Their acknowledged loss was only two killed and seven
wounded. A boat had been lowered just before the action to
board us; as we anticipated, and learnt afterwards, it pulled in
for the fleet and reached Galveston. From conversation with
her First-Lieutenant, I learnt that as soon as we gave our name
and our first broadside, the whole after division on board her left
the guns, apparently paralyzed; it was some time before they
recovered themselves. The conduct of one of her officers was
cowardly and disgraceful in the extreme. Some of our shells
went completely through her before exploding, others burst inside
her, and set her on fire in three places. One went through
her engines, completely disabling her; another exploding in her
steam chest, scalding all within reach. Thus was fought, twenty-eight
miles from Galveston, a battle, though small, yet the first
yard-arm action between two steamers at sea. She was only
inferior in weight of metal--her guns being nine in number, viz.,
four thirty-two pounders, two rifled thirty pounders, carrying
60lb. shot (conical), one rifled twenty pounder, and a couple of
small twelve pounders. On account of the conflicting statements
made by her officers, we could never arrive at a correct estimate
of her crew. Our prisoners numbered seventeen officers, one
hundred and one seamen. We further learnt that the Hatteras
was one of seven vessels sent to recapture Galveston, it being
(although unknown to us) in the possession of our troops.
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