Daily national Republican., 1863-03-13
The Fort MOAlliStsr Fight.

some interesting particulars Of the assault
made by the Passsie, Patapsco and the Nahan
upon Fort McAllster are given in the edItorla
oofrespondence Of the Baltimore american
We copy the foiloWile,
AZ precisely half-past eight O'Clock ON Tuea
day morning, the Sd inat., everything being n
readiness Commander Drayton signalIed n
the mortar schooners, which had taken poaI.
tlon around the point, out Of range Of the enc
mys iay guns, 20 qpon fire, and In a few minutes
their tremendous pojectiles were making cir
cult through the air with booming sound that
fairly shook the earth. They soon cot the
range, and their shells fell In and around the
tort with considerable precision.
/ q Amer About dozen shells were fred from
the mortar schooner, the Monitor feet slowly
advanced towards the fort, the PasBaIc taking
the Li.e lead, the Patapsco and Nahant following.
| whist the Monitors were getting in position
and preparing TO anchor, the rebels opened on
the Bassale with solid ten-lnch shot, and the
position she took being in direct line with a
target at which they had been practising, near
Y every shot struck her. The Patapsco and
nahant took position In the rear OF the Passalc
the chanuel being so narrow that Il was inter-
ly impossible 70 to advance abreast, and tbe
water 80 shallow that there was danger on get
ting aground when the tide should Tecede. fhe
uirnculty OF taking the fort under such clreum.
stances was at once apparent.
Inc fatapBco and NAhant were each sepnrn-
ted BY about two hundred yards from the Pas
paic ana nom each other. The wooden yesseia
took no part In the fight, tho Wissahlckon.
Dawn, sabago, Seneca, and Flambeau being al
anchor near the mortar boAts, whilst the Mon
tauk took position in advance of the wooden
vessels and In sight Of the conflict, but took no
The three Monitors, being thus arranged in
line Of battle, kept up constant fire from half.
past eight O'Clock In the morning until twelve
O'Clock. The enemy In the mean time were
not inactive, and showed discrimination 10
make most vigorous defence. They conoen-
trated their fire entirely on the Passalc, which
was In the advance, only a few chance shots
striking the Patapsco and Nahant. =
From twelve 10 one O'Clock there was A tenn.
Porary sus lensionNof hostIllties, on account OF
the fall ofthe tide, partly 10 rest and refresh the
gunners, and partly 10 concert q new combina-
tion Of movements for the reduction OF the enc |
my's work, which, from It's peculiar location, |
and tho obstructions In the river, prevented onr
Monltors rom fully concentrating their fire on |
It's most vulnerable points. The mortar
schooners kept up an occasional fire until two |
O'Clock, when the Monitors again advanced
and renewed the light. A heavy canponadIn0
was kept up occasionally until four O'Clock.
The direct firing on the fort was Suspended |
at four O'Clock, the Monitors falling back ont
OF range. From four O'Clock until eight O'Clock
- ~ N'Cnhb nosthitiee were entirely suB-
pended, when the mortar schooners again
opened fire, and continued to occaslopalIv
throw their shells during the entire niobi
Every hfteen minutes a shell was thrown IN tbe
direction Of the fort, The purpose Of this M.
ing during the night was 10 distract the enemy.
prevent him from repairing damages, and Keen
him from rest and rsfreshment. ~
The cannonhding during the day had bssn
very heavy, and Its results rather u1satisfacto-
~. The difficulty Of obtaining position before
the fort by more than one Monitor at n time
owing to the obstructlons In the river, which
prevented them from getting In full range be-
fore the fort, rendered the task a dlfficult one.
y they could have removed the obstrhetlons,
.he work would have been an easy one of ac
and they might have moved on
against Savannah, II 80 desired. These oh (
Itruetions, however, have proved greater bar. {
Ter than the guns OF the enemy, which agaInst
he iron-clads have done no more damage than
10 many pop-guns. .tFr.DI 10 p - /
The night bombardment was kept IN untli j
Iaybreak, without any intermisslon, when IL 4
eased entirely, whilst the feet OF fron-ciada
vas preparing TO move forward TO a renewal Of .
he direct assault onothe works. The Incessant B
mortar firing during the night, II was Thought Ia
lad prevented the repair OF the damage done | 4
yesterday, as well as the mounting Of new gups
\ I the pace OF those dismounted yesterday.
tut, on approaching tho fort, Capt. Drayton /
discovered that the enemy had, during tbe O
light, repaired all damage, and that the fort 9
Tas as impregnable as on the previous day. n
He therefore concluded 10 abandon al once v
he attempt TO reduce 1t, the destruction Of tbe 4
nashville having In reality rendered its poa- Il
ession matter Of little or no Importance a
On ordering his vessels to retire, the enemv v
red their cannonB, exploded their riaes. and
houted, yelled, and cheered with an exultant
that could be distinctly heard AZ a o
reat distance The abandonment Of the at
lex was undoubtedly most joyful event to
le rebels, ana Of corresponding depression to
5. Tho possession Of the fort was but of little
Importance, but the failure TO take 1t after 60
gorous an attempt was somewhat mortlfy
ig. .-..
The result Of the fight was deemed as settling
le question that with such shallow water and
le narroWness OF the stream the taking of an re
'rthwork situated as Fort McAlllster was an pl
nPosslolllty' Unless the distractions In the d
yer were previously removed, or the aid of a er
nd force was given to the Monitors, they could N
q approach within one thousand yards of the "a
III, and hence, unless they could entirely de- =
roy Il with their guns, all further attempts
ere useless. ..IlOI. -
The number Of guns fired by the PassaIc " "
irlng the fight was 81; by the Patapsco. 20, 20
Id the Nahant, go. The Monitor schooners y
ed about 100 shells. The fight has proved al az
C entire inyulnerability of the Monitors. and IN
cir ability to pass any land battery that was o.
er constructed, with the greatest Impunlty,
divided there should be no distractions in the
annel' slight but harmless depression of
cir armor was all the damage inflicted upon dll
y of them. NFN