The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-15

,hA tate Expedition OF the "Staf OF the
w,,t,'-Ihe Action OF the Pennsylvania
r.si.Iature The X kcinfor cement OF Fort
yru,nry-The Seizure oil Forts in Lenisi-
ans, &c. --
~gxy1Rsr GOVERNMENT EXPEDITION TO SOUTH
ANp RKTrRs.
~ The n. y. Posts Rep Reporter on board /
TrsspAy. Jan s.--We made Cape Fear about
1D,risck this morning. We have moved slow
40 as the captains Instructions are 10 cross the
"a, early in the morning, and run up to Fort
SIM lar at day break, and we wish to approach
- harhor by night. This afternoon we
.fouped about seventy miles from the bar for
tbr.e hours or more. and had some fishing
The day has been dslight tfuI, and oar success
"a enticing unsuspee ting bass was quite salts
factory.
the result OF to morrow mornings ex pertinent
/. the "Recollsciions of n Zouaye," l have
Tsad that on the moring of a battle the bravsst
soldier while nothing would tempt him to be
als,where seriously wishes himself eighteen
hours older, and doubt not that Is now the
prevailing sentiment on board the Star of the
West AZ any rate We wish ourselves safely
within the walls of Fort Sumter, where, all
hands say, we are bound 10 be n a few hours,
unless We are in the bottom OF Charlesto har-
eor or prisoners of war Every arrangement
within the power OF those in charge has been
,,lade 10 secure the success of the enterprise.
sn,S anxious interest Increases every hour
vyerv light has been extinguished; even our
cabin we have only one lantern, by the dim
ushtsof which one OF the officers has this
evening been reading the Adventures of Cap
tain Simon Suggs, for the heentertainment OF his
companions.
The provisions have been brought up from
below, and placed in the cabin and on deck.
II Moultrie disabes us, the captain is deter
mined 10 run the vessel aground as near Fort
Sumter possible; then the boats, which are
ali in readiness, will be instantly lowered, and
the men conveyed 10 Fort Sumter rapidly
as possible IL is hoped, also, that by bring
ing the provisions up, much of them may be
conveyed TO Major And srson We have six
boats capable OF holding ninety men. They
have all been oyerbauled since we left New
York aud are in perfect order Arrangements
have been made for steering the boat from the
lower deck in case the wheeihouse should be
shot away. Men will be sta toned below with
mattresses to fill up shot holes. In short,
everything has been done that can be done 10
secure the accomplishment of our mission.
The OBieerS.
The following are the military officers
board
Charles X. Woods, Ist Lieutenant, 9th In
fantTy.
VIM A Webb, Ist Lieutenant, 9TH Infantry.
Chas. W. Thomas, I'd Lieu tenant, lst In
fantry.
Assistant Surgeon, L. G. S. Ten Brock,
Medical Department.
Lieut. Woods, fine, soldierls appearing
man. has tbe command. He has served on the
froutiers and in 1853 was dispatched To- WalIa-
Wals in Washington Territory. He drove
the Indians ont Of Walla- Waila Valley, in
1856, after their attack upon Gov Stevens.
Leut Webb has served in Washington Ter
rilury, Texas. Florida, and went TO Utah in
the winter OF 1857. He was detached from his
reqmeat and had charge Of a heavy battery.
lie also constructed the works at Fort Bridger,
aud was subsequently on Gen. .Iohnston's
staff tor a year. He LETT Uiah in April, and
has since been at Governors Island.
Lieut. Thomas has served mostly in Texas,
aud has been, at different TIMES. at heaIiy
every post in that STATE.
Dr. Ten Broeck was graduated mt the College
Of Physicians and Surgeons and entered the
service in iSi7, shortly after the battle OF Cerro
Goriu He served III the Gas tie OF San nan and
Vera Cruz, and subsequently, III the city OF
Mexico. After peace was declared, he served
on the Texan frontiers.
