They laughed in his face, and said, "Blow away, old fellow. We have got your boats. Help yourself if you can." A hot-headed secessionist cried out, "Hang the Yankee." The crowd hustled him about, but he had a few old friends, who took his part, and succeeded in making his

escape.

Thirty Tremendous Minutes. The bombardment of Fort Sumter by the iron-clads under Admiral Dupont was equally magnificent and terrible. Unfortunately, the Ironsides got disabled by the current at a most critical hour. In this plight, however, it only remained for Admiral Dupont to signal to the fleet to disregard the movements of the flagship. This he did, and the ships then assumed such positions as were available and they could gain, the whole number being at the

and the tremendous armament of Sumter vomited forth its fiery hail.

There now ensued a period of not more than thirty minutes, which formed the climax and white heat of the fight; for though, from the time when the fire was opened on the head of the approaching line, to the time when the retiring fleet passed out of the enemy's range, there was an interval of two hours and a half, yet the essence of the fight was shut up in those thirty tremendous minutes.

The best resources of the descriptive art, are feeble to paint so terrific and awful a reality. Such a fire, or anything even approaching it, was simply never seen before. The mailed ships were in the focus of a concentric fire of those five powerful works, from which they were removed only some five to eight hundred yards, and which in all could not have mounted less than three hundred guns, viz., the finest and largest guns from the spoils of the Norfolk navy-yard, the splendid and heavy ten and eleven inch guns cast at the Tredegar Works, and the most approved English rifled guns, Whitworth and others, of the largest calibre made. There was something almost pathetic in the spectacle of those little floating circular towers, exposed to the crushing weight of those tons of metal, hurled against them with the terrific force of modern projectiles, and with such charges of powder as were never before dreamed of in artillery firing. During the climax of the fire a hundred and sixty shots were counted in a single minute, and the shot struck the iron-clads as fast as the ticking of a watch.

It was less of the character of an ordinary artillery duel, and more of the proportions of a war of the Titans in the elder mythologies.

mouth of the harbor, between Cumming's Point and Sullivan's Island, and opposite the northeast and eastern face of Fort Sumter, at distances of from six hundred to a thousand yards. While the mancuvres of the Admiral were thus going on, the enemy was not inactive. The powerful work on Cumming's Point, named Battery B, opened; the long range rifle Final Scene Aboard the Steamer Mississippi. ordnance of Fort Beauregard joined in; There is a startling combination of the Moultrie hurled its heavy metal, the fifty romantic and tragical in the destrucguns lining the Redan swelled the fire; tion of the United States steam frigate

Mississippi. The most exciting scenes | The abandoned ship was soon wrapt in portrayed in the best English and Ameri- flames, and presently the fire reached the can naval novels hardly exceed in vivid- magazine, blowing up the ship with a treness of description the matter-of-fact nar-mendous explosion;-and that was the rative of this staggering event. finale of the United States steam frigate

The Mississippi was the last in the line Mississippi. of the fleet which attempted the passage of the Port Hudson batteries, on the night Roberts's Half-Hour's Visit at Island No. 10. of March 14th. In going up, she was One Wednesday night, five launches, one struck by three or four shot only, and the from each gunboat, and carrying in all fifty damage done was comparatively insignifi-seamen and soldiers, armed to the teeth, cant. But when she was at a point near-" might have been seen," a little after dark, ly in the centre of the range of batteries, pushing out from the various gunboats at the smoke and steam from the boats in Island No. 10, and gathering under the advance, and from the batteries on shore, shadows of the willows that fringe the so enveloped the ship that her pilot lost Kentucky shore. Each boat had an officer his bearings, and the frigate grounded on in command, and the whole were in charge the right bank of the river. of Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts, of the Forty-second Illinois infantry.

For forty minutes she was exposed to a terrific fire from all the batteries. During The strictest silence was observed-not this time she fired two hundred and fifty a whisper nor even the splash of an oar rounds; but her guns, one after another, broke the stillness. At length everything were nearly all dismounted; her portholes was ready, and giving themselves to the on the starboard side were knocked into

one; twenty-five or thirty men were killed, and four wounded; she was riddled through and through with shot; there was no prospect of her ever floating again -and, at last, in the utter hopelessness of the case, Captain Smith gave the order for her abandonment.

