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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 356, 13 August 1863, Page 1

Yicksbnrgb were burst and dismounted; therefore it was object to make the enemy fire as much as possible. Finding that they could not be provoked to fire without an object, I thought of getting up an imitation Monitor. Ericsson saved the country with an iron one—why could I not save it with a wooden one ? An old coal barge, picked up in the river, was the foundation to build on. It was bui't of old boards in twelve hours, with pork barrels on top of each other for smoke stacks, and two old canoes for quarter-boats ; her furnaces were built iof mud, and only intended to make black smoke and not steam. Without knowing that "Brown was in peril, I let loose our Monitor. When 'it was descried by the light of the morn never did the batteries of Vicksburgh open with such a din ; trie earth fairly trembled, and the shot flew thick round the devoted Monitor. But she ran safely, past all the batteries, though under fire for an hour, and drifted down toilower mouth of the canal. She was a much better looking vessel than the ludianola. When it was broad daylight they opened on her again with all the guns they could bring; to bear, without a shot hitting her to any harm, because they did not make her setile in the water, though going in at one side and out at another. She was already full of water. The soldiers of our army shouted and laughed like mad, but the laugh was somewhat against them when they discovered the Queen of the West lying at the wharf at Warrenton. The question was as-ked, what had happened to the Imlianola? Had the two rams sunk her or captured her in the engagement we heard the night before ? The sounds of cannon had receded down the river, which led us to believe that Brown was chasing the Webb, and that the Queen had got up past him. One or two soldiers got the Monitor out in the stream again, and let her go on the ram Queen. All the forts corammenced firing and signalling, and as the Monitor , approached the Queen she turned tail and went down the river as fast as she could go, the Monitor after her, making all the speed that was given her by a five knot enrrent. The forts at Warrenton fired bravely ami rapidly, but the monitor did not return the fire with her wooden guns, but proceeded down after the Queen of the West. Atni hour after this, the same heavy firing that we heard the night before came booming up on the still air. The Confederates captured the Indianola, but it is stated that they were so frightened by the ‘dummy Monitor y that they blew up their prize.” A Confederate Delilah —Mr. D. A, Mahony, formerly an editor in lowa, more recently an inmate of the old Capital prison at Washington, has just published a graphic : account of that prison anil of its fellowprisoners in it. The most interesting of them is the famous Belle Boyd, daughter of a Presbyterian clergymen at Martinsburg, and sister of Mrs. Faulkner, whose husband was late United States’ Minister to France. She is “ young lady of about nineteen years of age, of lithe body, and of pleasing though jnot beautiful countenance.” To her * strategy.” it seems, the success of Jackson’s surprise of General Banks iu the valley of the Shenandoah is entirely due. Belle conceived the idea of playing the part of Delilah, and invited him, with the other Federal officers to a ball, to come off in a few days. Meantime she secretly started off one night on a fleet horse to the camp of General Jackson, sixty miles distant, when she informed him of her plans and of the situation and numbers of the Federal force. She rode, back the same day—l2o miles iu twenty-four hours, and none knew she was absent. On the night of the ball Belle lavished blandishments on General Bunks especially. She had produced an elegant Secesb flag, with which she covered the person of the General, and by her

familiarity made him oblivious to all ebe than the intentions of his fair entertainer. Meantime Jackson, with his “ foot cavalry,” made such rapid marches that lie was enabled to pounce upon the camp of Banks, and throw it into a confusion and panic, and cause a speedy retreat to Harper’s Ferry. The effect of that disaster upon the whole campaign in Virginia —paralysing M’Dowell’s army at Fredericksburgh, and preventing its reinforcement of MVlellau, is well known. Subsequently to this Miss Boyd proceeded to Washington and, procuring a pass, crossed the Potomac, and was detected in the act of making a drawing of the fortifications. She was arrested and imprisoned as a spy, and the first evening after Mahony’s arrival he heard her sing “ My Maryland” in an adjoining room. She sang at all hours, night or day, in defiance of the guard, who wotdd ofteu order her to be silent, to which her reply was “ I slion’t do it,” and then she would repeat the Hue—- “ Huzza ! she spurns the Northern scum !” and, suiting the action to the Word, she would seize a broom and apply it to the part of the floor troddeu by the guard. Accordingly to Mr. Mahony’s account, this prison was a frightful den of filth, disease and torture. He Bays his own bed was two feet too short for him, ami he is vehement in his denunciations of the War Department for confining a woman in such a place. The following squib is in circulation : A bishop there was of Naftfr, Who had a Zulu for a pal: Said the native, “Look here, Ai’nt the Pentateuch queer ?” Which converted my Lord of Natal.