The National tribune., 1889-08-22

hind her, but she failed td do it, and fell astern,
those two ships each giving the ram broad
side without doing her any apparent damage.
One of the rebel gunb0ats. afterward found to
be the Selma, was discovered steaming up the
bay, with the evident intention of escaping to
carry the news of the Union victory to the city,
but Admiral Farragut meapt to bag them all if
possible Tho gunboat Mettacomet was imme-
diately detached from the Hartford, and the
Port Royal was signaled to cast loose from the
Richmond. and In few minutes both gunboats
were steaming up the bay IN hot pursuit. The
Mettacomet, having the lead. sent an occasional
shot after the fleeing vessel, but without effect
until, after pursuing for three or four miles,
l00-pound shell from, the Mettacomets bow
pivot-gun landed on the quarterback of the
Selma, destroying her piv0t.gun, killing four
men, and wounding several, among whom was
her commander Then her engines stopped
aud the Stars and Bars came down from the
flagstaff.
Whilst those vessels were engaged transfer
ring the prize crew and prisoners and caring
for the wounded and dead, q very spirited bat
tie was in progress down the bay between q
portion of the Union feet aud the ram Tennes-
see. The Confederates appeared to think the
ram invulnerable and the experiences of the
morning tended to confirm their opinion, but
she had not then been subjected to the terrific
pounding which che afterward received from
8, 11'and l5-inch shot and shell ct point-blank
range.
The Union feet had entered the bay In
spite Of NIL resistance; the cannonading had
ceased, and some of the vessels had dropped
their anchors, when the ram was discovered
starting cut from the vicinity of Fort Morgan
headed for our feet. Orders were sgnaed to
make ready to meet tho enemy. The monitor
Manhattan advanced to meet her, also the Mo-
noDgahela, Oneida and Lackawanna engaged
her, receiving damage that caused them to
haul off. Then the old flagship Hartford and
the Richmond dashed in, giving the ram sew
eral broadsides of g-inch shot, while the iron
clads Chekasaw and Wnnebago threw in their
1l-inch shot as opportunity offered without en-
dangering our own vessels. But the culmiua-
ton was reached when the Manhattan's 15-inch
shot pierced the rams casomate, destroying a
gun aud scattering splinters fore and aft,
knocking over men and things iDdiscrimi-
nately. Her commander, Admiral Buchanan
was struck by q splinter, wounding him Sc
verely in tho leg, which was afterward ampu-
tated.
The ram had sustained other damages in the
melee. Her rudder had been in ured by n shell
under the counter; the smokestack had been
shot away, thus damping her fires; some of her
port covers had been jammed by shot when
closed. rendering the guns useless. Under these
adverse circumstances she was obliged TO strike
her flag, and the mighty ship which had flung
down the gantlet so proudly aud confidently
less than an hour before lay helpless before her
captors. Thus ended the greatest naval action
OF the great rebellion. aud the greatest In some
respects of any recorded in history.
The Union loss was upward of 200 men, more
than half of them killed or drowned; one mon
itor total loss, and several wooden vessels
considerably damaged. Our singular exempt
ion from moro serious losses in shi ps and men
may lie in the fact that light westerly wind
prevailed. which during the thickest of the
fight carried the clouds Of smoke from our guns
on TO Fort Morgan, ohscuring the bulls Of our
vessels from tho view Of the Confederate gun
nors. and the result was that many OF their
missiles passed overhead. "A. p. MERRILL, o..
s. s. Port Royal, Waterville, Mimi.