New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-17

squadron on Charleston:
FLAGSHIP wAnA' wI po:r EoI.I H.nDcr SOL
SIR: In my previous dispatch No. 40, written lost
as the mail was closing, ipforred the Department
that would send refntation in official form Of tie
statement made In Gen. beauegafds proclanoa alton,
a. to the blockade Of Charleston, Published in II
Charleston and Savannah papers, AID Accompanied
by assertions made with the apparent sanction d
certain foreign functioDaries.
The emphatic letter OF Capt. Turner mo. H. the elsas
and decided statement Of the officers No. y, which
he forwards together with the previous inquiries
and examinations Of lcgbooks, made BY Csps. Co..
don of the Powhatan (wbo was the senior o0Aees
present previcus 10 the arrival OF the New Iroa-
sides). and whom had dispatched to Charleston ~
the day of tho raid, leave nothing to add, save
TO call the especial attention OF the Department 70
the facts thus ELECTED.
Very respectfully. your ebedisnt servant,
S. r. DUPONT, RearAdnirL Con1e
Soath Ailsltic BlocksdiD squadron
The Hon. 0fDkoS WrLLEs Secretary Of the Navy
UNITED sTATEs sTE.s tRrGArs Nsw IRossIoss
Orr CEARLgsToS Feb. 10, 1903.
R.ar ADMIRAL s. =. DrPoxr, cswmarS.sS.
ADMIRAL: have the honor 10 forward 10 you
certificate signed by ali the commanding officers Of
the vessels that were lying of Charleston Bar on
the morning Of the attack of the rams upon this
squadron, excepting only three, one Of whom ID on
duty ut distance, and the other two the command.
ers of the two vessels which sent to Port
ROYAL to repair damages AID which were the only
two that were injured, Notwithstanding The report
of the enemy in the Charleston papers, az the result
of the engagement, that two vessels were sunk, four
set on fire, and he remainder driven away. Your
personal knowledge OF these gentlemen. and your
entire confidence in their truth and uprightness Of
character will give to their statement The force that
il necessary TO refute satisfactorily and eiIectualy
that which has been given TO tne world by the aa-
thori,ies IN Charleston ami their sympathlzers.
Il il with unaffected pain am called upon to for.
ward document ref.cting 80 severely. but justly,
upon functona.ics holding the high position OF con-
- A etafa Iaah oan
made by his suhoity, tbe connisnder OF vessel Of
war of Her Brisannic Gajooty. Nor Can account
for il any other way Than its being preneditsted
act on their part with foregone conclusions, to draw
up report that would prejudice our cause 10 the
ewes Of the world, that these events were seen by
them with the distorted optics OF preJudiced and
partisan Witnesses
The facts are 80 clear, both as to the disposition Of
the blockadlng squadron, during the day succeeding
the engagement, snd rs 10 TIE amount OF damage
dore our vessels in IL, that 1t does mol admit OF
doubt that these gentlemen have given the seal Of
their high Offices 70 the version OF Inc affair, which
could not have been, by auy possibility, either BY
inference or personal observ aton forced upon their
convictions AZ truth
have he honor to be- veg respectfully your oselisns
u. STEAMER NEW lRo3sIDss
OYg CHtRLRsToN, Feb IL, 1913
We, the undersgoed, otficers commanding the va
rious vessels OF the DiocAadng squadron OIL Charles
ton nave seen the proclamation OF Gen. Beauregard
and Com. Ingrahain, herewith appended r. also the
results OF the so-c.lled eDggg' ments, viz: two
vrssels sunk four EEL ON lie, aud the remainder
driven away" aud also the statement that the Brit
ish Coasui and the Commander OF the British war
steamer Petrol lad previously zone five miles be-
yond The usual anchorage Of The blockade, and could
see nO.hing OF them with their glasses.
We ,,eem IL our duty - state that the 30 called
resalts are false IA every particular. No vesr~a~
were sunk; none were ret Oh are eer0unly. Two
ve..eis alone are injured seriously The Mereedita
4 II H.. he shali frnf. no aulx gllu
fired al her when surprised by an attack al aIgnt.
