The Naval Engagement At The Passes Of The Mississippi

Gorman ' hoe of tUo Mor haWC'a Ktcnange ExtriH-.t fiom a letter Kii In ; rl V. S sVan.s ip Rioiillldlld, i!;ilul Ciff B. V. Pas, Ovt. l l ' C)n --rtis(ï:i v, Oet. 9, we were lyincf at iho L'upces (up tiic ivoi) wh'ari tiic; ' h v (Minodwn ind beguii firing ai H wiiii :i ::!■■■' lüK-tl umi sb hnd oliti.ii, ed (incB hor last vwi! lo ui. "A! hï uu liiliglid ■■' lier, but , ly tlio 1 : u _ 1 1 ri ühic.ii jhen the fíieMe i tvütin t tly ill nbout ns, whüe ('iir , ritlod iji! n (wo hiivo only ono) would not i-('ic!i Lei. Mc'íit.whíli , the Preble, Cnpt. Preneh, nndtfae Vjncenne8,-;Capt. Il-irdy. irtázcd itway m lier, hut ;ill f.-ll i sl.oii, mi. d na l.; wns (- mueh foiler thau eivlior i liH it would lm :io 1. otter lor ufl to chupo her, ill wo eould do was to stav.d and luke it. i'hu rnvcul amuscd hitnself in tliis monner for nn ; hou:1, u-hen Ke haulecl cd and stoamed u the rivef. Our C:i['t:iin, Pope, :t once saw the iuipcitar.ce dl' oluaining uns fr'iat would ciiublo l.ini to cepo with this f.1'low :it liis gaiiiu of long hmvlx, :ind (ijspat.-l.i-d our sttMin tender Wnter Witch down to the Ni.ijx.Tra for rilled a;nn8. The nex-t norninjí tbe Water VViloh retin-iwá wrth word thattle Niagnra ftud cono to Fort Piukunij fnr guri, nad that "e munt defund ourtlürVcs as bt we POuld. Tlii;rsd;iy and Priday p'tMwed cui;!t enough - wo werè busy en ihu battery uliuii we pniposud erecting on a póint of land wnero we woro lying. On Saturdny at 3.30 A. M. tliore was a treond Bhock and. .contagión on djtck. I spr.ung on doek and fpund ii kind ol Btóám batterlng ram alongaideof us, and our men hürryiog to (.'lai'tcrs. The ram waj a snakisj iron-covered boat, c-losed complotely with aj ccniual rooi froui a small (iü!h ia which stiüii.is oí denso black smoko wero belohinè for:h. My divi.-ion was at guariera m three minutos Frmu the fiivi alarm, and as the ram passed aliead i f uf, I gave tho order ready, aud wo et her iiavo it, with what effect the smuktí and darknuá prevenU mo fpotn saj'ing, bnt I know wo did notsee her fififfiini J)uring this tiinii our cable was slip] ed, and wo we:o under way. 13y this time a line of " üro. shi;s wr.s scbn BtretoWng across'the river in a blazoof llame, wliüo astern of them tivj lar Btenmere cameteaming down tho river. Jnst then tho carpen ter came and infortned me that tho ram had made a hole in our sido, through which the water was pouriug in a streani as íarge as a man 's leg, This was stopped, and our captaiit decidod to send iho scjuadion, down lbo livor, we followibg and ctiverin then. Tho Vincennes, Gapt. liandy, entered the S. V. pass, followed by ifiu Preble, Captain Fiench. Tho firo ships driftod ashoro clear óf ua, and we escaptd uoiiffigituion Drtylight broke as we cleared tho Basirt, and by eight u'clockj A. M., wo were closo to the Bai, Tl;e Preble passed over and went clear, but the Vincoanes and our ship grouhd'ecT, and thera we were ! - Xow tho batlle begr.n. The rebel sieamera toolly took up such positiona as they considereii most desïrable, and openea n ih with their riried g'ins, tho Ivv, the McKea, Ktid the Wm, H. Webb boing the mofct prorninoni in the centeaU We responded, and shell were living round us in all directions. - They worked at their guns aa thpugh tfee whole matter was a joke. The ;;-gcs from óur 9-inch b'roadeïde guna wero terriüo, but the boats kept direc'Jy out of range. At about 9 o'ciock tho Vincennes was abatkfoned' by ber.erew and offiuers, and a bÍÓw match coboected wiih the iiiagazine, and lighted; bot, fortúnately, it failed to barn out, and Captain í'o[)o at once ordered Captain llamly to return to his Bhip. You can fancy our aroazemónt at this conduct of the commander of the VincenBes. Woll, by 1!' oVloek the enemy wiihdrow, and we had tho first moutlifiil sinco the night previoqs, Ono of tho rebel shells, a 2 i ponnder, came through the alter port into our smoking room, but fortunr.tely did r,ot c-;.lode. Another sholl smasiied onc of our quarter boats over inv j!viion. On Satnrdny wo were glad to see the Mi-Clelian coming in from sea with t-Ao Parrott guns for us. She made fust to us, and bef ore midnight wo had the steamer South Carolina at anchor near us On Sunday tho twu steamers Buoceeded in towing our ehip and ucennos off the Bar; and here we are, all afloat, and ready for any emergenWi'li bot wiplia ín nll nf liin. I am your frienl, .