It is said that during all the time she was under fire there was no particular excitement on board. The orders were quietly given and executed. The crew

Half-hour's visit at Island No. 10.

were told to load and fire at the batteries as rapidly as possible, and they did so as long as there was a mounted gun to fire. current, the boats started down the stream, After the order to abandon the ship had the oarsmen quietly giving each boat suffibeen given, and the crew had all left, cient motion only to enable the steersman Captain Smith and Lieutenant Dewey to it to keep close within the shadows. In went around to see if there were any living men among those lying on the deck, and sprinkled turpentine in the ward-room, setting it on fire. The Captain of the forehold was ordered to fire the ship forward, and they then abandoned her, leaving the dead on deck. The Captain and Lieutenant pulled in a boat for the Essex.

this mysterious manner they departed, and speedily disappeared in the darkness.

An hour later, and the solitary rebel sentry, who, musket in hand, paced forward and backward along the parapet of the upper battery, had his thoughts disturbed by a remarkable appearance. He had just entered the depths of a cogitation,

the main features of which probably were the boat on its arrival at that place,-and that Yankees are vulgar, base, low-born which would all have been carried out but mud-sills; that Southerners are chivalrous, for the interposition of a brave woman. noble, knightly, superior; and that one of On approaching Commerce, the mate, the latter is just an equal match for from who was on the watch, saw a woman (Mrs. five to twenty-five of the former,-when Eversoll) on the bank, gesticulating viosuddenly happening to glance toward the lently, surrounded by a few men, and ever river, his eyes caught sight of numberless and anon her two little girls would tug at black objects drifting slowly toward him, her dress, as if to induce her to keep and above these dark masses were lumi- quiet. The mate was uncharitable enough nous points and flashes, which seemed to to think that the woman had been indulgenvelope them like a net-work of ghostly ing in liquor, and knew not what she did; phosphorescent flame. He rubbed his but there was 'method in her madness.' eyes, looked again at these mysterious The mail was to be put out, and wood to be phenomena, and was about to conclude taken, and despite the continued waving that something was abroad, when suddenly of the woman's hand northward, the boat a voice was heard, "Give way!"-fifty stood into shore. At last the boat was oars dropped in the water, and the dark- about to touch the shore, and the plank looking objects, with the swiftness of was half way over the bow, when-the thought, shot straight for his position. He knot of persons of which the 'guardian had only time to see that the supernatural angel' formed the most attractive object, light was the gleam of bayonets, and then to his disordered vision there appeared to be coming at him a hundred boats, each carrying a thousand Yankees. With a yell of horror he pulled off his piece in the air, and fled with the darkness, no more to be

seen.

He had no more than left when the five boats struck the bank, their contents poured ashore and took possession of the battery, guards were posted around, and their rattail files and sledge-hammers were brought into requisition with a success that, in the course of half an hour, effectually spiked every gun-there were seven-in the battery. The party remained in the works about an hour, and then, without hearing a word from the enemy, returned to the fleet. A very profitable evening call at

'No. 10.'

Western Steamboat Saved by a Woman.

being about fifty steps from the waterthe mate heard her exclaim:

"Go back! go back!" Jeff. Thompson is here with soldiers!"

The mate instantly appreciated the state of affairs on shore, and rapidly gave the order to "back her strong." Captain Barnes at this moment rushed out of his room, coat and boots off, to find the boat backing out and the balls plunging into his room and all around. When the mate issued the order mentioned above, he retreated behind the chimney, in time to escape a ball which struck the bell with a thud and broke into fragments. He then saw the full force of the assailants springing up from behind the wood pile, and rushing like madmen down a lane to the bank of the river. One of the balls went through the pilot head of the pilot.

house directly over the

There were Minie balls, The steamer City, of Alton, belonging musket balls, and buck-shot. One ball to St. Louis, and plying between that city struck the office bulkhead between the and Cairo, was nearly surprised and taken clerk and barkeeper, who were in quiet by the rebels under Jeff. Thompson, who conversation; they prudently ceased talkhad stolen down the river at the town of ing and went to the other side of the bulkCommerce, and were prepared to board head.

