Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-08-19

About eight o'clock this morning the attack ooHl-
menced the iron clads TscumIsh, Manhattan, WINNIE
bsgO aud Chickasaw leading, closely followed Dy the
wooden vessels Hartford, Aonongahtll, tennessee
M.tacomet 01eids, Iasca, 80, eighteen IN all asneo
TWO ana two, in the same manner ss when inc for'
Hudson batteries we're passed. Tas Brooklyn Was
tho fist following the Monitors aRd tue hartford
"a 40 ship) second. The Richmond, lackSWaDna, osSi-
Pee, AonoDg lhes, oleOa Gslens, Per. Royal, Meta
comet, Oc.orara, Ssminole and l;asca followed
When the Aeet was fairly under way the line headed
directly for Fort Morgan, tue enemy opening terrlnc
frs from Forts Morgan aud Gsnes and assisted by the
guns rlu the rebel ram Tennessee aud four other YES
sells at he entrance OF the bay.
Our only reply TO the enemy from this range was the
sending of ieW shells from one hundred pouoder Par
rots statioLed at the bows Of she VesseE; out when
the set arrived as within Biscuits throw Of Fort Nor
gan svery vessel ready With her broadde, aud as
the et passed they opened terrible IRE, the cannon
rafting in volsys similar infantry fire or muketry
driving the gunners from their guns and sencing beth
tort and water battery.
xSsAaIEa TIE REBEL RAN-Loss OF THE xEoUN5EH
As soon as ,hebay wss reached ihe reberam Tonnes
see punboa. Ina and thre, others attached the nee
and almost before the first gun fred in the action
vih Them the )bi or Tec1mseh ruek torpedo, which
fairly hlew her or rather lifted her, out of thewateT,
sLe1 she descended and disappeared. Nearly ell on
hoard were lost but eight or Gu es apng Tney were
n,cksd up by on from the Msacomet while the fight
was going on. 3 fighting was terrific ior tine. but
was soon evident that NE mad the best OF the action
though the smoke rendered the engagement very mus
tinet
As the Tennessee aad other rebel vessels were engsg.
ing the feet several OF the smaller vesse passed Them
when the Tennessee would attempt to run them down.
Toe Oleda was TO the waters ecge oy her iormds-
bio ra and to prevent her from sinking shs was run
into Gboa water This vessel also received shot In her
boiler.
Ths rebel eunboat S'na attempted to leave the let
quietly and steam to Mobile, but the Ae;acomet dis
covered the movement aud ha,tened after her. When
the former saw tht escspo MAS Impossible shs sure1
derei to Captain Jarrot OF the hetaconet To rtosl
yessel had lost iearuly in killed end wounded, and
when her decks were reached the dead and dying lay
around, while her scuppsrs ran With blood Her Com
Inaudsr Lieut. Oomsloek, formerly oil the U. s. Navy,
vas living dead GGFoss tho breeol OF guo, with bis
boveu torn out H1 was evidently in the act OF sight
ing the piece when shot.
The Tennessee boldly steamed in the direction OF our
feet as if fJr the purpose Of running Gown and de-
stroyipg the wooden vessels, without paying attention
20 the oHiors except TO keep out Of their way but
they perss vsred in tloEing her a7d cutting her CT
when her whole sttentoh Was forced to DC Greeted 10
them Tho 6ghtiug did not las. long bssTeen them,
hogsver for the agshp aud the Aou0ngahela steamed
in the objection OF the Tennessee, the Honongahela
striking her smdahps With her terrible prov, cauEng
the huge rebsl monster TO reel ike drunken IAN.
The Hartford then grapped the Tennessee; but further
hloodshed was saved by the Ia ter hosting the white
flag from he pilot house.
Oman Pierre Giraud led tho party vino boarded the
ram and the II bel Admiral Buchanan delivered up his
sword to him.
Yhe Tennessee is reported to have surrendered on
count Of the democrat zItion Of her crew.
