The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-04-14

the duties of the soldier, and the tolls af the
camp, have had no time even to think of
home. hope, however, now we will have
some leisure. Yesterday there was par
ley between the beligerent parties, and to-
day, the city is to make an unconditional
surrender; the Castle will also surrender,
some little point only prevents them. Ihave
kept up something of a journal with view
to this letter, and think it will be more in
teresting to give you full account of all
our doings around this place. We set sail
on the Sd of March from the Isle of Lobos,
and the sixth we anchored with our fleet off
Anton Lizardo. On the 9th we moved up to
Sacrifcios, near the city, and Immediately
commenced landing. General WoRTH,and
his division, landed first, without opposition.
He took possession of the heights, and en-
campcd for the night. On the next day
General PArrERsoN's division landed Ito
which the Palmetto Regiment is attached,)
Our regiment advanced beyond General
Worth's. On the Sd day some 10000 troops
being landed, operations were commenced
in earnest. The Palmetto regiment occu-
pied the heights, some mile or mile and
half from the city, driving in the out post of
the enemy. In this position our men were
exposed to severe cannonade from the city,
and a sharp fire from body of Lanccrs, who
came to the hill opposite. In this skirmish
we had some three or four men little
wounded, and amongst them Lieut.. Col.
DIcKINsoN-our company escaped without
wound. The city being completely in
vested, we took up quarters waiting for our
batteries to begin. Up to the 22d VIC were
exposed to an incosant cannonadc from the
city. By this time had become so accus-
toned to the sound of cannon, and the whist.
ling of shells, that paid no kind cc attcn-
ton to them. The fire up to this time was
almost Intellectual. Our army wa, very
much impedcd in its operations by u severe
norther which commenced to blow shortly
after our landing; about the Goth the sea be-
oame calm,and our artillery was landed ra-
pidly from the ships. On the 22d at 2 o'clock,
General SCOTT sent white flag into the
city, demanding an immediate surrender of
the town and castle: The governor sent
back the laconic reply come and take it."
General WORTH was then ordered to open
his battery-I was acting a guard for Gen.
PATTERsoN's battery, near to Gen. WORTH
when he opened OIL the city. He fired
three shells one after the oihor, and he stir
red up real hornets nest. For four hours
[ set it down that it rained down shells and
balls all around us am sure ball or shell
was shot for every fifteen seconds for full
four hours: most of the shells, however,
were Intellectual. Captain Vinton was
killed this morning he commanded a COM
pany of regulars at Augusta for long time.
The bombardment during the night of the
22d was grand beyond all description. Five
small gun boats rode up near the shore, and
joined our batteries. The shells from these
little boats were thrown with the greatest
accuracy, and l am sure great execution
must have been done. During the entire
night there was hardly second that re-
port might not have been heard. The
wolves and panthers which inhabit the dense
chapparel were frightened them from their
hiding places, and went bowling about our
camp. The next morning the fire COM
mencef at Revillee with renewed violence
and continued for the day. 24th our heavy
battery, (Gen. PArrERsoN's division,) COM
menced to fire and continued all the day,
and the way brick walls and church steeples
and domes were demolished was astonish-
ing: by night one of the best batteris of
the city was sienced. The firing from the
city became very scattering, whilst our NOR
tars play away at fine rate. On the 25th
our batteries opened even heavier than ever
another battery from the town became si7
lent and in ff,tv h0lare q, m Is,x yro