The National tribune., 1885-10-15

shin. but privateer, armed to capture ana de-
strsratha unarmed Northern vessels. After
Fighting up the ocean with burning vessels she
ran into Savannah, took on cargo OF cotton
and turpentine, and was waiting TO get to sea
once more.
1T was n clear, bright morning when we
steamed south from Port Royal towards Ossa-
baw Sound. where several Union vessels, ouiit
like the Monitor. were lying To prevent tne
escape of the Nashville. 1t was the last DAY oil
February. Beautiful the morning. Not
cloud ilecked the sky, but suddenly there came
a teep roll. as of distant thunder. We turned
a headlard green with palmetto trees, ana saw
a white cloud on the horizon rising above the
marsh lands Inland there was another cioud
rising above the trees. with deep, heavy thuh-
der ecloiug along the shore.
The FIRST handful of cloud was from the iron
clad Montauk. the second from the Confederate
Fort McAllister built TO guard the passage up
TO Savannah from Ossahaw Sound.
We soon learned what it all meant. During
fbe'night the Nashville, in trying to get to sea,
'faS. aground Capt. Worden, who commanded
the Mentor in the fight with the Merrimac ana
who now commanded the M1ntauk, saw ms OPP
pnteDity. Up came the anchor, anu the Mon
taHk steamed up the winding passage OF tfe
lt5se Dceeehee River, coming within range OF
tke ,S.lks Of Fort McAlister, which began 10
An n kut to which Capt. Wordcn paid no heed
WssSfSfi rec -fourths of mile from the Nash
-viIye and half a mile from the fort the Mon
tank sent shell across the marshes; another,
another fourth, which set the Nashville on
fire A great column of black smoke rolled
heayenward from the burning cotton ana tur-
pentiGe The crew, after firing the l00-pounder
a few times fed from the burning vessel, when,
when the flames reached the magazine, blew up
with a terrific explosion. Capt Norden felt
that afe had done good mornings work, for
hadsthe vessel run past the bloekaders, once
more the ocean would have been lighted with
burning ships.
ssNAIgFs ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER.
-%Trom the beginning of the war there had
bessI an intense desire in the Northern States
for the recapture of Fort Sumter, where the
faSpwas first Inundated. But 1t was not an
easy task The fort was on an island. There
wfsre other forts-Moultrie, on Suiiivan's Island,
and Wagner. on Morris Island. 1t could not
be- feacAed by troops. Through the months
feet Of monitors and an ironclad frigate, the
New Ironsides, had been under construction,
and m April, 1868, they were ready Tor the at
tack,
Early on the morning Of April l was on the
sfeztaer Nantucket inside the bar OF Charles
tons. As the haze rises l see Fort Sumter. with
the Confederate flag flying above it. sentinel
is pacing his beat along the parapet. Beyond
in the distance rise the spires OF the city
three iaasted ship is at the Wbarves- The Pal-
mettasState and Chcora are between Sumter
and tie city Outside of the bar is the Union
blookaaing feet; inside are the ironclads-the
turrsted monitors Weehawken, PasSaic, Mon
tsak. tPatapsco. Catskill, Nantucket Nahant,
Kebkuk. and the New Ironsides. The monitors
carry two guns each, the New Ironsides Is
guns The guns of the monitors are IL and l5-
incfi caliber: two of the guns on the lronsdes
are 2aa Founders. There are 81 guns in all
2J1f-inch seven 15-inch and two2co- Founders
If they could all be-fired at the same instant,
they would throw S232 pounds OF metal at a
single discharge. Guns of so large size cannot
be fred very rapidly-not Oftener than once III
10 minutes-but if fired each 60 times during
a5day the feet would use 45S.O00 pounds OF
iren and $4,000 pounds of powder.
=, At 1::s3 in the afternoon the tide is sweeping
ins,i5A ffag nutters out from the IrOnsides-the
signal for sailing-and the monitors move to
the attack the Weehawken leading. The day
islbfight and beautiful, the sea unrufiied. There
Comes puff of white smoke from Fort Moultr1e,
and shot sllips along the calm surface OF the
ws4crH The next moment there is shot from
WAReer: then the Weehawken opens its ports
an8sends n 15-inch shot at Sumter, and then
thSa1-inch gun opens its iron lips With my
glass see the shot crash against the brick
walls Of the fort. and then Sumter and Moultrle
are flashing. There is a long roll Of thunder,
peal on peal; deep, heavy reverberations and
sharp conclusions. The ocean boils, water
spouts spit into the air; but the Weehawken
steers Straight on The solid shot and shells
strike against her turret, but it is like the toss
ing of pebbles. For Is minutes the Weehawken
beass the fight alone. Then the Passaic, Mon
tank and patapsco are engaged When the
contest is fercest | count 20 flashes a minute.
TheNew Ironsides drawing II feet of water,
is obliged TO move cautiously along the mar
r0Y channel Her keel is only one foot from
the bottom Of the sea. She is three-fourths of
bale from the fort fires four guns then runs
aground For a long time she is over torpedo,
which tae Confederates try in vain to explode.
The Weehawken discovers a line of obstruc-
tfons across the channel. Moving torpedoes have
been planted. One explodes, but does no harm.
The tide is strong aud the vessels become un-
manageable. One by one they advance till all
axe engaged. For three quarters Of an hour the
battle gees on. BOlt-heads fly in the tnrrets
where the Confederate shots strike, wounding
the gunners Fify-three shots strike the Wee
hawken in 30 minutes Thirty-five plunge upon
the Passaic, Il upon the Montauk, A upon the
Patapsco; 20 were rained upon the Catskill,
36 upda the NGhant
TThe12eokuk ran up close to the fort and in
39-ninutcs was hit so times. The vessel had
been built On different plan from the others,
and was the weakest of ali. Nineteen Of the
shots pierced her hnll just below the water-line.
0Tesof' the gun-earria@es was disabled At
o'clock the tide WAS turning, and Admiral Du-
pOnt set the signal for the fleet to withdraw.
The attack had failed. Only Isl shots had
been fired ny the feet. Much damage had been
done to the fort; so much, that during the night
gang of slaves were set TO work filling the
casemates with sand.
The Confcderates had used n guns, firing
81 pounds of powder and 2 2.229 solid shot and
shell! The vessels had been struck $40 times;
yet only three men had been killed and IL
wounded on board the feet.
But this had been discovered: 1t took so
much time to load and fire the great guns on
the monitors that it would not be possible for
them TO take Fort Sumter. The victory of the
Monitor over the Merrimack had been SO signal,
great expectations Were indnlged in over the
attack Sumter-expectation doomed to be
disappointed. Further it was plain that the
feet alone could not capture the fort or run
past it to the city.
To be continued