the channel to Fort Moultrie, were suspended, floating from barrels and kept taut by weights, heavy nets and contrivances of roping, so fixed as to be sure to get entangled in the propelling apparatus of vessels, and also connected with torpedoes. Into this net the Weehawken, which led the van, fell; and for a long time her machinery was useless and she drifted with the current. At last, after great exertions, she extricated herself. The other vessels sheered off and avoided the same peril. There was no getting into the required position in this way. Any attempt to persevere in that course would have rendered the fleet unmanageable and exposed it to destruction. Baffled in the attempt to get round or past Fort Sumter in that way, the bulldog Monitors sought another opening; but even the shoal ground between the fort and Cummings' Point was barred up with piles. In fact, Fort Sumter was found to be the apex of a triangle, the two sides of which were impenetrable to our vessels, and at the base line of which they were exposed to a concentric fire from Forts Sumter and Moultrie, the Redan, Battery Bee, Fort Beauregard. Thus brought to a stand, and nothing being left but either to batter down Fort Sumter or retire, the iron-clads went resolutely to their work. Stretching some 300 yards of the fortress, while the other vessels lay at intermediate distances between that and 600 yards. The Ironsides-the Admiral's flag-shiphad become entirely unmanageable, refusing to answer her helm; so that, with the exception of one broadside which she poured into Fort Moultrie, she took no part in the attack, although she was herself the target for many of the enemy's largest guns, and was hit some sixty or seventy times, sustaining, however, no material damage. For half an hour, while our vessels were in the position I have described, the cannonading was of the most awfully grand and terrible character. No words of mine, no words of any man, can convey a faint idea of it. It was sublimely terrific. No less than 300 guns of the largest calibre concentrated their fire upon the eight assailants, who had but sixteen guns with which to respond. The contest was too unequal to be persevered in. The Keokuk was soon badly damaged. The turret of the Passaic was so indented as to prevent its revolving. The Patapsco had her 200 pound Parrott gun disabled; and, besides, night was coming on. The Admiral therefore signalized the fleet to retire, and sullenly they fell back from a contest in which they were so tremendously overmatched; not, however, without leaving their mark behind. The northeast front of Fort Sumter, which was the only one exposed to our fire, was badly damaged. No less than eleven holes, some of them three feet wide, and two embrasures themselves in a line between Sumter and Moultrie, and only giving an occasional shot to the latter work, they plied their guns upon the walls of Sumter. "The Keokuk steamed up to within knocked into one, showed the effect of the Monitors' guns. But that was all we effected that and the dissipation of a popular error, that Charleston could be captured by nine or ten iron-clads. The signal to cease firing was given about five o'clock. It was obeyed, and the vessels fell back to the flag-ship, the parting shot being fired by the Nantucket as she passed Fort Wagner." In the conflict, the Union fleet had suffered to such an extent, that it was deemed by the Admiral and his officers imprudent to renew the attack. The Keokuk was the only vessel destroyed. She was struck by ninety shots. Of these, nineteen were on the water line, fifteen in the after turret, twelve in the forward turret, and twenty-five on the sides. "The Passaic," wrote the correspondent already quoted, "is disabled by having her turret so injured that it cannot revolve, and she has to be sent to Port Royal for repairs. She was struck fifty-eight times. The Patapsco was injured by having her 200-pound Parrott gun disabled. She was struck from forty to fifty times. The Nahant was struck eighty times, and had her pilothouse completely shattered. The Ironsides was hit from sixty to seventy times, receiving no material damage beyond the knocking off one of her port shutters, thus exposing her gun-deck. The Weekawken was struck fifty-nine times, and had her funnel deeply indented, so that she worked with difficulty. The Montauk was hit twenty times. The Nantucket and Catskill were each hit about fifty times, having their decks considerably torn." Delayed in getting under weigh by accident. Orders not reaching the leading ship, we attempted to pass into the inner channel, but were obliged to anchor to prevent going ashore. Engaged the forts, but found it too late to continue. Casualties few. One ironclad disabled, two partially so. Ironsides very slightly, struck very often." A minute narrative of the conflict, from the enemy's point of view, is here given, as published in the Charleston Mercury, April 11: "At two o'clock P.M., just as the officers had seated themselves for dinner, the first