Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I ___ T rrriiiTiifrrnwji THE IE? SOUTH. Jos. H. Sears, Editor and Proprietor. PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1863. t'aptcee or THE NOTOBIOUS REBEL RaM atlanta, alias the Fixgal.?We take great pleasure in announcing this wc,ek the capture, in Wassaw Sound, of the celebrated rebel ram rftl*ntay better known to many of our readers as the Fingal, concerning which the rebels have been a long time boasting, and about which some of our people have had considerable fears. The Fingal was an English steamer, and was cut down, iron-clad and converted into a very formidable ram, by the rebels. * at Savannah, where seme two years were spent in rJ* ho* * i?r?Ttr tn the Federal fleet*. She was completed last winter, and has since shown herself many times, in sight of Fort Pulaski, and and elsewhere. Some ot her men had a mania for desertion, and freqnent arrivals to oar side, Mith other sources of information, have kept us pretty well posted as to her movements, llear Admiral DuPout h ;s for a long time had his eye on her, and of late been well inlormed about her. Some ten or twelve days since, he despatched two of our Monitors, the Weekawktn, Capt. John Rogers, and the Nahanty Commander Dovnes, to Wassaw Sound, to look out for her. They have been cruising ab. ut there since. On Wednesday morning, the 17th, while the Weehamkcu was some distaoce up the Sound, a jpicke( boat, which had been sent up farther, reported the Atlanta to be steaming down the Wilmington river. Capt. Rogers immediately proceeded down the river, to decoy the ram on, and to .getinto deeper water, so he could manoeuvre to advantage. The Jtlrnita came on, as if she feared m prize were escapiug her, and soon fired ou the '\lf Knn aivn Ko/l rvnt u'ifKin notw wor\ m\ I FT CC/(aW/lCH>* ?f UVMWUW uwu gvv vv *%msu vuo^ i?ugV) | Capt- Rogers himself sighted the WerAairfcra's 15-inch gun, the shot from which struck tho top of the jitlunia't pilot-house, smashing the iron and wood work, and wounding both pilots severely, -with the splinters. Four or fix e other shots were fired, and four in all, took efloct. One 15-inch shot struck her about half xvav from her gunxv&lo to the top of her i:ou-plated house, completely smashing through hor iron and wood-work, producing a large jagged hole, killing one and wounding 12. The Atlanta fired six or eight shots, but uoue of them took effect. She finally run aground, and surrendered, with lGo.prisoners on board, all told. The Nahaul came np to participate in the fight, but through no fault of her own, did not arrive until the Jilanta had surrendered. When the Withawktn fired the shot which proved most fatal to the jJlLanta. she was witbiu 100 yards of her. The Atlanta was subsequently towed oft", where she had grounded. She at Aimed up here at the rate ?f 6 knots au h >ur, with a heavy sea on, and wax found to steer finely. The prisoners were brought np on the Island City, and were placed on the Vermouf. All except the wounded ones are are to ^ be sent north on the James Adger. which leaves -this morning. The rebel officers are very much depressed. We learn that the officers of the Atlanta came out with the intention or engaging and capturing tho Weehaickcn. She was followed down b/ two wooden gunboat? filled with ladies tad other ex-xursionists, who were to witness the fight; it having been arranged that one of the gunboats should tow the Weefiawken up to Savaunah ; then the - Atlanta wax to go toOssabaw, capture a gunboat, ?.-t. : .... ?L. ,74k XT,.... Kis.e suiiu uaucnus cmr;tp mc -tivu nun ium. i and leave a force there to hold the batteries.! Next she was going to Charleston, and <n-op irate, by signal with some rebel boats in annihilating the blockade fleet, after which she whs io pay her - respects to the Port Koyal Squadron. Tlus nice | tittle programme was very summarily changed. j The Fingat had two months provision on board, * and ammunition of the very best quality. She was commanded by Capt. Webb, formerly of the U. S. j' Nary. She carried four brook's guns, two six. j ioah and two seven-inch, and a bow gun weighing! t over 15,000 lbs. Sbe had very choice sextants, Chronometers, &c. She is quite a formidable looking craft. She has a cut-water in the shape of an immense steel saw, with monster teeth outside of that an iron frame with a torpedo attached, - - * * * ? L 1*1 lor damagigg vessels; ana aoove an iron uouiu-uae > piece, for penetrating anything on which