The New York herald., 1864-08-27

one OF their sides, and by means Of eoswhsei
inside shot striking them, however quite sure 10
disarrapge them, especially open Three OF tnem wefe
dsarrapged during the action and shot entirely
patterntwo OF and three quarters inch bore on each
broadsde and ssyen.inch hore on either cpd the
either Of bess arc ear,noIes p'vD s,rsass ahead
on tho stsrboard, or por, broadsids. Her decks
oa.ae Gsah Of the classmates are covered with two two
inch iron plates. Her casemates overhang the sides
OF tho vessel somewhat after the construction Of our
Monitors, SO as to afford greater protection 10 the
null Her boilers are in the hold below the berth deck,
being at least six feet below the line Her engines
are amdships but trifng portion Of them being above
the water line. and that portion securely protected by
the casemates. She is driven by two high pressure
gines Of great aud splendid nsh though not
for the vessel. lhey taken from steamer
that formerly the Alabama river. These drive.
by system OF gearing, propeller screw, worked so far
below the water as be any danger from
an enemy's shot Her pilot house and lookout for the
commanding officer in action under Ihe casemates ior
ward and undispguishabe save BY the greater heght
(abou two feet OF the classmates at that point Her
rudder chains pass under the grating that covers ne
casemates TO the after end OF be and then down TO the
main deck under the iron that covers that end OF toe
casemates. They then along the deck, being pro-
tected rely by inverted trough Of cast IRON about
ment about tho ship and her greatest weakness. The
quarters Tor officers and NIL on thc berth
aecs below me water Inc ana although close ao
has been sad this formidable craft scarcely Injured
at all during the action Fifteen minutes after tho sur
render suhced to repair her rudder chains, and y
smokestack brought from New Orleans 10 couple or
days, when, with improvsed on board she was
herself at work hammerng against the walls OF Morgan
II is said that she the rebel two mions
OF dollars In gold. At The ratio have been spending
money iron. .cads is worth double that to
During the fight with tho Tennessee the Selma, HINTS
vile and rebel craft attempted % escape
the TO Mobile but the watchul OF Farracut
detected the dodge and several swift gunboats wore
started in pursuit The acomet Captain Jowet,
verhauled the Selma about Ave miles bay, and i'm
mediately opened hor The latter teok no time to
reply. but crowded her steam TO GROSS Dog river bar
ThA rsad n
at first. but 1t apparent that the
Metacomet altogether too fast for the rebel.
a. 20 dispe any hopes or fears the latter should
escape. When within easy the Mstacomet opened
being admirably directed and timed fell and exploded
directly the deck OF the rebel vessel disabling 40 was
course hauled her coors once, falling
prize to the Metacomet.
The Selma imprOvised guDboat, being an od
towboat with six heavy Brooks Gnns mounted upon her
open deck She is not. has bsen reported an iron
srmor, nor any prstsnsions 10 any. She has
mates any cover OF kind for her men above her
deck She long, lnv, black oraft strengthened
by two immense arches stretching from bow TO stern,
giving her sort OF nondescrpt appearance rising as
red Of about ninety men all told. The boat was
totally uninjured 10 the action.
HusrsviLrE AND rxNpERs,
being lS dr0ieht vessels, by huRgug the eastern
shore Of The bay where the water vosy saoa managed
TO escape TO Mobile. .s
badly rided IN the action though exactly to what
extent is unknown, how great were the casualties
aboard She vital shot 10 her stern below
the wster ine and cnmpaIed % run under the runs
Of Morgan early In the fght Here sho sunk N snoai
movor For, Her s her
small boats and those Of the rennessee which bad been
left near Morgan and escaped In them 70 Mobile during
the night after the action. ...t..
TO have suffered very little, any. sne avoided
feet much possible. evidently fearing to en-
any OF them. During the battle With the Ton
neses she started out from Morgan 70 70 the re-
e OF her Admiral but when halfway ont Thought osstsr
OF and returned. In the darkness of the following
night she also escaped to Mobile proongng her exist
eucs . few daya
The Army Cooperating.
The narration OF events transpring shs water has
run ON % rapidly that the little Land force Dauphn
Island the Of Fort GaInes has nearly for
gotten. Bat they not inactive by any means nor
uninnusna their contribution to the general success
Of the days operations. The eal Of tho naval light
that succeeded the passage or Fort Morgan asss
immediately under the guns Of Fort Gsinea Indeed
seemed 70 be part o Buchanans plan, when he deter
mined 70 attack tho whole neet drxw them close
under this work and Fort Powell as possible in order
on those works. But hts plans sRn.ly failed. There
water enough the vicinity Of Fort Powell
and they therefore avoided that locality but Gaines
they could not 80 well avoid Here, however, General
snce His engineers had located . battery OF Rodman
gune-the Second Connocticut-on sand knoll within
three quarters Of mile Of tho fort and elevated several
feet above the OF that work This battery
was served under the immediate direction Of Captain
cassen OF the FIRST regular artillery, chief Of artillery
General Granger's staff; and unerringly It's
shots directed that the rebels best gum teninch coup
bad quickly disabled and their works completely
statement seems remarkable considering the and
nature Of the rebel fort, but s truth atessd by Colo
for your tour) land battery your (our) feet would not
have had easy time OF 1t with the Tennessee" This
weakness Of Fort Gaines and doubtless was inssnt IN
determining its surrender which occurred 20 soon after
sosr OF VICTORY.
II truly great and glorious victory 70 enter that
harbor despite all the obstacles the rebels had placed IN
the way and all the appliances Of engineering skin and
artillery inventions that had been prepared 10 the course
OF wosyears unremittiug labor 10 prevent IT, II was
still glorious victory completely break aud
destroy the considerable nucleus OF navy that had been
formed In that harbor vessel alone 6 which as has
been seen, Vas vastly superior 70 any vesseot-
ha Of our feet But the victory had dearly bought
with the blood Of brave and loyal mon. Not many hgh
10 rank nsd fallen though there were none nouer tsao
rscumseh than Lieutenant Prentice OF the honou
gahela Who fell .. bis posa ~ Bu, chiefly ne losses wsrs
IN The aggregate losses m the squadron were one
oes, though seemingly slight In comparison with
the heavy casualties that result from our ~s.
the history OF naval engagements and fully attests the
severe character Of the light When 70 che aggregate
the Tecunseh swening lumber to two hundred and
seventy four-twothrds kLnedn will bo conceded MAT
the fight OF Mobile Pay the most severe that 70
corded in the history Of naval eusagsmsDss
The Monitor ChickAsaw received one punging shot
through her deck otherwise shs and her consorts Of
that class passed through the action unnjured, always
excepting the Tecumseh. NO one was injured any q
them The urrets OF all OF them, save enc refused 70
rcvove for unexplained reason soon after the &C
ton commenced, and they were worked by yawiDg the
about 10 bring their guns 70 bear the same
with other vessels bus tt slow process with boats that
handle no easier than Dc these cran Their ability TO
rcpel rife shot or heavy calibre was however, fully
shown and their powerful guns, betsy thus taken
close range OF the with impuniy, OF great
service. Indeed, the Manhattan made the only penetrat
Ing the Tennessee the Chickssaw compelled
the vessel 70 surrender. IL was, tnercforeand "
IL but iusl 10 put the fact reeordthe Monitors that
finally beat the boasted Tennessee a. the hrst Monitor
protoype Of that vessel the nerrmac cartier
In he n Hsrnutop poa,ts rhja Fact ubtie I