rs on board, we would have sworn nothing
unusual had taken place--the watch below quietly sleeping in
their hammocks. The conduct of our men was truly commendable.
No flurry, no noise--all calm and determined. The coolness
displayed by them could not be surpassed by any old veterans--our
chief boatswain's mate apparently in his glory. "Sponge!"--"Load
with cartridge!"--"Shell-fire seconds!"--"Runout!"--"Well,
down compressors!"--"Left, traverse!"--"Well!"--"Ready!"--"Fire!"--"That's
into you!"--"Damn you! that kills your pig!"--"That stops your wind!"
&c., &c., was uttered as each shot was heard to strike with a crash that
nearly deafened you. The other boatswain's mate seemed equally to
enjoy the affair. As he got his gun to bear upon the enemy, he
would take aim, and banging away, would plug her, exclaiming,
as each shot told--"That's from the scum of England!"--"That's
a British pill for you to swallow!" the New York papers
having once stated that our men were the "scum of England."
All other guns were served with equal precision. We were
struck seven times; only one man being hurt during the engagement,
and he only received a flesh-wound in the cheek. One shot
struck under the counter, penetrating as far as a timber, then
glancing off; a second struck the funnel; a third going through
the side across the berth-deck, and into the opposite side; another
raising the deuce in the lamp room; the others lodging in the
coal-bunkers. Taking a shell up and examining it, we found it
filled with sand instead of powder. The enemy's fire was directed
chiefly towards our stern, the shots flying pretty quick over
the quarter-deck, near to where our Captain was standing. As
they came whizzing over him, he, with his usual coolness, would
exclaim--"Give it to the rascals!"--"Aim low, men!"--"Don't
be all night sinking that fellow!" when for all or anything we knew,
she might have been an iron-clad or a ram.

On Commander Blake surrendering his sword, he said that
"it was with deep regret he did it." Captain Semmes smacked
his lips and invited him down to his cabin. On Blake giving his
rank to Captain Semmes, he gave up his state-room for Blake's
special use, the rest of the officers being accommodated according
to their rank in the wardroom and steerages, all having previously
been paroled, the crew being placed on the berth-deck, our
men sleeping anywhere, so that the prisoners might take their
places. Of the enemy's loss we coul