numbered seven guns. cru
| setting o. four long thirty too Founders
blndtei FOUNDER, snty eight FOUNDER, sod
t~oniy four FOUNDER rihcd Iba great sar~rony II
tho Alabama, With her powerful. battery aud machinery
under the line nust BE- q, recognized ~ tbs
department wbo arc fanlisf With the Construction -
the attrrs ana her total unn'n~ss for contest 9TH
regularly bun vessel " The distance between tho
Hai,ers and the ai.oans during e ae,,nn varied from
| twenty nye 10 hundred yards Nearly my sb0O
were fred from the Hai,efN aud presume a src.,sr
| number from the Alabama
! desire to refer cibci~nt and artiya 10
which Acting hNsisr Henry Porter t,.cuys Oosf, p~r
formed hi duty The cypiuc a Assistant sun bis -
Matthew'S both daf sns the sctlon add attend
,ss 10 tho woapaei se,nssds my .ngnainsd o,mDsnda
tau. would also bring 70 tho fsyorsble potss AZ the
| department Acting Nssi.fs Mate J bcsf.th tempo
/ rsrily performing duty n gunner
owing 10 the daftns.s q "a. nrht and The pecalsr
~ thu Hs'is-ss able only 10 refer 10
the conduct ~ ba officers WIN undsr my SPECIAL
bit from the character u the oooiest snd tho
anpunt ~ damage dine 70 tho Asbams. have p<rrrn.
ally no reason 10 b>l~ve that any or6sf fsi~d hts
dtiy r. ~ The Hs,isrss o.nnos give tn rnueh
pfslse tber eu,hssNn sna bravery ~ss a The highest
4 ordsr.
| .noloss the report .; As,sisa, Surgeon HS-ad ..
/ Matthew, ny which yon sif gbs~tys that nvs msn
NouBloi Asa two kiilsi. IN. mssins,
/ b1p-d, have f.scD~i tha reet 81 Calves
pa shall csymrnunscats 10 n. department.
IN separate report the movements ~ nysoh AMI
us from the time transfer the Alabama untl
the departure X ~ earliest mall from ts place " The
| tbItes -tAi~s.
! an. Yt-y repeatedly, yrsF gbefent servant,
n. q nfAkF, faenssHAnt CotnDznd.g
| lloo GwsJs Walls -e.fsiafy = tba Navy, xsBing
1 ton - .