The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-10-28
TMP SITUATION Ar mORRIs IS
LAND vi


Correspondence from Morris Island says
that not Vallandigham man has been found
among the Ohio troops, of which there are
there the 25th, 76th 10th. I'D and 67th.-
They are all true "Union blue"
A letter says:
SAT Hilton head. Major Banister and Lieu
tenant Colonel Elwell, furnish the 'sinewsn
for the Department. The building of docks,
the re6tting of monitors and gunboats, the
erection of saw mills, the loading and unload
ing of vessels by steam, the extension of the
dock railroad, aud the evident energy and
promptness with which the gigantic work is
conducted, all reflect the highest cI edit on the
officers in charge"
1t is found that the colored soldiers are the
best for fatigue duty, for they can work and
sing, rations or no rations. Details are on
duty at all hours of the day, and often until
midnight.
Late at night. few evenings since, col
ored Sergeant, in command of working
squad that had been furnished that day with
only three crackers each, called out to his
men, who were singing 'Tention Dare be
two great questions OBJ de day for debate. De
first am-Will de brack man fight (which
am decided in de firmative cause he hab done
fight already. De second am-Will de brack
man sing and work on an empty stomach ?-
Firmative too-he do" And his squad went
to work again with will, making the air
resonant with their original songs
Regarding the late attack on the Ironsides
by arebel raft and torpedo, the Richmond Ex--
amner, of the 9th inst, says:
"The report from Charleston is, that an at
tempt in the main unsuccessful has been made
to blow up with some kind of an internal ma
chine, the Yankee ship Ironsides. The fail
ure is attributed to two causes an insufficient
amount of powder in the machine, and its
being ignited too near the waters edge.-
Though the destruction of the vessel vas not
effected, she may have been seriously dam
aged. When the torpedo exploded several
feet in front of the Yankee gunboat in James
River, sheathing snd planks were torn of, and
many of her crew thrown overheard. SINH
lar results may very probably have followed
the explosion of the machine alongside the
Ironsides.''
A correspondent, who has recently visited
thelnonitors under repair at Station Creek.
South Carolina says: =
I'VE first went on board the monitor Pa
tapseo. Her turret is indented all round, by
the heavy projectiIes from the rebel forts :;
but not single shot penetrated even a single
plate of which the turret consists. The smoke
stack, however, is completely shattered.-
Balls that passed through, have completely
curled up the iron forming the smoke stack.
From the Patapsco We went on board the
Weehawken which vessel was being improved
by the addition at the bottom of the turret of
an iron rim, five inches in thickness, and
about fifteen inches Deep This improve
ment is being made, in consequences of a piece
ofshell having been jammed between the bot
tom of the turret and the deck, prev enting
the latter from revolving, when the Vice.
hawken was aground, at the time of the bonn
bardment of Fort Moultrie. All the other
vessels of the same class. are to be furnished
with similar rim, Theserim were brought
in sections by the Union The Weehawken.
was not hit so many times as the Patapsco,
but we were shown wonnd on the starboard
side, caused by shot from Moultrie, through
which, the water is still slowly trickliug rem
dering frequent recourse to the pump nee
essary"