Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-04-29
The Guuboat Southfield.

The public mind has been in suspense
in regard to the fate of this vessel since the
announcement that it was run into by the
rebel ram at Plymouth the 18th ult., and
sunk in five minutes. Addison Pool. Esq.
a former Register of Deeds of this County,
was paymaster On board of the Southfield,
and George W. Brown, a young man of
this village, had been appointed payinas-
ter's clerk, and had just arrived there
The first accounts gave no definite informa
ton of what became of the men on board,
and the only Ineligible information is
copied below from the daily Tribune of the
23d inst 1t will be seen that Mr.. Brown
is put down among the "missing." The
probability is, that he saved himself, and
will soon be heard from:
WASHINGTON, Saturday, April %, 1864.
The Navy department has received the follow
ing information Of the destruction OF the gunboat
South heId
About S so p. M. April II, Fort Gray. above
Plymouth. was attacked by the rebels from the
battery of tiald-pioces on a sand bank some
thousand yards up the river.
Lieut. Commander Flus,cr dispatched the Ceres
TO communicate with the Whitehead which was
doing picket duty up the river. In passing by
the rsoci battery she received a shot through her
port gangwny, killing two and wounding seven
men. The firing the fort ceased at about .
o'c ock; the Ceres returned about that time.
At ca ly dawn on Monday tho enemy charged
upon Fort Gray, and were rspul.ed. The Bomb
she'll, an army gu1boat, in command of Eusi On
Thomas =. stokes, steamed up the river TO com
municatc with the fort. She returned, and sunk
at the wharf. Later in the day the enemy ap-
pearcd in force in the rear Of tn town, and at
snnse. commenced vigorous attack on Fort
William, and Fort essel. at which time the Mi.
ami and Southfeld. previously joined together,
were cut loose The Southhsld steamed up the
river to protect Fort Vessel, while the Miami
dropped down and shelsd the enemy in front Of
Fort Williams.
During the evening the enemy assaulted Fort
Vessel, and were repused three times, the South.
field throwing shsll among them. About l0a p.
m, the Southfsd dropped down the river and re.
ported to Lisut-Com. Flusser, who ordered the
vessel. to be lashed together with hawsers, the
South fsld being on the port side of the Miami
About midnight the Whitehead came down the
Cache, and came alongside the Miami, and re-
ported the ram coming down.
AL q. m. on Tuesday, the ram dropped down
alongside the Miami, under cover Of the shade Of
the trees, and when near, ran obliqusly across
into the starboard bow Of the Southfed. The
vessels had been firing all the previous evening
at the enemy on shore, and were loaded with
shell, which there WAS not time to draw. The
Lieut. Com. fred the first she'll, and its burst.
ing. some fragment either from that or the South
fields shells, Iebouuded, which caused his death,
the fragment. piercing his chest and skull. also
wounding the following officers and men: Acting
Ensign Thomas g. hargis, Acting Third Assistant
Engineer Harrington, and some six or eight men,
none mortIlly.
Upon the approach Of the ram the Southfeld fired
at her The PROV of the ram running into the South
field caused her to fiji with water, and she sank in
fifteen minutes. The forward lashings parted
by the pressure of the ram between vessels, and
the after ones were cut, and many could get
the Miami did SO, when the Miami retired and
pursued short distance by the ram. which con-
,idered slow, making her four knots per hour, the
Miami throwing solid shot AT her as she retired
and were picked up BY the Whitehead and Ceres.
The Ceres was despatched to Newbern immediate
ly with the body of Commander F1usser.
Among the names of the missing officers notice
that Of Geo. W Brown Paymasier's Clerk.
Some of the officers and men of the SOuthield may
have been captured, but most have escaped Few or
none were probably lost. The Miami is uninjured.
The ram is thought no; 10 have used her guns while
under the bows of this Miami and southfeld, nor
could our gnns then bear on her. The shell fired at
her was when she approached.