advance of the iron-clad fleet was announced to the commandant of the post. Their anchorage had been within the bar of Ship Channel, off the southern end of Morris Island, some four or five miles from Sumter. Upon inspection, it was judged that good time would be allowed for the conclusion of the meal, and, after communicating the movement by telegraph to headquarters in Charleston, dinner was comfortably dispatched. At half-past two o'clock, with calm excitement, properly incident after examination of the approaching armament from the terreplein, the order for the long roll' was issued. The whole garrison knew that the hour of trial was at hand, and the greatest enthusiasm and alacrity prevailed. The men rushed to their guns with shouting and yells of exultation. The regimental band was ordered to the rampart. The garrison flag (the Confederate States) was already flying defiantly from the staff at the northern apex of the pentagonal fortress. The blue and white banner of the Palmetto State was given to the wind on the southwest corner of the work, and the elegant black and white color of the First Regiment South Carolina artillery (regulars) was run up at the southeast angle, in the face of the coming foe. A salute of thirteen unshotted guns was fired, and the band broke forth with the stirring strains of "Dixie." casemate to such a moment. On they came, steaming slowly northeastward-seven Monitors, their hulls sunk down to the water level, showing only a black line on the surface, and a projecting turret and smoke-stack each-the Ironsides, looming up from the sea a formidablelooking monster, and the Keokuk, her hull more distinctly visible than the Monitors, and with two turrets, the most dreaded of all the nine. "In front, a Monitor, supposed to be the Passaic, commanded by Drayton, pushed forward a long raft,* forked and fitting her bow, intended to catch, by suspended grappling-irons, any entanglements, or to explode any torpedoes This was called in some of the enemy's reports a "Devil," and is thus described by a writer in the N. Y. Herald: "The devil spoken of in the rebel report is a large raft of timber, securely bolted together, in width about the same as one of the Monitor batteries, and extending some thirty feet forward of the battery's bow, which fits into it, and is then secured to the ring-bolts on deck. "At the extreme forward part of this, raft, and under water, strong iron stanchions point downward to a few inches below the bottom of the battery. These stanchions are secured by iron braces which run back at an angle to the after under side of the raft. At the bottom of this network of braces and stanchions are placed two rods, on which rest several torpedoes, together containing nearly a thousand pounds of gunpowder. In connection with this are hammers, which, when acted upon, strike per and of course causing a rupture of anything they may come in contact with. "It was determined to permit the fleet to come well within range before opening fire. Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph A. Yates, who that morning reported for duty, was assigned to the special command of the barbette batteries. Major Ormsby Blanding was assigned cussion caps, exploding the several torpedoes instantly, the special command of the batteries. They were both at their posts, with officers, men, and guns ready, and awaiting the order to begin the engagement. Colonel Alfred Rhett, the commandant of the post, stood on the parapet watching the progress of the doughty iron-clad dogs of war. Every heart beat high. Every face was flushed "The experiments of these devils at the North were very satisfactory, and reflected great credit upon their in ventor, Captain Ericsson; but the Government forced Captain Lowber, of the steamer Ericsson, to take in tow four of them, and three were lost in a heavy gale of wind. Subsequently one of them was picked up at sea and towed into Fortress Monroe, and thence to Port Royal. "Although the rebels have one, it will do them no good, as they cannot use it without doing themselves harm. Perhaps it is only the wreck of one that our people have used and cast aside." which might lie in the path of their hostile advance. Next followed, in approximate echelon, another Monitor, bearing a pennon, and conjectured to be the flag-ship of the commanding officer of the fleet. This was succeeded, in the same order, by two others of a similar kind, only distinguishable by slight differences in the adornments of red and white paint upon their generally black turrets and smoke-stacks. These formed the first line or division. After an interval of space came the Ironsides, of much larger proportions, her sleek and glistening black sides rising high and frowning above the water. She occupied a central position, and was followed at some distance by the three remaining Monitors and the Keokuk in the rear. These four formed the other line or division of battle. "At three o'clock, when the leading gun-boat had got east-southeast of Sumter, at a distance