, 1863-06-26
THE LATE NAVAL FEAT OFF
SAVANNAH.
Capture ofthe RebeI Iron-Clad Atlant,
Official Report Il Cap ain Rodgers, Of the
NethlMken.


]
NethaMken.
United STATES STEAMER WKKHAw-KEy,
: NARHAw SOUND, Ga, June II, 1868.
! Sic: have the honor to report that IL
morning, at ten minutes past four, an iro
clad vessel was discovered coming down
: the mouth Of Wilmington River. also ty
) other steamers, one sfde-WheeI, and &
other propeller; beat to quarters and cor
menced clearing the ship for action At TIVE
y minutes past four shipped the cable al
! steamed slowly down towards the northea
end Of Warsaw Island. At thirty miuut
past four turned and stood up The soun
heading for the iron:clad, which ut this tn
was discovered to have the rebel flag fayin
The Nahant, having no pilot, followed il OF
wake. At five minutes OF five the enem
being about one and o haf miles distan
hred rife shot, which passed across OF
stern and struck near the Nahnnt.
At this time the enemy MAS lying across IL
channel, waiting our attack At a quartz
past fire O'Clock, being distant from him abor
300 yards, we commenced firing. At half pas
i've o'clock the enemy hauled down his color
and hoietcd the white flag, VIC having dre
1Fe ehots. steamed near the iron clad and OF
dered boat to be sent alongside.
Alta quarter to six o'clock, Lieut., Ale.and
CT came on board to surrender the rebel iro
clad Atlanta. He reported the vessel agroun
on the sand spit that makes to the so1theas
from Cabbage Island. Shortly afteraard
Captain ". A. Webb came on board and de
nveeed up his sword. Sent prize crew tt
take charge Of the vessel, under the commant
Of Lieutenant Commander D. B. HARMONY, O
the NahaDt. Sent also Lieutenant Command
| er j. J. CornWell, Of this vessel, and ActInt
First Assistant Engineer ]. @. Young, to taxi
charge Of the engine.
On examination, It WAS found that. th.
! ffT1o
the inclined side by fifteeu.inch coned shot
which although fired at an angle Of flfty de
grees, with her keel broke In, the srmor aud
wood backing etreWing the deck with spin,
ters, prostrating about forty men BY the con,
cuseion, and wounding several By broken
pieces OF armor and splinters. Ono man has
elnce died. The second shot eleven inch
sold( struck the edge Of the over-hung
knnck1e, doing 10 damage, except breaking q
pfate or two. The third shot Ia fifteen .fich
ccnedD struck the top Of the pilot house,
knocking it off and wounding two pilots and
stunning the men ut the wheel, Tie fourth
shot, supposed to be eleven inch, struck .
port stopper in tho centre, breaking II In
two and shatterisg it very much, md driving
nany fragments In through the port.
1T twenty minutes past eight the engine OF
the Atlanta MAS secured by Engineer J. G,
Young, and the vessel backed of into deep
water, when she was brought to an auchor,
The wounded, sixteen Ii number, we're re-
moved to the steamer Island City, which had
been kindly brought over from Fort Puluski
BY Colonel Barton, United States army. The
officers Of the vessel we're sent to tie tug
0lender, and a portisn Of the crew to tho
portation to Port Royal.
The Atlanta was found to have mounted two
6-inck and two finch rifles, the G-inch in
broadside and the finch working on pivot
either as broadside OF bow and stern guns.
There Is large supply Of ammunition for
these guns, and other stores, said to be Of
vessel.
There were on board at the time OF the
capture, as per muster roll twenty'one off,
GERS and 194 men, including twenty-eight
mariners. The captured rebel officers told me
that they thought we should tlnd the speed Of
the Atlanta reach ten knots. They believe
her the strongest iron clad in thu Contederacy,
and confdrntfa1ly anticipated taking both
the Eahant and Weekawken.
The behavior Of the officers and crew was
admirable. Lieutenant Commander J. j.
Cornwell did his duty zealously aad efficient
whom recommend for promotion for ral.
liant behavior under the fire Of Fort Darling,
served the guns admir- 4bly, al the result
shows. His energy and GOODNESS were every
thing that con1d be wished. Executive of1lccr
Lieutenant Commander J. J. Cornwcll in
md shell divisions, under Acting Master q.
G. Kingsbury, wore the aspect Of exercise so
completely that no one would have thought
the vessel was In action. The engine, under
the direction Of Acting Assistant Engineer
James George Young, always IL bean +lful Or
hope, by his participation in this action, won
the promotion for which, on account Of his
skill and valuable services, / have already re-
commended him. In word, every man in
the vessel did his duty.
1hase the honor to be- lonr obedlent serrant.
!, To Rear Admiral s. F. DuroST, Comm%apdlae %
South Atlantic D1ockadfng Squadron.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CAPTURED VESSEL.
The Atlanta is drawing fifteen feet Of water.
and has two months provisions on board, ns |
also An Immense quantity of ammunition Of |
she ysr3 finest quality. Her guns are OF re-
feas saI Ensl,sn manufacture AID Improved pat
While speaking Of this part Of the vessel, /
may say she presented on her gun deck On ap-
pearance of The most flthJ character. md
'trangely at variance with the uniform cleaa-
Ines ct yesselsof.wnr. ~
Hergcnern1appearancc resembles very much
.ur iron-clads on the Mississlppi-sucha Us tue
:sscx and Benton, for instance-but by no
means as strong and formidable. The gun
!eck runs from stem to stern, aud over it Ia
be upper or spar deck. The sides arc at
~ hn;it ~ ~ a'J III y, - ios:s.nsa o.gfees they
Iii, 4rh;a1, on ~ anu pi1' esut 20 zen inches
rsht 9 "n1tu ~ - eossteu ~ sila Hon bars ran
~ ~ and a,om nae Upper Spar Geek TO the water
hosn h. nau ~, uns nu n lases III thicsRess.
~ thr,,s.s' ~ ssssu on pR f1Fets pass
- 20 4res oatn,..a ~ "guamoih. oetWeen the
ear,v os hard ~ 1ns iron ,.,c mn,ca mas become
W. 1;,ot.hausa NJ ne .ne Is t5un h,,;,t t'se
,ove ,bn s,,or 1nci1 ,hant b ~ enlou9m anu
3nstrncted IF All, iron ~ ~ 'e. ms +
,chcs th;ct v,+h tuo a1as,o.ataa ~ nu1 nall
,ch nf fIa fnnr sIdna T9as lookr outs oA
rn;I1,h1s chnractar o.tanggfs gio" - u = mos:
ct nnt frnm thn hnw attsnhadS - au9Is ,r.,9., t"9
,wn The cntwater % w. A1a GoI tr,et ~ wa walcn an9
I'm nothinr G 1ese than ~, % imnan.. mna. one won!d
eth Of which aro made Of the finest ", s,teaI :
0 doubt. should she ever attemnt to .1r1t, m
,wn vessel, this saw would sbsoiutely saw
ships side through. "
The Atlanta carries four guns, two .ix.ineb :
70 Reyen-inch, and one pivot gun, forward
LIS gun is fired through tue forward port.
over all is one hundred and eIvhtT
ct, breadth forty feet, dIaught of vessel stE.
en- feet, height Of smokepIpe twelve feel.
,e has engines of three hundred horse nowsr
er pilot-house Is five feet square, with sir
chcs Of wood backing, and i've inches at .
IN plate. Her deck, forward and at. IA
HeT armament consists Of live Enfield 100
'unders. aer rum ls slLteet long by three