Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-17
The RomhaFdmeut at Pensaoola.

]
From the official report Of Col. Brown
commanding at Fort Pickens Of the en-.
gagement ct that place, We extract the fol
lowing:
Having invited Flag Officer McKean tc
cooperate with me in attacking the rebels
and TO which he gave ready and cordial
assent |, on the morning Of the 22d, opened
my batteries On the enemy, 10 which, in the
course OF half an hour, he responded from
his numerous forts and batteries, extending
from the Navy Yard to Fort MoRae dis.
tanoe Of about four miles, the whole nearly
equi-distant from this fort and on which
line lie has two forts-McRae and Barran-
oas-and fourteen separate batteries, con-
tanning from one TO four guns, many Of
them being teE-inoh oolumbiads and some
twelve and thirteen inch sea coast mortars,
the distance varying from two thousand
one hundred 10 two Thousand nine hundred
yards from this fort At the same time Of
my opening, Flag Officer Mexican, in the
Niagara, and Capt Ellison, in the Rich
mond, took position as near to Fort MeRae
as the depth Of water would permit but
which unfortunately Was not sufficiently
deep TO give full effect to their powerful
batteries. They, however, kept up q spir-
/ tied FIRE on the fort and adjacent batteries
during the whole day. My FIRE WAS inoes-
SAINT from the time Of opening until it was
/ too dark 10 see, at the rate Of q shot for
each gun every fifteen or twenty minutes,
the fire Of the enemy being somewhat
slower. By noon the guns Of Fort MoRae
we're all sneneed bat one, and three hours
before sunset this fort and the adjoining
battery ceased Ere. Idireeted the guns Of
batteries Lincoln, Cameron and Totten
principally on the batteries adjacent to the
Navy Yard, those of Battery Scott to Fort
MeRse and the Lighthouse batteries, and
those Of the Fort to all We reduced very
pereeptibly the FIRE Of Bsrrancas, entirely
silsnced that in the Navy Yard, and in one
or two Of the other bsttsri s, the efficiency |
Of our FIRE, at the close Of the day net BE- |
ing the least impaired.
The next morning again opened about
the same hour, tho navy unfortunately, |
owing to a reduction in the depth of water, |
caused by change Of wind, not being able /
TO get so near IS yesterday, consequently |
the distance was too great to be etfeotual. |
My fire this day was less rapid, and think /
more efficient, than that of yesterday. Fort /
MeRRe, go effeetually sileDced yesterday, |
did not fire again to-day. We silenced en-.
tirely one or two guns, and had one Of ours
disabled by a shot coming through the
embrssure.
About three o'clock FIRE was communi.
Gated to one Of the houses in Warrington,
and shortly afterwards to the church /
steeple, the church and the whole village
being Immediately in the resr Of some Of
the rebel batteries, they apparently having
placed them purposely directly in front Of
the largest and most valuable buildings.
The FIRE rapidly communicated to other
buildings along the street until probably
tWo-thirds Of il was consumed; and about
the same time fire was discovered issuing
from the back part Of the Navy Yard, prob
ably in Wolootr, a village TO the north and
immediately adjoining the yard, as War
ringt0n does on the west. Finally il pene-
trated to the yard, and as il continued TO
burn brightlF all aiahL concluded that
either in il or in Woleott many buildings
we're destroyed. Very heavy damage was
also done to the buildings Of the yard by
the avslEnohs Of shot, shell and splinters
Increasingly on them for two
days, and being nearly Ere proof, being
built of brick and covered with slate,
could not succeed in firing them, my hot
shot nor shells not having any power OF
igniting them.
The steamer Time, which was at the
wharf at the time, was abandoned on the
first day and exposed to our FIRE, which
entirely disabled her. The FIRE
was again continued till dark, and with
mortars occasionally until two o'clock the
next morning, when the combat ceased.
This fort, st its conclusion, though it has
received q great many shot and shell, is,
ia every respect save the disabling Of one
gun carriage and the loss Of service Of six
men, as efficient as it was at the com
mencement Of the combat but the ends 1
proposed in commencing having been at.
tanned, except one, which find to be i'm
practicable with my present means, do
not deem it advisable further to continue
it unless the enemy think 1t proper to do
30, when shall meet him with alaority.
The attack on Billy Wilson's" camp,
ihe attempted attack on my batteries, and
the insult to our glorious flag have been
fully and fearfully avenged. have no
means Of knowing the loss Of the enemy,
and have no disposition to guess ct it. The
firing on his batteries was very heavy,
Well-directed, and continuous for two days,
and could hardly fail Of having important
results.
Our loss would have been heavy but for
the foresight which, with great labor,
caused US TO erect elaborate means Of pro-
lection, and which saved many lives. I
lost one private killed, one sergeant, one
corporal, and four men (privatos) wound
ed, only one severely.