, 1864-06-02
FIGHT BETWEEN 4 WOODEN STEAM
Err AND A REBEL iRQN-clAp,
The Steamer Whips the Iron-Clad.
THE DAYS OF DECATUR AND
BAINBRIDGE REVIVED,



Navy JourualJ
HA71xnAs INLET, N. c., MaY IS, 1861.
En-: 1ventu1e to submit the fo1lowin: account
Of one Of the most unusual and remarkable navA
conflicts Of this any other war In which the con
tending forces were 20 markedly ydisprpportionate
and the result SO contrary to preconceived ideas
"iron clad inyincibiity, that 1t may justly c9sln
TO take m historieal position on the same pag'
that records the brilliant exploits Of Decatur IN;
John Paul Jonee.
On the afternoon of May s, the Mattabesett, Sas
eacus and WyaluEing, side-whee1 gunboats, war,
lying at anchor In Albemarle Sound, twenty mile.
below the mouth Of the Roanoke River, having
been aselgned the ardnous duty Of eucountering
AID If possible, destroying the rebel ironclad ran
the attack and capture or Plymouth, when she sue
cceded In capturing two Of our gunhoate, and ens
talucd Eni,armed the repe,ted bsnadsIdes of the
Miami, directed BY the brave and lamented Flnsser
rendered our prolonged occupation OF the Sound
at least a problem to be solred, and invested the
expected contest with unr saal importance.
four OF fire Of tie emal|er vessels Of onrforre With
The Miami. had been scnt forward to the mouth o1
the river, to dccty the ram from under the protec.
Of the Sound. and falling back before her into 4
favorable position for our attack At s:15 p. m.,
the Msttabeeett 81 gnalcd to get under wny,f and
order Hhtch their names have been written, pro.
cceded with ordinary speed up the Sound, wien,
at p. N. the MnItabesett communicated with the
med,alely amer made signal ran Is out, :" md We
now 9iscoyered our retreating pIckets as they
slowly reised before the advancing foe 4 mo.
naent lkatcr. and We disee.ned clistentng speck
two Other dirk hn1ls lowering near, which We
knew to be the nm accompanied BY her consorta.
ouF sbip was cleared for action every prepara-
with cur formidable antagonist; and now we were
driving along under full steam and closing rapidly
With the enemy. The weather was perfectly charm
water from fhore to shore. and The daxzlin9 sun
shine cleaned upon the inclined aides or be iron
clad Ike mass Of silver, as lay deaanly belr.
communicating hu1riedly with boats, and eoon
the whlte stern.wheel steamer turned short round,
Te aiterward learned, the Cotton Flant AYep ep
steamer, totton-clad, and manned by two hundred
ehs1pehooters and boa1defs. As she len, tho
captured from tie army BY the rebels at p ymonth.
and low ueed against us, closed up on the rams
quarter, n position for The impending action.
Our vesses ued pow hess of fa stea sas
sweepinE gracefully along, and as the Mattahesctt
app1eached nearer nhe hauled up for the ram, fol-
lowed BY The others in line, when the Miami, soma
distance Aeter1, fred over ne, making very good
but useless SHOT, which was answered by tho 1lbe-
marie, whose guns, It was easy to Bee were Of the
heayiest calibfe; When abzssat, md about three
ett delivered her hroadsde, and passing around
her stern. ran by the Bombshel close aboard, IS
the hitter lay On the poet quarter Of the ram. Our
our own ship, and ~ &c camo up, the ram, having
failed TO get near the Mattabesett Us she swept BY,
turned btl bow talrly for the sassacus, bnt meas
sheer with Btarboard helm. then jamming 1t hard
s'port, passed about one hundred and fly yards
trOm her. delivering with precItion our whole
broadsIds , o. solid , shof which bounded from hsz
Sweeping around her stern we now stood tow
are the Bombfhell-which bad annoyed us exceed
houses. and which came flying in quick encceasion
over cur hurricane deck-and training on her pour
ed into her hall full broadsde: which brought the
5ebe enssn 1e.sin9 down. and ssnt the we a;g n
and hailed to know II they had surrendered, which
was answered hJ shouts Of 'Yes, :" Yes" '*Yes,"
from dozsa throsts Ordered hor to drop ont Of
and. pushing on to regain the rime Nc hsd consum-
I'd tn this capture, We noticed that the Mattabesett
bad again passed BY the ram, delivering. her dre,
eacue. attracting the attention Of tho Albcmarle
from us, to whom she now exposed her whole side.
:. She , Ess about 500 5ards distant. and We vera
peased to be etenn1lng slowly, a. II waiting for
throwing 100 poander Bfooke's Ilde shot and shell,
h1oshc, nd inifsptd szeea Ssi
70 close Wath D.. onl antagonist, seized the oppor-
lN1ll9 WlLnonS neeitat10n, and ordering ''four
bella" agtin and again repeated, as previously ar
rpnstd With the CHIEF engineer, who was scuusiut-
ed with cur deetsn. the ship was headed sfraiybt
let what was supposed to be the weakest parf Of
the ram. where her casemata OF hou.e ioIned the
h1ll. Our fires were c1esn, We had .hifty pound5
Of steam, and with throttle wide opep. The S,Rss.
chs daahed nt hcE grim adversary. We se.1,ed to
rovc tiighdolly slow. but each moment Increased
We attained the rate Of nine to ten knots, when We
blow. w1hout elaneo Or ellde. The shock to our
ehtp Naa not nearly 60 beavy as He had expected.
Something gave way. Was 1t onz saipl Whers
NC cnr DOWN. MOI thank Heavent It was. the
iron clad, and 1s her black hull was forced nnder
By our bow, till the water flowed over it from side
10 sfde. we thought our foe was going down, and
could hardly repreAs shout Of e1ultatIon, IN an
swer to the ringing cheer with which our comrades
On the Hyalueirg greeted our bold grapple With
the monster.
AZ NE struck her, the ram drove 1n0-poun1er
Brooees shot through and through her, from star-
hosrd hoW TO port side. Our stem WAS forced iato
her tidc and lex ping up our headway, VIC careened
her doWn beneath our weight. and pushed her like
IN Inert MaeE tefare rA Whlle In profound silence
our Rnnncts we're trimming their heavy ordnance to
bear en- our astonisf ed enemy. Now black muz-
xle p7otEndca from the ram's open port, and tho
aoade1s OF our Patrott rifle, standing on tho side,
serve The gun within hftecn feet Of that yawniuE
csnAon mouth ltwss rrand reproduction of
Il . old dnTf or ''hroadside to brosdaICe" and
sya1d arm locked TO yard, !" bnt the immense guns
now Ernninu ocnapcc acrots the few feet Of s2soe
which separated them: each one c1rryins thu
weight Of metal ofs whole tier Of the Il mec can