Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-14
This Afternoons Report.
NEWS FROM THE FLEET.
EnRr MnNnnr Nnu II

The steamer Bienville has just arrived
at Old Point from the Great Expedition.
She left Port Royal on Sunday morning,
and brings cheering intelligence.
Capt. Steedmsn, however, left her at
this place, and proceeds direct to Washing
ton with dispatches and as trophies two
brass cannon and secession flags. He re-
ports that the gale encountered by the feet
was very severe. The UAion and 0sceOls
went ashore and were lost as previously
reported.
The Governor foundered at sea, but the
Isaac I. Smith succeeded in saving all her
crew with the exception of few marines.
The feet arrived at Por. Royal on Mon
day the 4th Tuesday the smaller gun
boats rounded in the channel under fire
from the forts, which did no damage. On
Wednesday the weather prevented active
operations, but on Thursday morning, the
7th inst, the men-Of-war and the gun-boats
advanced to the attack. The action COM
menced at 10 q. M, was hOtly carried on by
both sides, and lasted about four hours, at
the end of which time the rebels were COM
PEELED by the shower of shells to abandon
their works and beat hasty retreat
Our loss was 8 men and one officer. The
Chief Engineer of the Mohican was killed
and about twenty wounded.
Rebel loss is unknown Fifty-two bodies
were found by our men and buried. Ali
their wounded except two were carried off
Two forts we're captured.
Fort Walker on Hilton Head, mounting
% guns, and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point,
mounting l9 guns and of heavy calibre. The
forts were both new and splendid esrthworks
of great strength, constructed in the highest
style of military science and pronounced by
our Engineers as impregnable against any as
sault by land forces.
The final retreat Of the rebels was a per-
feet rout. They left everything, arms and
equipments Of all kinds,even to the officers
swords and commissions. All the letters
and papers both public and private, order
books and documents Of all kinds, were
left in their flight and fell into our hands,
affording our officers much valuable infor-
nation. Among the papers was telegram
from jeff. Davis to the commander of the
post, informing him of the sailing of the
feet, and that he knew their destination
to be Port Royal.
The whole surrounding country was seized
with perfect panic. The day after the fight
the Seneca and two other gunboats proceed
ed to Beaufort and found but one white man
in the town, and he drunk. All the planta-
tions up the river seemed to be deserted ex-
cept by the negroes, who were seen in great
numbers, and who, as the boats passed, came
down to the shore with bundles in their
hands, as if they expected to be taken off.
They seized all the letters in the Post
Office. After the capture of the forts the
whole Amy, about 10 600 men, were safely
landed and established on shore. The forts
werd but little injured, but the rebels could
not stand the explosion of our big shells
The force OF the enemy, as ascertained from
their papers, was 1000 men, under command
OF Gen. Drayton, of South Carolina. Our
victory is complete; the rebels leaving every
thing but their lives, which they saved by
running. But four persons were found, and
| two Of them were wounded.
| An hands of the feet were represented as
acting in the most gallant manner. The re-
porters who accompanied the expedition from
\ New York are on the Bienviue with full de-
tails,
From an officer Just come up we gather
the following additional particulars: None
of our vessels were sunk the Pswnee lost
six killed and two wounded, and suffered
more injury than any other, but was not
disabled. A round shot went through her
ward room.
The Wabash had her mainmast badly hurt
with round shot The Pocahontas had one
man injured. The assistant engineer of the
Mohican was badly wounded and the chiel
killed.
When our troops took possession Of the
forts they found the flag flying on the FOri
on Hilton Head. The rebels had mined the
works and fixed the halyards of the flag SC
that when the flag should be drawn down
the mine would be sprung. The halyardE
sprung mine in the house used by the off.
GERS but did very little damage and hurt nc
one. The magazines did not explode.
Large quantities Of powder was found; al,
so a large amount OF English ammunition
and projectiles.