The Shasta courier., 1864-06-25
Fight with an IEdA-Clad.

A correspondent of the Newark Advertiser
writing from on board United States gunboat
Miami, of mouth ofRoauoke river. May 9th,
gives. the following graphic description of a
fierce conflict between our feet and the rebel
ram Albemarle:
We have just passed through the second
engagement with that ugly little ram. the
Albemarle. Yesterday afternoon. at two o.
clock the ram, consorted by the steamer Cot
ton Planter and the Bombshell, which last
they senk at the attack on Plymouth and af
forwards raised, made its appearance at the
moath OF the river. Weretreated slowly and
they followed. Captain French sent hte
steamer Massasoit ahead to form the remain
der of the fleet
At fouro clock they came in sight running
up at full speed. When the rebel feet saw
our reinforcements they tried to back out
but 1t was no CO. as some of our vessels can
steam eighteen knots, while the ram can
make but eight or nine. At half past four
we fired the first gun-our 100 FOUNDER rifle.
That was the signal for the commencement of
most furious canonading. which lasted over
three hours, The feet took up position des
cribing circle, with the ram in the center
In the meantime the Cotton Planter had fed
and by her superior sailing qualities escaped.
The Bombshell we captured. She was crowd.
ed with sharpshooters
The gunboat Sassacus steamed full speed
right into the ram, at the same time giving
her broadside; but without the least effect
The whole feet then sailed slowly round the
ram, each boat as it passed giving her a
broadside, which made the iron fly from her
side and riddled her smoke-st This
seemed to rile' he- some. for she then, for the
first time, showed her teeth and began to act
on the defensive. She made directly for the
Aiaml, and when she was about ten yards
off, let fly at us with Whitworth rifles. Zone
shell went through our smokes stack, lust
above the mems heads; and the other went
into the captains cabin and exploded there.
tearing everything in me vicinity to pieces.
and starting the decks above. A large piece
of the shell went through the opposite side.
making hole cl, ar through the ship.
Mr.. Hackett, our paymaster, was living on
sofa IN the cabin, at the time, and wonder
ful to say, was not hurt in the least, although
the sofa was turned over on him, and he was
covered with pile of glass, books, clothes,
pieces OF wood, and broken furniture, aud al
most suffocated by the dust and smoke with
which the cabin was filled. We were also
struck by shell, which burst in the wheel
house, and shattered our signal lamps, but
did no other damage. A thirty eight pound
solid shot went through our second catter,
which hung alongside on its davits, and there
is nothing left of our dingy' but the keel and
ribs. Strange as it may seem, not "a man on
our vessel was hurt
The Sassacus got shell in her boilers
which killed three and wounded six. The |
Metabasset had her deck swept by shot.
which took both legs off three men, one of |
whom has since died. and the others are not /
expected to live. We have not vet heard |
whether any others in the fleet were hurt.
The Miami fired over one hundred and sew.
enteen times, and struck the ram over eighty !
times. We put one shot right into one of her |
ports, and dismounted gun. The firing was
kept up till after dark and during the night
the ram got away up the river. We all think
that two hours more ofday.ight would have
made her ours
The fleet is now lying at the mouth of the
Roanoke, waiting for the ram to come out
again, but think she had such shaking as
she did not expect, and will be very careful |
how she pokes her nose in such mess gain. |
She looks as much like huge turtle as any
thing can compare her to. sShe is iron clad. |
thea layer of oak fifteen inches thick. and |
then another casing of iron. She is much |
more powerful and substantial than the Mer-
rimac was. just consider what an immense
power of resistance she must possess. Yes |
ferday. in the space of a little more than two
hours. she was struck upwards of two hun
dred and eighty times"