The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-11-23

which ran closer in than any other ship,
was so close as plainly to distinguish the
color ofthc shirts Of the men who worked
the guns, and to hear their cries of
encouragement to each other. When it
is remembered that the guns used are
large enough to carry with effective pre-
cision two miles and "A half, slight idea
of their tremendous effect ut such short
range can be formed.
Though the Rebel guns in this work
were Colunbiads, Of the largest size, aud
carrying a 13O-pound projec;ile and
the guns are SO heavy as to require II
men to work each one, and move it eifcc-
lively on its carriage, such was the ire
sistiblc force Of our shot, that in 20 min
utes, three of these immense Columbiads
were disnlounted-knocked from their
carriages, and rendered completely
useless.
Of course the ships were not obliged
to wait until they got abreast of the work
to commence firing, but the make Of the
river permitted them to begin to throw
angular raking shots at a distance of
three-quarters Of mile, firing doevn the
river, keeping it up as they slowly drift
ted past, and finally finishing the round
by pitching some parting shots up the
river at Il similar angle with the oues
first fired. This plan permitted seven or
eight of our vessels to play on the for
tllications at the same time.
The peculiar make of the river is such
that not more than eight of our Slips
could bring their guns to bear on the
shore batteries at the same tine but
even then the sight was one Of the most
magnificent conceivable. Eight vessels
would deliver broadsidc of not less
than 30 guns at single fire, led by the
battery Of the Wabash, of u guns aud
as each gun could be loaded aud dis
charged once in minute at the very
lowest estimate, it will be seen that
more than 80 bombs and other terribly
destructive proiectiles were raincd into
Hilton Head fertilization every minute
that the fleet was within range.
But little attention was paid to the
batteries on the other side of the river at
this time, and indeed they would have
been perfectly SAFE from any firing what
ever, had they not provoked au occa-
sIonal shot by their persistence i'll pitch
ing a shell at every one Of our ships that
came within their longest range. These
two batteries were comparatively unini-
portant at the time, as they were on the
opposite side Of the river from where we
desired to land our troops, and were
withal so dependent on the Hilton Head
ratification that as soon As that should
fall into our hands, the others would
follow their fate, and probably become
| ours without struggle.
Each ship was in effective range of
| the fort for about 20 minutes every time
the line came round : they moved like u
terrible procession of destroying angels,
and at each of their visits, which indeed
were few, but not far between, the COM
bincd force hailed upon the doomed aud
devoted shore fiery storm Of more than
400 fiery shells.
The Spectacle was one Of the most
impressive that could be presented to the
|
bursting bombs-each deadly projectIe,
As 1t hummcd through the air, first rose
heayenward in 4 graceful curve, and then
swoopcd down to earth to fulfil its fatal
GRAND, leaving through the air thin
waycrlng line of smoke that was first
snowy white, then light purple, then
fading to pale blue, quickly blended
with the azure of the clear Southern sky.
| Beautiful as was the airy course Of the
deadly missile, its earthly track was
marked by IA crimson stream Of flowing
blood, by he sickening crash Of shattcr-
ing bones, and by wreck, ruin and des-
truction Of whatever thing it touched
Nothing could stand before this fiery
storn-euns were hurled 'front.' their car
riages houses were knocked into heaps
Of brick and mortar, and beams and
boards the formidable fort-wallS Of the
solidcst masonry were in places torn and
splintcrcd, and the tough trees of the
pitch-pine woods were shivcrcd, twisted
wrcnched, and cut off like slender reeds
and the men were beaten into quivering
masses of bruised, CORY flesh ; or were
torn into mrlilatcd, ghast!y, sickening
objects.
The terrible effects of a shell bursting
in the midst of Il group of men cannot be
adequately described for words aud pei
alike are weak. A knot Of men arc
talking together, full of sturdiest life.
and earnest action; every word and
gesture denotins hcalthicst and most
vigorous nianlinesS and sreng;h-there
comes puff Of pcarIy smoke, Il binding
flash Of red fire, sharp, sudden, report:
and in an instant the active life Of the
eager men is crushed and beaten out,
the parchcd sand drinks up their life
blood before the smoke can clear away
but the nnngled limbs, the still throb-
bing brains, the gaping wounds, hall
flied with dirt and purple mud, are not
covered by the sand until that later hour
when the sword and muskct are laid
aside for the pick and spade, and mer
forget their deadly hates to consigr
" Earth to earth, and dust to dust
The effects of round shot, or of ono
of the newly-nvented rIacd-cannon pro-
iectlcs, are not so CHASTITY and terrible
to the eye---the men die, but their limbs
are not torn aud twisted off as by the
iron splinters of Il bursting bomb.
1t was suspected that the enemy had q
l,,,, E,rno onno,, io1 IN two uopIs ha ri.