The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-03-13

speaking, b lvo had the pleasure u looking ugon.
schoonsrs we're q anchor 81 sussards Roos ne Saba
90 despatched guard He'll the night Wild
Seo~ Us lay me army sssssrs ana swe Or three suffers
vessels. never shaii forget shs scene.
/ HoNR
just after che sum went down the Daeda arrived tow
ing tie Emma Tuttie, prize schosoer which had beel
condemned and disantiod We judge sho Ia 20 be sanker
ports the Ericsson outside the bar, having schooner
10 tow What she is for we shall have to wait until 70
Al arst was thought that We woa.d not 70 up ant
witness the night IN this vessel but now t decided tina
so early IN the morning to act rs reserve and se
the working Of the iron cads and bummers.n Every
delighted at the prospect Of beng permitted 70 a
least the fun but all OF would be doubly resoet
that they "Heenan" as they call The fifteen
inch gun, this occasion. We hope weather and
clear morning. 50 that We can plainly the operations
| Of all engaged
Tln GREAT CLAD TARGET rRAcnn
TUESDAY. March San hands" were called on board
the vessels at an early hour this morning. and the
tcipatioDs Of seeing a"big thing iron" caused
than one person to partako Of scanty meal lovely
70 engage the battery every Of being abls
to see the effect Of their prosectiles clearly.
The sun rose bright and and there was no fog or
haze to annoy the gunners either side Tho tide did
serve for us until daylight bad far advanced. 50 that
HH POSITION. =
Tho gunboats and the Dandelion towed the mortar
fort il the following orderc. p Williams Para and
Norfolk Packet. They had housed their topmasts and
switered 10 their forerggng, and stripped for clean
fight. reminded me Of times agone on the Mississippi
river
We hove up anchor at seven O'Clock and stood up
positions At twenty minutes before eight O'Clock the
Passaic Paapsco and Nahan weighed anchor and started
feet Of lockers on came up and took position JUS. out Il
range, in full view Of the huge esrthworks.
TIE AsCHoRAGEs.
AT thrtyhve minutes after eight the iron clads wer0
up at about the following distances from the work-Pas
sac 200 yards; Psaspsco, 1000 Nanant, 900 Here
In 0ve minutes Afterwards the enemy opened with two
guns followed By another n rapid succession. hitting
close 70 tho Passaic when she lot slide eleven inch
SHE'LL which fell short Of the fort Az fftyhvo minutes
after eight the Para opened with her thireeninch
tar The engagement. or rather target practice, now
began.
THE xosrAuK
At nine minutes after nine anchored having cleared
the vessel for action ready 70 run up we were needed
We had on board Captain UDshur and his clerk and
quite number Of tho officers Of the sebago, who came
board 70 witness the scene and We ahead Of all the
vessels excepting the iron cads, turret top offered
excellent facilities for observing the firing.
Our boys scattered around the decks passive
spectators Of action which they very desirous
Of participating; but had done service be-
fore II was but fair that we should now do some looking
on.
TnE ACTORS
The IRON fred slowly gradually getting the range,
while the bummers promised to throw IN some shells In
short tme
The rebels were busy and at intervals We could see
that they hit the Passaic pretty fairly Of
could not toll what damage done, but from
perence felt confident that they could harm her
cads became accurate tho Passaic bearing Oh the
palm for some time, when the Nahant came up to the
mark delivering her shell finely and making some ee-
giant Shots At twenty minutes before eleven O'Clock two
Of her shells landed in the traverses throwing up tho
sand to q tremendous height and filing the air with
clouds Of EARTH The Of the vessels around
hearty expressions Of their appreciation by subdued
cheering and loud clapping Of their hands
The rapid fire Of the iron clads caused the rebels to
sacken their fire from their three guns and eleven inch
mortar, which they had been working with great spirit
STRONG RREzE
The wind had breezed up from the northwest and
gradually increased into almost gale but It had the
good eject TO drive away the smoke quickly from their
The Patapsco pitched In her Shells doing some execu
ton in the Of the wsrk, just skipping the parapet
gun fired on both sides. would Be- too luminous to
place within the limited space Of our columns. II
bang Are snnS snS but ever
manfully and their gunnery was by no means meagre.
Al times the enemy would not reply for several moments
different place. Our shells were doing tremendous
cution in the sand but for some time thought without
Nshant exploded under one Of the rebel guns throwing
up into the air quite distance.
REHxL GUERnIAs.
About this time Captain Drayton OF the Pnssaic and
Lieutenant Commander Miller were on deck looking At
the firing picco Of something hit the Captain under
OF his eyes and be inside Of the turret couple Of
ofcers on the ron-cIads, fred at mr. Miller, the balls
just grazing him. OF course be deemed i prudent
u seek shelter inside, and did So Mr.. Rufus
Murphy, our brave and skiknl pilot, obtained
aride and, drawing unsrrng aim upon tho would be
dadded in short order probably crawling his hands
and knees through the marsh Subsequently dose OF
canister was given them which ended that kind OF work.
The Nahants people went to dinner a. quietly as II
not under the FIRE Of the enemy and after dinner they
out on deck TO take good look at their target
Secesh tried hard to hit her with their mortar, but did
not succeed. The accurate firing Of the Nahant elected
the heartest concentrations from the spectators, who
piled upon turret and on all elevated points Of
the Matano came up from Fort Pulaski 10 sec the fun
and added TO our large number OF lockers
DESTROYED
Tho outlines Of the fort, which early In the morning
entirely different aspect. Huge holes clearly dis
ccrnable and did not look like the work we saw In the
bright glow Of the mornings sun.
.yAfo n NA&s~~. THE NASHVILLE.
Tho Nashvilies iron Wheel rims and steam chest were
10 be seem giving evidence Of the excellent gunnery Of
the Montauk and the wachfuness aud dashng character
Of her mmoralzed commander, the brave and gallant
Worden Altogether 1t splendid sight, such one
as again expect TO have the pleasure OF seeing
WITHDRAWAL FROM ACTION.
At thirty-two minutes past three p. N. the Nanant
withdrew from the action, having accomplished all she
and lubrcstng her working gear. At nfty.nye minutes
past three p NJ the Patapsso followed, and the Passac
Ss al r. sn "
quietly went away from the Tort
TEE YC8 KxrKRKNCEA
They hit the Passac several times landing ton. inch
shot the top OF her turrs whole aud uninured They
alsohit her fair and square on her deck with eleven
Inch SHE'LL which, strange 10 say, did not do any
material damage except OF course racturng the
Il struck between the beams. begin TO think you can
not inure iron cads In any manner possible She
was hit thirty three times. and have the old story
TO write-"Nobc dy hurt and no damage DONE" could
have been made 10 believe that these vessels could
withstand shot, shell and torpedoes used In every
cevable manner until saw with my own eyes the re-
suits. II Ia wonderful and strange.
Yankeedom quite place after all, and genius, which
IL not needed abroad brought out here, fosered and
now brings untold results All honor 70 Ericsson. and
praise and distinction 10 the gallant commanding officers
| and crews OF the wonderful Monitor batteries.
visited all the iron cads this evening, and found their
people in excellent spirits at their experiences and the
congratulations they received from anxious nqurers.
They were tired true but forgetting that Fort McAl
lister was only target they wanted 70 up again In the
| morning TO tear down the work.
Brigsdcr General Seymour and Capt. Duane, Of the
corps OF engineers who spent most Of their time board
the Noutauk to day, say that the fort 10 Of the
strongest earhworks they and wonder nj the
execution the vessels made upon t. The work Is not
tho