The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-11-23
The Battle at Beaufort,

From a long and graphic description OF
the battle with the forts at Port Royal, by
the correspondent Of the New York Times,
we cut the following:
THE FIGHT OPENS IN EARNEST
The Matanzas occupied a splendid posi-.
ton, thanks to her captain. just as we
had anchored, which at five minutes be-
fore ten o clock, the Hilton Head battery
opened fire on tho Wabash in three
minutes after another shot from the bat
terry. Now the cheers arose from all the
transports; the ball had opened Still the
ships stood on nd did not apparently no
tice the efforts of the rebels, until the
Wabash came in good range with the
face OF the battery, when she fired a shell
at them which struck close to the battery.
In few minutes the Wabash opened a
smart fire, throwing her shells into the
! woods where the rebels We're encamped
in some force. After firing few guns to
ascertain the range, she opened a broad
! side fire on both batteries, which was one
OF the finest sights ever witnessed in this
| country. Now the troops did cheer. 1t
was hearty and long. The other vessels
now opened their fire, and the shells fell
thick and fast into the battery. The rebel
steamers now opeEed smart fire, and it
was the subject of general remark at the
fine shots they made The small gunboats
now steamed rapidly ahead, and opened
on them with their ten and eleven inch
pivot guns. At fifteen minutes past ten
o. clock the fire was so hot that they up
nem and started for Broad river, the gun .
boats chasing them. BY this time the /.
shells were bursting IN tiI7 Bay Point
batteIy at the rate Of about two a minute,
10 which the rebels replied with rapidity ,
and great execution.
CHANGE ~ POSITION
The flagship and her division were rap
idly drawing up to epont around which :
they were to turn so that they could come
down along the shore and engage the Hill .
ton Road Battery, while the small gun
boats took up independent positions, and F.
battered away at Bay Point and the rebel
naval vessels. As the Wabash turned, so
that her broadside could bear upon the
rebel fleet, she opened upon them, and
soon sent them up the river for time a:
least. About this time the Naudlija (
came up in range, and she delivered a .
splendid broadside u the Bay Point rebels, .
several OF her shells making the sand fly
inside Of the works She kedt up q gall /
ing fire upon them vi II out Of reach, p
when she devoted herself to the rebel .
nauy. During this time the Wabash, Sus- .
quehaana and Beinyiile had ccme around, .
and were close upon the Hilton Head
battery All eyes were upon these vcs-
sells, especially a we saw plainly that they
were steering so as 10 come within six
hundred yards OF the rebels guns, some
Of which We knew weIc excellent ri.led
pieces Of t he most approved patterns
We expected great doings, and | will
= ,.1
"a the sequel will show. On they came,
a little world in themselves, bat the flag
ship seemed to he the one on which all
placed their hopes for grand sight.
TAE FIGHT Confines.
At abont twenty minutes before eleven
o'clock the Wabash commenced opera
tong on Hilton Head battery IN good
earnest, delivering a brOads!de at one
command. All her gundock armament Is .
nineinch shell guns, with a ten-inch pivot
aft and sixty eight ritled Daigeen guns on .
the forcastle, If you can imagine the I
scene you can do more than can describe. /
The noise was terrific, while the bursting .
of the shells was as terIibla as 1t was de- ,
structive. | counted go less than forty
shells bursting at Cne time. and that right
in the battery and in the woods where
about eight hundred rebels lay Ia addi-
ton To this the usIuehanua, with her
tremendous battery, aided by the Bieu-
Vile, the Pawnee. and halt dozen smaller
gunboats was making the air brown with
the sand, while the blue smoke Of the ex-
plosion went to make UP an almost mag
niticent sight. The troops were wild with
enthusiasm, and with deafening cheers
they applauded the boldness and courage
of the gallant naval officer. \ moment
or two elapsed-iust time eno;gh TO load
the guns-and again the scene was enact
ed atresh. After the second broadside.
the thing became less concerted, and it
seemed as if each division on all the yes
sells were endeavoring to outyie each other
in the rapidity with which they worked
their guns.
TIE REBELS FIGHT HARD.
The tide drifted the vessels quite fast
by the battery, but they backed them con-
sidorably, so as TO remain as long as posi-
bic, and at eleven clock they had reach
ed as near to the reef as it was safe t. 60,
and they were obliged 10 haul off to again
take up their position, but giving them
another broadside as they turned. To
this track. in circular form, and extend
ing nearly five miles, must be sailed over
Tie Bay Point battery must again be
passed, where there were several fine
rifed cannon, which were well served, and
the navy of the ConfedeIates must receive
their due share of the shells which were
destined to be expended on this day :
work. To this duty they undauntedly
steamed up, while the little gunboats
fought the steamers. About this time the
firing ON both sides materially diminished
Occasionally the rebels from either bate
~, which was replied to by the gun boats
As the Wabash and her consorts rounded
10, to come down again and pitch INTO the
battery where they had made such beau
tiful display of their skill, the troops again
gave vent to their feelings in tones not to
be mistaken. 1t appeared that wish such
terrible fire poured in upon them they
could not stand, and in the course of a few
hours the tars and stripes must wave on
the sacred soil Of South Carolina
THE HEIGHT OF THE BATTLE.
At halfpast eleven they drew near to
the Hilton Head battery again, the rebels
keeping up brisk fire upon them as they
approached Occasionally the pivot guns
OF the Wabash and the Susquehanna threw
a shell into the battery; but the grand
affair was yet to come At ten minutes
before twelve o'clock again the ships were
enveloped in dense cloud of white smoke,
and in a few seconds after the shells were
bursting into the battery in a splendid
manner The sand was flying in every
direction and it seemed impossible that
any one could be saved from death who
was within the walls of the battery. Such
! a sight was never witnessed before. Ihe
/ rebels now worked only two guns, but ]
VII give them the credit of working them
! beautifully. This style of fighting lasted
lust twenty minutes, and in that time over
two hundred shells had burst over their
heads in the works. AT ten minutes past