The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-12-24

then retreated rapidly to Fort Sumter for
protection. The boat Captain had 70
idea at the time of the damage that had
been done; neither had the garrison of
Fort Sumter, which was on the alert,
heard any sound or any indication of the
explosion of the torpedo or the sinking
of the Monitor Upon the rising of the
moon few minutes later tho two tugs
were seen steamipg out towards the Bar,
accompanied by quite a number Of row
boats, yet the garrison of For, Sumter
had no idea of what had transpired. The
guns in the east battery still remained
trained upon the spot where the Monitor
was last seen. The commander of Fort
Sumter was under the impression that
this was only fcint to draw attention to
an attack by sea, when the real attack
would be made by small boats from the
rear of Morris Island; consequently
great anxiety was felt during that entire
long night, and tbe entire garrison re.
maiDed upon the parapet waiting mo-
rnentarily the approach of the enemy in
barges. This was fearful and eventful
night; that small garrison of not more
than two hundred effective men, cut off
from every chance of immediate relief
could at any moment have been assaulted
by at least a thousand men. The natural
position of the fort, and the pride, ccur-
age and determination of the garrison 10
hold that point to the last, was all they
had to sustain them. and We have no
doubt that they would have proved them.
selves worthy of the important charge
entrusted to their keeping.
"The night passed in silence and with
out further incident, yerythiug being
kept, however, ready for any emergency
which might occur. When daylight
came, to the astonishmeut of Tie gsrri-
son, the smoke stack of the Monitor and
the pennaut on the flagstaff was alone
visible above the water, about eight hun.
dred yards northeast of Fort Sumter, and
upon examination by the commanding
officer it was found that the northeast
easement battery was bearing upon
where she was when he had ordered it to
fire, but failed to fire because she disap-
peared 80 suddenly he could not see her.
This accounted for the fact that only two
vessels went out, when three were seen to
come in, and the sentinels we're excused
for making their apparent mistake when
three vessels we're reported.
mo sound Of the explosion of tor.
pedo was heard at Fort Sumter, nor as
far as was known at any of the Confed.
erete batteries. The torpedo did its work
silently but surely; its friends did not
know or we're in no way aware of its
effects until after they had transpired.
"The pennant remained floating from
the flagstaff all that day in proud def.
ance, but as the shades of evening closed
around the commanding officer of Fort
Sumter instructed his aide, Lieut..
Thomas P. Miller, 1st South Carolina
Infantry, to take boat and go down to
the wreck of the submerged Monitor and
capture the pennant as trophy. Lieut..
Mikell proceeded to the wreck, and
whilst in the act of cutting the halyards
he was attacked by the barges of the
enemy, who had evidently gone there for
the same purpose. Lient. Mkell, how.
ever, succeeded, although under severe
fire of small arms and boat howitzers, in
cutting away the halyards and broughtit
in safety and triumph to Fort Sumter.
The pennant 80 captured was sent to the
Governor of the State. 1t was learned
afterward that the Monitor 30 sunk was
the Patapsco. Lieut. Quackenbush,
with four officers and thirty. eight men,
made their escape. These men happened
to be on or about the deck of the Moni-
tor, but sixty two others of the crew, who
were within the turret and the hull ofthe
vessel, we're carried down by the sinking
ship. Their bodies were afterward recov-
cred by the United States Government
in 1866 Or 1867, or some time soon after
the war.
"This was one of the most successful
uses of the torpedo that ever occurred
during the late war. From the report of
the officer in charge of the torpedo boat
the float could not have been in the wa.
ter more than twenty or thirty minutes
before it accomplished its silent and fatal
work. The consequence resulting from
this fatal catastrophe to the Patapsco
was of great service to the defence of
Charleston 30 far as water approaches
were concerned, as it made it extremely
hazardous for vessels to come on any
duty, especially picket duty, as this ves-
sci was engaged on, for fear of being sent
to the bottom in an instant by an unseen
but most dangerous and invincible enc.
my"
The Canadian apple crop is estimat-
d at 81 900 900.
"A man in Nebraska City offered
prominent citizen $50 to get him wife.
The offer was accepted and the girl ee-
lected agreed in consideration of ms
chine. The two we're married, and appa.
rently are as happy as TWO turtle doves.
- Sumter is about to have big law