The boat swiftly sped to an island be-surgents of Maryland were plotting her low, where lived a loyal Frenchman, and destruction or capture. She had four anprocured forty muskets and one pistol. chors and seven chains out when the MaryThe boat returned, her crew eager for the fray, and determined to give Jeff. and his rascals battle, but all were gone, leaving not a wreck behind. The lady who thus saved the boat, as well as saved lives, resided in Commerce, and her husband was made a prisoner by the bandits that same day. When they were cutting down a pole, from which had floated a loyal flag, she boldly said to them, with flashing eyes, and in a tone which all could hear, that if she was a man she would kill at least one of them, and if she had no better weapon, she would break their heads with a brick. She herself was a glorious "brick."

land was ordered by General Butler alongside. One anchor alone was hove up, the rest were slipped, and finally by lighting and careening, and by dint of hard labor, she was dragged over the bar. The crew of the Maryland were only kept to their work and duty by placing a guard over them with armed revolvers. After dragging her over the bar, the vessel grounded on the Outer Spit. About ten P. M., information having been brought off that the channel outside the ship would be obstructed, kedges were laid out, and it was endeavored to warp the ship over the Spit, part of the men being at the guns. The Maryland having been run aground by her Glorious Success of General Butler in saving officers during the warping, a squall came up and drove the ship ashore again. At One of General Butler's first acts, on daylight, a steam-tug from Havre de Grace taking possession of the city of Annapolis, came in sight, and was taken at once to was to save the glorious old ship Constitu- tow the ship out.

"Old Ironsides."

She was then taken in

tion-used by the cadets of the Naval tow by the R. R. Cuyler, and brought to School as an exercise ship, and universally New York. Subsequently she was sent known as "Old Ironsides," one of the most to Newport, Rhode Island, whither the revered of our national relics-from the Naval School formerly at Annapolis was clutch of some insurgents who were about removed. Surely, it was worth a greento pounce upon her, after the usual fashion back of the largest numeral, to see the of Southern honesty and chivalric honor. plucky General, as he presented himself The General, learning of the helpless con- at the Navy Department, and narrated dition, from want of a crew, of the old to white-bearded Gideon, this glorious ship, of historic fame, mustered his men achievement. and declared to them that "if there are any men in the ranks who understand how

Generosity of Poor Jack.

to manage a ship, let them step forward." There were present almost every day of · Fifty-three presented themselves, and they the Sailors' Fair in Boston, some of the were immediately put on board. The gallant but unfortunate fellows whose steam ferry-boat Maryland, which General Butler had seized on the Susquehanna, then took her in tow, and she was safely borne out of harm's way.

names and deeds on the sea had given them renown-such as Walter Greenwood, U. S. gunboat Massasoit, of Nashua, N. H.; R. D. Dunphy, coal passer, U. S. ship The honored frigate had for a long time Hartford, of New York City; and A. lain at Annapolis, substantially at the Mack, of the U. S. ship of war Brooklyn. mercy of an armed rebel mob. For four Greenwood was struck blind by the indays and nights, previous to the arrival of tense heat of the fires in the fireroom General Butler, her crew had been at while in search of the privateer Tallahasquarters with the guns shotted. The in- see; Dunphy had both arms carried away

above the elbows by a shell from the ram | the rebels had nothing but light guns there, Tennessee, in the engagement in Mobile which could not be heard at any distance. Bay; and Mack lost his left arm during So they thought it was the Indianola enthe engagement with the same vessel. The visitors to the Fair were very generous to these brave and shattered heroes, handing

Light House at Fort Morgan, Mobile Harbor.

them in all some hundreds of dollars. But, said the blind man of his friend, "He needs the money more than I do, and unless our friends distinctly state that what they give is to be equally divided, I take care that he has the whole." What words -other than that it is just like Jack-can do justice to such a generous spirit!

Admiral Porter's Big Scare.

The sham Monitor contrived by Admiral Porter, for a double purpose, proved, as is well known, a big scare. An old coal barge, picked up in the river, was the foundation to build on. It was constructed in twelve hours, of old boards, with old pork barrels piled on top of each other for a smoke-stack, and two old canoes for quarter boats. Her furnaces were built of mud, and only intended to make black smoke, and not steam.

On the eventful night of the 24th, at nine o'clock, heavy guns were heard about fifteen miles below. It was known that

gaging the batteries at Carthage, fifteen miles below Vicksburg. Not knowing that Brown was in peril, the Monitor was now let loose. It was towed to within a couple of miles of the first battery and let go, when it was discovered by the dim light of the moon that Vicksburg was in a stew. Never did her batteries open with such a vim. The earth fairly trembled, and the shot flew thickly around the devoted Monitor, which returned no shot with her long wooden guns. The Monitor ran safely past all the batteries, though under a heavy fire for an hour, and drifted safely down to the lower mouth of the canal, where she was tucked into an eddy.

The rebels were completely deceived by her. As soon as they saw her by daylight they opened on her again with all the guns they could bring to bear, but without a shot hitting her to do any harm,-for the shot went at their convenience through one side and came out the other, without causing the vessel to sink, as she was full of water already. Our soldiers shouted and