Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-02-02
The Capture Of the Steamer Columbi
Correspondence Of the Fayetteville Observer.
FoRT FISHER, Jan. 20ta 1869.

Messrs. E. J. Hale d. Sons: The U.1
$. Steam Propeller, Columbia mounting
one 80 poui,l 4 Arros aud six "a To brass
Howitzcrs, acting Volunteer Lieut.. Joseph
Philip Couthonv, Commanding, grounded
half a mile from shore of Mayonooru' In
let on the night Of the l4th inst. Lieut..
Col. Richardson of the seth n. Q. T., IN
temporary command at Fort Fisher at the
time, having received this Information
from Capt. Smith ef the Scotland Neck
Mounted Rifles, Immediately dispatched
Capt. K. ]. Brandy with bis company, and
Adjutant Parker of the seth with one
detachment Of e~annoniers and q whit
worth guu, to cooperate with Captain
Smiths force 10 the capture, if possible,
of the ship and crew. Meantime, Col.
Lamb having arrived took command Q.
the expedition, and after a forcel march
of tacenty miles In fUe hours, through i
biting storm, arrived, just at dark, opposite
the steamer and prepared for a bivouack
till day light Such a bivouack IL
+" blew, snew aud frizp No live stock but
a southern soldier, an Esqniu.aux Indian,
or polar bear, could have stood that night
through. But our men were not lett long
for sleep. As usud., spades become trulnps,.
and at sun up our Whitworth was safely
in position behind a sufficient bank of
sand! Bang away goes a bolt from our
battery, and up go the stars and stripes,
union down, fIoin the steamer. 1T will
not do, ,anks; we know that you are in
distress, '-you generally are now-a-davs,
especially when you happen (for you only
happen) to come within range of our guns.
You'll have to show something else in the
dry goods line. Exhibit your bleached
domestics. We've done trading in fancy
colors like yours. Bang! Whiz-ze-ze-ze.
skip plug, right into an through her iron
hull goes another bolt, and up goes the
bleached domestic sure enough, and the
'Columbia,' just thirty days to a day in
Commission, goes out of Commission, and
ceases to be Que of the North Atlantic
Blockading Squadron, Commodore Lee
Commanding.
Huzza for the Fisher boys and thei,
gallant officers. Hold on there, men
don't hollow before You get out the wilder
ness! Yohder co"e two steatner bnunt
to pitch into vnu, and there's work to do
Bang goes a gun from the " Penobscot,
ze-~ze-zeze-zip. 1t falls away over beyon,
us in the Sound. Look cut there come
another and an other and another, snortin,
and splitting and sizzinS like forty fr,g.
ments of a thunder bolt They tear u
the grounds and sand fly, but VIC are use
to sand flies. Now's our time, boys lie
her roar! Fire! Away goes a bolt fror
Parker's gun! Clear the way, &c sa
water devils, this is q gam that two ca
play at, and although you know how
shuttle and cut and run first rate, we'v
: got you dead on the deal! There it skin
: and goes, and right Into the Peuobscot
: pluuges "Let 'em hdve 1T boys, sneas
: 'em ~ And they do "suash 'em I'll
I they "change their base" a la McCiella
( and make for deep sea souudings clea
, away. Like the valiant Fal.taff, they Sd
3 lots Of men iu buckram," aud 80 takir
L q fancy for the Parthian mode of battl
, they left us, yielding to Col. Lamb, wi
with one gun and a mere handful of me
4 completely exposed on n bald sea-besc
decently drubbed out three of "the Nor
9 Atlantic Blockadiug Squadron, Comm
Q dore Lee, Commanding"
! Commodore Lee, Commodore Lee, your b ave sht
flee, your brave slips flee,
}, Devil the bit they fight, sir,
, Commodore Lee, Commodore Lee, they went to $
e they went to sea,
), And they SAW and then they took fright, sir.
To the gallantry and energy of C
. Lamb espe tally, and to the promptn,
4. aud caring of Captains Smith and Brad
d and of Lieuts. Parker, G. j. Williams,
# T. Willard and Henry Benton, and to
in spirit of the men of this command, is q
g the capture of the Columbia aud forty
re her officers and crew.
,e The steamer seems to have been doou
to to i'll luck. She was built especially
tie run the blockade, and on her first yoy;
IN in that enterprise was captule ed by
enemy, who now in her first voyage q
n, Man-of- War, have lost her. We may s
ly I trust not irreverently, "The Lord 2
ht and the Lord hath taken away, blessed
to the name of the Lord" VIDl
IN,
nc SIGNS IN THE NoRTH.-The demand