A tIi>k haze was prevailing. The steamer Key
stone state also had her stsnichest injured al the
moment oi attempting 10 run Gown one OF tue rams
The kevstone State Was al once assisted by The
Memphis, which vessel exchanged shots WITH the
iron ram rs she was v.tudrawinS toward ne Oar,
alter having fired at the keystone STATE, "A did also
the Quake. City. SO haSIy Was tie rrIrca' Of the
nam. that, although they Gay have perceived that
the kcystole State bad received serious damage, no
attempt " rs even made 10 approach her.
The 0tettin aud Ottawa, at the extreme emu OF
Inc hue did not get uude. way from their position
TILL utter the rnK hne eea-,d, aud the et1 mere,
~ saw the black suioKe ss the IaiDs disappeared
over the bar. Tie FlEg was alongside tie Nerve
o;,s. a.ier u sAems, $40 I'D yielled 10 tee ram,
suepOsug herself sinking. iae rams Withdrew
nasiliv toward the hagvOr, ana 90 tLeir way were
fired :, by the ilou-aLODc sui Augusta. untIl both
md got beg oud resca OF saer guar. They ansnorec
under the protection oi tAer FORTS and renamed
there.
No vessel iron-ciad or other, ia sed out over the
bar Ter the return OF tae L. short, the Una
dlii was uol aware 0t TIE attack until the Housa.
tome commenced E.nl, wnen she moved out toward
thai vessel iOr hUr aLcIOrase
Jle nOgsa'Onl Mas ie"er 1eYoud TIE ub1a. Nue
OF the blockade. The Quaker CITY m the forenoon
picked up the anchor which shs ad clipped = repair
10 the POINT OF lie ihIV. Ins F.ag coiuniillcatod
with the seuor oloer on board size iJas tonic that
for, uOol ooUl altof ,he 49, euded 4ad ne OIocX-
l.. l.C Ap ..4N
tne ror, that uaN, nor WAS any attempt nude 10 run
,aa blockade. The h9ystoEe STATE necessarily was
ordered TO Port Royal los repairs. Tie UDaAilia
return, . To her usual anchorage, after conmnicat-
m. "a nh GLc senOr Ol.crr, where sue rcmdiDpd dur
',g the DAY. u,
IhroaghOu. The day Two slnali tug.boats re manned
apparently Ia Attendance Oh the ram, under cover Of
Fonts Mouitlle and iSeauWgaGd. The p lle-ste2mer
Princes kuyel which he'd oeeii along de the uous-
Rtoni, Was dis, aicbei 10 Font hoyg one hour anda
h.it tt.r the ram had rs.iled ~ the OF the
batteries Nj about - d. IL these the facts, and
We DO not Loriate ~ eIatc that no vessel lid come
oui beyond the bar, after tue return the rams AZ
Dot,vc, IA ana 20. ia, 10 tlo cover vi tAe iorls.
~ believe tie STATEMENT that any vessel came
anywhere hear tue usual HORACE of aUy OF the
biochadeis ~ Ia Tie bar alter the withdrawal Of
Tie rams TO be deliberately aud Knowingly iaiss. II
the statement fror' tue pdpcr- ds now before as has
tie SANCTION oil Toe Rebel aud the Foreign Cousuls
We can only deplose that foreign oIicsrs c4o lend
ta,r OH, hi positions 10 the sproaaip, before the
world Tor an unworthy object, uutratis p.leot &c
every oihcer OF tae squadron.
NM. hO6kl.S TAYLOR, Capt Commanding y. 8.
Steiner Aousaso.io.
H. SIhVNOt Coma Commanding U $ steamer
JAMES MADISON FRAILET. Cen. Commanding
f. G. PARRUIi Com Commanding n. g s
P c. MArEHoUGH. Commanding n. 5. steamer
- MeHPCi' OMAN c..u...n.,n. n & .s.p~s