The Niagara —— stirring Speech of General Bragg.
An interesting letter from a young gentleman in the forces at Pensacola to his father in Virginia, confirms a statement, contradicted by the Northern papers, that the monster steamer Niagara was seriously injured in the attack upon Fort McRae. He says:‘ "On the morning of the 26d, we again repeated to our battery and waited for Pickens to open upon us, which she did at a quarter to eleven. We let loose upon her and were soon again hotly engaged. The ships did not come in then until we had been fighting some two or three hours, when the Niagara moved slowly up and began firing again on Fort McRae. Capt. Kerr then turned his gun upon her, as did Captain Smith. Capt. Kerr struck her on the side near the bows, making her careen to one side as if she were sinking, and set off in a hurry to get out of reach. While she was leaving, Capt. Smith gave her a shot in the stern which injured her screw. All the other ships immediately crowded around her, and from that fact, among others, we suppose she must have been badly injured.
"On the morning of the 24th, while at our battery, Gen. Bragg rode up and said: Gentlemen, I have come to thank you for your gallant conduct in the engagement. You have had the post of danger, consequently the post of honor. You have shown the enemy that our farmers and mechanics can beat them firing, notwithstanding their boast that they have old soldiers. You feel now, doubtless, repaid for your long labors in the sands of Florida. The enemy have attacked you, and found you ready to their cost. Judging from the number they have buried this morning, they have lost many more than we. I hope you will remain prepared to repeat them in case they should make a land attack.--Should they attempt it, use your bayonets vigorously and water the sandy soil with Yankee blood until it will produce corn."
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