Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-01-05

lates to their efficient employment is the cbarac-
ter Of the battery. II ii Is proposed to batter
down forts with Is inch gun, then it is quite
plain that we have to come within distances Mt
which heavy ordnance, if employed in heavy
batteries against us, cannot fail in the end to
injnre or perhaps disable US.
Commander RoDdERs Of the Catskill;
WAS surprised to find even with this severe
fire, that these vessels could he so much injured
in so short time, two or three having passed
me during the action TO which some disaster had
happened. This vessel was ST. ck some twenty |
times but without any serious injury except one |
shot upon the forward part Of the deck, which |
broke both plates, the deck planking, and drove
down the iron stanchiOn sustaining this beam
about one inch, causing the deck 10 leak.
Commander FAiRFax, of the Nantucket;
Our FIRE was very slow, necessarily, and not
half SO observable upon the walls of the forts as
the rain of their rhe-shot and heavy shell was
upon this vessel After The third shot from the
XIV inch gun the port stopper became jammed,
several shot striking very near the port and
driving in the plating il was not used again.
As the fleet withdrew the forts materially
saokened their fire, evidently not wishing tn
expend their ammunition without some result.
Certainly their firing was excellent throughout;
fortunately it was directed TO some half dozen
NOu ClNIS NJ tlInes mt cUeCt Of UltH IRE
upon the Keokuk, together with that of their
heavy rife-shot upon the monitors, is sufficient
proof that any one vessel could not long have
withstood the concentrated fire Of the enemy's
batteries. The distractions being placed at n
concentrated point of fire from the three forts,
shows, conclusyely, that they must have been of
no mean character. Our FIRE always drew down
upon US four or five heavy rife shots, aimed at
| cur ports One rihe-shOt struck within less
/ a. III To- 90 ~. " TO-. II
struck very near | am convinced that, although
this class of vessels can stand n very heavy fire,
yet the want of more guns will render them COM
parRtyely harmless before formidable earthworks
and forts. | must say that / am disappointed
beyond measure at this experiment of monitors
overcoming strong forts. 1t was fair trial
Lieutenant BEARDsLEE, of the Nantucket
One riAe-shot struck on the lower corner Of
the XV-inch port, denting the outer plate about
one and a half inch, aud bullying the whole
thickness, SO much as to prevent the port stopper
from swinging. This shot was received after
the third fire Of the XV-inch, and disabled the
gun for the rest of the fight, we not being able
to open the port A 10 inch shot struck directly
opposite, and near the top of the turrGt, starting
/ a number of bolts and breaking the clamp ring
inside During the action the turret becamt
iammed Upon examination, we discovered six
or seven bolt heads and nuts that had fallen TO-
/ side and into the recess around the bottom OF
the turret, rendering it necessary TO key the tur
ret higher in order 10 clear them Upon at
tempting to revOlve the turret again today
found that another had fallen since the first were
f removed. The pilot-house was struck once,
square hit, but doing no damage. The sid
: armor was struck nine times--once below tn,
water-line. number of the side plates mr.,
started much that another shot in their viciu.
iiY would, in my opinion knock them of. One
bolt was driven through the iron, and is buriet
I 10 the oak One of the deck plates is starte'
T. from blow on the side armor The smoke
stack was rdded in the upper sections, and re.
: ceived FIVE shots 10 the lower soctions--one,
s solid 10 inch, fell after striking upon the deck
and was secured.
q The steam-whstle was cut off. The decl
= lates we're cut in twelve places. One shot Gu
through the iron. and about two inches into h
/ beam, starting the plate, several bolts, and tb,
planking for some teet below. This was direetl,
over the Andrews pump, in the engine room. Tn
j others are not serious. The first discharge o
T XIV inch gun blew off eight Of the heads Of til
bolts securing the mnEzle box. The discharge
the Xl-inch gun, or else the blow Of shot o
L the turret, lifted one Of the perforat,d plates
n top. These plates are not properly secure,
a The outer turret plate, in the NV-inoh port
started about one fourth Of an inch-the ne,
e layer in less degree. Two ofthe ''gudes' to III
l. Xl carriage were carried away through tue gu
1. not being properly compressed Some Of the geg
to the engne.room bell was disabled at the frs
. fire, causing trouble and confusion in get in
e orders promptly conveyed from pioi-houseto
engine-room.
T., Captain DowNRs Of the Nahant;
50 We soon began to suffer from the effects of Il
n terrible and believe almost unprecedented iii
s. to which we were exposed aud nj 4 80 the turr
Ia refused to turn, having become damned from IL
W effects Of three blows from heavy shot two
We them on the composition rings about the base
OF the pilot house, tone of these breaking oil pe
IN of iron weighing seventy-eight pounds from Il
- interior that assisted to keep the house squaI
rs on its bearings, throwing it with such vioeuC
ey to the other side Of the house, striking, bendn
,e and dsarrangrg steering gear in its course, th
1t bounded from the inside curtain aud fell hat
It into the cent" Of the housel and tie other
of the outside Of turre,, buigng In and driving
6 the inch apron bOlled on to the inside to Ike,
IN place the gun-rails. and down the main ira
al Of turret. The bOlt-heads flying from the ins
II of pilot house at the same time struck dov
nd pilot, Mr.. soheld, twice struck and senseless-
aud the quartermaster, Edward Cobb, helm
u man fatally injuring with fractured skull, leay
ri me alone in the pilot house, the steering ge
nd becoming at the same time disarranged.
- were within FIVE hundred yards of Fort Sumte
VI manageable, and under the concentrated fl
Of, think, one hundred guns at short rang
IN aud the distractions close aboard. But fort
al nately we got the prevenler steering gear
nu working order in time to prevent disastro
tie result And getting my vessel once more und
IL command, / endeayored to renew the action, b
after repeated, futile efforts to turn the guns
the fort, | concluded 10 return for time fro
close action and endeayor 10 repair damages.
,as We received the following injuries to the ves
~ and fittings, besides these already enumerated
.1.aa H. l..
mn places, and in one where struck by two shot
!, close proximity partly stripped from the wo
~ and wood backing broken in, with edging
in deck plates started and rolled back in plac
cd On port-quarter side being deeply iudented, n
~, star y from side and extremity of stern. The de
IN. is struck twice damagingly-one shot near
no propeller we'll, quite shattering and tearing t
nc plating in its passage, and starting up twent
,is five bolts; another starting plate aud TWEEN
ne bolts and sghter blows are numerous
Wv smOke-stack armor thereere three shot mar
81 -One that pierced the armor, making h.
NO fifteen inches long and nine inches broad, d
cs placing grating inside and breaking seven Dol
liz In the turret there are marks of nine sho
he tfty-six Of the bolts are broken precephby
n u.s. the bolt-heads flying of inside of turret,
en- the bolts starting almost their length outsid
IN some Of them flying out completely, and bel
he found at a considerable distance from the turf
of on the deck. Doubtless many others are brols
be that we cannot detect, as by trying them we f
y others lOosened One shot struck the upI
part Of the turret breaking through every pla
parting some Of them intwo, three and four pac
'or In pilot-house there were marks of six sh
ne three Of them l l-inch twenty-one of the be
ms were broken preceptibly, aud others eyiIen
ny started The plates are also much START
and the pilot-house Itself, think, much damap
ne, and wrecked indeed, it is my opinion that f
u more such Shot as il received Mnnll haHn 1