We have dispatches from Charleston, to-day, which reconcile
us to the loss of the cargo captured by the blockading squadron early in the
week. An artillery company captured a fine gun-boat in Stone River (near
Charleston) yesterday evening. She had eleven guns and 200 men.
But this morning we did better still. Our little fleet of two
iron-clads steamed out of Charleston harbor, and boldly attacked the blockading
fleet. We crippled two of their ships, and sunk one, completely raising the
blockade, for the time being. This will frustrate some of their plans, and may
relieve Wilmington.
The attack on Fort McAlister was a failure. The monitor
which assaulted the fort sustained so much injury, that it had to retire for
repairs.
Several blockade-runners between this and Williamsburg were
arrested and sent to Gen. Winder to-day by Lieut. G. D. Wise. Gen. W. sent them
to Gen. Rains. Mr. Petit and Mr. James Custis (from Williamsburg) came with
them to endeavor to procure their liberation. Gen. Rains sent them back to Gen.
W., with a note that he had no time to attend to such matters. Such business
does not pertain to his bureau. I suppose they will be released.
Major Lear, of Texas, who was at the capture of the Harriet
Lane, met on the captured steamer his mortally-wounded son, the lieutenant.
A few days ago, Lieut. Buchanan was killed on a United
States gun-boat by our sharpshooters. He was the son of Admiral Buchanan, in
the Confederate service, now at Mobile. Thus we are reminded of the wars of the
roses — father against son, and brother against brother. God speed the growth of
the Peace Party, North and South; but we must have independence.
Mr. Hunter was in our office to-day, getting the release of
a son of the Hon. Jackson Morton, who escaped from Washington, where he had
resided, and was arrested here as a conscript. The Assistant Secretary of War
ruled him entitled to exemption, although yesterday others, in the same
predicament, were ruled into the service.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 250-1
No comments:
Post a Comment