Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-03-04
fROM CHARLESTON.

| we nave constant and steady stream Of
deserters coming in, varying in number from
four to ten daily. The majority Of them arc
from North Carolina, but almost every State
is also represented. A fortnight ago a rebel
Lieutenant from Georgia came in. Day be-.
fore yesterday Gen. Beaaregard's barge crew
deserted IN a body, and came over to Admi-
raj Dahlgren. Their news is very interest.
ing 20 the feet. IL seems that the rebels
have eight torpedo boats like the David that
attacked the lronsides. These boats are all
ready, and expect to come down nightly.
They experience great difficulty in getting
crews for them. The submarine affair. thew
I say, came out Of Beach Inlet week ago. in
tending to attack the Wabash, but she sunk
when on the passage and drowned all hands.
She was raised the succeeding night and TOW.
! ed in again. This makes the third time she
has sunk and drowned all hands Eight YES
sells BLOCKADE runners) are expected soon by
the rebels, one Of them named the St Peters
burg, loaded with valuable cargo of guns
; and ammunition
The feet is on the alert The number OF
vessels ourside the bar has been doubled, the
I iron-clads all move up at night and one pat
/ rolls the shore channel. There have been
I lately two large fires in Charleston caused
( by our shells. Deserters say the city Is now
! divided into two districts, viz: in range and
out of range and that no other expression
is used. One Of the guns in Wagner niched
piece out OF 81. Andrews steeple last Sun
day. II must have created a sensation, as
they were holding worship there"
A correspondent Of the Boston Herald.
writing from United States ship Canandaigua,
/ describes the occurrences connected with the
sinking Of the corvette Housatonic by ieoel
torpedo on thu evening Of l7th instant ia
Charleston Hafbor. At quarter to nine
O'Clock a long object, just on the edge of the
water, was discovelcd astern of the ship. 10
an instant the cable was slipped, the alarm
sornded and all hands beat to quarters, but
before the slip had made any Roadway the
torpedo exploded under her starboard auer-
ter, making a most frightful report. The
propeller was broken IF, the stern was torn
to pieces, and the ship sunk rapidly in less
than eight minutes from the time the torpedo
machine was first seen. The vessel sank in
six tathoms in water. The writer says
AS she began to sink the most frishtful
scenes were witnessed. Men with nothing
but their shirts on we're seen struggling in
the water, officers were trying 10 get the boats
loose, while others were mounting the rig
ging. Three boats were finally unlashed,
and these were sent to rescue those in the
water. The gig at once started for the Ca
nandaigua, carrying Capt. Pickering. who was
badly injured, but is now doing we'll
As soon as Capt. Green Of the Canandaigua
got the news, he al once hoisted signals of
distress and came to our assistance, and in
three hours after the attack on the Housato-
mic all hands that were saved were safely
transferred to that ship, where they received
every attention. Subsequently portion of
the survivors were transferred to the Wabash
The Housatonio is total loss. All hands
lost all they possessed, money, Clothes &c. /
In fact, many of them, including some of the /
officers, went on board the Canandigua in a
naked state. A sad incident of the disaster .
is the loss of Ensign Hazeltine of Concord, /
N. H., Muzsey, Captains Clerk, John Will
liams, Quartermaster, and John Welsh. coal
HEAVIER, of Boston, were drowned. The lat
ter had got safely on deck. but ventured back
to save $500 which he had in his bag on the
berth deck Poor fellow, he never returned +!
Theodore Parker (colored) who VS. OF the
lookout directly over where the ship was
struck, was blown into the air and instantly
killed. Captain Pickering was slightlg in
jured by the explosion. John Golf, the cap
tain's steward, was somewhat injured. These
were all the casualties. The officers and men
of the ship displayed the greatest GOODNESS
during the trying scene, and thereby saved
many lives The Hnusatonic has b, en- the
especial spite OF the rebels. Three times they
have ued to destroy bet, aud now they have
succeeded.
1t is feared that many others of the ves-
sells 90 this blockade will follow the fate Of
the Housatonc. 1t is well known the rebels
have six or eight more OF these internal ma
chimes ready to pounoe upon the feet. The
masts of the Housatonic arc all that can now
be seen of her, and the gale which is now
prevailing will do much to make a complete
wreck Of that once noble ship
Ensign Goodall has been very unfortunate
He was taken from the Housatonic and ORDER
ed to the Inflated Weehawken, in the loss
of which he lost all his effects. lie was
again ordered back to the Housatonic, and
now, for the second time, has lost all.
Ensign Hazeltine got into the second boat,
and had he remained It would have been
saved, but as the ship careened over he
jumped on board. The last ever seen OF him
he was floating among the fragments of the
wreck a corpse.
First Lieutenant Higginson of Boston es-
capped from the state room with nothing but
his shirt and drawers on. The Surgeons
Steward and many others who were in bed
had barely time to escape in their night clothes
Itis wonder that Capt Pickering was not
instantly killed. as he was directly over where
the explosion took place. He escaped, how
ever, with some severe cuts and bruises, and
will soon be well again.
AT low tide the water is about six feet
above the rail of the Housatonc. II the
weather moderaies, her guns and many yalu-
able articles, and the Paymaster's safe, will
be recovered. She cannot be raised, as her
stern is completely blown off, clean to the
ward room h itch. She was loaded down with
coal and provisions, which will be total loss.
Many of the survivors had quite large sums
of money LAID away to send homo by the next
mail. The loss TO them is severe.
A tier from Jacksonville, Florida, TO the
New York Post says the enrolment Of voters
under the Presidents proclamation has al
- ady commenced. and is going on finely
len. Gilmore was not quite ready TO move
shen he did, but the rebels had commene-
1 t.lr, 81. 81 in 70