The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-14

dOus fire Ofall kinds of prolCCtles.
lthu promotion would De but justice % these
ca ant ut crs who certainly deserve the hon r.
! able notice OF the Government. / wish plr.icu-
| In ly 20 bring before the Department the condu
| Of AciuG Master Francis JJssoyu, of the Conc
HodJrs Hti, who worked his ship and battery 20
! the admiration of all who saw him, and n s0 Ac.-
! ing Naser q. w. Barrett, OF tho Vac he1F
when l went ON board OF the C1WuJdJrr iliV 70
! pilot MS th,0uah The distractions ON account Of
! his knowledge of the river and who acquitted
| himself IN his usual iuc style.
Those two deserve particilIr notice. from the
| fact shat the Commodore HgN was the leading
ship and nc her the lrst and heaviest tire of tla
/ enemy was directed. l would also respectfully
| recommend for promotion the pilots Of the ships
engaged, especially Mr.. Alfred Everett.
We captured thiriy-scyon prisoners, twenty
| two cannon, and large quantity of ammunition
| the exact amount / am unable 70 give no prcsent
| nCaly two hundred stand OF arms Imure are
| being picked mp all the time), the ram Ibamayls
| sunk at the what), with everything on board,
and tie cOlUrs of the batteries and iron-Clad. For
/ the part which each vessel tool, IN the fight [
| must refer you to the reports of each Of tho
commanding officers, which l will forward rs
| they me received. As commanding officer of the
| M0hv0ct 10 becomes my duty 70 TESTIFY 70 the
gallant behavior OF The officers, crow, and marines
| Of This vessel.
The Engineer Department, under Second
Assistant Engineer w. II. Harrison was very
Efficient. The different divisions were worked
| remarkably well, aud in the most spirited and
| effective manner, for which am in great mel-
sure indebted 70 Lieutenant Duer, Executive
Officer and the officers of the different divisions
Acting Assistant Paymaster Louis Sands and II.
A. Macomb, Captains Clerk, were with me on the
hurricane deck during the engagement and rem
dered good service rs aids, the latter acting as
signal officer
am much indebted to Colonel D. w. Warlrop,
commanding subdivision of Albemarlo who
anticipating our requirements, arrived here with
one hundred and sixty men from Roanoke Island,
to assist in garrisoning the works which we had
captured.
! am, sir, respectfully, your obedlcnt servant
W. II, MACOMR, Commander,
Commanding District of the Sounds n A. b, s,
To Rear AdmTolD d. d. Porter Com. y. AS.
ADMIRAL roRTER TO SECRETARY wELLus.
NoRuI ATLANTIC SQUADRON UNITED STATEs
FLAGSHIP Observation-Disclosures RoAps. No
ycmber ll.-Sir II have just received and have
the honor 10 forward to you the following papers
from Commander MacOmb commanding the
District OF the Sounds
Commander w. II. MacOmb, November /, 1864
reporting the sinking of the ram dbemay!c, and
enclosing copy OF paper, apparently official adj
dressed "Hon. SER. Mallory, Secretary Of the
Navy which is evidently the report Of the COM
mandcr of the ram 10 his chief.
Copy of letter found in the Post Onice at
Plymouth on its occupation by the Federal naval
forces,
Report Of survey on the ram iHcmayle, made
by order Of Commander MacOmb, and drawing
OF the ram, showing her casemate and mode OF
plating.
Inc NltdCk OF lAeuttQanJ CuSliug was evidently
surprise and the destruction Of the ram com
pete and immediate. | have the honor, etc.
DAVID d. PORTER, Rear Admiral.
Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy.
COMMANDER MAcoWB TO ADMIRAL PORTER.
UNITED STATES STEAMER "SHNMRocK," Orr
PLYMOUTH, N. c., November / 4-Sir:- have
the honor to report that, on the night OF the 9th
ut., Lieutenant w. B. Gushing went up the
Roanoke river in his torpedo boat, having the
second cutter Of this vessel in tow, With crew of
eleven men, under Gunner William PetcrlSin and
Masters Mate w. d. Burlingamo, bosh of this
vessel.
lie arrived at Il short distance from the ram
before he was perceived, when ho cast loose the
cutter, and going at full speed he struck the logs
with which the ram was surrounded, with such
force as to run his boat over them. He then
exploded his torpedo, but gun which was fred
from the dBemdy}e at that moment prevented
him from seeing Whist damage he had done; and
bis boat being full Ofwatcr, he Jumped overheard
and swan down the river. lie will himself, 1
suppose, give you the account Of his escape, andl
shall therefore merely state that ho was picked up
by the United States steamer valley CHy, on the
night Of the 2Sth of October.
enclose copy of letter found in the Post
Once at Plymouth on taking possession of that
town, as | report in my number eight also q copy
Of paper found in the town, which seems 20 be
official both Of which give accounts of tho affair
On my arrival ] found the ram sunk at the wharf
as far as her ports and tho top plating Of the
casemate entirely off. i have ordered q survey,
and herewith enclose the report.
Lieutenant Cushngs intention in taking the
cuiter with him was to land at the wharf, in case
he was not discovered, and casting loose tho fast
ening OF the ram, to take her out Os the river.
This he was prevented from doing, buJ tho
cutter captured four Rebel picles On duty on the
Souhbeid, which they brought off. As far as l
know at this time Lieut.. Gushing and r.. j. Horton,
ordinary seaman OF the Chic0pae, were the only
persons belonging 70 The party that escaped. The
rest were either captured or drowned. / have
private letter, picked up In Plymouth, which
states that eleven were captured. The names OF
the missing ones belonging % ships under my
command are as follows
+. \. Swan, Acting Assistant Plymaster Of the
OtScgO Charles l.. Stecrer, Acting Third
Assistant Engineers Thomas 5. Gay, Acting
Masters Mate, also OF the OtSegO, and John
NOOdman, Acting Masters Mate of the C0mmO-
6oye iitH; Bernard Haley, ordinary seaman, and
William Smith, ordinary seaman, Of the Clic0Dse,
and Richard Hamilton, G. H., OF the Shamrock
/ am, sir, Sc W. II. MlCoMB, Com,
Commanding District Of tho Sounds.
To Rcar-Admirll d. D. Porter, Commanding
North Atlantic Squadron.
REEIL nEroRr CApTURED ~ TIE POST OFFICE
AT rIYMOyul.
pNWouul, n. c., October gS, lS64.-IIon. S.
r. Mallory, Secretary Of Navy -Sr;-rhe night OF the
-'A n. ..aui dark ana rainy uiFaJ-l had thg
i M m ,"a.t5 n 1'H s '' @ stES'3l' M if r a "oouI
ma Doag n the river hailed he received an unsttis-
-oirIy answer, rang ,he Ellg ho and opened lire on
l}c ocr ava mon were la.r quarters IN as quick
vessel close tHat we C0ud bring our guns u
u.ar. lrd ihe shot urOa from tho amer un loaded wiz.
r.pr uec 70 ieho cftet Iha boa' rrnn ng ollqueiy,
rEN.N Us hHdH lLt pot DOW rguW'E over tfg hOpml,
lhe water llLu tul,ra heavy srs .f Hu-sgrg the boat
snr,l ttf'd L song lAaeaan. nhe-ts 10 sake charge
o. +,r manned le p.nps, ami ordered 10 ire mp 70
ite vas5 -anad on us 20 ios that all our cyertlons
fWaic. uJus,lge 10 scfl nt say that l0 picscs
% m I, 2 fT.