ENGLISH MAN-OF-WAR AT FORT SUMTER.
W. B. Fort, of Pikeville, N. C., contributes a remarkable incident occurring during the eighteen months' bombardment of Charleston by the Federal fleet and shore batteries:
"One beautiful morning as the sun was rising from her bed in the ocean into a bright, clear sky with only a few fleecy clouds, while a balmy and gentle wind ruffled without roughing the surface of the sea, far to the southward could be seen a black smoke curling from the funnels of some large steamer, hull down. She was first taken to be another blockade ironclad of the Ironside's type; but after closer inspection with our powerful marine glasses, we found her to be a large man-of-war rapidly approaching the blockading line of the Federal fleet as they were bombarding the city and forts. As she approached the fleet she hoisted the English flag and sailed close in to Fort Sumter, so near that we could see from the forts and Confederate ironclads the expressions of the officers and men, many of them viewing us with marine glasses, evidently admiring the beautiful proportions of our formidable ironclad fleet and forts. Her flag saluted the stars and bars and her band played 'Dixie' amidst shouting and cheering on both sides. While our flag saluted theirs and our bands played 'God Save the Queen' grim war was forgotten for the time being, and both Confederates and Federals ceased firing to salute the colors of a nation that was mistress of the seas and upon whose possessions the sun never sets.
"The English man-of-war was making her annual trip north to English possessions in Canada after being stationed during the winter among the English West Indies Islands."