The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-10-15

most excellent Peace Commissioner.-LE Eds. Pal.
L. s FLAG SHIP, HARTFoRD.l
NOZZLE BAY, SEPT. TTH, 1854 I
Dr. IT. Charles Dear SIR. aud Brother, your very
Acceptable letter If Aug. 221 came to hand this
morning thank vau for the kind advice you offer N
your letter Will remember il and endeavor prof.
+ By it. love to be advised by of more ability
and experience than myself aud whenever YOU have
suggestions ofer. be assured that they viii be re-
ceivei with pleasure. may, however, plead the en-
barr4ssing circumstances under which / write, a.
some excuse for my description being no better It Is
a difficult thing write properly, while young scaPe-
grace is sticking pms you AMI insisting that none
write letters except those who are in love. since
my last t, vou We have done some severe work, but
still are the same jovia BET as before Our Capt
Of Marines has decided the Invalid Corps,
hut IS row amusing BY illustrating how he lodged
the big ones IN tie recent action. Our first iuh
las grown d ruustaeLe inches longer than before
but keeps his lair 50 closely trimmed that sand paper
supplies for him the place of 4 comb. Having settled
the question ef 'tHeele dee and t"eeile dunn and
having concluded a dissertation on white mice he
Is BOW entertaining the mess by description Of the
place ta " hch be would consgn the Chicago Conven-
ton ami the whole Of The peace party Of the North
l cannot give you his description Of the place, but
suffice IL to say that the region wherein Milton ;
Satan wandered, Is paradise in comparison.
/ But my purpose i to answer your letter, and
not bother YOU with Of private affairs
have vet received the paper Of which you speak
but will receive it, perhaps, Like you, have
ceased to be annoyed 10y typographical errors They
are sometimes provoking, but not unirequently the
chirography Of the author is sufficient excuse for
the printer. But dry pretty girls" IS preposterous
for in all my lie never pretty girl that was
sdry" appeal 70 the whole sister hood Of such, and
insist, that never called them "dry" If Mrs H.
again Dimes in Marion trust she will remember to
the ~resy handsome" Young lady. who kind
enough To inquire about YOUR correspondent. If 1t
should be my good fortune to be favored with her
acquaintance can but hope that her good opinion Of
me will not be cssaued.
( We have indeed seen service since wrote YOU last
and we believe that our work has been done to
purpose The possession Of Mobile Bay had become
necessary and when the rebels lost it, they lost
Of the strongest props Of their lettering Conederacy
For nearly three vars they bad been fortifyng the
place. aud nothing that means and ingenuity could
supply, left unused to defeat You have, time
and again, read of the defenses Of Mobile
Besides three forts, and their fleet of iron clad and
wooden vessels the rebels had placed in the Channel
through which had pass three OF torpetoes
with than hundred torPedoes in each row, for
have the temerv make the attack But in spite of
their strong forts iron clad rams and infer
nal machines we whipped them soundly, and without
the loss of more than one vessel the monitor "Te
I cumseh" sunk by torpedo. You have, doubt
read in the newspapers, more than one account Of
the fight. shall therefore, give you nothing more
than my experience.
When our line Of battle was formed, presented
an appearance. grand, beyond anything have ever
Witnessed. We good sized ships each
with smaller vessel lashed the port side. On the
stsrboard side and abreast of the four leading ships
we're placed the four monitors, the Tecumseh in ad
vance We thus numbered seventeen vessels, but
owing to the formation of the line the small vessels
on the port side could not be used in the hottest part
of the fight. Opposed to the right was fort
Morgan, a strong work Of masonry strengthened by
sand batteries On the left fort Gaines, with a
strong armamen, and garrison Of $50 men. Beyond
tins last fort vas fort Powell, with garrison OF
,bout $50 men. On the west side Of the entrance was
a line of obstructons, reaching within COO yards OF
fort Morgan Across the narrow Channel left, we're
stretched three lines Of torpedoes, as stated above
Inside Of tins line and arranged across the Channel,
were the rebel vessels. First the Tennessee,
au immense iron clad. built at Of nearly two
million dollars in gold. to raise which sum, the ladies
OF Noodle appropriate their jeSelrv. Next the
crn-boAts, Morgan" and Gaines" both iron clad
1t the extremity ot the line placed the selma =
re,pecta le un-boat. uniting slx guns Thus stood
t- forces soon t. grapP.c III death struggle.
Alta few minutes after sunrise. the ships un:urlei
6tGS at every head. aud the line began moving,
\ rebel officer IN describing appearance At that
tim, said tha: tae grand, that he could
not vlthlrlv hi, eazs from us in order To attend to
his proper duties. But it was rot intention to
whip laam ty making a magnificent display Our
..r- i,
,tructlan and we're con-ratulating themselves upon
an easy victory. But they "reckonei without their
host. for they knew Admjlrl Farra-ut's mode Of
fighting. A. soon as We were within range, the fort
opened urau Us. hut We moved steadily ou The Tag
snip was second .u the line the Brooklyn IN advance
The monitors could Mt steam fast enough to keep
taer place. oH- speed WAS sjaekenei. and they were
ordered ahead. One Of them -at under tue bow Of the
Broektvn. and caused some confusion. This was
Sual.el. aai the Admiral or3erea them 10 go ahead "
They did go ahead" when the Tecuta>eh ran upon
torpedo and sunk instantly. The Brooklyn s-uaIed
"ogr test monitor Is -uns what shall do o. Again
TIE rsr'y - ahead, hut a. the Brooklyn did not
- ahead promptly. the Hartford dashed past her and
sa,k tie lad. During ttiS time the fort and re5e
vessels haI been pouring into murderous fire
while We: used only one gun the fcrecast.e O.
each ship. Wedashed tarPeioas that snapp+t
bu: failed explode. and soon brought eur whoI
br5adsie TO bear upon the fovt AMI batteries
the latter Of which silsucei completely The objec
OF the enemy, to concentrate their IRE upon the
tsg ship. Ths the fort dIi, unit, cur broadsiies @
grape and schraPuell drove the from their guns
During this part af the fight, had become separates
from the balance Of the line and while thew were en-
gagged with the Tennessee and fort, and working ;tei
way slowly over distractions, We wer. attacked b
the two irou c!sds. Morgan and Gaines together wit
the Selma. Our ooasort the -Un-boat Mettacoraet
cast loose from port side AMI told to a;tac
the Selma which she iid IN suca manner a. 70 com
Pc. her t. surrender IN half Al hour. In the sam
time we disposed OF the other two. The Gaines ",
rlddlei ey our shots aai into -ho.l water an
sunk The Morgan Ras not = badly injured, aud aei
auS upon The principle tina;
He who 6Shts sni runs aw.v
May live 70 fight another day
managed - Eei into s. shallow that ue c7ul
not reach him. and succeeded Il escaping 20 Mobile
By ia's :i-zs the vessels bad all %; pas. the for
AMI made their way up tie Bay 70 Join Is II
Brookyu va. badly cut uP, but By no means disable;
Tser al ths Others struck more -.