Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-04-11
The News from Charleston.


The News from Charleston.
Reports from the Richmond Wing, tele-
graphed yesterday, state that the attack on
Charleston began last Tuesday. One dis
patch came from fort Monroe, and gave what
was printed in the Richmond Wing, as fol-
lows
FORTRESS MONROE, April 1O.-The Rich
mond Wing of yesterday has the following -
CHARLESTON, April THE attack on
Charleston commenced to-day. -Four iron
clads out of seven in the Yankee fleet are en-
gagged The firing from the fleet and from
forts Sumter and Moultrie and Morris Island
was very heavy. The Ironsides was hit and
she ran ashore, but subsequently got off and
was taken out OF range. At two p. n. the
nine Monitors and the Ironsides opened fire
at the distance of 5000 yards.
cat go P. NJ. the firing on both sides be-
came incessant, and was kept up until five
o'clock, when it gradually diminished. The
fire of the fleet was concentrated on fort Sum-
ter. The IrOnsdes and the Keokuk withdrew
from the engagement at four o'clock, appa-
rently disabled. Intense excitement prevails
in the city. Our Monitors have just gone out
to take part in the fight.
'sOur casualties are one " killed and five
men badly wounded in fort Sumter. The re-
ports from the other batteries have not yet
come 10 hand.
"CHARLEsToN, April S.-Seven turreted
iIon-clads and the Ironsides are inside OF abe
bar. Twenty-Five blockading vessels are out
side the bar. The keokuk is sunk on the
beach off Morris Island. There is no dispo-
sition on the part Of the federals to renew the
conflict
The steamer Emelie arrived at Philadelphia
yesterday, from Newborn. Some of her pas
sengers appear to have secured copy of a
Richmond paper, or to have seen one, and the
following version of the same rebel dispatch
from Charleston was telegraphed on their au-
thority =
''Ihe attack on Charleston was commenced
on the 18th inst. Four iron clads were en-
gagged in the morning. The Ironsides was
ashore, but subsequently got Off Nine Mon
itors and the Ironsides were engaged in the
afternoon. An incessant firing from 10 till
O'Clock was concentrated on Fort Sumter.
The Ironsides and Keokuk were withdrawn at
o'clock. There is intense excitement in
Charleston. The rebel iron clads have gone
down to engage the federals. The iron clads
and the lronsides were inside of the bar on
the Sth. The keokuk was reported sunk.
The conflict was not renewed on the Sth."
These reports of the rebels must of course
be taken with the usual allowance for the
rebel tendency to eNaggerate, misrepresent
and report what has not taken place. We al
remember the reports of the very terrible
things that had been done by the rebel gun
boats when they " broke the blockade.
Beauregard commands at Charleston, aaC
exaggerations and falsifcations are sure t.
grow up there as vigorously as Jonahs gourd
There has undoubtedly been an attack on the
forts in Charleston harbor, and probably q
iron clads; but we shall wait for authentic
intelligence before we believe the Keokuk has
been sunk. There was report, yesterday,
that our fleet had taken fort. If this is true,
it may mean that a battery has been captured
on Morris or Sullivan's island; but it is better
to suspend beliefuntil we get news that will tell
distinctly what to believe and why we should
believe it. At any rate, rebel reports from
Charleston have never been trustworthy.
We must wait for the arrival of dispatch
boat and OF course none OF us can tell pre-
cisely when to expect it. Meanwhile, we
should not forget that the capture of the forts
that defend Charleston, is not an easy task
Everything possible has been done to make
them impregnable; and they are defended
by vast amount of the best and
heaviest artillery. The attack may not
succeed, for the power of the iron-clads
for such work has not been tested till now.
This attack is an experiment with them,
and will determine some unsettled questions
in regard to the matter of attacking carefully
fortified harbors with such vessels. If it sue
ceeds, the iron-c lads will win great glory. II
it fails, they will not seem to be in all cases
invincible. Let us wait patiently for the
result.