The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-11-26


Ger dusty plain aud smoky skies"
SIEoH or CoRIxru.
Abou, 4 o'clock i. NJ. on the 22nh,
and n, II time when the ships companies
o the different inen OF war were M sup
per, The sndd.n anl Amos, dcatcuiug roar
of artillery on shore told thar raE BATTLE
HAD COMMENCED
The tea things, the reader may hcwclI
assured, were lett To take care q: them
selves, and everybody rushed IN druSc
masses to the upper deck in "rdrr to "h.
tain view of the fray. Of course | E,l
lowed with the human tile. AMI having
assembled L" the fore top sail ward wrh -
good glass, looked about me. What y
subi.ne aud terrible sight
Suu,c two ar three hundred sai, OF yes
se's we've i,img immediately around u..
and her '!erks, tops, rigging yards. CAPS
and cross trees. aud every place whrrc -
bolhold could lie 'nin'd, were lhrnnrcd
w.,n nu,uan hvmgs, clustered Ike swarm.
l.. bees IN midsummer IN the trees, a'l ip-
tm,l! Watching the pr grcss Of The BATH.
'ur"r'i my eyes on shore. Junuihau
hNd nt last awakened from the arp,r.r,
iorpor III which Ge had heen stepped Enr
the last ten DAYS, and had sci TO work il.
erncst! Bomb shells were fyiny ike
harI stones fion every direction into V.ru
Cr"-clouds of smoke, sulphurous sash.
Is, anI the sullen roar 1T the pondron,
cannon. arose from the walls Of the city
III rc;urn-while ever and anon, sudd,.n
meteor like glsam would dart up from the
old grim castle, followed hy report that
fairly made the earth ,remble! Ofcourse
the fleet could not participate in the con
flict, for all the large vessels drew too
much water to admit them within reach
Of the town without exposing them to he
fire OF The Castle, but the gun boats. small
steamers, and every thing that could be
got near enough, were sent in, under the
command oi Capt. Tatnall, n mos. brave
and accomplished officer, and commenced
blazing away--a steady stream OF fire,
like the red glare Of volcano
This state Of things continued un,il sun
down, when the gun boats were with.
drawn 10y signal, but The heavy mortnr,
within General SCOTS lines kept throwing
bomb shells Into the town the whole night.
Mos, Of the .oiiicers Of the ship were up
until past midnight, watching the dis.
play, and amost grand aud terrible one II
WAS.
Tho cloud 81 smoke that hung like a
pail over the beleaguercd cly. prevented
our seeing the walls, aud the " rel skins"
had ceased firing shortly after in order To
prevent Scott from directing his guns Ly
the flashes from theirs, but onr hombard.
iers had obtained the "rauge" long before
ozark, and kept laundering away-almos,
every shell falling directly into the d,,om.
ed town. was most intently watching
every thing that trdnspired. Suddenly n
vivid, lightning like flash world pleam
up through the black cloud Of smoke hat
hung over The American lines, AID then,
as the loud, dull booming of tie terrible
engine came borne 10 our ears. the bornb
would be seen to dart upward like com
ct, and after describing Sem cipcle in the
air, descend into the town. Then a red.
fearful glare and the crashing Of IRON frag.
ea,.n, Its among the dwellings, told that the
Shdi han exploded, and bad done its aw
ful wog*.. Tho whole - the 1--we long
1ilRIt litcSs Nre<sts2 Vf'e Hutjt'' "t' Wv"
Cruz, alsa counted no lass than Etirtsen
Of them in the nE ~ Goa ime. Yet the
Mex;cans did pot reply, ssd the Yankees
had il all their OVID wsy gaii daylight.
when ia ea0my's batteries again opsnsa.
aud commenced throwing their shot o. =
fearful rata toward the American lines.
The next dag ! bad M opporsniiy Of
going on shora to assisi ia working the
celebrated Naval Battery, consisting @.
heavy guns Isndad from the vessels oftha
squadron. aad Which no doubt was more
eflicaeious ia iis opers,ions than any other
one upon the field. We landed upon
long isse! sand .,saeh, and our party.
headed by Liept Bissell Of the Albany"
nj once made The hast Of our was over
the desert bills to the point ~ our dssti
nation.
On every side tho big guns Of tho army
were laundering away. and sending ,heir
missiles into the doomed oity, while the |
enemy, scorning to he Idle, were hurting !
hack ''ihe far kissing globes Of death /
with iutersst, Il wss rather Of . prscsrp