Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-08-25

twelve, seventeen pass him sfar of, and
seventeen receive his salutei and then
with the wings that fear lends to the pale
face and poltroon, they rush down towards
the western shore, far beyohd his range
or those who lag behind two engage the
Selma, each of which could haul her upon
her deck as fancy jollyboat three makes
for the Gaines, which, in still greater dis
proportion, rushes in their midst, and bold
ly attempts to gEapple the most powerful oi
| her adVersaries. Foiled In his toolhardy
enterprise, receiving in few minutes hf'
teen shots through her hull and machinery,
crippled and almost sinkingi she seems
under the viVitying touch of the gallant
Bennett, to recover one mument the spas
modic energies of dying nan, extrioating
herself by o supreme effort from the grasp
of her powerful enemy, she frautically
rushes towards shore, whese. as she beach.
es high and dry on the nlid sand, her
whole frame shattered aud exhausted by
the effort, renders a low. nhling sound,
las the death rattle of,a gla1t.
But yonder, yonder near the western
shore, the Selma, raked fore aud an BY the
broadside of her antagonist, is swept BY
their shot, and her decks covered with dead
and dying. She strikes that flag which she
so valiantly defended. Thus the gallant
Pat. Murphy falls into the hands of the enc
my, who triumphantly raise their infamous
Stars and Stripes over the immaculate
standard of the South.
Meantime the Morgan has Rugged in the
eastern shore, and exchanging rapid shots
with two of the federal ships, she adroitly
manages to draw from the unequal contest,
and thus save at least one Of our gallant
ships after receiving only slight injuries
Well did she act, the brave ship, for as the
Gaines and Selma were already disposed OF,
she would have been beset by not less than
seven of the most powerful guuboats. With
the gallant dead of Captain Harrison, who
on the same night took up his vessel TO
Mobile, kept up running fight with three
of the enemy, the world is already aequRin-
ted i; but what they know not is, that when
she started he and his noble crew had
pledged themselves on their sacred lives
and honor to blow her up sooner than let
her fall into the euemy's hands.
And now all anxious eyes are turned to-
wards the Tennessee, and as che nears the
western shore the euemy's feet scatters in
every direction-four towards town, and
eleven, with the two Monitors, north and
south of her. Still she keeps on her fran
tic race, !driving them before her, when,
sooner than be beached, they finally turn
aud accept the challenge. There in the
midst of thirteen vessels, two of which
more powerful than herself, with eight
guns against TIVE hundred, she engages the
tight, gives the first signal, makes the first
charge, and keeps up the unequal contest
in spite of the fearful odds against her.
In the midst of the group watching the
engagement from the ramparts stood our
general, who, letting his glass fall, exclaim-
ed, "She has ceased firing"
Thus closed, at forty minutes past nine
A. NJ, the contest for the possession of
Mobile bay, having lasted two hours and a
half, aud resulted disastrously, but not
inglorious;y, TO our arms.
OF the garrison OF Fort Morgan the peo-
Pile may we'll be proud, and we'll may they
confde in them that so long as they will
be able to support animal life the Oonfed.
crate flag shall wave over her ramparts.
The casualties In the fort were few
Lieutenant Smith, Company A, First Ala
bama, while sighting his gun, had his right
hand SO badly shattered by shrapuel
shot as to render amputation necessary, and
three men were slightly bruised by the
falling bricks from the banquettes and par
spets.
This is the sad but truthful history of
the invasion of Mobile bay. AS to its
consequences | am not able to judge, but
they very slightly alter the state things
previously existing. IfMobile was secure
against water attack it was not on ac~
count of Morgan, Gainesiand Powell, but
on account of the shallow waters of the
upper bay. That same obstacle still re-
mains. And if she was open to land at
tack by wayEof Pascagoula and Bayou
le Batre she cannot be much worse of,
because the enemy can land al. Dog river.
The river is, therefore, as before, the real
outer line of our defences, and on the
banks must be fought the battle for the
possession of Mobile.
True, we lose command of the bay, but
this is matter, of private Inconvenience,
and not military Importance, as we draw
no supplies from the bay shores beyond
firewood and lumber, which may as easis
ly be procured up the river; and by effec-
tually closing up every possible avenue
into the Apalachee, Tensas and Spanish
rivers, we may laugh at their vain efforts.
The real loss is in the destruction or
capture of our fleet, and, above all, in
the capture of Admiral Buchanan, Caps
tain johnson and their heroic crew.
That fleet, small as it was, performed pro-
digies of valor, and gave tho most ems
phatic denial to the sneers and ISLANDERS
indulged in at their expense. They
have done their duty, their whole duty,
and grateful nation will never forget it.
Pnr the IntalIIprneer