The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-04-18
The Bonn bs rdIneut ia Charles
ton HahbOp.

! All being cOmDlrpU. thu, fleet lrtt n, 1atoch.
mcnts. and assembled off Churlnxtnn nm
Sunday. The 9Th inst The ;rn,,.'.i,I aa,,
crossed the bar and entered Ch,r,nstnr bor.
Dor on Monday. The keokuk Iraw;ug lees
water than u1y of the n,hers was spIt il,
| first to find the channel and repl,re tba
buoys. Proceeding IN the main channel
the keokuk found an easy and unolstrnrted
entrance with full eighteen ,ret of wafer in
| the shailowest places. more than has ever
been before found ON Charleston hnr Tho
buoes were replaced without difficulty. the
rebels Offering no opposition. The kcokuk
returned to the feet, and ON the morning Of
| the 7th the order was given io the iron. c[,lS
to enter the harbor.
The order given to the commanders Of
the various vessels was to keen strait IN
harbor until they came within l6u, wards Of
the forts, aud then to attack. directing their
efforts principally against Fort Sumter.
| In this order the fleet moved on steadily and
! galIantly up towards Forts Sumter and
Moultrie the rebels Withholding their fire
until they got well up into the harbor. The
lronsides stopped off Fort Moultrie. and let
go her anchor, it being dangerous to take
her further up, on account e her drawing
over fifteen feet of water. A. this moment
there seemed to be a temporary misuuder-
standing, and all the iron clads EXCEPT the
| Neehawken aud keok4h, gathered about
the lr.,siGcs, apparently surprising that she
had grounded and needed assistance. They
were, however, sgnaled to 90 into action
| The keokuk had gone on until she led the
line, and had advanced to within 100 yards
OF Sumter, against whose granite walls she
hurled her fiery shot, with all the rapidly
teat the energy of her brave crew could fur
nsh The rebels, as was expected. imme-
dlately concentrated their fire Oh the keok
uk, which assumed to lead i'll the attack
From Sumter, MouItrle, batteries Beaure
gard and Cummings, Point, and from fort
erected on the middle ground, the fire of
AGO or 800 guns were concentrated in a ter
riblc hail upon the DEVOTED vessel. Snah a
fire had, perhaps, never in the history Of
the world been cqualed. 1t was met by the
o,hcers OF the heokuk with heroic fortltude.
While the balls were striking her at the rate
OF one Tor every second, her guns were
worked with vigor and pcrciSion, and their
weight ana force were already making their
mark upon the walls OF Sumter. 1t soon,
however. became apparent that the keokuk
had none OF the imprrgnibility of Ercsson's
Monitors, and that IN fact as an iron clad
she was failure. The rebels balls seemed
to penetrate her as easily as those of
wooden vessel. The portfolios or shutters
OF her ports became iammed, and her guns
prachcaiil uhSelNlce;tbie. puTlllg thc lhlfty
minutes she ren9lned under this concenra-
ted fire, one hundred shots struck her. ninety
OF which were water line shots, or sseh as
would cause her to leak III sea way. In
fact she was perfectly riddlcd. Her flag
was shot INTO tatters. and the whole of her
sides were battered, bruised and pierced -
perccvlng the severe injuries she had re-
ccired, the Admiral sigualed her to retire
out OF action, and anchor out of range
This was safely accomplished.
In the meantime the Monitors Nahant and
Catskill had moved up to the support Of the
heoknk ana engage Fort Sumter; the Iron.
Sues ana otner vessels al longer range We're
dividing their attention between MouItrlc
and sumter. Into and on the latter fort IL
heavy hre was thus poured. and, 1t Is be
leyed, not without effect.
Inc engagement was kept up from to
o clock, whch, IN obedience to Admiral
b"Ponts signal, the Meet retired slowly, re.
thcv anchored ont Of rongo within tbo har
The Wcchawkcn was ASSIGNED the imnort
ant duty, which was faithfully performed in
the midst OF the fight, to examine. and if
ppSsiple 10 IRE, t"e opS'r"cllohS ",lich the
Ieotis nave eA'e,ineu across .he hafDor rom
Fort sumter 10 Nou'!rle. PROJECTED by the
SEQ" ana una De'ii III 'front.' or her pushed
up Straight toward the oDslruclions.
lhey were proved to consist OF net work
OF chains and cables stretched across the
harbor, over which 1t was impossible for the
W eehawken to run without fouling her pro-