Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman. (Wilmington, Del.) 18??-18??, 1863-07-03
DEAR sIR :

WARSAW SOUND, Ga.
June 10Th, 1863.
DEAR SIR:
1again resume my pen to inform you
Of our movements and the events occurring with
us, from time to time since my Inst, but, as this
section Of the coast has not been the theatre
of very active operations recently and bockadiug
duty not ahordng much opportunity for gather
ing information, have very little general news
to give you
We have continued in the dull aud monotonous
routine o.! guarding this harbor and endeayorng
to prevent the entrance exit of all craft that
might be disposed to navigate its waters, which
ha;ter myself we have accomplished eifectually.
Being the only vessel here we at times fnd it
very difficult to employ our time, as our reading
matter ID becoming exhausted, and the announce
ment of "Sdil Ho' is hailed with universal plea
sure, hoping it may prove to be coming into us
with a mail whereby we can be entertained with
letters from our friends and the late papers. but
We have no reason to complain Of the arrival Of
mails, having one every week. The supply
steamer Massachusetts" comes along at intervals
OF about three weeks for the ostensible purpose
of furnishing the squadron with fresh provisions
and other stores, but as she anchors outside the
bar where the sea is almost invariably so rough
as to endanger the swapping Of. our boats when
loaded we are often unable to procure the articles
we require and arc entitled TO have, and | fear
tanned, TO say nothing Of the extra consumption
of several tons Of coal, required to run our
vessel out to her aud return again.
Some weeks since the suter schooner j. W.
Lawrence made us visit loaded with assort
ed cargo of provisions, clothing, tobacco, segars
and in fact everything that was likely 10 crafty
the wants or fancies of every taste and return to
the proprietor a good equivalent in green Backs
our vessel having been out Of the port nearly two
= months Of course we were in want OF many Of
his stores and believe he relieved the ship of
about five hundred dollars in the one day he was
here, Of which very sure large percentage
was clear profit; one is disposed to grumble at
the high prices charged by these persons who
are licensed to trade with the squadron to the
exclusion of others, but you must either pay
their price or do without the articles l have
no doubt that, under these circumstances, the
business is Il very profitable one and in o short
time the parties engaged therein realized quite
fortune.
On the goth inst, about six o'clock a. m.
we discovered a small sloop coming out of the
Wilmington river and bearing toward us, and
when within mile or 80 Of us she ran up flag
of truce nnd was along eide of vessel
she proved to be loaded with some tea bales Of
cotton and several barrels of rosn, with three
men IN charge of her who represented they had
taken this method Of escaping from the Con-
federaoy, with-what means they possessed in
vested in the vessel and cargo, intending to pro-
coed North, and expected, upon these Iepresen-
tations to be permitted to go on their way re-
ioicing in the fine manner they had deceived
us, but rs their clearance papers were for
Nassau, together with some other facts, they
were retained by us and forwarded by the first
opportunity 10 Port Royal there to abide the
decision oil tbe proper authorities, but the gene
raj impression is, that their vessel and cargo will
be condsceted even though the men are granted
their liberty.
On the afternoon of the 10th inst, dispatches
arrived informing of the receipt ut Port Royal
Of information that the rebel ram "Atlants'
formerly the "Fingal" would attack us that
night with orders 10 avoid the same, consequent
ly about dusk we weighed anchor and steamed
out beyond the bar; about eight o'clock vessel
appeared to the norlhward, which upon signal.
ling proved to be the iron clad "Weehawken" il
ton by n steamer, sent down to protect us from
said ram she anchored near us and in th,
morning We both went inside 10 our usua
anchorage, having of course passed the nigh
without any alarm.
On the evening of the 18th inst, the iron clat
Nahant came 10 to join us, thus we now hav'
quiteA fleet, and of course with such coHsort
we feel very bold and perfectly willing 10 cop
with anything the enemy may engage us with, ii
fact would now be quite pleased to have then
make their appearance.
Saturday, June Goth, 1868.
Since writing the foregoing, we have iudee
been favored with the visit then anticipated
from the great ram "Atlanta," the glorious re
ault of which you will have heard before thi
reaches you, thus shelving that our alarm Wa
not altogether false one, aud that we were nc
prepared to meet her any too soon.
l am at last enabled to give you some Interest
ing matter for your readers and will endeayor I
give correct account Of the engagemer
throughout. About five O'Clock the mornin
of the seventeenth. all hands were called
quarters and upon repairing to the hurricar
deck soon asoertained the cause Of this earl
signal Of danger TO be the appearance Of q TO
nidble looking black mass, with tall smol
stack belching forth thick columns Of bat
smoke coming slowly out from Wilmington riv
into the bay; we of course Immediately slipp'
our cable and got under way bringing our who
battery to bear upon the enemy, in which pos
ton we remained quietly, awaiting furth
orders the iron-clads weehawken and Naha
were q short distance above us In The cham
and in a few minutes the former vessel "
under way, Immediately after which, the 70
threw down the gauntlet, in the shape of sh'
which passed harmlessy by our vessels, Viii
was taken up by Captain Rodgers Of the We
kawken, who steamed boldly toward the enei
to within half mile when he threw ii back
them in q manner that indicated he was
earnest; this was returned with several sh
which were wasted in the air and apparently I
needed by the Weehawken she steamed 8
lantly on with the greatest assurance until vii
in few hundred yards of her foe, when she b
her two guns simultaneously and soon after
more single shots when the ram displayed
white flag, whereupon the firing of course ces
and the two vessels communicating with o.
other Cantain Rodgers proceeded on board
HAtlanta" and in few minutes we saw
glorious banner waving in triumph on the 8
where few minutes before the rebel colors
hid ms defiance, which indicated that this q
had
firing Of FIVE shots by the v eehawken and sii
eight by the enemy; this was 30 unexpected
MS that we would scarcely believe II could be
not more than half an hour had elapsed betv
the firing Of the first gun and the surrender,
ca a signal for us we proceeded along SID
the Weehawken and came to anchor and
mediately sent three or four boats to the raj
render such assistance as was necessary,
our surgeon 10 aid in caring for the woun
The Nahant had came up before the firing CO
and was about to.fre when the white flag
displayed but did not do 80.
During the engagement we could dstii
see two steamers 10 the river crowded with
ple who had yentured down TO behold the
eagement, they remained there until we
up, when l suppose they were fully conyl
the day was lost and they departed up the
in apparent great haste, fearing perhap
might trouble them, there was also large
sApersons collected the bank Of the
We heyeheard that Commodore Tatnall wa
one Of tho steamdfsl the'F feelings must
been any thing but pieas&pt az they return
Savannah and impaired the resplt Of thei
pedition to their friends.
The shots Of the Weehawkeu appeared to
been well directed as believe all Qt them
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