The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-08

quite badly injured, besides several other.
scratched by splinter>. The enemy fred
precipitately, leaving two large rife guns and
carriages, and many kuapsacks and muskets
and one dead body. 90 e.. lsas..1s5a5 oaI
landed, bat could not carry of the
guns, on account Of the marsh, and Sd
spiked them and threw themin the river.
If We had not stood our ground SO well
tn, 'rebs' would have captured Legreenvills
and all our troops there, and would then
have erected battery SO as to command
the whole of the river. All honor was
shown to the br& 70 fellows who fell in the
action While in the performances Of their
duty. Their corpses were laid upon the
starboard side of the quarterback, and cara
fully covered with the finest American en-
sign on the ship. Cufins we're made for
them on board the Pawnee, in which they
we're laid, and are now awaiting burial. A
boat has just left the ship for ths purpose
of digging the graves, and most of US are
expecting to be present at the burial, and
are only too willing to do the heroes hon
or. i--- ,
"The guns used by the rebels were very
heavy raed pieces, and were worked with
great rapidity, E. 14.
INJURIES TO THE MARBIRHEAD.
"We were struck twenty times, every
shot passing through the ship or masts, ana
the deck was covered with splinters and
blood. A rife shot struck the Zip at the
steerage, and, passing through, made per.
feet lumber-room of it. The. ho!e through
the ship was as large as a hat, and much
broken, ard the shot passing th olgh broke
up two of tho berths on the starboard side,
and tore down the curtains, and, going on.
struck the solid floor, making a long hole in
it q foot wide. The shot then passed over
to the engineers side, breaking t. atoms
the glass, and passed through the lockers OF
the other two engineers, and then smashed
Mr.. SIS berth all to pieces, ripping open his
aaattrass and cutting the ends off from all
the Stats. Wo found the shot on the aoor
1t was more than foot long, conical, and
weighed thirty pounds. 1t was a WICKED
shot, and was evidently aimed at tire en-
ginc, and if it had struck, as intended, a
lew feet further forward, it would probably
have killed all in the engine room aud disa.
bled the engine, when the b at would
probably have been lost. Nothing but the
mercy Of the Almighty turned that tremen
dous missile from its course and saved the
ship and our lives.
This IS the s.vercst fight we have had
since the taking of Port Royal. Our pro-
portion in killed and wounded ia one in
twelve
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
A letter from another officer of the Mar
blehead gives the following account of the
severe fighting: .
"The rebels had two batteries so placed
as to bring Q 'oss fire upon Us. We paid
no attention to the most distant battery:
but slipping our cable made for the nearest,
ard getting as near as we could-within six
hundred yards-we went at 1t in downright
earnest The scene was wild and fearful
beyond description. The aiu of tue enemy
was true, and their shot and sLell took effect
upon our small vessel almost every time
Within fifteen minutes three OF our men
were killed and six wounded; but the men
stood bravely to their guns and fought like
heroes, whilst Captain Meade cheered them
III q FOlCe W uSpiiaLi0u' Luz nuS ~ oioC
cannot be bestowed upon the gallantry OF
tho crew; and young 'Winsow,' an acting
ensign, was Con spicuous for hi. conduct aud
courage, ana received the warm aud hearty
commeudation Of the captain.
"We had but four guns to bear upon their
twelve. The odds were great, and we were
made to feel it SO severely that oar captain
10 ,ked anxiously for aid from the Pawnse.-
She came at last, and as she fired the first
emilia ling shot the enemy Fbandoned their
guns and fed with precipitation. One fifth
of the fighting men on deck were killed or
wounded much greater mortality than
on board the Guerriere in her contest with
the Constitution.
although but few of the men had been
in battle before, there was no finching nor
aud whenever addressed By the
captain ia words OF encouragement, they
gave him assurances of their steady courage.
The enemy abandoned two eight inch how
itzers, which Captain Meade conveyed
by boat expedition away from their
lines.
"Thirty shot and shell passed through
the Ma blehead during the engagement,
making fearful destruction about her hull
and the mast aud rigging were much dana