Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-05-25

iorty'iive guns, five of them 450.nounders
biakeleysi and four Armstrong guns 200
R9unuers, mounted on top of iron turrets
Ihe rest were 32-pounders.
oahu Dagswere extensively used In makinp
the batteries, 10 which were added brick
masonry and some Of adobe. The frinp
soon soon became warm. About ten O'Clock, M
VIVA de Madrid set her jib and trysails and
ran Out oil The fight. She made signals, and
was takeh In tow by the Vincedora, with
steam escaping abundantlY from below She
@ was soon loilowed by the Berenguela listed
oVer 70 one side and with smoke pouring
from her ports. Just before she retired n
pun oil black dust had shot out at her water
me on the side away from the batteries. A
ll Dall had gone through the coal bunkers,
lhought and through both sides We saw
men over the side attempting to patch with
canvass tho ragged hole, which seemed some
two feet square,
!he Alamanza moved to Join the first di-
vision, engaged with the southern batteries.
Inc kesoucion and Blanca, about 2.30,
s.eaineu away from the southern division,
leaving the Alamanza and Numancia still
engaged. These vessels drew off at fifteen
minutes before five o'clock, the Peruvians
hrlhg alter them as long as their guns could
teacn. The action, fought under way by
.ue opanlards, was urged on both sides with
courage and persstency. The Peruvians'
! guns, which were all en- JarJette, never ceas-
ed firing, and the Spanlards, I believe,
only lett off when their ammunition was ex-
hausted.
The killed and wounded in the batteries
were SAID to number eighty. In one of the
lron'clad batteries shell exploded, igniting
other powder and disabling the guns. By
this explosion Senior Galvez, the Peruvian
Minister of War and Marine, was blown to
atoms. Next to the Dictator in power, of
liberal views and marked ability, his loss
VIII prove serious one TO the country.
HIS Excellency, the Dictator, is said to
nave Deen everywhere in the thickest of the
the hght, animating, encouraging and direct
ing the Peruvian batteries. i do not know
the damage to the Spanish fleet, but the loss
was no doubt heavy. 1t was obvious that
several of the vessels had been badly pun
ished. The Spaniards we thought, did not
go very near the batteries, many of their
shot falling into the water. The presence of
torpedo boats may have inspired caution.
In coming away from a farewell visit to
Admiral Pearson, picked up one floating
adritt near our vessels. 1t was a red keg,
containing about fifty pounds of wet powder,
with some yards of insulated wire attached,
ana inside the arrangement for explosion by
a galvanic battery. The senior surgeon, DR..
Peck, was sent to the Villa de Madrid and
Berenguela as soon as they anchored, with
offers of assistance. His services were ac-
eepted by the ST. geon of the Villa de Madrid,
but on board the Berenguela the officers
gathered around him at the gangway, and
SAID they were deeply grateful, but needed
no help.
When the Numancia anchored, DR. John.
son was sent on board, while DR.. Peck, who
had returned TO the Vanderbilt, went on
shore to tender his services to the Peruvians.
was sorry to learn, through DIR. johnson,
that Admiral Nunez had been badly wound
ed by splinters, no fewer than eight injuries
having been received in the head, arms, legs
and side. The doctor was not permitted to
see the Admiral, ard apprehend he has 1eel
seriously hurt. The Peruvian batteries were
but little injured. The authorities on shore
were confident that on the morning follow
ing the bombardment they would be better
prepared than at the first to resist an attack.
There were two iron clad vessels on the
side OF the Peruvians oIe the monitor the
Loa, with single gun, (sixtv-eight pounder)
in turret, and one the Victoria, built in the
shape of the confederate iron. clads, covered
with railroad iron, and having a sixty-eight
FOUNDER at each end. The monitor was
struck ten times, but received no damage. |
do not know how the other Jared There
were severel small men-ofwa., but their
artillery was too light to be used, and they
were secu4ed inside the mole
have the honor to be your ohedient
servant,
JoHN RoDGERs, Commander.
To Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the
Navy.
Appended to the above report is a finely.
executed map of the bombardment of Callao,
showing the movements of the Spanish
squadron and the position of the Peruvian
batteries, the design being the work Of Lieut.
Gowen X Haskell, United States Navy.