The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-17

up westward in quest Of the aIrant crew, her broad
piumes Of black smoke and snowwhIte steam roll
ing back in heavy clouds in her wake, her pointed
rams cleavin the waves in twain, she realizes the
very image of courage and power combined, and aP-
pears to eyes like the Leviathan of biblical my
thology On on she rllshes; and as she nears the
western shore the enemys fleet scatter IN every d.
rsctiononf towards town, and eleven, with the two
monitors, north and south Of her. Stiil she keeps
on her frantic race, driving them before her under
the lee shore OF Cedar Point, when, sooner than be
besched, they finally turn and accept the challenge
There, IN the midst Of thirteen vessels two OF Which
more powerful than herself, with eight guns against
two hundred, she engages the fight, gives the irst
signal and makes the first charge.
THE LAST STRUGGLE OF THE TENNESSEE.
Thus, like an infuriated bear worried by pack
of hounds, rushes and tears up one, ripsanother
open, knocks down and sInashas up u third under
his powerful claws, then falls back to take a fresh
spring and make for the vital parts OF the yelpng
| ours; thus brave Buchanan darts right and left,
forward and rear, at each vessel ia turn and though
his speed is not equal to the promptngs Of his hons
heart yet each time he rlshcs towards OF them,
| the latter hastily backs without his reach. At
last, gathering courage they form around him, at
more than a mile distance, complete seini-circe,
with the Tennessee at the centre OF the cord and,
concentrating their fire her, send broadside after
broadside into her fanks. Yet she moves not, but
gives back shot for shot, blow for blow steel for
steel, emitting ire at from each OF her port
holes, and so severely punching three OF her nearest
| adyersailcs 20 compel them to draw back from
the conflict aud careen over on shore--she keeps up
| the unequal contest i'll spite Of the fearful odds
| against her.
| While the fighting progressing, a little low
pressure steamer called the PhilIipp attempted to
take advantage of the excitement and pass the fort
but shot disabled her and killed one man. The
| Morgan then went out and burnt her. The crew OF
The Gaines made then way to the CITY last night In
| small boats
| In the midst of one of the groups stood Cen
erat who alone had spy-glass, and in whose intel
ligent and impressibe features we were reading the
progress OF the fight far better than with naked
eyes. Suddenly he drops the glass from bis eye
raises it again, and III low voice mutters to HIM
self, "She has ceased firing" We strain every optic
nerve, stretch every to watch, when suddenly
the old veteran again drops the glass, and, signing
out, :. She flies the white fiag," retires from
midst with the sad, slow, solemn step Of one who
has just closed the grave over his last cherished hope
| And true 1t was the noble ship had struck her
coors, not that she tired not that she was con-
quered, but, We learned afterwards, because
| her rlidier chains had parted and had become
an inert and tnaflageable mass, unable any longer
to confront the foe Soon the base vutures, who had
stood air from her. gathered around like all beasts
OF prey which come to the carron, but from the
living flesh, and the Tennessee lost TO our view
| Brave Buchanan had lost leg, and two Of his men
killed during the action but, as informed by the
hag-of-tuce boat, the vessel herself sound as
when first launched and had she not met with that
apparently triiing accident, she might yet be the
proud mistress OF the bay. As it is she soon will
be one of the most if not the most, redoubtabe Of
| the enemies We may have shortly to combat.
linus closed, at forty minutes past nine A. NJ, the
contest for the possession of Mobile Bay, having
lasted two and half hours, and resulted disas-
| troa5ly, but not ingiorlously, to our arms
FIGHT
About eight o'clock last evening 1ag-of-truce
boat was sent from the enemy to Fort Morgan, ask
ing permission to bury their dead at Fort Morgan
and to send their wounded to Pensacola. Not being
In proper form, it not assented to- Others say
that Admiral Farragut sent message to General
Page stating that he had Admiral Buchanan on
board, with his leg amputated, and that he wanted
remission to pass the forts to take him to Pensa-
COLA where his wound would be better cared for than
ON board of the ship. General Page replied that il
he would send Admiral Buchanan to the font, under
| parole, he would transport him to Mobile, where he
would receive all the attention required.
Il EVACUATION OF FORT POWELL.
On Friday afternoon, one of the enemy's rams
carrying four guns began to reconnotre i'll the VI
| cinity of the fort on the bay side, and IN a shor
| time opened fire it. That part OF the fort wai
not completed, though two guns were mount.u
there but they were 50 exposed that they could b,
of little service, and Of them was dlsmounted Oh
the third or fourth shot from the ram. The fort
however, exchanged some few shots, with what eli
feet is not known The ram neared the fort tt
| within few hundred yards, doing great damage Il
the works One shot is said to have penetrated th'
bonb-proof; two Of its water-tanks We're destroyed
| and other damage was done. Tie untenabe condi
ton OF the place was obvious. CUiOitI W lilldi5 ue
erInined before his communication with the shof
| Was cut of, to eyacuate At, - he arranged tim
| fuse to the magazine and then collecting the mel
together quietly withdrew to Cedar Point. The ex
/ poson Of the magazine took place shortly after.
: TIE ENEMYs MovEMENrs.
They within the bay, and now what is to fol
, | low Conectures here may not be at fault. Fol
Powell being evacuated, few hours work will re
{ | move the obst uotions III Grants Pass, and the
| there will ie uninterrupted communication Wit
c ! New Orleans. Thence the enemy can supply hi
vessels with all that they need The forts Of II
AT ali To prevent this and thence, ALSO he cal
d bring many as he has at command for Ian
C attack ON this city. The probability isf this b
| his programne-that he will attempt a landin
$ | somewhere near Dog river, and march from tha
|, | point 8apsi Then We shall get him to a positio
: where his vessels cannot help him, provided he /
. | not able to come with them to the city's front
d | and thus shall have him where the couras
/, and skill of orr troops will be of some avail "
IS meet him there with some advantage OF position
IT and, We trust, great advantage Vi courage and Il
II termination.
IT 1t is impossible to imagine how he will get Il
forces necessary to make this kind of approach pr
e | dent. But, have been often disappointed
estimates of his resources, lle may gather troo
c sufficient to Justify him in making the attempt
il by this Means, then that he expects 10 subluga
e Mobile; and the fact-for 1t looks like fact-w
show what our policy Is, and what Is needed OF
land. We held II to be totally impossible for tn
u city to be taken by this process If behind It's d.
feneos there be of yalor and determination