efforts, was unable to bring her to close quarters, owing to her superior steaming qualities. At 7.30 A.M., in obedience to your orders, we stood in shore, leaving the partially crippled and fleeing enemy about _seven miles clear of the bar_, standing to the southward and eastward. At 8 A.M., in obedience to signal, we anchored in four fathoms waters off the Beach Channel." "It gives me pleasure to testify to the good conduct and efficiency of the officers and crew of the _Chicora_. I am particularly indebted to the pilots, Messrs. Payne and Aldert, for the skillful pilotage of the vessel." "It gives me pleasure to report that I have no injuries or casualties." "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "J.R. TUCKER, _Commander, C.S.N._ "_Flag Officer_ D.N. INGRAHAM, C.S.N., "_Commanding Station, Charleston, S.C._" The result of this engagement was a complete demonstration of the futility of any attempt on the part of wooden vessels to contend with iron-clads. The Federal squadron consisted of the _Housatonic_, _Meresdita_, _Keystone State_, _Quaker City_, _Augusta_, _Flag_, _Memphis_, _Stettin_, _Ottawa_, and _Unadilla_, ten vessels, all of them unarmored, and three, the _Housatonic_, _Ottawa_ and _Unadilla_, built for war service, the other seven being merchant steamers converted into men-of-war. The Confederate squadron consisted of only two vessels, both iron-clads, the _Palmetto State_ and _Chicora_, which received no damage whatever during the engagement, either to their hulls, machinery, or crew, whilst several of the ten Federal wooden vessels were seriously injured, though none of them were sunk, their escape from capture or destruction being due to the swiftness of their flight. Their loss was twenty-five killed and twenty-two wounded. The blockade of Charleston harbor was soon, indeed immediately, re-established, and kept up by the armored frigate _New Ironsides_ and a number of heavy "Monitors." There was, from the end of this battle to the evacuation of Charleston by the Confederates, no time when there would have been the least probability of the success of another dash by the Confederate vessels in the harbor upon the Federal squadron blockading. In the month of February, 1863, Tucker was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Provisional Navy of the Confederate States, and in March following was appointed Flag Officer of the Confederate Forces Afloat at Charleston, the _Chicora_ bearing his flag.