The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-17
FROM CHARLESTON.

FROM CHARLESTON.---
! NV Y0sx, April 1a.-aTbs N1Ss1m,s5aS
special account of the Charleston fight
says the squadron arrived off Oarlestsn
on the morning Of the 9Th, and spent the
day in examining the bars, and channels,
the wind being too high to cross. That
evening the Admiral disclosed bis plan of
attack, which wassto sail directly up and
attack the northwest face of Fort Sumter,
at 600 or 800 yards distance.
About 8 O'Clock on Monday morning
the signals for movement were given, and
the vessels started slowly. 5gs.T s.ro .ftrrl
In consequence of the fog, however,
they were obliged to postpone the intended
attack till the next day. . 'i :tI4hnaT2il
During the afternoon one of Gen. Terry 81
brigades worked it's way up to Foley Is,
land, and established communication with
the fleet, but no portion of the land forces
got into attack at all. .A.h'1'
On the 18th at 4.15 p. N. the feet got
under way, and passed Morris Island bat
teries without being fired upon, pushing
right on towards Sumter. The New IRON
sides worked badly, and in consequence of
the current, was obliged to anchor two or
three times. I.5 ..f.r.sr olE
Fort Moultrie opened upon the Vice.
hawken, which was within 500 yards.
Cummings Point battery, Fort Sumter and
Battery B opened, and the action became
general and terrific. The monitors still ,
pushed on replying vigorously, and passed
northeast, when they discovered three
lines of distractions holding torpedoes,
&C., one of which exploded, but did no
great damage Finding it impossible to
get across tho distractions, they turned
about and steamed out of the harbor. The
Patapsco's 200-pounder had become dis -
abled, and the turret of the Passaic so
bent that the vessel is practically out of
use. Other boats, also, passed up to the
northeast face of Sumter, till they also ,
were stopped by distractions, and turned :,
back. ,... rr
After being under fire for three quar-
tiers of an hour, all the monitors were Or
dered back and at 5,o'cloek: the entire
fleet was out of range and the action
ceased.
Admiral Dupont intended to renew the
attack next day, but on ascertaining that
the Keokuk and Passaic were entirely
disabled and three others partially 80, he
concluded to desist, in which he was sus-
tanned by all the commanders. e."
The Monitors were hit from 30. to 60
times each, except the KeOkuk, which re-
ceived about 80 shots and was penetrated
at water-mark no less than 10 times. She
was kept afloat till next morning, when
she sunk on the bar with her cOlors flying.
All on board were saved.
The Ironsides was hit about 60 times,
but not damaged. There are IL large
holes in the side of Fort Sumter, appa-
rently running through the wall.
The entire firing only amounted to l50
rounds, when our correspondent left,
two of the Monitors had sailed for Port
Royal, and others were to follow.
Our entire casualties amounted to Is
of whom but two or three were killed.
The Times special gives the following
casualties: on the Nahant, Commander,
Downs, slight confusion in the foot pilot
Isaac Scofield, severe confusion on the
neck and shoulder, doing well; quartes-
master Cobb, compound fracture of the
skull, since died; seamen slightly wound.
ed on the Keokuk, commander A. c.,
Rhind, a confusion on the leg; A. McIn-.
tosh, acting engineer wounded dangerously;
r. Nicholson, quartermaster, slightly hurt,
three seamen seriously, and seven others
slightly. ..f5 &c.
The New York HerA0's account says
there is arumor circulated both at Port Royo
al and at Charleston Bar, that our troops
were rapidly gaining the rear of the city
of Charleston. The Times correspondent
says of the Charleston fight the iron ships
were exposed to concentrated fire from
five different points unparalleled in the his
tory of warfare. The feet found it impos-
sible to pass up beyond Fort Sumter and
assume the appointed place, owing to the
distractions which extended across the en-
tire channel from Sumter to MOultrie,
while above these, near the middle ground
were three other rebel iron-clads. The
fleet was thus compelled to sustain this
terrific fire, and nobly it did so for thirty
minutes. During that time not less than
$50 shots were fired by the enemy, I6O
being counted in single minute.
BALTIMORE, April 12.-The gunboat
Flambeau arrived at Old Point on Satur-
day afternoon last, bringing the officers of
the iron-clad Keokuk.
The following interesting account of in
cidents OF the late fight at Charleston, was
furnished to the Baltimore american by
an eyewitness, who was on board the We
hauken. He was assigned to the impor-
tant duty to examine if it were possible to
force through the distractions which the
rebels have extended across the harbor
from forts Sumter to Moultrie. The Wee
hawken with gunboat called the Devil"
and scow, pushed straight up towards
the distractions. They were found to
consist of network of chain cables, over
which it was impossible for the vessels to
go without foulling their propellers. To
this network it was supposed the rebels
had had suspended torpedoes and other
submarine explosives. Having completed
the examination, and tested the impossi-
bility of working up the harbor until some
means were devised for the removal of the
Instructions, they returned to the fleet.
d New YORK, April lathe Times pub
fishes an extra, giving detailed account
of the fight at Charleston. It saws the
result proves the entire insuficiency of the