The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-18
THE PORT ROYAL AFFAIR.
INTERESTING REBEL ACCOUNT OF THE BEAUFOEY

ANiEhESTiNu REBEL AeeocNf VI AAS SS~eS~"~
from the Charleston Courier, November II
Thursday dawned glorously upon our weared but un-
dannted gunners and all felt that the day Of trial had a.
last arrived. Scarcely had breakfast been despatched
when the hostile feet observed In commotion. Tho
great war steamers formed rapidly in single ile and
WITHIN supporting distance OF each other the frgat0
minnesota The aghp Of Commodore Dupont, in the van.
AS the long line Of formidable looking vessels thirteen in
number, Of them powerful propelIers with a few
saing nen-oi war in tow, swept RAPIDLY and maestcay
WIN orts open and bfistng with guns Of the heaviest
calibre, the sight grand AMI imposing This was at
hail-past eight O'Clock. Until the Minnesota came within
tho range Of and opposite to batteries on Hilton
Of Fort Walker whic, had been aimed directly al
the hugo frigate beichcd forth their Simultaneous
tire, and the action beg n. Almost Immediately
afterwards the bate Of Fort Beauregard on
the other side of the entrance, also opened their.
fire. The enemy at FIRST did not reply But the second
steamer oppsits TO Fort Walker the hulls Of tho
ST three suddenly wrapped in smoke and the shot
ana shell of three II mendous broadsdes, making all
seventy-hve guns, crashing against works.
From this the bomhardment terrific and in
ccssant One by tho propelcrs bore down upon
forts deive thlr Il as they passed until nine had
gained the ntcf Of tho harbor beyond the range Of
gus. 1he Minnesota sti followed by the others, then
III ned round and steam slowly out, giving broadsde
to fort cauregard she repssed Thus the battle
chtinued, the enem5 vessels sailing IN an eI.ipcal
curve Touring one broadside into Bay Point then
sweeping around TO dever the other a anst Hilton Head
This furious fire from four hundred guns many OF
them OF tic IL inch taa!grn pattern, and OF
l3'nch bore Cor sa5ot Of that diameter found in
Foit BeaureSu }, was maintained necessarily, the
roar Of the ca nonade secmcdr stcontnuous. Meanwhile
our garrisops We making gallant defence Toy kept
up vigoro and we'll iii ected fire against their ssa
anls ana Notwithstanding that their best gun was
dsnountedat the beginning Of the action they succeeded
IN sitting fire 10 several Of tho ships Whenever this
haplcnei howcvef, the cneny would haul of and
extinguish the flames The effect Of guns was, in
many instances la ~ Wis bic from the forts Although
the side Of the Minnesota arc OF massive strength,
several Of her ports were Knocked into one
Nor she the OILY vessel upon which this evidence OF
the power OF e could be Many Of the other
steamers were likcwe wlse badly hulled.
After time spelt IN saing round and delivering
their broadsldes in rotation, the have de-
scibed tho enemy steamers adopted another and more
successful plan OF attack. oue Of them took position
inside the harbor elade the batteries of Fort
Walker while several opened n simultaneous enllading
fire from the outside Besides this terrific fire.
two Of the largest steamers maintained thu fire
in front Of the fort. thus three furious con-
verging streams o. shot and shell raincd among
the brave little garrison for hours. The vessels up
within hail mile OF the shore but nearly all our guns
had, by this tnic bee me dismounted, and
longer able to reply with serious effect.
Soon after eleven O'Clock the batteries of Bay Point
senced. The fire of Fort Walker, far as the
guns that remained wer1 concerned, was not u whit
sackened until O'Clock by that tina the dreadful
onition of the fort b. too apparent be longer
dsregarGed The guns ay every direction dismantled
and csecss the defences terribly shattered tho
dead and dying to be every side, and still
the iron hail podred pitilessly in.
FORT WALKER ABANDONED.
In this strait it determined to abandon the fort A
long waste, about mile in extent and commanded by
the enemys guns interviewed between the garrison and
the woods Across this rhey ordered to run for
their lives each for himself; the OBJ
ject being to scatter them as much posi-
bic, so as not 70 afford a target for the rled
guns of the feet The preparations for running this
perl)us gauntlet made Knapsacks were.
aban loned but the retained their muskets. Each
Of the wounded placed in blanket and carried of by
four men, The safety OF the living precludcd the idea
OF renewing the dead. And thus the gallant little band
quilted tho OF their glory. and scanperei Off each
best he could towards the woods. Tho retreat
covered by small detachment who remained for
hour after their comrades had left. Among those who
remained were captain Harms with six men Lieutenant
wi
four men. These worked the guns until about two
O'Clock when they also quilted the post.
