The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-25
SHIPS AGAINST FORTS.
An Interesting DiscHssion-The Expo
rienoc Of the Monitors Against Fort
Sumter.

We have lately published q statement of the
Washington correspondent OF tho New York
Tribune, to the effect that Cllcf Engineer lsh-
orwoed, of tho Navy Department, is said to
have spoken in very severe terms Of thc moni-
tors and their engines, asserting that they
were never able to mako G sea voyage without
an escort and making othcr objections to
them. That part of his report, however, which
condemns tho monitor iroN-clads as Unit I L
vessels OF war, is said to have been eliminated
By the Secretary OF the Navy from his annual
report. Almost contcmporancously with the
above, the London Times las long article
commenting Oh "A Treatise OIL Coast Defence,
based on the experience gained by officers OF
the Corps of Engineers ofthc army OF the Con-
fcdcrltc States, and compiled from official re-
ports Of officers OF the navy of tho United
States, made during the late North American
war, from 1861 10 1865, by Won Schelha, Lieu
tcnt-CoIancl and Chief Engineer Of the depart
ment of the Gulf Of Mexico, OF the army OF tho
late Confederate States of America" This
trsatisc contains sc2e interesting facts ger
maae to the t3pic we have referred to, and
which alc cf practical value in connection with
the subject Of coast defence. Tho Times,
while agreeing generally with the authors de-
claration that exposed masonry is incapable of
withstanding the liro OF modern artillery, takes
some exception TO The looscness of his state
nents. II says:
Fire OF modern artillery from what. and for
how long? Tuc bomJarimcnt OF Fort Sumter
il given as all Illustration. Yet Fort Sumter, q
weak construction of brick cascmatcs, with
barbet.o guns on tho top, only succumDcd TO q
heavy fire from shore batteries attacking Its
weakest part-ta1 Sorse-and then only af,orl
many days bombarlment. When five tilous-
and rojcctlics had bccn hlrlad SairSt it from
r:fled guns up TO ten inch calbrc, Including
tEc eighiy-pounder Wnitworths, VIC arc tod
that "SHmttr WIS ruin, aid had only one
servlcesb!e gun left" Lat TIC garrison was
made OF tho right material II tho ramparts
were not. Seven days existence in an atmos-
phors OF dust iroia crumblins masonry aud
smoke from bursting shells had failed to COW
thoir spirits or quench their ardor. M Sooncf
vas there lull In the firing than they com
menced tho clearing efrlbLish to gain positions
for new guns, nnadc the bonb-proofs more Sc
cure, and tried by every moaas TO render the
rulR as tenable as possible. In this work they
were interrupted By another bombardmcnt
that was opened by all batteries on the fort, on
August 30 and continued for three days. No
vestigc Of heavy gun remained il the fort;
Wagner had been evacuated; every chance
seemed lost, and the moment appeared to have
nrriv ed when possession might be taken oil tue
ruins. A boat attack wGs ordered AID Jailed
as signally as it was possible to fail, more than
one hundred men being taken prisoners By tho
little gsrrison. Then came q third lombard
nent from shore batteries and fleet combined,
and it WAS only VIXEN not 4 single gun remain
ed to return shot, and the defences we're ley
elled to the ground, that the fort surrendered.
The defence was much more protracted than
the Times suproses, wearing cut the patience
of the besiegers, and Fort Sumter never did
surrender to the direct attacks upsn it. The
fall Of Columbia, through Sleman's march
from the interior, involved that Of Charleston,
including Fort Sumter and all its other tiescnces
What, however, is most pertinent to The qres-
ton Of tho value of the monitors in contests
with forts is tic bombardment OF Fort sumter
by the naval force, previous to the land attack.
They crossed the bar in salcty. numbering
eight monitors and the Iro2$dcs, broacsdc
ship, and opened fire at distances varyia. from
five hnadred and fifty to ouc thousand yards.
In forty minutes they retired, and tho Times
leaves it to Admiral Dupont 10 slate his oiin-
ion of their condition in the words Of his official
report:
No ships had been exposed to the seycrest
Ere of the enemy for over lorty minutes, and
yet, in that brief period, US thc department
will perceive by the detailed reports OF the
commanding officers, GTc of the iron-clads were
wholly or partially disabled; disabled, TOO (as
the distractions ,Uuid not be passed), in that
which was most essential TO our snccess-l
mean in their armament, or their pJwcr OF in
hicting injury with their guns.
Ihe Keokuk had only TIM to fire thrce
rounds before she found herself to bc in dan
Ger of sinking, an event which actually occur
red next morning. The Nahant was most Sc
riously damaged. Beg tulret became jammed
and could not turn. Bolt ends and nuts flying
about rendered the interior OF the pilOt-house