The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-04-22
CHARLEsToN n.
Full Account of the Attack.
RepuIse of the Iron-Clad Fleet.

WALL W hdHH HG0ki
has at last taken place. 1t was very near til
anniversary of the first battle and the first hu
d mutation OF our flag in this war, and has end
ed In another defeat, which, though not near
~ SO disastrous as it might have been, eithe
In loss OF life or of permanent damage to on
naval force, will fall with sicken1ng effect up
on the country, and may, perhaps, prove tn
5 END OF any attempts for a long time to com,
towards the capture of the city that has beef
foremost in the rebellion. 1t was decided OF
wednesday that another attack at presen
would be lnadvisable, as its success would bs
impossible. 1t Is probable that both the fee
and the few land forces that were to cooperate
with the expedition will return to Port Royal
as soon as practicable, to await then planning
OF some new enterprise against the enemy. :.
THE BATTLE Day.
On Tuesday the great naval battle which
decided the fortunes of the attack took place
1t had been desired BY the Admiral to get in
motion early In the morning, but the arsu-
ment eff the tide was against such a course.
and 1T was nooa before the fleet got under
way. The Weehawken, which was provided
with a raft, invented by Mr.. Ericsson, fitting
to the PROV of the vessel and designed to re.
move distractions, took tho leading position.
The anchor cable of the Weehawken became
entangled in the graphing irons of this raft
almost as soon as the feet was in motion, and
a delay OF over an hour took place before the
trouble could be remedied. Intensely harras-
sing were all these detentions, which had
seemed to attend the expedition with aegra-
waiting pertinacity even from the start at Port
-Royal. This matter righted, the W~eehawken
started again, and the other eight iron mon
sters slowly followed. The fleet moved up by
the shore of Morris Island and toward Fort
Wagner. The anxiety for the first shot Is in
tense, but the Weehawken passes, and the
others also pass one by one, and all is silent.
Suddenly, now as they steam on the first
two shots came from Fort Moultrie, across the
bow of the Weehawken, and every man in
the whole fleet is ready in a moment at his as
signed post for the commencement of the bat
tie Ihe next lire is from Fort Sumter. First
flash OF flame and then a whole broadside
from its barbette guns came crashing unon
the fleet. Then he Cummings Point battery,
Moultrie, and Battery Bee opened and the
OF the Monitors stood in The midst
a concentrated fire of half a dozen batter.1
-es. They had waited until the vessels should
come as near as possible to the convergipe
'angc OF most of the guns in the Notifications
'ound about. 1t had been the intention to
through this fire and beyond Sumter, but
suddenly the Weehawken was checked and
eemed to nave lost her motive power and to
struggling helplessly against the influence
f the tide. This was explained by the fact
hat she encountered an obstruction consistina 6
q large rope or cable drawn across the '
hannelj foated by casts and sustaining nets. 9
ems and torpedoess The propeller was foufedf e
y the nets, and unable to move for some time. a
torpedo burst close to her ort side, but =
'ithout doing any harm. The Patapsco'sJ 9
rev also caught in this obstruction, and she =.
'as a long time extricating herself. The left I
and channel, passing between Fort Sumpter q
Inn nv0r lDo,-N ~ - III
ows OF piles stretching at intervals across the 2
assagc and rising eight feet out of the water. r
nd back of these three iron-clads were sta
oned, awaiting the coming of the feet if by
ny possibility they might be able to remove -
lie intervening distinctions. 1t is said that y
an opening in one of the rows of piles =
lere Is an Immense torpedo containing sew i
al thousand pounds of powder, and capable, y
the rebels believe, OF utterly destroying ~
~ vessel that may Gene in contact with it IL
he feet was therefore efectually checked Ia
6idulties presented 10y these<1most impassi- 81
a9bstructions vas the great trouble expe- y
,need in steering sonic Of the iron clads, or
deed making them obey the helm Iae an,-d.h
e ironsides>w were the most unNieldy.a The q
eokuk, Though united, sasNit afterward "
owed, to stand the terrible impact ofAAthe =.
thrown at herfrom the splendidIy mount 3.
batteries ofWhich she was exposedSscemcd w.
? best capable of regulating her sSfoyements, 90
WIS thus enabled to pass nearer the Sum- in
thenNany other vessel. The Ironsides, it -
remembered, is not one of Mr. Erics. =,
s SIonltors, but is built, as far as her hull ~,
concerned nearly on the plan ofsthe War. -
r and La Gloire. The Keokuk is a lighter !"
1T vessel than any of the others, and is aid
on a new plan invented by Mr.. bn,
hltney, of New York. The vessels strictly -
as the Monitors were only moderately 10
eessful In governing their speed and mo- -.
a but withstood the IRE from the forts with -,
uceess which will almost establish their Pc
I'M to entire impregnability. The first diff eyc
y with the lronsides was manifest before mo
hr1Dg had commenced, as in passing up 20
channel the bow swung on the port.side, but
she cnnld only be brought TO regain her %,
.dy course by stopping the engine for a few &c :
utes. In the midst of the most terrible
1t was found necessary to throw out The Ir
hors to prevent the ship from shoaling and
getting IN motion again it was but a short A
before the anchor had to be thrown out a Gds
nd time to render her manageable. She the
~, after firing one broadside at Fort Moul all t
was compelled to retire IS she was en- fore
y helpless, moving causclessly one way IT
another, and sometimes touching bottom. men
the enemy, noticing her condition, took facti
ocular pains to bestow upon her a lar. e sinr
on of their fire. She was nvulnerable, from,
,ver, to the best directed missiles. wov
the while the Monitors were contendinr m,rl
distractions in the stream, and their Ind,
to control their motions, thcy dead
I'.r slhs coScentra'ed hre that would and
destroyed the best wooden feet the world
.nown in the time that would have BEEN TT
In passing through it. Some of the q Gene
English rifed guns of the largest calibrc, to til
4 have run the blockade, and the heay- are Il
uns cast at Richmond, had been placed ing a
'auregard in the most effective position, can 2
robably all the effect to be obtained by Repr
est use of modern Improvements and in al pc,
ms in artillery practice. had been accom-. cool,
a In the fortihcatlons, in the midst of repud
nres these Monitors were compelled to brave
n. Probably there was never so terrific the sc
,on hail" in the history of naval warfare il as