The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-12-14
TIE LATE FIGHT AT FORT pICKEES
.-.->~>-.y-s,~-~~~~>oo>~
The 0@cial Report, of Colonel
Harvey Brown.
u
4nteresting Letter Of an OfIicer
Of the Niagara.
wfu ->~~~~~~>~~~>~~~~~>~~N--- &-
|Qallant Conduct Of Our Soldiers and
r Sailors.
,1icieacy of Sailing Vessels for
, Bleckading Purposes.
James Guns Declared Useless and the
Parrot Gun Recommended,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA, |
FoHr PI,KENs. NOV. %, 1861.
&C., &C.,

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT FLORIDA,
FoEr PKKESs, NOV. %, 1861. :
GxsEs aL~-That Fort Pickens has been becagured by
The rebels for the last nine months, and that daily
threatened with tho fate of Sumter fact notorious to
the whole world. Since its occupancy By Lieutenant
emmer the rebels have been surrounding it with bat
ses, ana daily arming them with the heaviest and most
efficient gums known servic guns stolen from the
United Statesnt they considered this fort virtually
1f own lis occupancy being only question OF time
have been in command since the 10th OF
April, and during the whole OF that timc
their force has averaged far |
arm from eight 10 ten times the number Of mine. The
position which have thus .en placed has been sun
cicntly try ing, and have at three separate times intend
ed to free myself from it by opening my batteries
the but hnperous circumstances, over which had
control, has Unexpectedly in each instance prevented
Affairs il this state the morning of the 9th Of
Der, VIII the enemy fifteen hundred strong, attack
ed by surprise portion Of my command intensely
dark night They defeated and driven fron'the
saDd with great loss by less than two hundred regulars
md fifty v,lunteers-, the efficient force had disposa
ie for the purpose An insult gross the flag Of my
Conntry could not by be passed unnoticcd
Fsnd l designed Immediately 10 take appropriate
notice Of it; but, as ] said before, circumstances
owe which had control prevented. l make these
predatory remarks to explain why have opened my
forces about one-sixth his, thirteen hundred to eight
Thousand have not the Of producing any decisive
results, and evidence Of my having accomplished what
desgnea--the Furnishing the perpetrators OF an insult
on my coun,ry's flag
Having invited Flag Officer Mexican - cooperate with
in attacking the rebels, and to which he gave ready
and cordial assent, I, the morning of The 2od opened
ny batteries the enemy to which, in the Of
half hour he responded from his forts
batteries extending from the Navy Yard Fort
McRae, distance of abon, four miles, the whole
nearly equi distant from this fort, and which
line he has two ors-MoRae and Brraucas-and fourteen
separate batteries, containing from 10 four guns.
many O them being tct Inch columbads and some twelve
aud hi ten inch coast morars the d varying
rom two thousand hundred TO two thousand nine
hundred yards from this fort At the time OF my
oening tag ocer Mexican, in the Niagara, and Ccptsn
Ellison, tho raond took position as near to Fort
McRae as tho depth of water would permit but which
unfortunately was not sufficiently deep give full effect
10 their powerful batteries. They, however. kept mp
spirited fire ON the for. and adjacent batteries during the
whole day My fire inccssant The time OF open
Dg until IL was 100 dark to sec, the shot
FOR each gun every fifteen twenty minutes the
are Of the enemy hcing somewhat slower By the
,urs Of Fort McRae all senced but one and three
hours before this for. and the adjoining battery
cased fire. directed tho guns Of batteries Lincoln,
amercn ard Totten principally on the batteries ad jacent
10 tie Navy Yard, those OF Battery Scott to Fort McRac
md The lighthouse batteries, and those Of tho ALL
We reduced very rcrceptiby the fire OF Earrancas en-
rely silenced that in the Navy Yard and one or two
the other batteries tho efficiency of our tire al the
lose OF the day not being tho least impaired.
The next morning ain opened about the same hour
he navy unfortunately ewing reduction in the dept.
water, caused by change Of wind, being able 10
get so near as yesterday, consequently the dis.
ance was too great to be eIectual. Ny fire this
lay was legs rapid, md think efficient than tina
d yesterday Fort McSae, go eilecualy siencel yes
orday, did nor fire again to-day. We senced entirely
INC two guns and had OF ours disabled by shot
oming through the embrasurc.
About three ocloc: fro communicated to one of
ho houses in Warrington, aud shortly afterwards The
hurch stccie, the church and the whole village being
mmeda.ey In OF OF the rebel batteries they
apparently having placed them purposely directly in
rot of tho largest AMI most valuable buildings. The
re rapidly Communicated other buildings along the
treet until probably two-thrds OF It vas oolslmod: :
md about the same time fire was discovered
ssuing from the back port Of the Navy Nard,
robably in Wolcott, village 10 the north and
Immediately adjoining the yard, Warrington does
the west. Fiially' it penetrated yard aud rs
continued to burn brightly all night concluded that
ithcr in IL or il Wolcot many buildings destroy
buildings
the yard by the avalanche Of shot she'll aud splinters
howered increasingly them for two days and
,eng nearly 6reproof being built of and covered
Sith slate could not succeed in firing them, my hot
hot nor shells not having any power Of igniing them
The steamer Time, which at the wharf at the time
abandoned on the first day and exposed our fro
which probably entirely disabled her The hre wasagau
ontnued till dark. and with mortars occasionally unf
O'Clock the next morning. when the combat ceased
This fort, at its conclusion, though ii has
eceved great many shot and shell, is in over, re.
pcc the disabling OF one carriage and loss
service o. six rnon efficient as was ut the oon,
lencement Of the combat, ou. the ends l proposed in
commencing having been attained, except one which
nd to be Ampractcablc with my prescn. means do
advisable Further to continue IL RuIcss the enemy
hnk it proper 10 IL So when shall meet him wi.h
lacrity.
The attach on "B.'ly Wilson'S camp, tia attempted
ttack mr. batteries, and the Insult glorious fac
been fully and fearfuiy avenged. have means
knowing the logs OF the enemy and have disposi
on to guess az it, Ths firing his b.tterieg very
eavy, well directed ard continuous for two days and
'uld hardly fail OF having important results
Our loss would have been heavy tut for foresight
nch with grea. labor caused us 10 crcc, elaborate
cams OF protection, and rhich saved many lives. lost
70 private killed, one scargent corporal and -four
ga {privates) wounded, OILY one severely.
NJ officers, noncomms ssi7ned officers and priratcs
sre 0rerything could desire. They one and all per.
rmsd lsir dsty with the greatest cbserfuness and in
NJ rnosf sble and efficient ap much ndels ed
Major Arnud, my executive officer, for his valuable
sistancc-his whole confuct yyss admirahe. md Can
ina Allen. Chalfn, Blunt, Robertson, Hld and Durvea
Iieutonants Mcfarland, Laosecn, olossin. shipev
lss'n, Pennington, Ssccy and Taylor, merit my warm
.ncomiums lor the ceenoss and CELEBRATION usn,
.isL. .s,av rr,at NTH
der b avy nni s,ntinuous shower Of etot shells mn,
lutcrs foe two Successive days LLnusenant Todd
innncc oncer, had full supplies Of oil required
',clcp Which wcre o. hati the post, ara