Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-11-21

Wrights brigade and one regiment WAS put
on shore before any attempt To move another
was made. must be permitted TO remark,
without intending to be offensive, that soldiers
on shipboard are awkward enough but pack
them closely in a small boat, and they seem TO
lose all control over their limbs, so that moth
ing whatever can be done with them. This
characteristic intractaiilty was not lacking on
this occasion, and it seemed that each particu-
lar man took ten minutes to get himself on
board after the order to enter the boat was
given. Adding to the delay was the fact that
the beach shelved so gradually, that none Of
the loaded boats could approach within fifty
yards or more and the soldiers, therefore, had
TO dlyest themselves of shoes and stockings,
ana nounuer through water up to their knees.
leaving these unfortunate creatures with my
mind hlled with misgivings as to the conse-
quences should the rebels rally to attack them.
IN their unprcpared condition, | sauntered into
the fort and examined it.
l am told by army officers that the work az
illIton Head is the finest Of its kind ever erect
gu IN inns country. 1t was nearly completed,
and in very brief time may he made perfect-
ly secure as defensive position ngainst onv
approach from the land side, from which direc-
ton only is there any possibility of attack. The
shape OF the tort is angular, and it occupies be-
tween three and four acres Of ground Around
the exterior is a ep ditch in which pickets are
planted on the land side; and two caponieres.
built of palmetto logs, having loop.holes for
sharpshooters, protect the approaches ON the
sea-coast from storming parties. There were
twenty-onc guns IN position, but three were dis
mounted, leaving eighteen in servieeable order,
with good carriages and working implements.
Most of the guns are of superior character,
manufactured in England, and addressed in
white paint: "Gen. Beauregard, Charleston. S.
G., in haste" Among them was peculiar ri
fled gan, with projectiles to match, which was
entirsy new to all our officers. Several of the
smooth.borc pieces had been cast this year at
the Tredegar Works, Virginia, and were decor
uted with the South Carolina coat-of-arms.
Following in the description OF the pieces, as
taken from the schedule: - 32-poundcrs
smo th sea-coast guns, one 10-inch columbiad,
two heavy siege guns, two rillcd S-inch guns,
two carronades, and one S-incb gun.
The encampment consisting of about eighty
tents, TO the left of the Notifications, indicated,
if anything, more plainly than the fort, how
hurricdly its late occupants had decamped.
Most Of the tents had been undisturbed. Off
GERS furniture, uniforms and other clothing,
dress swords, small stores, with here and there
an article which told that even in camp the war
riors bad not been wholly bereft of the society
of their wives, mothers and sisters.--werc left
significant tell-taes of Sudden departure.
Over the meadow, to which | before all uded,
were scattered blankets, knapsacks, (some Of
which, singularly enough, were recognized as
those which bad been cast away by our panic
stricken troops at Bull RUM muskets, bayo-
nets, eaTtridge-boxes, and few dead mules
and broken yehicles-not camp wagons, but
family carriages which had been use1i TO carry
away the dead and wounded. was afterwards
told by negro-a slave-who gave himself in -
| to custody, that the rebels, believing their pos
| ition to be inpregnable, and confident Of sink
ing the ships, had invited the ladies' of the
negbborhood TO come down and see our ehas-
tisenent Many did 50, and the broken earri-
ages in the field had conveyed them thither, but
in view of the unexpected result of the fight
these vehicles were devoted to the use of the
wounded.
went into house-the only building in the
vicinity having any architectural pretensions-
and found that It had been used by the rebels
for hospital. There were three rebel soldiers
there, two of whom were brothers, named Lew
is aud William Noble, and the other called him
self James Darragh. William seemed to be
very Ill, almost at deaths door, from the effects
of typhoid fever, and Lewis, who had been nur-
sing him, preferred to be taken prisoner rather
than desert his brother. OF the other man l
learned nothing. They were dressed in very
dngy, gray uniforms, and seemed not at all
troubled at the fortune whicl had befallen them
The sick nan said there was no medicine at the
post, and he had suffered Cor the lack Of it, ad-
ding that the surgeon told him there was moth
! ing else to do but trust in God. These men
formerly were laborers in the turpentine woods
of North Carolina, but coming down to Charles
ton some months ago, were impressed into the
rebel service. Both admitted that they had had
enough of secession Lewis gave me some in
formation respecting the number of troops al
the post, and upon other subjects, which have
since had an opportunity of verifying.