site1 might be run. She draws tit teen feet of water. Altogether the capture is one of the most important sinco the war commenced, and reflects great credit on all concerned in it. i Operations of Colored Troops on tue Georgia Coast?Capture of a Cotton Laden Schooner.?In our last issue but one we gave an , account of a successful expedition of Col. Montgomery's 2d South Carolina Volunteers up the C'ombahee river; and this week we have particulars of other important operations on the coast of Georgia, by this regiment, aud the 54tu Massachusetts, also colored, and recently arrived in the Department, They are encamped on bt. Simon's Island, the 2d South Carolina at a place called Gascoign's Blufi, and the 54th Mass., at a spot called Fredericka. There they hud good water and air;, and rumor says they have uo trouble in getting their requisitions filed for lrosh meat of all kinds, with some other articles not usually found on commissary's lists. On Monday, June 8th, Col. Montgomery took five companies of his regiment on a reccouuois sance up the Turtle river, in the steamers John Jdamsy Harriet A Weed, convoyed by the gunboat Paul Jones. They drove several parties of rebels from rifls-pits with shall, on the way up the river, including a force which held the city of Brunswick The latter swept the Paul Jones with a volley ol bullets from their rifle pits, and some on board bad narrow escapes, but none were hurt. The town was not burned, as it is understood to be largely owned by people at the North. The Paul Jones returned after it was found that the rebels bad all left Brunswick, but the transits kept ou up the river a distance in all of fifteen miles, And aS fitTfcs their draft would allow. Captains Apthorp and Adams with six men then proceeded a mile farther on, in a small hoat, under cover of the guns of the steamer, aud destroyed the whole span of the Brunswick railroad bridge, across Buffalo creek, the north fork of the Turtle river. On their return they were fired into, by a party in ambush on shore. Capt. Apthorp got a . bullet through his coat tail, and one negro received a flesh wound in ; the back of the arm. In the meantime anotner party went ashore to a plantation house, and captured a couple sabres, one very ancient, with some other articles. On rhp fnllmvincr Thursdav. earlv in the inorn-^ ing, Col. Montgomery vent on an expedition up the Altamaha river, taking with him five companies of his own regiment, eight companies of the Mas* sachusetts 51th, under Col. Shaw, and a section of the 8d li. I. Artillery under C'apt. Brayton, in the steamers Sentinel. Harriet A Weed, and John J J-' ams, again convoyed by the Paul Jones. The Sentinel got aground, intentionally on the part of some of her officers, as is charged, and the expedition was much delayed; then the John Adam* ran upon a shoal, and finally the gunboat found it impossible, on account of h^ length, to pass a short bend in the channel. By these delays the plantation people had opportunity to drivo all their slaves back into the country, so that one object of the trip was lost. A party of rebels in rifle-pits, who were holding the town of Darien were driven off with shells, the troops landed, and the town was burned, all the buildings being destroyed except some lumber works, supposed to be owned at the North, about which was a large quantity of lumber. The , gunboat went no farther, but the transports kept on, and having got information from a contraband 1 that the scnooner fti was lying in a creea, iour miles above, proceeded there and captured her, ; She had fifty-five bales of cotton on board, with J other merchandize of value, and was to have run ( the blockade that night, bound for England, via Nassau. As the transports approached the rebels < were seen arranging inflammables to burn the. ????i ???? I i ?> H schooner, and were just about tiring them, when some shells dispersed them in very short meter, and g&ved the prize- A tiat with twenty-live bales of cotton, was discovered just below, and some extensive cotton and utlier storehouses burned, the contents of which could not be removed. The negro who gave the information about the schooner had been employed in loading her.