WEDNESDAY, January 81 aWoke ut three
O'Clock this morning and went immediately
to the upper deck, where L found the captain,
mate pilot and two military officers. l
learned that we arrived in the vicinity OF
Ghariest ton bar about midnight; that all the
Coast-iIghts had been extiuguished, and that
thus far IL had beeo impossible to find the
main channel 1t is evident from these iEd-
cations that the hospiiable South Caroiinians
do not mean that we should go in without q
salute.
Il light was seen of the coast but we could
not make out what it was. A little after three
O'Clock We discovered the light on Fort Sum
Ter, aud with these exceptions every thing was
dark. 1t was, OF course, impossible to get
over the bar without the light house, and so
have never seen a finer morning than the
one which dawned upon us. The sky was
clear, aud the moon, a faint crescent of silver
had just arisen, and the low coast looked like
dense forest of evergreen. The spires of
Charleston became visible in the approaching
daylight, and on the walls of Sumter we des-
cried the American flag fioating in the breeze.
Now. about half past six O'Clock, we see the
light and now, too, We discover that
the mysterious light just mentioned was that
Of a steamer at our right. Now the situation
OF the channel IL ascertained and We are under
way, and now the steamer at right is
burning red and blue Ii ights, and now ahe sends
up rockets. There Is no mistaking her move
Lnent. she is giving the alarm signal to Fort
Moultrie
On we 20 the soldiers are below with load
ed muskets and the officers ready to give
the word if there is any thing 10 do. Now il
is broad daylight, and we are making directly
into the guns OF Fort Moultrie, whose black
walls are distinctly visible. The little steamer
Al our right is burning signal light att, and
il making all possible headway up the har Dor.
Now we discover a red Palmetto flag at our
left ON Mofris' Island, at little village called
Cummings Point, and apparently but little
more than mile from Fort Sumter.
Is 1t possible that those fellows have got d
battery OFF here ?" asks one.
No. answers another There is no bat
terry there"
But there is. 1t is new quarter past sew
en-, and we are about two miles from Forts
sumter and Moultrie, which are eq vi -ds tant
from us, and, suddenly, whiZ-z! comes a richo-
ehss shot from Morris Island. 1t pIunges in TO
tae water and skips along, but falls short Of
our steamer. The line was forward Of our
bow, and was, OF course an invitation TO stop
But We are not ready TO accept the proffered
hospitality, and the Captain pays no atteu.
uon 10 II, except TO run up the Stars and
Stripes al the mas thead-the garrison IA flag men,
toned before. A moment of anxious sus.
pense, and bang goes Il heavy cannon from
The same masked battery. The shot falls short
OF us a hundred yards or more and bounds
ri
with the head OF u sailor but, luckily, q little
above it.
On we 60, and-whiz-z! again goes the
smaller gun first fired, and another rieaoeast
shot skips alcng the water and falls short of
Boob - exclaims the captain; "you must
give us bigger guns than that, boys, or you
cannot hurt u.s.
On we 20, without heeding the compliments
OF eur Charleston friends. Another moment,
and bang! again goes the heavy gun. The
ball now strikes our ship in the fore chains,
about two feet above the water. A seaman
was holding the lead to take the soundings,
and the ball struck directly under his feet
II was not surprising that, under the circum-
stances, Jack was strongly inclined To take "
me- heels, and he begins to scramble up with
might and main, when the captain assures
MN that there Is no danger, one bail having
aIruck 30 near him on the principle, sup
pose, that lightning never strikes twice in the
same place. Jack, reassured, patiently takes
hia place and drops the lead again.
The ball. fortunately, was too far spent to
20 through the side OF our vessel, although 1t
isIt an honorable scar.
Ihe battery continues To play upon US, and
ahuge pail comes clear over us near the whecl-
mouse We are not YET within ralige OF the
gunt OF Fort Moultrie, and yonder is a cutter
IN low OF u steamboat, preparing to open fire
upon US moment longer and we shall bs
In range OF these three batteries. The gun
nefs On Morris Island are growing copfident;
II lhsy gss the right range they will send a shot