The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-27
BRILLIANT CONDUCT OF OUR SOLDIERS
s. aliga AND SAILORS.
James, Guns Declared Useless and the
Parrot Gun Substituted, Sc, Sc.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLoRIDA,l
FORT PICKENs, Nov. Is, 1861.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLoRIDA,l
FORT PICKENs, Nov. rs, 1861.
GENERAL-That Fort Pickens has been
beleagured by the rebels for the last nine
months, and that it was daily threatened
with the fate of Sumter, is fact motor ious
to the whole world. Since its occupancy
by Lieutenant Slemmer the rebels have
been surrounding it with batteries, and dai.
ly arming them with the heaviest and most
efficient guns known to our service-guns
stolen from the United States-until they
considered this Fort as virtually their own,
its occupancy being OILY question OF time.
have been in command since the 10th
OF April, and during the whole of that
time their force has averaged, so far as l
can learn, from eight to ten times the num-
Der of mine. The position in which have
thus been placed has been sufficiently try
ing, and l have at three separate times in
tended to free myself from it by opening
my batteries on them, but imperious Cir,
cumstances, over which l had no control,
has unexpectedly in each instance prevented.
Affairs were 10 this state on the morning
OF the 9th OF October, when the enemy, fif-
teen hundred strong, attacked by surprise a
portion of my command on an intensely
dark night. They were defeated and driven
from the island with great loss by less than
two hundred regulars and fifty volunteers
all the efficient force | had disposabe for
the purpose. An insult SO gross to the
flag of my country could not by me be
passed nnnOticed, and designed immediate
~ to take appropriate notice OF it; but, as
l said before, circumstances over which /
had no control prevented. | make these
PREDATORY remarks to explain why l have
now opened my batteries on the enemy,
when, from the smallneSs of my forces,
about One>siXth of his, thirteen hundred
to eight thousand, l have not the means of
producing any decisive results, and as evil
dence of my having accomplished what |
designed-the Furnishing the perpetrators of
an insult on my country's flag.
Having invited Flag Officer Mexican to
cooperate with me in attacking the rebels,
and to which be gave Il ready and cordial
assent, |, On the morning OF the 22d, opened
my batteries on the enemy, to which, in the
course of half an hour, he responded from
his numerous forts and batteries extending
from the Navy Yard to Fort McRae, dis
tance of about four miles, the whole nearly
equidistant from this fort, and on which
line he has two forts-McRae and Barran-
cas-and fourteen separate batteries, con-
tanning from one to four guns, many of
them being ten.inch columbiads and some
twelve and thirteen inch sea coast mortars,
the distance varying from two thousand one
hundred to two thousand nine hundred
yards from the Fort. at the same time of
my opening, the Flag Officer Mexican, 10
the Niagara, and Captain Ellison, in the
McRae as the depth of water would per-
nit, but which unfortunately was not sufi-
GENTLY deep to give full effect to their pow
erful batteries. They, however, kept up a
spirited fire on the fort and adjacent batte>
RES d6ring the whole day. My fire was in>
cessant from the time of opening until it
was too dark to see, at the rate of shot for
each gun every fifteen or twenty minutes,
the fire of the enemy being somewhat Slow
er. By noon the guns of Fort McRae were
all silenced but one, and three hours before
sunset this fort and the adjoining battery
ceased fire l directed the guns of batteries
Lincoln, Cameron and Totten principally
on the batteries adjacent to the Navy Yard,
those OF battery Scott to Fort McRae and
the lighthouse batteries, and those of the
fort to all. We reduced very perceptibly
the fire of Barrancas. entirely that in the
Navy Yard, and in one or two of the other
batteries the efficiency of our fire, at the
close of the day, not being the least i'm
paired.
The next morning again opened about
the same hour, the navy unfortunately,
owing TO reduction in the depth of water,
caused by change G! wind, not being able
to get so near as yesterday, consequently
| the distance was too great to be effectual
My fire this day was less rapid, and l think
more efficient, than til / of y sterday Fort
McRae,. so effectualiy silenced yesterday,
did not fire again to day. We silenced en-
tirely one or two guns, and had one of ours
disabled by shot coming through the ems
| brasure.
About three o'cl0cktire Was cOmmuni.
Gated to one OF the houses in Warrington,
and shortly afterwards to the church stee-
pie, the church and the whole village being
in rear OF some OF the reDel batteries, they
apparently having placed them purposely
directly in front of the largest and most
available buildings. The ire rapidly COM
municateo to other buildings along the
street and probably two-thirds of it was
consumed and about the same time fire
was discovered issuing from the back part
the Navy Yard, probably in Wolcott, a
village to the North, and Immediately ad.
joining the yard, as Warrington does on
the West. Finally it penetrated to the
yard, and as it continued to burn brightly
all night concluded that either in it or in
-Wolcott many buildings were destroyed
Very heavy damage was also done to the
buildings Of the yard by the avalanche Of
shot, shell and splinters showered unceas.
ingly on them for two days, and being near.
ly ireproof, being built of brick and cover.
ed with slate, could not succeed in firing
them, my hot shot nor shells not having
any power to ignite them. es si~
The steamer Time, which was at thu
wharf at the time, was abandoned on tht
first day and exposed to our fire, which
probably entirely disabled her. The fir
was again continued till dark, and viii
4 ,,o<s1 fxuo osolool> A.