Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-04-16
DAMAGE TO THE ENEMY

DAhAGE To THE ENEMY.
In spite Of the comparative weakness Of our FIRE CON-
siderable damage was done the forts The northeast
face Of Fort Sumter marked with eleven holes plainly
visible at distance of three miles Some gaps were
ed right through the wall Two embrasures seemed r.
most knocked into One of first shots brought
down the flagstaff of Fort Moultrie.
OPINION OF NAVAL OFFICER.
An officer of the steamer Ben Deford writes. under date
OF the 7th instant:
The Weehswken gave Sumter gun at eight minutes to
three Sumter did not for several minutes and
then whole broadsde beched forth stream Of fire, envel
oping the fort and the Weshawken in cloud OF smoke
Moutrie and Cummings Point fred at the time, and
suppose that two tons OF iron hurled all at
the little floating battery looked for the smoke to clear
away feeling that the Monitor must be annhilated but
the smoke rose she was seamng away past the ft
if there nothing to interrupt her. The other Mon
tors within range and the of artillery
ncessan To call this meeting OF great forces grand aud
sublime is common place. The shock was terrible, and
cannot be described. The whole line Suyhns Island,
from below Moutrpvle to the inner point of the island
the middle ground succession of batteries with
guns heavy cabre and the for two hours in
one continued blare Seventy guns were counted in the
space Of three minutes have means OF knowing the
damage to Fort Sumter 1t my belief that it has had
handling though few if any Of it, guns
disabled concentrated FIRE spot for few hours
DESPATCH FROM ADMIRAL DUPONT.
The following despatch sent by signals by Admiral
Dupont to Gen. Hunters
FLAGSHIP IRoSsIDEs, April 7-6 P. NJ.
To Gen Hunter Delayed in getting under way by acct
dent orders not reaching the leading ship attempted to
pass into the inner chanue but obliged 10 anchor to
prevent going ashore Engaged the forts but found too
late to continue Casualties few One ironcsd disabled,
two partia B Ironsdes very slightly struck very oten
Please inform the senior naval officer.
Admiral DUPONT, per T. r. TowN,
Lieutenant and Signal Officer board the lrcnsdes.
CASUALTIES ON THE RoN-cLADs.
The editorial correspondent OF the Baltimore American,
in letter dated the 9th instant reports that during the
engagement only was killed and six wounded on
the Union feet The Keokuk was the only vessel Loaf
The Ironsdes and each and all Of the Monitors are
in good condition for renewal Of the fight On
six OF them not soul injured, and the and ma
chinery has been tested under heavy FIRE. He adds:
The vessels covered with heavy Of war deep
indenatons, holes through their smoke stacks &c. but
not one OF them received any injury that could be regarded
rendering them less seryceable. Even the Nahsnt
which most roughly used ready for action at enc
O'clock little difficulty in the working of her turret hsv
ing been remeded by the mechanics sent for that
pose. This the vesse which three wound
ed by the flying Of broken bolts in the pot-house
The Patapsco steamed off alone to Port Royal yesterday
afternoon and the Weehawken, which longer under
IRE than any other vessel not injured in lhs least
Jar % her condition io service was concerned They will
all return to Port Royal.
duee the Government to repudiae the Ericsson Monitors
still lies the shore Of Folly leland part of her smoke
stack being still visible The necessity Of destroying this
vessel TO prevent the rebels from raising ii s ali that de-
tans the feet here II the intention yesterday that
the whole feet should leave at o'clock this morning but
the arrangements for Blowing Der up have not yet been
completed This evening or Tomorrow morning she 10 b.
be blown up with of the ERICSSON RATS aud lorpedoes
used precisely intended they sboui be used ia re-
moving the distractions 10 the harbor Of Charleston.
FATE OF \ RAFT
The Ericsson raft that Captain John Rodgers Of the
Weehawken took with him in the fight using il az tor
ppd lOose he Jim IL.
asenpgs having become deranged and osted in
the Caumnss Point Btttsy shout the tune he was ex-
pectiDg the order TO forward As il 0oated up IL
was watched by the people along shore and when finally
grounded it was Iaughsble to how careful they were
IN approaching it, The impression being that il was an in
ferns machine OF description or other At first
crowd assembled the beach around IT, and viewed il on
all sdes no daring to venture upon it, After about
hath'urs Inspection one fellow, moro daring than the
others jumped with pole the surf aud lighted on
the RAJ. Tie at fret moved about very carefully Inspect
ing all portions Of H. ab S"ally begsu 10 stut about on H.
q" much az 10 say who's arsidF When those shore
saw there was nothing to fear about twenty followed hm