Wilmington journal., 1874-01-09

| tileul. OlV0 way EuOutcu colonel
Wood. give way, boys, give way"
repeated Lieutenant Loyal and give
way we did with a VIM It was mo-
nlent of terrible anxiety and uncertain
| ty, not unmingled with misgiving.
| Were the heenemy aware of our approach
| destruction was inevitable. Retreat
was impossible now; death lurked in
the still silent guns ahead IN the wa
ters around.
THE BOARDING THE SHIP.
The instructions were that Que divis-
ion should board forward and the
other astern, but through some mis-
take q larger number of boats went
forward, Colonel Wood amidships.
The enemy, who had all gathered in
the ways just aft of the wheel-house,
greeted us as we came up with volley
after volley of musketry, which, fash
ing IN our very faces, rendered plainly
visible the position of our opponents.
Our men worked with a will, cool and
determined, in spite of the deadly fro
that now and then struck down one of
their comrades. AS soon rs our boat
struck the sides of the Underwater
the grapnel was thrown aboard, bring
ing us close alongside, and we were
SOOI up Hef SlUcS, Lno
firing continued unabated. Lieutenant
gineer, and Colonel Wood at his SIDE.
leading the men onward. Following
in their steps came Lieutenants Hoge,
Kerr, Roche, Gardner, Roby, Wilkin-
son and Gift, and Midshipmen Saun-
ders, Cooke and Scharf.
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
At this time the fire was hotter than
L had known during three years expe-
rience OF the war, both in the army and
navy, and I hardly dared hope that one
half of our number would escape with
their lives. Colonel Wood, n gallant
son of our glorious old State, feared
every moment to see fall, but standing
upright in his boat, issuing his orders
as coolly as before the enemy were in
charm which rendered him bullet
proof. One after another, i'll fatal
succession our men were shot down,
crushing in their fall others.
CAPTURE OF THE fBes-am
Once on the deck the fighting COM
menced in earnest, hand TO hand, with
cutlasses and pistols, each one with
rush selecting his man, ana so nne-
Htlill Wc1S our tI1G some
struggled with three opponents at tho
same time. In few minutes the cap.
ture of the Underwater was complete.
After defending their ship gallantly.
fighting desperately in all parts, their
brave commander slain and the major
ity of their men killed or wounded,
the enemy called for quarter
Our loss was over onc-fourth of cur
number-six killed and twenty-five
wounded. Poor Gill was lying in the
gangway mortally wounded, shot in
four places and Midshipman Saun-
ders, a gallant youth, cut down in
hand-to- hand fight, was breathing out
his young life on deck.
ATTACKED BY THE SAND BATTERIES.
The fight was ended, the boarders
successful. The Underwater being
moored head and stern under three
large batteries and scarcely Il stone
throw from the shore, the report of
the musketry had aroused the soldiers
on the shore, and they were soon ac-
tive witnesses Of the scene, for unmind-
full of their own prisoners aboard, they
fired shell into us, which striking the
upper machinery and exploding on
deck produced terrible shock. Fast
and heavy they succeeded each ether,
and we soon found that til shore bat
teries had opened upon rs.
DESTRUCTION OF THE UNDERWATER.
The prisoners were ordered into the
boats, and the ship soon made ready
for action. Lieutenant Hogc opened
the magazines and manned the guns,
but the steam being down and the ma
chinery disabled, it was found impos-
sible to take time to get away under
the heavy fire of the batteries, not
hundred yards distant so taking time
only to hurry the prisoners into the
boats, and remove the wounded, the
vessel was fired, and five minutes after
our evacuation of her the Under
writer was one mass Of flames, con-
suming the dead bodies Of the Fede-
rails killed III the action.