The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-03-15
The vessels themselves were confined and
cramped, and in rough water unfit for

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but the fact that these two craft managed
to make the passage no more demon
strated them as fighting vessels in rough
weather than the ferry boats which we
managed to send safely down the coast.
What waa patent to US all, who had ex-
perience with monitors, was the absolute
need ofsufiicient freeboard, and the New
Ironsides was the nearest approach we
had to anything that could be termed a
really efficient fighting ship before Char
lesion.
"Why, the Confederates cared little or
nothing for the fire of the monitors, but
whenever the New Ironsdes took up q
position and commenced her terrific
broadside fire no living thing could with.
stand it even behind the magnificent bat
teries which Sulliyan's and Morris Islands
possessed.
at WAS a grand sight TO see Rowan
move forward into action with the New
Tronsides. The big ship would come
stately On, wholly obivious to the hail of
shot rained upon her. Rowan would
run in shore as far as there was sufficient
anchorage, connect springs to her cables,
let 60 his anchor, and then, and not till
then, man the batteries. AS soon as all
was in readiness, Belknap would take
charge on the gun deck and the ball
would open from our territory. I have
seen the parapets on Morris and Sulli'
vans islands, lined with men in full
view. when they we're engaging only
monitors, but when the New lronsdes
came up into position, it was only q
question of few minutes before she sue.
ceeded in driving the men of any battery
she concentrated her fire on into their
bombroofs.
at was the practice before Charleston
to send monitor into the harbor every
night to lie about the channels and inter.
cept, if possible, blockade runners. CAL
honn had this duty to perform one night
with his monitor, and in The early morn-
ing, ahen about to withdraw from his
position, ran his vessc! aground. The
tide vas fallinp at the time, and every
instant imperiled the more his ship.
The Confederates detected with the ar-
proach of dawn his predicament, and
opened heavy fire on him. As the
underwater hull became exposed they
aimed at that portion of the ship. CAL
houu responded as best he could, and in
the meantime strove hard to free his
shin.
"His condition was observed from the
Union feet, aud the New Tronsides wes
ordered to assist him. Rowan moved
forward and threw himself directly be-
tween Calhoun s"d the fire from Maul.
trie. and then, with roar which only
the NV Ironsides could utter. began
be!ching forth broad>ide after broadside
on to Moultrie's parapets. Rowan quiet.
ed Moutrie for the time being and saved
Calhoun. The latter managed with the
assistance of another ship to pull himself
free of the shore.
"7Throughou: the whole of the opera
tions before Charleston the New Iron
sides, think / am safe in saying, never
had man killed aboard her, and she
did the hardest fighting of any ship in
the feet. She usually came in for the
heaviest fire from the enemy, and yet,
except for the tearing off of two port
shutters and the slight rupture of an
overheard oarline, do not recall that
she ever suffered in the least. She car
ried four inch armor.
"Our signal system before Charleston
was crude. 1t was nothing more than
the simple wigwag and was early read by
the Confederates from Fort Sumter.
Dahlgren was constantly talking with
Gilmore and subsequently events showed
that the majority of these signals were
read by the enemy"
1t was inferential from Admiral
Rhind's remarks that there was not that
cordial support between the feet and the
army at all times which were so necessary
to success. The Admiral referred to
Gillmore's assault on Battery Wagner
and the bloody repulse that followed,
and declared that, in his opinion, the
assault would have been success had
the fleet been directed to open on the
works prior to the charge.
Gas it was" said the Admiral, 81 lay
oil Battery Wagner with the Paul Jones
snxionslv awaiting an order to open on
Wagner knew, and we all for that
matter, that there wonld be an assault
that night Gilmorc had been rarading
his as.aulling column in full view on the
beach and the faat tbat reinforcemcnts
were known 10 n~ 10 have beer pushed d
over 20 Morris I4lanI mate it pretty GER
tain that other, besides ourselves knew
of something aIou. to happen.
81 moved TIE Paul Jones in a, close rs
possible and up to the last moment wait.
ed with my battery manned for an order
tn open on Wagner. No order came.
We heard the movement of the assault
ing column, and little later saw blind
ing sheet of flame leap around the para
pets Of Wagner, Which moved down over
200 Union men, The awful glare of
that fash, the binding fury which it
seemed 70 irrpart, is something shall
rcver forget. was for the moment,
comI 'c'"Iy staggered, but recovering
uv.elf said to FnrrGst, who vas beside
mo
"'lt il toe late fnr us to do anything
That column is annihilated.
"Hnl the New Ironsides and a num-
her nf the wooden cunhusts only been in
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