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makes a turn down and in toward the hull,) crushing in iron and wood and every thing before it, indeed, making a hole completely through, yet not passing in itself, but glancing up the side it struck the bottom and projecting side of the pilot-house, passing into and demolishing it, and wounding the two pilots within.
It was useless to continue a conflict so one-sided, and after seeing the effect of the iron-clad projectiles, they hauled down their new flag and surrendered their vessel.
The action lasted but forty-five minutes. The officers seem completely astounded at the effect of the fifteen-inch shot, and had all confidence that their four-inch plate armor would prove impenetrable, that they should capture both iron-clads, and do as they pleased generally, which confidence proves to have been misplaced.
The officers seemed pleased to have got out of such a difficulty so easily, are communicative and sociable, and evidently feel relieved.
They are in what I suppose should be called uniform, but it's rather a hardlooking uniform.
It is of the universal gray, and bears the devices pertaining to each particular rank, in gilt lace or red cord embroidery, and to some extent resembles our own method of naval uniform trimming.
The rank of the executive officers is signified by a gilt shoulder-strap filled with blue, with a single star, like a brigadier-general.
A commander has two stars, and so on.
Most of their coat-buttons are our own naval buttons, with a frequent sprinkling of army buttons among them, especially on the cuffs.
Some of them have buttons with the coat-of-arms of Virginia, South-Carolina, or some other State, upon them.
They have a button of their own adoption, an anchor with crossed cannon, but it is not generally worn yet. Most of the uniforms look “home-made” enough, and are faded and rusty.
The marine officer has a sword, and a fine one it is, with equipments, made by Firman & Sons, 153 Strand and 13 Conduit street, London.
The officers say that it was almost intolerable on board the Atlanta, there being no method of ventilation, and the heat was intense.
It was continually dark below, candles having to be used both night and day. Some of the officers are new, and all of them think that if confined on board the vessel or at sea they would not be able to live long.
They speak of all the arrangements of the steamer as being exceedingly inconvenient.
They say that the Fingal, or Atlanta, has been but recently finished, and could steam ten knots an hour.
Her engines are unusually fine ones, and of Glasgow make.
From her bow there projected a torpedo, fastened on the end of a spar fixed to the steamer's bow, the spar being twenty feet long and five feet below the surface.
This they intended to run against the iron-clad, so that the torpedo should strike the hull and explode against it. From experiments made in Savannah they had no doubt that the explosion would have destroyed the iron-clad.
The officers were all allowed to retain their side-arms and personal effects, and will probably leave the Vermont soon for a passage North.
They say that the defences of Charleston are more complete now than ever, and that the gun which caused so much harm to the iron-clads in the recent fight at Fort Sumter is of their own make, and not an English gun. They call it the Brooke gun, as it was invented by one of their ordnance officers of that name.
They also say that but few guns, little ammunition, and little of any of the material of war come to them from foreign sources, as they are able to manufacture for themselves.
They speak of a lack of some of the necessaries of life through the Confederacy, and of the high prices of all articles.
One of them, showing a confederate one dollar bill, made the remark: “It takes six of them to get a dollar in gold.”
The James Adger has been ordered to take them North, we understand.
I send a list of the officers:
Commander — William A. Webb, of Virginia.
First Lieutenant and Executive Officer — J. W. Alexander, of North--Carolina.
Second Lieutenant (for the war)--Alphonso Barbot, of Louisiana.
Third Lieutenant--J. H. Arledge, of Florida.
Surgeon — R. J. Truman, of Virginia.
Assistant Surgeon--R. R. Gibbes, of South--Carolina.
Lieutenant Marines-R. G. Thurston, of South--Carolina, wounded.
Paymaster — W. B. Nicon, of Virginia.
Master — T. L. Wragg, of Virginia, wounded.
Chief Engineer--Edward J. Johnson, of Florida.
Second Assistant — George W. Tennent, of Georgia.
Third Assistant — Joseph J. West, of Virginia.
Third Assistant — William J. Morrill, of Alabama.
Gunner — Thomas B. Travers, of Virginia.
Passed Midshipman — William R. Dalton, of Alabama.
Midshipman — J. A. G. Williamson, of Virginia.
June 18.
The Atlanta arrived this afternoon at four o'clock, and came to anchor near the flag-ship.
She is quite a formidable looking craft, resembling the Merrimac, or, as she is called in Dixie, the Virginia.
S. B. T.
