Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-11-22

edCn Ol tuelT NlSlJS WHICH luueeu WSIS ioW,
but not far between, the combined force hail
ed upon tho doomed and devoted shore
fiery storm of more than 400 fiery shells.
The spectacle was one of the most i'm
pressivo that could be presented to the eye
of man Tho air was filed with the burst !
ing bombs-each deadly projcctle, as it
hummed through the air, first rose heaven
ward in graceful curve, and then swooped
down to earth to fulfill its fatal errand,
leaving through the air thin wavering line
Of smoke that was first snowy white, then
fading TO a pale blue, quickly blerded with
the azure Of the clear Southern sky. Beau.
tiful as was this airy course Of the deadly |
missile, its earthly track was marked by a
crimson stream Of flowing blood by the
sickening crash of shattering bones, and by
wreck, ruin and destruction Of whatever
thing it touched. Nothing could stand be-
fore this fiery storm-gunsw were hurled from
their carriages; houses were Knocked into
heaps of brick and morter, and beams and
boards, the formidable fort walls of the
soldest masonry were in places torn and
splintered, and the tough trees of the pitch
pine wood were shivered, twisted, wrenched,
and cut off like slender reeds; and the men
were beaten into quivering masses of bruis-
ed, CORY flesh; or were torn into mutilated,
ghastly, sickening objects.
The terrible effects of a shell bursting
in the midst of a group Of men cannot be
adequately described, for words and pen
alike are weak. A knot of men are talk
ing together, full Of sturdiest life and earn
est action; every word and gesture denot-
ing healthiest, and and most vigorous man
illness and strength-there comes puff Of
pearly smoke, a binding fash Of red fire,
a sharp, sudden report, and in an instant
the active life Of the eager men is crushed
and beaten out, the parched sand drinks
up their lifcblood before the smoke can
clear away; but the manged limbs, the
still throbbing brains, the gaping wounds,
half filled with dirt and purple mud are
not covered by the sand until that later
hour when the sword and musket are laid
aside for the pick and spade, and men for
get their deadly hates to consign "Earth to
earth, and dust to dust" et
The effects of round shot, or of one of
the newly-invented rihed-cannon projectiles,
are not SO ghastly and terrible to the eye
the men die, but their limbs are not torn
and twisted off as by the iron splinters of
a bursting bomb.
The rebels had confidently calculated on
being able to sink the entire feet in twenty
minutes, as we learned from some of the
copies of Southern papers, and from some
of the rebel letters, many Of which fell into
our hands, and in several of which this re-
suit is confidently predicted, and is regard
ed not merely as 'consummation devout
ly to be wished" but was looked upon nj
most as an accomplished fact. The utte
destruction of the entire expedition was con
sidered so positively assured, and the belief
in the ability of their batteries TO put an ef.
fectual quetus upon the pretensions of "Lin-
coins" feet was so perfect, that in one or
two of the documents the writer's lamented
the necessity they should be under of send
ing the ships TO the bottom, when the con-
federates are SO much in need of ships. 1t
was taken for granted that the tremendous
execution to be done by their heavy guns
would perforate the huls of our ships and
send them instantly to the bottom. Having
this confident expectation, the rebels looked
eagerly after every fire to see some of our
ships go down, They especially concentra-
ted their guns on the Wabash, and, as the
prisoners aflerward informed us, were much
surprised that she persisted in remaining
aaoat. When the ships had all passed
their battery in safety for the first time ant
had "peppered them WE'LL" and had all got
off without apparent injury, the astonish
ment was great, and the universal impress
ion began to prevail that there was some
mistake. Ell. I'D. s,.,-,
For the second time the feet came steam
ing down; for the second time they poured
in that terrible fire, dismantling the gun
shattering the buildings, and stretching il
death numbers of their men; and for tn
second time the fleet passed in safety, show
ing not the slightest sign of any intention
of going to the bottom.
By this time a new element began t
mingle with the feelings Of the rebel gal
rison. With astonishment and wonder tha
they had not yet sunk any of the opposin,
vessels, began to mingle large, a very larg
proportion Of doubt whether they could d
it. Without paying any more attention t.
the barking of the battery at Fort Beaure
regard, on Bay Point than to pitch them al
occasional shot merely to let them know
that they were not forgotten, for the thir,
time the feet rounded their circular track
and came slowly down to pay their respect
again. Again was the whole fire Of th
Fort concentrated on the Wabash, and afteI
ward in turn on each one of the ships, q
they passed in fiery procession before th
/ shore, delivering with tho utmost coolnc'
and most exact precision their murderer
, fire, running even nearer than before, Fl
ing more effectualy than ever, and agai
steaming away unharmed, and turning Ii
, point for still another round. 'a
} 1l. CoNFIsCATIoN AND FLIGHT.
The utmost CONSERVATION now took fu
possession of the rebels, and in an uncol
trollable panic they fed with the utmo
precipitation, The panic at Bull Run W,
not more complete; indeed, not half /
. much so, for the rebels in their mortal te
!. ror ran for the woods without stopping 4
anything whatever. They left in their ten
0 hundreds of dollars of money, gold watcbo
0 costly swords, aud other yalnables, shown
r that their fear was uncomfortable and con
7 plete. The fight was first observed fro
$ the little gun boat Mercury, was commuu
{ Gated to the flag ship, and was immediate
Il. 4. - a