The Daily Evansville Journal

A Strange Story—A Naval Battle off the Coast of Maine.

The Portland Argus of Tuesday, 11th inst., has the following singular narrative:

We received and published a report of a battle off Schoodic Island on Thursday, July 23, giving some particulars of it. Since then the fact of its occurrence has been confirmed by the arrival of several vessels at different ports, whose captains either saw or heard it. We are now in possession of facts that satisfy us beyond the possibility of a doubt, that an engagement did occur between two steamers on the day and in the locality named, and that from fifty-three to fifty-six shots were exchanged. It appears that a large propeller steamship, painted black, was lying for some days prior to the 23d ult. on Grand Menan bar. She was at one time so near the schooner Ohio, Capt. Dolliver of Tremont, that the captain feared she would drift on to him, and he hailed her, expressing his fears of such a result. The captain of the steamer told him to have no fear; that he would not harm him. She laid alongside the Ohio about twenty-four hours.

The battle occurred between 10 and 11 o'clock in the forenoon, about ten miles east southeast from Baker's Island, Mt. Desert. The day was perfectly clear, and the battle was witnessed by Capt. Richardson off Cranberry Island, and others from the lighthouse on Baker's Island. With a glass the vessels could be seen with perfect distinctness. The persons in the lighthouse counted fifty-three discharges from guns of very heavy caliber.

Capt. Carver, of schooner George Kilborn, from Calais, arrived in Tremont about three hours after the engagement. He reports that he saw the whole engagement at about ten to twelve miles distant from him. The engagement lasted about three-quarters of an hour when the vessel which was taken to be the United States gunboat ran for the land, and the other steamer, supposed the one that had been lying upon Grand Menan Banks, followed her in as near the shore as she dared to, apparently, and then went on. The gunboat went into Southwest Harbor, in Tremont, sent a boat ashore, and a messenger to the post office. The officer of the boat, on being asked what the firing meant, replied: "We had an engagement with a Confederate privateer, and sunk her." The boat returned to the steamer, which then started off westward.

The facts in regard to the battle are confirmed by Capt. Ward, of the fishing schooner Signal, of Tremont, who arrived in port the next day. He was lying about six miles southeast from Duck Islands, saw the fight and saw the black steamer run out to sea by Mount Desert rock.

There was a town meeting in Tremont on that day. The heavy discharges of artillery shook the buildings and rattled the glass so much as to alarm people, and many went to Southwest Harbor to learn what it meant. They there saw the steamer come in and the boat come ashore. Those at the town house counted fifty-six distinct discharges of heavy guns.

These are the facts, amply vouched for, which we have through the politeness of Captain Booth, of the schooner Ceres, from Tremont.