Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-11-21

useless the defences were terribly shattered
the dead and dying were to be seen on every
side, and still the iron hail poured pitilessly in.
FORT WALKER ABANDONED.
In this strait it was determined to abandon
the fort. a long waste, about mile in extent,
and commanded by the encmy's guns. interview
ed between the garrison and the woods. Across
this they were ordered to run for their lives,
each man for himself; the object being to scat
ter them as much possible, SO as not to afford
a target for the rifled guns Of the feet. The
preparations for running this perilous gauntlet
were soon made. knapsacks were abandoned,
but the men retained their muskets. Each of
the wounded was placed in a blanket and car
red off by four men. The safety of the living
precluded the idea of removing the dead And
thus the gallant little band quilted the scene of
their glory, and scampered off, each one as best
he could, towards the woods. The retreat was
covered by small detachment who remained
in the fort for an hour after their comrades had
left Among those who remained were Capt.
Harms, with six men Lieut.. Mitchers, with
+ 'ur men; and Lieut.. Bischoff, with four men.
These worked three guns until about two o.
clock when they also quilted the post.
The abandonment of Fort Beauregard was
equally a necessity. The garrison were exhaus-
ted, and in momentary danger of being cut Off
When Col. Dunavant ordered retreat tears of
modification aud indignation filled the eyes of
Capt. Elliott at the sad necessity The retreat
was admirably conducted, and rendered entirely
successful by the prudent energy of Capt. Hanc-
KEEL, one of Gen. Ripley's Aids, who had got to-
gether some twelve flats at Station Creek, by
which the troops passed safely over to st. Helena
Island. From there they passed to Beaufort
Island and reached the train at Pocotalgo with
out the loss or injury of man. In this fort
none were killed, and but five were wounded,
and two Of these were wounded by negligence
in loading cannon, by which hot shot was
driven on the powder without the wet wad pre-
cedng it,
EVACUATION OF BAY POINT.
The rest of the story is briefly told: Late
Thursday night the garrison of Fort Walker had
collected at the landing, in the hope of being
able to reach Blu6fton by water. Luckily, sew
eral small Confederate steamers were within
hail. But here ludicrous mistake occurred.
The retreating troops imagined the little steam
ers to be Yankee gunboats while the crews Of
the steamers were convinced that the troops
were body of disembarked Yankees. Acting
upon this double delusion. deal of mutual re-
connoitering was made, and it was only after
vast variety of strategetic approaches, that they
reached the conclusion that it was ''all right"
quick trip to Buffton followed. Thence the
troops marched to Vaudeville, II miles distant.
The road along which they dragged their ex-
hausted frames was filled with heterogeneous
throng Of fugitives of all conditions, carriages,
carts, and conveyances of every description that
could, by any possibility, be pressed into service
The spectacle was sad one.
Thus ended the defence of Port Royal. The
modification of the disaster is lessened by the
consciousness that our troops deserved success.
What injury we did to the enemy, we do not
know. Our firing was, of course. less efficient
than theirs. Our troops were volunteers-theirs
were picked artillerists !; yet it is very remarka-
BILE how few were killed or wounded amongst
our troops. This battle, in this respect, was
very much like the battle of Fort Sumter. How
so many cannon could have been dsmounted
and rendered useles, and yet so few Of those who
worked them injured, seems very marvelous.-
our rruUps ufu Their duty faithfully and
and fought until to fight longer would have been
sheer folly. Though encountering immense
odds, no signs of cowardice marked their con-
duct. Officers and soldiers exempliied the an
Gent character of the State, and deserve our
profound gratitude and admiration.
A BALLOON REcoNNoIsANCE AT BUDD's
FERRY, MD.-The tackles were hastily fastened
to the stumps of trees, the lines passed through,
and almost instantaneously the earth appeared
to sink into delicious haze. Silvery ribbons
seemed to have been scattered about in elegant
profusion for miles away in every drecton.-
The foliage of the trees in the surrounding for
ests cleaned and faded in the dim vision nh~>
the views in vast kaleidoscope or some Of the
immortal colorings of Titan. The broad Po-
tomac, in its winding way, with an occasional
white speck in the distance, floating with list
less sails the "fotilla" off Indian Head, troops
on parade a number of miles distant, yet APP
pearing almost within hailing distance-all
aided in making up a scene such as few enjoy
in lifetime
The Rebel steamer Page was lying behind the
point UP the Quantico short distance and
near by her schooner (no doubt the Fairfax,
lately captured by the Rebels and small
sloop. A regiment of Rebel infantry were drill
ing on a hill side, in the rear of Shipping Point,
and in close proximity was the famous Parrott
gun, which they captured at Bull Run. Very
few white tents were seen, but great numbers
of huts, built with boughs of trees, foliage, etc.
A continuous line of camps extended for at least
four miles down the river, all being short dis
lance in the rear of the various batteries. It
was impossible to count the guns, as they were
obscured from our vision in various ways by the
Rebels, who, no doubt, took immediate measures
to prevent observation from the balloon as much
as possible. Having seen it floating about over
the mouth of the Mattawoman for several days,
they fully comprehended its mission. Poor fell
lows! how vexatous, to be looked down upon
so mpertinently day after day, and not be able
to disturb the obnoxious thing.
From Shipping Point to the southwark, for
four miles, there are heavy batteries at intervals
and strongly manned. AS twilight deepened,
their campires began to illumime the air; heavy
columns of smoke assembled from the ravines
and valleys in different directions and the BOOM
ing of a distant gun rolled by, as the silken
globe, with its manager seated in his variegated
car, descended to earth once more. It was by
far the best observation that has yet been made
down the Potomac. By it we have learned that
the enemy has large force near at hand. and
the necessity therefore, that exists for vigilance
on our part along the Maryland shore.
TIE MARKETS.