The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-05-28

that very hour the rear guard Of the rebe
forces was evacuating Resaca. The firms
PreUpltated Its movements, because th'
rebels.in town supposed we had discovered
the retreat, and were about attacking il
force in the middle Of the night. pas
When morning dawned, not rebel, save
| some stragglers, was in or around Resaca
McFhersOn Immediately started in pur.
! suit. Ere this his advance must have
reached Calhoun and, while / am warn.
ed that the 10th or May has passed away
ana the 18th is about to dawn, see the ar
my OF the Cumberland fling out from Re.
SAGA to join In the chase.-Y. iS.-Cb,.. Gin.
Gazette. tat
Tremendous Fight with = Rebel
Ram in AlbemaFle sound.
This correspondent is mistaken about
the hundred-pOunder Parrot shot taking
no effect on the ram. We have a Rich
mond paper, giving an account Of tie fight
at Plymouth, in which this ram was en-
gagged, in which it is stated that every hun.
dred- pound Parrot shot that hit the ram
told heavily.-Eds. Conn.,
UNITED STATES STEAMER SAssAcus. Al
BEAARLE SOUND. N. c., May 8, 4S64.-The
previously received report that the rebels
had an iron-clad ram up the Roanoke riv-
er, and the anticipated ineff1ciency of the
few small steamers stationed in Albermale
Sound in case Of an attack, were confirmed
by the capture Of Plymouth, N. c., . short
time ago. The squadron was consequently
reinforced by four Of the new double-end-
ers. three of which-the Matabesett, Sassa-
Gus and Wyalusing-were sent to Albe-
marie Sound. We had made all prepara-
tions necessary for a contest with an al
most invulnerablr enemy, ready TO do
our utmost if we could get fair chance at
her. st.ft
Cn the 5th instant, at three p. m, the
senior ship, Matabesett, made signals for
the squadron to get unper way, starting, at
the same time, in lead the Sassacus fol-
ceeded further up the Sound, and nearer TO
Roanoke river, the hiding place OF our foe.
AT four p. III. the Mata besett, which came
down the Sound with news from our picket
boats. The Matabesett, signalized to pre-
pare Tor action, which was Immediately
dons. Soon after we discovered the long
spoken-Of fain in company with two other
steamers, ali bearing down to us, and the
United States steamer Miami and our pick
et boats falling before them. We proceeded
in the above order, and with full speed, on
our course. The rebels in one OF the
steamers seemed to have some misgivings
in regard to the result of the en-
gagement; for they absquatulated at
once. The ram. though, followed by
her remaining companion, kept OH
her way toward us. The Ma,abesett passed
closely by the ram, giving her. with good
will, her whole broadside. We followed
at about three cables length, and renewed
the dose; then came the Wyalusing, prac-
ticing the same sport; but all these halls OF
solid shot from one hundred-pounder Par
rot;s and nine-inch Dahlgrens were like
pebbles thrown upon an iron plain. At
least no damage was perceptible on the
outside OF the ram. Steering bV the ram
and wheeling around her stern, we came
close TO her companion, who did her best
in annoying US with her shot and shell,
and discharged upon her our, in the mean
time, reloaded guns. Here our good in
tenGons were crowned by better snccess.-l
She surrendered immediately, and we
know that she is the famous steam
Bon bShell, which has several times |
changed owners. We ordered her tn cross |
our stern and anchor, which she promptly
did. We then turned our ship and our At |
tentioR again to the ram, who had kept up |
Q constant FIRE on US, and being. at a proper !
distance from her for gathering sufficient |
headway, we ran down to her with a speed
OF ten to eleven knots, striking her fairly |
on her starbOard side, forcing |
her side down, 50 that the water was flow !
ing over her deck. We kept thus on her, |
pushing her before us, and hoping that we
might succeed in bringing her open ports |
under water, or at least keep her foul un- |
til some one of the other vessels could at |
tack her on the opposite side. If this could |
have been done she would doubtless have
been ours; for she could not use her guns |
At all. II she bad trained them to the port
side, they would all have been pointing to-
ward the sky. We kept up q constant Ere
At her forward port, putting two.shots fair
" into her. We pushed her before rs for
several minutes, when she worked herself
free from our grasp, swinging gradually |
around tOWar1 staf0oard bOW.f
This gave her chance Of using her guns |
against rs, and she used them with terrific |
effect. The first shot she fired with her
gun almost touching our bow. 1t entered |
some feet abaft the stsm, and about three
feet above the copper, passing through the
yeoman's store room, crossing the berth |
deck and issuing through the port side at
about forty feet nom IT. entrance. The
second shot entered our starboard side
abreast the foremast, cutting diaeonally |
through the planking and frames, piercing |
two knees, smashing the dispensary, pa1s-
ing through the forward coal bunker, go-
ing clean through the starboard boiler and |
the engine room, cutting on = three inch |
iron 0t0nChiOus 0maohin0 on its further