Our loss in this Ec.ion is abou. two hundred and fly
iocudng nearly ons hundred who psrishsd in the To-
cumseb.
We have captured nearly 500 prisoners
A portion OF feet are operating on Fort Gaines.
1HE INJURY TO OUR FLEET.
The Hartford asgsaip) is probably Injured ore than
any other Yesel OF the het with the exception Of the
Oneida.
The former unfortunately received stroke Intended
for tire rebel Tennessee. She had just struck the
ram with her Prov and turning round for the pur
nose OF delivering broa1sids when the Astacone',
which had not been observed on account Of the smoke
Was upon her before either vessel could change her
course aud the sds OF the ga lsnt flagship crushed
in The Hartford also badly injured in the engage.
msnt ald it will be necessary fJr her to go Noysh
repairs.
FORT MORGAN TO BE INVESTED.
A large bo5y Of our soldiers marched in the direction
oil Fort Morgan, from Pensacola, for the purpose Of
heading off the garrison from escaping TO Mobile and
investing he fcrs
ADMIRAL TAReAGUT TO COMMODORE PALMER.
The following is synopsis of letter from Admiral
Farragu. to Commodore Palmer, received in New o.
leans few hours before the steamer sailed. He says
10 substance:
At an early hour on Friday our feet lashcd two and
two sailed into tie Pass, close up under the gurs Of
Fort Morgan pouring 10 brosdside after bIosdsde of
grape ana cnerthus driving the gunuers of the fort
fr their pieces and leaving our vessels exposed only
to the lie Of Forts GaiUes and >w5l, which were, Of
course, les5 effective on account Of dsalce. Al the
s,me TINS G ntr / Grapger's land batteries sn6laded
a.; and win nof
PJue In passing the forts the Oaeds received 81 OF
which Temporarily disabled her machinery out she was
safely toWed through tie fire by her Gonsort.
Our monitor Tecumseh of the foremost. A
torpedo exploding beneath Der bottom she sunk almost
inslantAneously carricg down all her officers only ten
of her crew etoapiDe She was commanded by Captain
Tuns A. Craven. 0dg loss this vessel wss abou one
ludrsd The gunooats having passed the forts, and
being out of their Ieach pursued By the formidable
ram Teunesee, and three iron clad gunboSs-lhe Sell
ma GIines aud Morgan. Oar VESSELS immsdia ely at
tackled the aud battered him 80 tf=ctuay that he
surrender ed in few minutes by hanging out the white
flag. Admiral Buchsnan, the Commander, lost leg,
and With ell his oSsy, prisoners in hands There
were only three killed the Tennessee She but
slightly dansgsd d it is probable tina F,nsgat had
m de her fl for soion by ths time. We ao captured
the Selma of which lpa,n Murphy Eaj the commaud.
err. Lieut. Pfenti OF the Aouongaheia lost both legs.
He 10 gallant officer and has Dung wife in this city.
Captain Killarney If the 0aeidO, loss an All the
wounded will be sent to Pensacola. Oar loss Ia $40
killed aud wounded. TIE two remaining rebel gun
bca Asd uader tho guns of Fort Moig,n Tor protec
ton one of them is aground and the Admiral il conf
deLt that be can destroy them to day. He has not the
sigheet doubt of his ability 10 reGuce the forts Bat
their capture WI not give US command OF the city
which is OK ensiyely fortified at Dog river and Gle.
where
From Tie Nsv Orleans Era,l
Tx LIsE OF BAFTLE
The Uaion feet passed the forts in the following
der :: F. ret came me for monitors. two OF them the
same which rscsnjy aT in foot Of n Orleans; then
came tho BEoCkyp, with steamer lashed to her side
the side fsrtheHi showed ircm the enemy; following
her came the h'gs1ip Hartford, vith the Mstacomet
lashed o her In what order the Others followed we
have rot yet ascsr'aned.
HARTFORD WEST IN.
The noble old ship war Hartford had of COURSE 10
perform come deed Of mora than ocmmon daring
something different from the gallant exploits of her