Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-04-14
LATEST NEWS.
BY TELEG tAPH
TO THE WORCESTER DAILY SPY.


1he news
WASHINGTON, April r. The news from
Charleston, brought by the commander of the
Keokuk, and by New York newspaper cor
respondents, has got, in three hours, tritle
OF exaggeraton. The country at large should
have known that tlfe Keokuk's armDr was
thin, that she was every way weak vessel;
that her inviting sides tfoated five feet above
the water, while the Monitors exposed but as
many inches to the enemys fire. She had
two turrets, also, while SecOr's and Ericsson's
ships have but one. 1t was an accident mostly
that placed the Keokuk at the head of the
attacking line, and We paid the price of ac-
cidents in war, which are blunders, in having
about ninety shots thrown through and
through her. The Monitors which were
exposed to the same fire suffered no
serious damage. But one of our men was
killed, so far as Capt. Rhind knows, and
he was injured by Il bolt driven in
wards by Il shot striking it on the head out
side. A few of our sailors were slightly
wounded The country may accept this as
surance-that the impregnablllty OF our IRON
CladS has been demonstrated III the prellml-
nary engagement before Charleston. They
were exposed for hours to the concentrated
fire, at five hundred yards distance, of the
strongest batteries that have ever been erect"
English Whitworth and Blakey guns.
They were not damaged to any serious de-
gree.
The story spread in the city that our entire
fleet had hurried back to Port Royal is false.
1t is within the bar-and it will stay there,
too till it anchors abreast of the Charleston
wharveS. We have now possession OF the
whole ship channel INTO the harbUr and COM
mand Morris Island. In one day we have
shortened our line OF blockade fully two
thirds, and enabled the navy department to
relieve the most of the vessels so long occu-
pied in watching the Swash and the other
channels; and we have also got our iron
c.adS in a land-lOcked harbor, safe from the
storms that vex the outside of the bay.-Neso
York Times.
The following Jurisprudence between Gen
Hunter and admiral Dupont has taken place
since the close of the action;
HEADQUARTERS OF THE SOUTH
L. $. Transport Ben Deford, April s, 1868.
1dmiral s. p. Dupont, Bag-Shtp New Iron
sides, off fort Sumter:
ADMIRAL, Not knowing yet what have been
the results of your attack OF yesterday, so far
as fort Sumter is concerned, l cannot but con-
graduate you on the magnificent manner in
which the vessels under your command were
fought.
A mere spectator, L could do nothing but
pray for you, which, believe me, | did most
heartily, for you and for all the gallant men
under your command, who sailed SO calmly and
fearlessly into and under and through con-
centric fire which has never heretofore had la
parallel in the history of warfare.
That you are uninjured and so many of
your vessels of your command fit for service
is cause of deep gratitude to Almighty God.
| confess when the Weehawken first ran un-
der Sumter's guns receiving the casemate
and barbette broadsideS from that work SIM
ultaneOusly with the similar broadSide from
fort Moultrie and all other works within
range, | fairly held my breath until the
smoke had cleared away, not expecting TO see
a vestige of the little vessel which had pro-
voked such an attack. With each of the
others the same scene was re-enacted, my in
tereSt in the fate of the Ironsides being,
perhaps the keeneSt from my knowledge of
her comparative yulnerablity, and of the
deep loss the country would sustain if any
thing were to happen to you.
Thank God for the results so far as they go.
May he have you in his keeping through
whatever chances are yet before you. No
country can ever fail that has men capable Of
suffering what your iron-clads had yesterday
to endure. God bless you and keep you safe,
Admiral and believe me, with the highest
esteem, ID. HUNTER.
FLAG-SmP IRoNsIDEs,
Charleston Harbor, S. c., April s, 1868.
GENERAL Il am this moment in receipt of
your most gratifying letter of this date.
did not, however, require this to satisfy me of
your deep sympathy in our operation of yes
terday, intensified by the fact that circum-
stances beyond your control prevented that
which of all things you would most have de-
sired, an immediate and active cooperation.
l shall have your letter read in every iron
clad Of the fleet, so that every man under my
command shall know what has long been
familiar to me, the heartfelt sympathy of the
commanding general of the army OF the de-
partment of the south.
[ am, General with the highest respect,
your most obedient servant,
S. f. DUPONT.