The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-04-24
g II A r L Z S TON
Full Account CT the Attack and Re.
pulls. of the 1,on-clad Fleet.

'ulis OF perhaps ibe mos, desperate while
At the same time, perhaps, one Of the
shortest naval contests recorded in HIS
tory. Tie attack Of the iron ,cls!s unoD
Charleston, for which we have been 80
a7xlonsiy looking FOR many weeks, hs, at
isst 'a.en place 1t WAS very near the
annlversaTF Of the first battle and of the
iifst humiliation of our flag in this war,
and hss ended in another defeat which
though not uesrls SO disastrous =. it might
have been. either in loss of life or OF per
1 'nsrent damage to oar naval force viii
fail with .ickening effect upon the country
and may, perhaps, prove the end OF any
attempts for long time to come toward
tire capture of the city tha, has been fore.
most in the rebellion I, WAS decided on
| edHes!sy that another attack AZ presen,
would be inadsissble, as it. success would
be impossible It ia probable ths. both the
'eet and the few land forc,s that yer. 10
60 aqerats with the expedition will return
70 Fort Royal as eoan as practicable. 10
await the planning CT som. rev enterprise
against .l.g sn..ny.
.'ns hsfoss the reader can undcrstand
'hs ras.l's, the history CT the fgh. must
ba rotated. The flee, .sss Tor q week
quietly assembling Al the place Of rem
iezTo0s in 'hs North E,ii3to river. which
i. about midway between Charleston anI
Port Royal. Tho weather rendered Il
Impossible to do anything n the way OF
sc.'ve preparation f.. The attack before
thu 5rh in4.>at, when the wc7k Of t;oy.
iHg out the asrho- ef Charleston was a..
"a'np'i-''af hr The iron cIal Ka,sDL
Capt. Rhind assisted by the Bib under
{. II. BoQtal!a, assistant United State.
coast surrey, snd tho buoy schooner Al
Fairal Dupont, with the pilots Of the
.qu.ffon The Ribb was rndar way st
seven O'Clock and took tn. lead. By noon
i tbs r.Rsa Of the bar had been fasr,;ea
ont by thu Bib and the schooner. and
a,rlv in tina afternoon Acting Envipaar
Plat, Of tha R;bh. went on board fha
! henknk, snd st3~-a1 her for the bar
This va. crossed BIZ Pumpkin Channel
which la new channel formed hr th-
action Of The ti1.', north of the u,.in ono
=; - : II "a oh,trurfe.1 +.
> I've Hlo'lp IL Al
Il ia h-'er kHr~n a, he old channel. ani
= sect d&aEar. II v7- expected ia:
the kaoEuil would te fred uDnn, l,,t sla
threw oTer the huoys in their apooin,eI
places and soGn,eG The channel for savay.'
honrs, with no hostile d-rnors,rat;nDs
from the shore. During the nrh, the
Pstapsco crossed he bar. an! remained
there 10 guard against ne possibility %
Al a.;e,ap, by the eseuv 10 remove the
huoYs. The CatskjI and passaic also re-
NAMED cln-- to Tho bar during the night
On Monday morning Admiral DDnoot.
With his s'ah Fl--t C-et~in G. T.. p.
Ro5gors, l.i"u'enant A. G Mscaanzio,
orasn"e officer; Flag Lieutenant s. w.
Preston; Ensign II. Thomson, ail>ae
camp and signal officer, and Mr. A.
NckeaNv, s.rratarY, went on board TIA,
Troosides, which WAS to be the far-ship
du7ipr the engagement. and the nine iron
clahs took their position in.ida the bqr
MA in the main rim channel. Thi. tonk
place abopt o'clock. and 81! were safely
1T anchor nv 10
TO Ire lrf, q the charnel, on caf.r
ing Charleston hsrhor. is Morris Island
ana to the hight Sn'iyau's !>'aal. The
ha'fcv'e. on the former command he
main ship chann"l. anl 'hnSc On The latter
rhr ~wnsh and North Channel. Tn front
and ~ short ranra from ,hese channels i
For' Simter, with Fort Mpultri. onn1sito
on ia" i-tht and The Fort on Cumrn;nr'-
Paint a tie left Al the principal chan
nc's converCe an2 rnn between Mon,r1A
and Sumter. sal hevNnl those are ort
Ripley and Castle piHrkney On SnIlivaa'-
Island i, battery At the north end guard
ing breach Inlet, which, is too distant 10
ii<'urb lie passage Of our vessels. an
nearer and close TO the Noal:sia Hotel
is a strong saal battery calel Fort
Beaar"gsri, South Of Cummings Point
battery i Fort Wa ner, And there is anorh
az foTtfcsIion on tn. inlet which divides
Morris from Folly Island The plan Of
TIE attack. rs laI down BIZ Admiral Da>
pom. in his Official order to hi. etii.ars,
vas IS follows:
The bar viii be huoyel BY the Keokuk.
Commander Rhnl, assisted tv C. Q
Bou'elIs, Assistant United States coast
surrey, commanding the BIB, hr Acting
Ensign Plate, and the pilots Of the squat
ron. The commanding officers viii, previ
Gus to crossing, make tha;nselves acqua;nt
ed with the value Of the buovs
The vessel. will. on signal being made,
form 10 the prescribed order ahead at
intervals of one csbe's length
TIE squadron viii pass up the main
ship channel without returning the fire Of
the batteries on Morris Island, unles.
signal should be made to commence ac-
ton
The ships vii! open fire on Fort Sumter
when within easy range, and will take up
4 position to the rorthward and westward
OF that fprtificstion engaging its left. or
northeas, fare al distance of from | 900
70 500 yard., firing low and aiming at
The center embrasure.
The commanding officers will instruct
their officers and men to carefully avoid
Wasting shot, and will enjoin upon them
the necessity Oppression rather than raptdi
~ OF fire.
Each ship will be prepared to render
every assistance possible to vessels that
may require IT,
The special code OF signals prepared