The abandonment Of Fort Beauregard equally a.
necessity. The garrison were exhausted, and in
tary ;anger Of being cut Of When Colonel Dlnovant.
ordered retreat tears of modification and Indignation
filed the eyes of Captain Elliott at the sad necessity The
retreat admirably conducted and rendered entirely
successful by the prudent energy Of Captain lanckel,
Of General Ripley's aids, who had got together
twelve flats al Station creek by which the troops
passed safely to So Helena Island From there they
pms Beaufort sd, AM reached the train
taiyo without III osr injury Of man. In this fort
none kiliei, AMI ,g I'VE wounded and Of
these wounded by negligence in loading cannon, by
which hot shot irl, the powder, without the
wet wad preceding It,
EVACUATION OF BAY POINT.
The rest Of the story briefly told. Late Thursday
night the garrison of Fort Walker had collected at the
landing in the hope OF being able to reach Button by
water. Luckily several small Confederate steamers
within hail But here ludcrous mistake occurred. The
rctrcatng troops imayned the little steamers to DO
Yankee gun boats while the crews Of the steamers wer
convinced that tho troops body Of dsembarkcd
Yankees. Acting upon this double deusion deal OF
mutual accommodating was made, and it only after
vast variety Of strategic approaches that they
reached the conclueicn that it "all right" A
quick trip to Button followed. Thence the troops
road along which they dragged their exhausted frames
was filled with Heterogeneous throng of fugves OF all
conditions carriages carts and Of every de-
scrption that could by any possibility BIO pressed into
service. The spectacle was a sad one.
Thus ended the defence of Port Royal. The morhca-
Of the disaster lessened by the consciousness that
troops deserved
What injury did TO the enemy we do not know. Our
firing was Of course less efficient than theirs Our troops
volunteers theirs picked artilersts YETI it.
Is very remarkable how few were killed or wounded
amongst troops. This battle, in this respect,
very much like the battle Of Fort Sumter. How many
could have been dsmantcd and rendered useless
and yet few of those who worked them injured, seems
bravey and fought until to fight longer would have been
sheer folly. Though encounterng immense odds signs
Of cowardos marked their conduct Officers and soldiers
exemplied the ancientcharaoter Of the State and de-
serve profound gratitude and admiration.
THE PANIC IN sAvANNAH-THE CHANNELS BLOCKED
SAVANNAH Ca. Nov. 10, 1861.
Tho federal feet Is reported to-day landing men,
horses and equipments at Beaufort.
The largest vessels Of the fleet are believed to have
gone seaward probably destined for Brunswick
All the entrances leading TO Savannah have been
bockaded by sink vessels across the channels and it
will be extremely difficult for the fleet to get in reach
Fort Pulaski is very strong and the channel close
and narrow
The military authorities here feel confident.
WHERE IS BEN. MCCULLOCH AND PRICE?
LITTLE Rock, Nov. II. 1861.
A messenger just in from Fort Smith reports that
General Hunter, with sixty regiments and one
hundred pieces Of artillery, is the battle field OF
Oak Hill. General Price having formed junction with
McCcllOc has fallen back to the Arkansas state line
fortify hre Their united force amounts to twenty-five
thousand. This however, is not generally credited
Personal Intelligence.
Major Otz, Of the United States Army, Is stopping at
stopping at the New York Hotel
Hon. Austin Myers, OF SYRACUSE 8. B. Campbell, OF
Castletown f. S. Ewood OF Indiana; W. Stanley of Mon.
trea and G. j. Pumpelly Of oswego, are stopping at the
81. Nichols Hotel.
Captain J. Dunbar, Of Massachusetts,; w. E. Tunis Of
Niagara Falls; Thomas Weaver Of Lexington; A. l.. Nj
coll, and H. Laarge Of New York, stopping the
IAfarge Hause.
Howard Paul of London Colonel A. j. Butler of Call.
fornia Manuel Marin de Sandual Of Mexco Captain Ed
dy, OF the United States Army f. Nthan Of the United
States Navy; G. H. Bradford Of Boston, and H. T. Miller,
Cincinnati, stopping at the Metropolitan Hotel