The crew of the Atlanta arrived in Savannah — their narrative.
On Wednesday morning 71 men of the crew of the C. S. iron-clad steamer
Atlanta, captured by the U. S. iron-turreted monitor
Weehawken,
Captain John Rodgers, in
Warsaw Sound, on the morning of June 17, arrived in
Savannah.
Mr. George W. Hardcastle, the carpenter's mate, furnishes the
Republican with the following particulars of the engagement with the
Weehawken:
The attack commenced at five minutes before 5 o'clock A. M., there lying in
Warsaw Sound the iron-clad monitors
Weehawken and
Nahant, and the side-wheel steamer
Cimmeron.
The
Weehawken was attacked first.
The shot was fired by the
Atlanta from her bow pivot gun, followed immediately after by a second.
The
Weehawken then replied with a 15-inch solid shot which struck the
Atlanta on the starboard side, three feet aft of the pilot-house, driving in the iron plates, shattering the wood work on the inside of the casement, and wounding 18 men--one of whom (
Barrett) died in about two hours from the effects of his injuries.
The shot did not enter the casemate; it passed over the spar deck.
The starboard broadside gun was immediately fired; the
Weehawken replied, and her shot struck us on the knuckle, four feet aft of the starboard broadside gun, doing no injury.
The bow gun of the
Atlanta was now fired for the third time, and the
Weehawken threw her third shot, which struck us in our port just as the men had the gun loaded and were in the act of raising the port cover, which was broken into pieces.
At this moment the
Weehawken fired another shot, which struck the pilot-house, demolishing it and wounding two of the pilote, (
Austin and
Hernandez.) Our pivot gun aft was fired from the starboard side.
Capt. Webb, seeing that his ship was disable by being aground, and her guns unable to bear, ordered her colors to be hauled down and a white flag to be run up. At this time the
Weehawken fired another shot, but it did not take effect.
Capt. Webb jumped on the spar deck and hailed the
Weehawken, saying "I surrender."
Capt. Rodgers, of the
Weehawken, stated to
Capt. Webb that he would not have fired on the
Atlanta after the flag was hauled down, but from the fact that he could not make out what our flag was. It was white, and they took it for
blue or
black, on account of the smoke.
The ship, at the time of the surrender, was in an awful condition.
Outside no injury was visible, except a deep indentation the size of a man's hat, inside, the woodwork was driven off from the iron plates to the diameter of eight or ten feet, and the gun deck piled up with the rubbish.
The wounded were lying on all sides.
It was impossible to get the men from their guns to look after them, until
Capt. Webb said to his men, "I have given up the ship." The fight lasted about 30 minutes. The crew speak in the highest terms of
Capt. Webb, and they are ready to fight under him again.
After the surrender, 58 men were put aboard the Cimmeron steamer and handenfied in couples.
They were subsequently taken to
Port Royal.
The officers and remainder of the men were sent forward on another steamer.
At
Port Royal they were placed on board the U. S. ship
Vermont, from which they were afterwards transferred to the
James Adger and sent to
Fortress Monroe.
Here the crew were put on board the flag of truce boat for
City Point, the officers remaining on the Adger.
On board the
Vermont Mr. Hardcastle found
Sergeant Dillon and
Mr. Edmondston, of the 634
Georgia regiment, prisoners of war; also 13 men of a South Carolina cavalry company.
Dillon and
Edmondston were exchanged with the crew of the
Atlanta, and have been detailed by the War Department for service in
Virginia.
Sergeant Dillon reported to
Mr. Hardcastle that on board of the
Vermont be heard a man named Rose make a bargain and sale of the sloop Evening Star.
This sloop sailed from
Savannah some two months ago with a cargo of cotton, bound for
Nassau, but went to
Port Royal.
The Savannah
News says:
‘
Capt. Webb was on the outside of his ship during the battle, and exposed himself very much.
The crew were all in good spirits, and entertained the hope of a successful contest.
Upon nearing the
Weehawken Capt. Webb asked the pilots if there was water enough for the
Atlanta to make a dash at her. He was informed that there was, and he then ordered all steam up, in order to run into her and blow her up with his torpedo.
In a few moments after she had got under full steam she brought to upon a sand bank and careened over, which rendered her guns useless, and placed the
Atlanta at the mercy of her two antagonists at short range.
’
