January 13, 1861, The New York Herald
The steamer Star of the West, the focus of excitement for the last few days, arrived at this city at eight o’clock yesterday morning, and anchored off pier No. 29 North river.
The Star of the West, under command of Captain McGowan, left New York on Saturday night last, and at one o’clock Wednesday morning made Charleston bar. Capt. McGowan says that they laid off the bar until daylight when she proceeded to enter the harbor. When just off Morris Island the steamer was fired into by the battery from the island. Seventeen shots were fired. One shot took slight effect upon the port bow of the steamer, and a second hit her on the starboard quarter as she turned to leave the harbor. One ball passed between the smoke stack and the engine beam.
Finding it impossible to land troops, the captain, at nine A.M., returned to sea, the firing being still continued, but without further damage either to the vessel or those on board.
While coming over the bar, going out, the steamer struck twice.
The Star of the West remained outside the bar all night (Wednesday), and during the night steamers were seen coming out of the harbor, and Captain McGowan supposed that these vessels – the guard boats of the harbor–were in pursuit of him. All the lights on the Star of the West were extinguished, and she was not discovered.
The same night the ship Emily St. Pierre was spoken by the steamer. The St. Pierre is owned in Charleston, and came from Liverpool to that port, but was refused admittance because she had the American flag flying. The captain of the St. Pierre had not anticipated any such difficulty, and lay at anchor off the harbor.
The Star of the West made the passage to New York without incident, arriving here as above mentioned. The United States troops will remain on board until orders are received from Washington.
The steamer lies at anchor at the foot of Chambers street, and will doubtless attract as much attention as did the Great Eastern.