The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-30 00:00:00

be neensarily snbordinrlte to military exigencies
created by insurrection and rebellion.
" W. SIIERMAN,
Brig.-G en. Can:lauding, Head qaarter,
South Carolina."
The following are the despatches o" the Naval
officer in command
"Flagship Wabash, off Hilton's Head,
Port Royal Harbour, Nov. 6.
"Sir,--The Government having determined to
seize and occupy one or more important points
upon our Southern coast, where our squadrons
might find shelter, possess a depot, and afford pro-
tection to loyal citizens, committed to my discretion
the selection from among those places which were
thought available and desirable for these purposes.
" After mature deliberations, aided by the pro-
fessional knowledge and great intelligence of the
Assistant-Secretary, Mr. Fox, and upon taking into
consideration the magnitude to which the joint
naval and military expedition had been extended
to which you had called my attention, I came to
the conclusion that the original intentions of the
Department would fall short of the expectations of
the country and of the capabilities of the fleet,
while Port Royal, I thought, would meet both in a
high degree.
"I therefore submitted to Gen. Sherman, com-
manding the military part of the expedition, this
modification of our earliest matured plans, and had
the satisfaction to receive his full concurrence,
though he and the commanders of the brigades very
justly laid great stress on the necessity of getting
this frigate into the harbour of Port Royal.
" On Tuesday, the 29th of October, the fleet
under my command left Hampton Roads, and, with
the army transports, numbered 50 vessels. On the
day previous, I had despatched the coal vessels, 25
in number, under convoy of the Vandalia, Comman-
der Haggerty, to rendezvous off Savannah, not wish-
ing to give indications of the true point of the fleet.
" The weather had been unsettled in Hampton
Roads, though it promised well when we sailed.
But off Cape Hatteras the wind blew hard, and
some ships got into the breakers, and two struck
without injury.
" On Friday, Nov. 1, the rough weather soon in-
creased into a gale, and we had to encounter one of
great violence from the south east, a portion of
which approached to a hurricane.
" The fleet was utterly dispersed, and on Satur-
day morning only one sail was in sight from the
deck of the Wabash.

" On the following day the weather moderated,
and the steamers and ships began to reappear. The
orders were open, except those to be used in case of

separation.
" These last were furnished to all the men-of-war
by myself, and to the transports by Brigadier-
General Sherman. As the vessels reformed reports
came in of disasters.

" I expected to hear of many, but when the
severity of the gale and the character of the vessels
are considered, we have only cause for great thank.
fulness in reference to the men-of-war.
" The Isaac Smith, the most efficient, well-armed
vessel for the class, which was purchased, but was
not intended to encounter such a sea and wind, had
to throw her formidable battery overboard to keep
from foundering, but, thus relieved, Lieutenant-
Commanding Nicholson was enabled to go to the
assistance of the chartered steamer Governor,
then in a very dangerous condition, and on board of
which was our fine battalion of Marines, under
Major Reynolds.
" They were finally rescued by Captain Ringold,
of the frigate Sabine, under difficult circumstances,
soon after which the governor went down. I be-
lieve that seven of the Marines were drowned by
their own imprudence.
"Lieutenant-Commanding Nicholson's conduct in
the Isaac Smith has met my warm commendations.
The Peerless, transport, in a sinking condition, was
met by the Mohican, Commander Gordon, and all
the people on board, 26 in number, were saved
under very peculiar circumstances, in which service
Lieutenant W. H. Miller, was very favourably
noticed by his commander.
"On passing Charleston I sent in the Seneca,
Lieutenant-Commanding Ammen, to direct Captain
Lardner to join me with the Susquehanna off Port
Royal without delay, On Monday, at 8 o'clock in
the morning, the Niagara got off the bar, with some
25 vessels in company, and many heaving in sight.
The Department is aware that all the aids to navi-
gation had been removed, and the bar lies 10 miles
seaward, with no features on the shore line with
sufficient prominence to make any bearings reliable.
" But by the skill of Commander Dove and Mr.
Boutelle, the able assistant of the coast survey, in
charge of the steamer Vixen, the channel was im-
mediately found, sounded out, and buoyed. By 3
o'clock I received assurances from Captain Dove that
I could send forward the lighter transports, those
under 18 feet, with all the gunboats, vi hich was im-
mediately done.
" Before dark they were securely anchored in the
roadstead of Port Royal, South Carolina. The gun-
boats almost immediately opened their batteries
upon two or three rebel steamers under Commander
Tatnall, instantly chasing him under the shelter of
the batteries.
" In the morning Commander John Rodgers, of
the United States' steamer Flag, temporarily on
board this ship, and acting as my Staff, accom-
panied Brigadier-General Wright in the Ottawa,
Lieutenant• Commanding Stevens, and supported
by the Seneca, Lieutenant-Commanding Nicholson,
made a reconnaissance in force, which drew the fire
of the batteries at Hilton's Head and Bay Point,
sufficiently to show that the fortifications were
works of strength and scientifically constructed.
" On the evening of Monday Captain Dove and
Mr. Boutelle reported water enough for the Wabash
to venture in. The responsibility of hazarding so
noble a frigate was not a light one. Over a pro-
longed bar of over two miles there was but a foot
or two of water to spare, and the fall and rise of the
tide is such that if she had grounded she would
have sustained most serious injury from stradning,
if not total loss.
" Too much, however, was at stake to hesitate,
and the result was entirely successful.
" On the morning of Tuesday the Wabash crossed
the bar, followed closely by the frigate Susquehan-
nah, the Atlantic, Vanderbilt, and other transports
of deep draught, running through that portion of
the fleet already in.
" The safe passage of this great ship over the bar
was hailed by gratifying cheers from the crowded
vessels.

" We anchored and immediately commenced pre
paring the ship for action, but the delay of plant
ing the buoys, particularly on the Fishing Rip, a
dangerous shoal we had to avoid, rendered the hour
late before it was possible to leave with the attack-
ing squadron.
" In our anxiety to got the outline of the forts
before dark, we stood in too near those shoals, and
the ship grounded.
" By the time she was got off it was too late, in
my judgment, to proceed, and I made signals for the
squadron to anchor out of gunshot from the enemy.
" To-day the wind blows a gale from the south-
ward and westward, and the attack is unavoidably
postponed.
" I have the honour to be, sir, respectfully, your
obedient servant, " S. F. DUPONT,
" Flag Officer commanding South Atlantic
Blockading Squadron."
"HON. GIDEON WELLS, SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY, WASHINGTON.
"Flagship
honourt Nov.t
Wabash, off Hilton Head, Port
" Sir,—l have RoyalthHarbour,N 8.
you that
yesterday I attacked the batteriesn inform
of h
y on
Bay Point and Hilton Head, and Forts We eanlkemer and
Beauregard, and succeeded in silencing them
after
an engagement of four hours' duration, and driving
away the squadron of rebel steamers under Com-
mander Tatnall. The reconnaissance of yesterday
made us satisfied with the superiority of Fort Wal-
ker, and to that I directed my special efforts, en-
gaging it at a distance of 800, and afterwards at
600 yards. But the plan of attack brought the
squadron sufficiently near Fort Beau regard to receive
the fire, and the ships were frequently fighting the
batteries on both sides at the same time. The
action wtegun on my part at 20 minutes after 9,
and at-half-pad 2 the ,American ensign was hoisted