- lie waited very demurely till he had got his pay lor the work, and then promptly deserted to our side. 1 he next morning the expedition returned to St. Simon's island, and Col. Montgomery has since paid a visit) here, bringing up wiihhmi the prize schooner.She will be discharged, and will then probably run as a dispatch-boat between here and St. Simon's. Resignations'and 1 komotions.?The following are the resignations and promotions in this department since the last list published by us ;? Resignations.?1st Lieut. John T- iiillikcn K. Q. M., 6th Maine Vols.; (.apt. Joseph Lwrreiis, lml. Bat., Mew York Vols.; Capt. George V\ _ Alherton, lUtn Connecticut \ob.; 2d Lieut Prank. T. Went worth, 7 th Mew Hampshire Vols; Surg. H. G. Stickuey, 3d Rhode island Art.; Awn.. Surg. H. C'. White, 6th Aiaiue Vols.; Capt. Cbu*.. Mcilvaine, 97th Pennsylvania Vols.; Capt. c. k\ Gardiner, 100th Mew York \ ols ; 2d Lieut. Horace W. Love, lid Rhode island Vols.; cliap. W. P. Strickland, 46th Mew York Yob. ; 1st Lieut. S. M. Smith, 3d Mew Hampshire Vob.; 1st Lieut. Tbos. W. Fry, yd Rhode Island Vol*. Promotions.?Sergt. T. J. Kobinsou, (clerk at Dep't. iidqr's.) to be Adjt. 4th South Carolina Vo.s. ; Jst Sergt. Chaa. Selemer, Co. 1>, lit U. S Art. to be Adjt. 11th Alaiue Vols.; Sergt. Win. Cannot, 21th Alass. Vols., to be 2d lieut. 6otli Mass. Vols.; Corp John Gojdon, 2?thMass. Vols, to be 2d Lieut, ooth Mass. Vols.; Corp. W. lc Loney, i4th Mass. Vols., to be id Lieut, ooth Mass! Vols.; 1st Sergt. John G. Hamel, 4bth N. \. Vols,, to be 2d cieut. 2d S. C. Vols.; Sergt. o. W. brush,48th N. V. Vols., to be 2d Lieut. S. C. Vols.; Sergt. W. Lee Apthorp, 90th >'ew York Vols., to be Capt. 2d S. G. Vols.; i'rivate C. II. Richmond, 100th N. Y. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt ; 1st Sergt. G. H. Storvits, ItOth JN\ Ya Vols, to be 2d Limit* aame Regt., berg. C. B. Aariance, ltOth N. Y. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, saw* "?? Kvrot Mifhael Fridav. Ktltth K v *,v6" ) -? j, x . Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Sergt. Isaac E. Smith, 115th N. Y. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; 1st Serg. Nicholas DeOratt', 115ihN. Y< Vote., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Sergt. Norman P. Fftrr, 52d Pa. Vols., to be 2a Lieut, same Kegt.; Corp. Wm. Hartley, 55th Pa. Vols., to be 1st Lieut. 2d S. C. Vols.; Hosp. Stew. Thomas H. liurns, 76th Pa. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Sergt. Seth 1 hompsoo, 76th Pa. Vols., to be 2d Lieut same Kegt.; Sergt. Levi M. ltogers, 85th l'ft. Vols., to be2dLieut, same Kegt.; 1st Sergt. Jacob Davis, 85th Pa. Vols., to be Lieut, same Kegt.; 1st Sergt. Thomas Cosgrift", 97th Pa. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Corp. J. K. Kne^. 17wh Pa Vols , to be Chaplain same Ke^t.; Sergt. Wm. 11. Turkey, 3d N. II. Vols., to be 2 I Lieut, same liegt.; Private Silas P. Hubbard, 4.;i w o Vnlu tn Iw Or! T iiiiit S. tv Vnlt Uarui Albert H. C. Jewett, 4th N. H. Vols., to be 2?t Linut. same Regt.; 1st Sergt. Timothy YV. Challi.-, 4th y. H. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Regt.; Private liarvey F. Wiggeu, 4th K. H. Vols., to l..i 2d lieut same Regt.; 1st Sergt. John 11. Robert , 4th N. H. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Sergt. G. YV. Huekins,, 4th N. H. Vols , to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; 1st Sergt. Amos L. Colburn, 4tb N. H. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Sergt. Benjamin R. Wheeler, to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Com. Sergt. Albert K. Tilton, 4th N. II. Vols., to be 2d Lieut, same Kegt.; Private A. YV. Greenleaf, 7th N. 11. Yrols., to be 1st Lieut, same Regt.; Corp. Mahlon E. La^vis, 7th N. H. Vols., to be Com'y. in 4th S. c! Vols.} Sergt. T. J.. Robinson, 9th Maine Vols., to be Adjt. 4th S. C. Vols.; Private C. H. Barnes, 6th Conn, to be 2dLieut. 2d S. U. Y'ols.; 1st fce.gt. YV. YV. Hanscom,, > j ii T . .. i,? O,J r D? . . o. . ou iv. 1 /vi i. iu uc u1cui. fiiluii? ixc-l. , oci^l Albert B. Clark, 3d It. 1. Ait. to be 2d Lieut, sauie Itegt. Narrow Escape or Two Scouts.?OnedaylasP week two scouts from the 47th Mew York, at Ossabaw Is and, were out on an expedition, sn(fe stopped at an unoccupied plantation house. Out? of them was up stairs, and the other in a front room cleaning his revolver. While thus engaged, six rebels came up to the door very suddenly, af4ka aaa..a i.aj l.u imiiu iu uic surprise ui uic seuui wuu uau uis |>i.v tol all in pieces. But with great presence of Bind be invited the party in, aud, just as they wern-eatering, song out as if to a large party up stair*, f Come down boys!" The rebels, supposing they were to be caught iu a trap, fled in great dismay, and the two Uuion scouts escaped.