of about 1,400 yards, Fort Moultrie fired the first gun. The band was hushed at Sumter, the musicians were dispatched to their pieces, and the order was given to open fire, carefully and by battery. "At three minutes past three the guns belched forth their fierce thunders upon the foremost monster. Within two minutes there was a response. His shots were directed against Sumter, and the strife was inaugurated. The east and northeast batteries, en barbette and in casemate, were those only engaged, together with a mortar battery on one of the ramparts, which fired for a short time. It would be improper to publish, at this juncture, the garrison of the fort, but we may mention that the east barbette battery was officered, as we understand, by Captain D. Fleming, Lieutenant F. D. Blake, Lieutenant Jones, and Lieutenant Julius Rhett (a volunteer absent from Preston's Battery Light Artillery on sick leave). The northeast barbette battery was officered by Captain Harleston, Lieutenant McM. King, and Lieutenant W. S. Simkins. The mortar battery was for a time manned and officered by Captain Macbeth and Lieutenant Julius Alston, who were subsequently transferred to one of the casemate batteries engaged. The other, the largest casemate battery engaged, was commanded by Captain W. H. Peronneau and Lieutenant Fickling, while a third small battery was in charge of Lieutenant Grimball. "For thirty minutes the guns of Fort Sumter were concentrated on the leading vessel, irrespective of the answering cannon of the others. The garrison fought with eagerness and impetuosity. They had to be restrained, and after trial, firing by battery, it was found that, from the small size of the object at a distance of 1,100 to 1,400 yards, and its constant and alternate moving and stopping, it was difficult to keep the guns trained to shoot simultaneously with accuracy. The method was changed, with apparent advantage, during the course of the engagement. The gunboats fired deliberately, at intervals. The smoke-stack of the pioneer boat was riddled with balls. The turret was repeatedly struck and impressions dis tinctly visible. At twenty-five minutes past three, a flat-headed bolt of chilled iron, projected from a Brooks gun (rifled and banded seven-inch), struck with manifest damage. A volume of steam was seen to issue from the creature, and it turned off on a curve toward the east and southeast, steaming out of range and out of the fight. Meantime, the three other Moniters of the first line had bestowed their attention upon the fort with impunity. They now, after the retirement of the supposed Passaic, received each, for a brief season, sundry acknowledgments. That bearing the pennon, at thirty-seven minutes past three, had its emblem of command cut down by a well-directed shot. Its turret and hull were indented. Several shot were visible, driven and sticking in the iron. The smoke-stack was repeatedly pierced through. And at a quarter of four, this invulnerable manof-war also drew off, followed by the two that had accompanied it. "The Ironsides steamed shy of the She fired a few shots at a contest. distance of not less than 1,500 yards, and perhaps as much as 1,800. Three balls were seen to strike her in return. She soon headed off out of range, and was counted out. "The Monitors of the second line were under a concentrated fire, each a few minutes. All were hit, but apparently with no special injury. The longer the fight continued, the more accurate the firing proved with the gunners of that gallant and admirably train ed corps. "The Keokuk now boldly advanced, bow on, to 850 yards of the east side of Fort Sumter. This was the shortest distance attained by any of the fleet, no other venturing so near. Colonel Rhett now requested Lieutenant-Colonel Yates to take charge of a Brooks gun for a few shots, and to sight it carefully himself. The first shot entered the open port-hole of the foremost turret, apparently silencing the boat. "The next ball was a centre shot upon the turret. The third penetrated the bow, some ten feet from the stem, making a large opening at the water line; and a fourth also struck the hull. During this time a concentric fire was poured into the monster from all the guns that could be brought to bear. The fire of the fort had been reduced, by order, to one gun from each battery every five minutes, and was exceedingly precise and effective. For many minutes the boat drifted lifelessly with the tide, under a terrific hail, being torn in different places, and having shot plainly imbedded in the iron armor. It was strongly hoped that it would be so disabled as to surrender, falling into our hands by capture. But, after being under punishment forty minutes, it managed to crawl feebly off and escape, giving a parting salute as it was getting out of range to show that the will was there to fight. The following morning it settled down some 500 yards to sea from the beach toward the south part of Morris Island. "This was the end of the fight. After a short engagement of two hours |