Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/83

Rh These are described by Professor Soley, in "The Blockade and the Cruisers," as follows:

The first, a 15 -inch coned shot, struck the inclined side of the vessel in the line of the ports, and though fired at an angle of fifty degrees with her keel, penetrated the armor and, ripping out the wooden backing, the two inner layers of which were of brittle Georgia pine, covered the deck with splinters. From the effects of this shot 40 or more men were prostrated, several of whom received ugly wounds from the fragments of wood and iron. The second shot, from the 11-inch gun, struck the edge of the overhang and started the plating. The third carried off the roof of the pilot house, wounded the two pilots, and stunned the men at the wheel. The fourth shattered a port shutter, driving the fragments in through the port. Upon this, the Atlanta hauled down her colors and hoisted a white flag.

The Atlanta fired eight shots, not one of which hit the Weehawken. The Nahant did not come into the fight; but she was nearly up, and it would have been as well for the Atlanta to have stood at least one shot from her. She then would have surrendered to two vessels instead of one. The Atlanta seems to have been poorly prepared for a fight, though if she had not unfortunately grounded she would doubtless have given a better account of herself, as she might have been able to make use of her ram and torpedo. Commander R. L. Page, C. S. N., strongly opposed the Atlanta's going out, owing to the lack of water in Warsaw sound.