Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-04-17
SIEGE OF CHARLESTON.
from the New Fork Tribune
HISTORY OF THE ACTION.


WAshfNoToN, April IL, 1863.
Tha gunboat Flambeau from Charleston Bar
at IL O'Clock on Wednesday. arrived nj tbe Navv
Yard at 9 O'Clock To-day, She brings Cantaii
Rhind, who was wounded in IN. action with the
rebel forts. and Lieut.. Forrest. of The Keokuk
Your special correspondent, who alone of the
members of the press ia the Department OF the
South was with the iron-clad heet during thu
action, being on board the admirals flagship, is
also n passeneer His summary Of events Ia az
follows:
The ron-clad squadron. conveyed by a num-
Der of punboats, arrived off Charleston ON the
morning Of the 9th inst. In the course of the
afternoon the chnuuel across the bar WAS huoyed
out by the coast survey steamer Bbb. and The
Keokuk.
1t was intended to cross the bar bnt afternoon,
but high wind arose, which Induced Admiral
dupont 10 postpone crossing ull tho next day
iowhrd evening inc rh'apseo s'ooi IN close TO
hlghl Rouse met 10 project tue ouoys it was
expected lhat sue would uraw me hre OF the
renel ph'iefles' put cue anchored INSIDE ahd re-
hialneu uhu'oiesteu al highN
THE ORDER TO ADVANCE.
In the evening the Admiral issued hi, order of
battle The plan of the attack was TO move the
iron-clnd souadron up the mnin sbin-chnnnel
without noticing any fire Of the Morris Island
batteries, steer directly 10 Fort Sumter. aud
engage its northwest fnce. at n distance 81 GOO
or 500 wards. the fire. IN be mined nj The centre
embrasufes The line Of battle to he as follows :;
Weehawken, passaic. patapsco. New Ironsides
aag-ship; Catskill. Nantucket. Nahnnt and
Keokuk,
A squadron Of reserve. consisting Of the Ga.
nandafeua. Housntonic. Huton. Unadilln. and
Wissahickon, was TO form outside of Inc bar
prepared to come, if necessary. TO the eupport
nf the ron -eInds
EARLY on the morning of the 9th inst. Admi-
raj Dupont and staif Transferred their ounrtera
from, Tie steamer lanes Adger in The Irnnsi,,es
About O'Clock a general sirpal Ia get under
way was given. Some fears were entertninod
of eroundiny when orossinp tho h,,r. INIT nil the
vessels not over safely aud came TO anchor d.
rectly opposlte Light House Inlet
nr1Ay am Tup cAIrsps
r,uo. door,oi ,,o,.oso,,, 10 ou,ait H.. ott ,;,,.
in order 10 discover more readily the obslrue.
tons. The fleet wasexpccted to be able TO move
10 the attnck at | o'clock p. NJ. hut Mt that
time a thick fog bmd. risen oopcenlinr tho shore
lines, the guidance of which tho pilots. amonq
whom were three eolored volunteers and Robert
Small, required for the safe steering. The nd.
niral then Reluctantly POSTPONED tic attack TO
the next day
During the day brigade of Gen. Ferry's pi-
vision worked its way nm Folly Island estab.
lished itself close To the beach and onened com.
munication with the fleet No norton Of the
land force GOT nearer TO tho point of attack. and
nil were obliged 10 nay the part of enr witnesses
Natbinc WINS done duiing he remainder of ,he
sixth.
On the morning of the 9TH, the fog was still
thick but by nine o'clock it had nearly cleared
away, anu mere was uo lur.ner cause lor uelay
81 =. Ine a'.lch ~ W .welYe o.osN prtPara-
"oa-vGus,
~ T. NJ, ,se Pl,o' 0. .ne hns e, vt ,as'
ueeiareu himself reauy 10 moNo. she signal 10
~ Wy Mas ao" anH ~
"sio'' wv wy "nV'' nv is ~ ~ w
o t s''en si- Pda Ia w. w., o,ooM
.ne batteries on MOTIFS lssnu han neeh passed
~ 'ne nrs' lour Hou''ors WITHOUT drawing 'he
nv VI 'ne onen1'
TROUBLE WITH TtlE FLAG-SlllP.
Shortly before 3 o'clock the Ironsdes showed
disobedience to her iudder, her bow swinging to
the strong ebb tide, and threatening to bring
her gu the shoals to her right. She was, there's
fore, compelled to come to anchor to stay her
course. Meantime the first four monitors had
continued on toward tue lori inc enemy al
ioWeu .ne "eena"Aeh 70 couie "''u'u oVo y9fus
Oh Fort MSu'fle, Wnen two snv's aeross her DOW
from t1ls loit opSisu 'no ho'ion' ..,
lne lrous'uvs hau 'sa'n sV' un1 =, "e'sp' uuu
approacheu "''niu iIuV yutue u rur' "uinp'or,
When sue once uoro pegope uhlnauaeeaole, unl
was ngaln opnkeu 70 urop ahenor, ING mon
ltors uheau VI ner n"e 'heh Ieueneu tne uoh.
verglng toiht oi INC hre ., cummings rolhi
battery, Eor' oulnp'er' rort Moui'le anu
Niou''''e'''s' N"e"N 20 'ss'
THE BOMBARDMENT COMMENCED
sheet Of g.me and volnmes of s,noke ex
,a,,1;n,r from Morris Ia sulivanis ialon,s inapc
'onu''s -. - ~. l,, i,t,ii H. - 20,
s'a.;sc cmnInnade If the Obole war If indesJ
!, ,,"s ayer eonnlled in the history of the world
A nerlect torrent of shot aud shell was poured
upon the Monitors, wrapping them sometimes
almost entirely in spouts OF water thrown up by
the striking prCiectiles.
The Monitors continued their play, replying
vigorously from their batteries to the enemy,
They passed the northeast face of Fort Sumptor
but when they came near its angle with the
northwestern face they made out Mt a short dis
lance three distinct lines Oh oosructohs, consls'
ting of floating logs with tOrpedoes attached
and networks of cables held perpendicularly IL
the water by weights.
THE UARBOR DISTRACTIONS.
Tha po,onsco cat fopl of one of than and
Ill not make her srrew work far gonna fftcrr
.a;a,,aa INIT finally GOT clear tornado exnio
iaI olose IN The bow of The Weebnwlen. Win
ue .a T taaanor ,ioi,,g AM, don,ora
o"s, ssais mi steerinr very boovt,. tho ror
: w n 'S Ih,nurb thr line If obs,rnc ,;on.
~" p"s r. ,ascl,sd Aftsr ssvarol vain H.
eou.u 40 IN, y,ss,i. tnrncd nhort and s,eom
.s'pp,J, d', ,no h., M, ali Inc vbilo snstain
W Jaw a., .n,t r-snon1ing with thar 7nn,
iiiB heur5 ~ ,i'l'' r., g."
a9 T r,bo'uaay ho nsr ooo. nonrder parrot
oun disabisd by ms own recoil early in tho nc
finn The turret of the Passa,c was bent in