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THE “ALBEMARLE” AND THE “ SASS AC US,

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THE “SAS8ACUS” DISABLED AFTER RAMMING.

on as the clouds closed over us in the grim andfinal struggle. 4

Captain French, of the Miami , who had bravelyfought his ship at close quarters, and often at theship’s length, vainly tried to get bows on, to cometo our assistance and use his torpedo ; but his shipsteered badly, and he was unable to reach usbefore we dropped away. In the meantime theWyalusing signaled that she was sinking — a mis-take, but one that affected materially the out-come of the battle. We struck exactly at the spotfor which we had aimed; and, contrary to thediagram given in the naval report for that year,the headway of both ships twisted our bows,and brought us broadside to broadside — ourbows at the enemy’s stern and our starboardpaddle-wheel on the forward starboard angle ofhis casemate. ]) At length we drifted off theram, and our pivot-gun, which had been firedincessantly by Ensign Mayer, almost muzzle tomuzzle with the enemy’s guns, was kept atwork till we were out of range.

The official report says that the other shipsthen got in line and fired at the enemy, alsoattempting to lay the seine to foul his pro-peller—^a task that proved, alas, as impracti-cable as that of injuring him by the fire of theguns. While we were alongside, and had driftedbroadside to broadside, our 9-inch Dahlgrenguns had been depressed till the shot would

4- There was no lack of courage on the other ships,and the previous loss of the Sotdhfleld, the signalfrom the Wyalusing that she was sinking, the ap-parent loss of our ship, and the loss of the sounds ofNorth Carolina if more were disabled, dictated theprudent course they adopted.— E. IT.

1' Against the report mentioned, I not only placemy own observation, but I have in my possession thewritten statement of the navigator, Boutelle, now amember of Congress from Maine.— E. H.

strike at right angles, and the solid iron wouldbound from the roof into the air like marbles.Fragments even of our 100-pound rifle-shots, atclose range, came back on our own decks.

Commander Roe was asked to correct'his reportas to the speed of our ship. He had said we were goingat a speed of ten knots, and the naval report says,“ He was not disposed to make the original correc-tion.” I should think not!— when the speed could

PAYMASTER GEORGE BE F. BARTON, ACTING AIDE AND SIGNALOFFICER TO COMMANDER ROE DURING THE ENGAGEMENTWITH THE “ALBEMARLE.” FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

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