The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1861-11-22
The Bombardment of Port Royal.

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The Charleston Courier, of the lth inst,
came to US last night with full descrip-
tion of the scenes Of the fight, the number
and calibre of the guns mounted on Fort
Walker, &C., which, though interesting,
are too long for publication this morning.
Accounts from eye-witncsses, and others
who participated at Fort Walker, in the
late terrible and unequal combat with a
formidable expedition carrying over 400
guns, which we copy from the Courier, en-
able us to present the following sum-
mary:
COMMENCEMENT OF THE ACTION.
The encmy's feet, consisting of about
thirty-six steamers, besides transports, on
Thursday morning, about quarter past
eight, commenced moving slowly towards
the batteries, in line Of battle. The long
roll was Immediately beat, and the men,
with the greatest alacrity and enthusiastic
cheers, rushed to their guns. In three
minutes every man was in his place. One
of the largest frigates, supposed to be the
Minnesota or Wabash, was then rapidly
steaming in, slowly followed by three
other large steamers. Our men were
watching the approaching steamers, and
gradually turing their guns SO as to bear
directly upon them. When within full
range. and nearly abreast Of the battery,
the order was given to open fire. with the
32-pounder rifle gun. Unfortunately,
from some defect in the shell, it exploded
within hundred yards of the beach,
Fire was then opened with our ~ and
32-pounders.
The steamers returned the fire, and the
engagement now became general. One
of the steamers that had come up had
by this time got the range ofour batteries
at Fort Walker, and delivered repeated
broadsides with great accuracy and effect.
The vessels had all the advantage of fair
weather and a smooth sea. The light
breeze blowing on shore at the time was
also favorable to the fleet, the smoke from
their cannon being driven directly in the
faces of our troops in the battery at Fort
Walker. Tho huge volumes of smoke
thus poured forth at times completely
concealed the whole of approaching ves-
sells from the view of those in the Fort
The manmuvring of the vessels was adj
mitted by some of our best naval officers
to have been grandly executed.
As quickly as our batteries obtained the
range of the enemy's vessels, so as to bear
upon them effectively, they Immediately
changed their positions, and again our
artilerists were compelled to get their
range only by practice. About halfpast
nine the entire fleet was observed to move
slowly and in few moments ten or
twelve of the largest of the fleet lad
opened fire upon both Forts Walker and
Beauregard, delivering their broadsdes
alternately. The firing upon Fort Walker
was particularly heavy, with one contnu-
ed whirl OF shot and shells falling into
the fort and knocking down the men in
every direction. Some have estimated
as many as fifty shells u minute bursting
inside the fort at one time.
Unfortunately, at an early period in
the action the large lO-inch Columbiad
in Fort Walker, in consequence of the
bad working of the ecentrics, became al
together unmanageable and could not
again be used during the action. The
storm of iron hail that came kissing
through the air from the fleet after this
accident, was beyond description. 1t was
more like the noise of the winds roaring
through the rigging of vessel in the
midst of tempest. Providentially, how
ever, up to IL o'clock, although there had
been miraculouly hair breadth escapes,
not man had been killed. At that hour,
however, the enemy had succeeded in
entirely enfilading the battery with his
| fleet, and commenced a tremendous fire
in direct line against the Fort, which
proved very destructive and disastrous.