The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-05-06

his plans. the beats were no, in a coz
dtion to cope with the Iasn and its vastly
superior advsn,sgss. Hence the conflict.
| was but brief, and after the concussion tho
Souib6eil WAS so n,ccl. di.al,fed rs 10 .ink
amos, Immediately. The Miami sub.Ss
qaen,ly fired some seven or eight solid
shot. which had cot the slightss. effect.
but glanced off the inpeuetrsble sides sS
the rsnl.
l; is now my psinful task to be compeH-
ed to record The death Of the gsllsn, and
able Capt. tIussef. Capt. French, OF the
Soushtield, then assumed command, and
the Miami alone. unable 10 offer resistance,
steamed down the river.
Had the plan Of Capt. Fius.er been
eonsummated, ii is believed that the ram
would have been destroyed or captured.
II was his intention TO connec, two boats
firmly together, by means of chains aud
| spars. and seek The encounter by advxne-
ing against the ram. aiming 10 strike her
between both vessels and force Der a1xihss
the shore. A. the same time torpedo
was TO be SO arranged as 10 east il into
Der smoke stack but, owing 10 circam-
stances beyond III, coptro, the arrange
menss were not executed.
The terrible ram which has been. and
IL expected 10 be further, the cause Of go
mucI distraction 10 this dis,rc, is descrih-
ed as follows;
10 shape she resembles The desttovel
: ram Marfpac. and. like her, carries ad
instrument of destruction At her PROV,
which TENDERS her so peculiarly daugerou.
in conflicts with wooden vessels She is
| huiIl of heavy iron plsle, brought partly
from Wilmington and partly from Atlanta,
| Georgia and is of rather clumsy move
ment. She Possesses one aperture At
her fore part for the use Of heavy gun
but her main purpose is to destroy by
coHcussion. She Is accompanied by
formidable water battery, securely pro-
tected by cotton bales, behind which At
! tilIery and small arras can be securely
used. The name of this satellite is the
Cotton Plant" The building Of this
ram has long been watched by MAJ. Gen.
| Peck, who has had almost daily iuferma-
ton regarding her for many months pass-
ed. by means Of spies sent TO Whining.
ton, and who travelled TO where she ~ss
building on the same train hat conveyed
$50 900 pounds Of pla.e iron, by ussns
Of deserters aud prisoners-nmourt ting ia
the aggregate to upwards 0: FIVE hundred
he has had positive knowledge of her
progress in building He has like wise Of.
fered to dilec. An expedition aud destroy
her; but his offer WAS refused BY superior
authority.
The wood work Of ,his same ram, whilst
in progress Of building, was fred and sup
posed to have been destroyed BY Gen.
I Foster, in an expedition undertaken foy
that purpose; yet still it exists, aud TO
our fearful cost. L, Is Understood that The
| rebels have likewise two others, one at
klnsion and one a. Goidshoro At the
latter poin, they are known TO have OK
eanzel coinple'e naval brigade.
From this, in connertion with the he's
W force now menscing-suppossd 70
number SOME sixteen or seyeu;een thou-
aud men and some thirty SIX pieces of ar
,illerv-lt g evident thai the rebels design
TO compel the Union evacuation of Norlk
Carolina.
Fortress Monroe, April "a.
Plymouth surrendered is the startling
and painful announcement sm compelled
to make to YOU in my dispatch 10 day,
which event took every body by surprise,
a. it ~as thought that Gen. Vessels
could hold out for few days at least, un-
til reinforcements which were already on
their way, could reach him. Bu, ,he ret-
81 ram which had des.roye ed the Sou,hfsld
kept our transports from ascending the
Roanoke River, and con>equen,ly the be-
ieaguered garrison a, PI.m: nth as com
PEELED to fgh. az long as human, ,endut-
Ance could stan it, and either be annihi.
la's! or surrender At discretion The
news reached me this morning by the ar-
rival Of the Steamer Curriiuck from Ross
noke Island, aud through most reliable
sou, cp
The first attack vas made on the forti
hca,lons Of Plymouth on the l7.k inst,
but repul.ed, ss xlso another made OF
Fort Gray. The momeutsry repulse kept
tho enemy a, bay, and lasted for nearly
twenty four hours On Tuesday morning
the rebel ram made her appearance, ~
cooperate with the land forces and .us.
"eeded no, onlv in .iuking the ou,L6-ld,
hu; in killing Capt. Fiusser. They drove
our naval vessels from ,he river, and coH,
-equentiy this .nppor, faile ed Gen, Wes.
sells In The mos: trying hour OF mis- cam
psign.
Tie second attack w.s made by The ss.
emy on all Of our forts surrounding tkS
town slmost simultaneously, and in every
assault he wa. driven back with terrific
slaughter. But the rebels seemed d..et.
mined snd renewed a;,acks were mKha
and check.d each one sill a.tendsd wi.k
'he most dreadful carnage Fiorn this
time until half pas, ten o'clock on We'd
nesday the fighting VA. almost unlnier.
ruptej. On Tuesday otiers were i,susd
for the evacuation Of Fort Vessels, betl-v
known as .he S5,h Regimen, Rcd uh.,
>ltua'ei short dis.apce from Mil Creek
Capt. chaplin. The com'nanhaN. ot the tort.
Fad been silied aud, sl,hnuzh the sock
of ammunition on hand growing
",mail hv degrees AMI heautlfuli, less"
still he heroic little band kep, up an ins
ceSsant firing on the enemy. ever. .hot
telling with fearful effect. Upon ,he re-
ceptioc of the order the survivors Of The