The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-11-23
WHOLE No. LEGO

Meeting with the powder-ma gazine by.
some unforeseen accident, quantity Of
sand was thrown over part Of the train
of powder, SO that though the cap explo-
ded and fired a part of the powder, and
blew up a nelghboring house, it did not
communicate with the magazine, and
little harm was done.
These three batteries are amply suffi-
cient to protect the harbor against any
but such another immense naval force as
has once subducd them, and may be con-
sidered impregnable against any power
the rebels can at present command.
We took few prisoners, about IS in
all, most of them being the sick in tho
hospital,
Among the spoils are 800 muskets, the conf
plrte caup equipsge of3 regiments, so cam
non. and immense quantities of ammunition.
1t lisa noticeable fact that all the powder il
the very best English powder, that many OF
The cartridges are of English make, aud that
some of the projectilcs for the rit!ed cannon
are of Il kind unknown in our service, but
which answer to the description ofcsrtain new
English inventions.
The muskets our own Springfield rifle
age, and the clothing found, are OF The very
best quality.
Our own loss IN the affair is 8 Killed and
about p wounded, more or less severely,
while the less of the rebels was very much
greater, the estimates being 1870 killed and
100 wounded, a large number Of their dead
having been buried by our men. The South
Cnrolinians and other dead in the fort were
buried by Capt. SteeiiInAn of the ship Bie,i-
villa hifpgr Cnuth 4
were ali buried on Ii ton Head.
Cost OF the Battle:
The Wabash fired, during the entire action,
900 shots, being all =, 0, III and I.inch shells,
WIN the exception of few ritied cannon pro-
! lectiles of new pattern, and when we're mad
simply as matter Of experiment. The Sus.
| quchanna fired 500 shots, the Bienyill. 1s5
and the average of the gunboats and IN,
other smaller ships may probably be set down
| at $50 each. There were in all, IL ves,els
engaged on our side, and probably from All
OF them were fired net far from 8, 500 shot and
| shell at the two forts, Walker and Beauregard,
| the four gin battery, and the three steamers.
| The average cost of each shot reckoning
she'll, round shot, and ritled cannon prnjcctilcs
Of peculiar make, and taking into account the
value of the powder used to fire them, may
be s. down at about So. Thus the burned
| powder and broken shell-iron OF the battle OF
| Port Royal may he set down ne having cost
the country not less than 1928. 600. Reckon
| ing. then a few items OF this battle, beginning
| with the immense cost of this fleet, which has
been preparing since August last, the pay OF
| the soldiers, the value OF their food. and ths
expense of the two lost vessels on very
moderate scale, it will be seen that battles
are an expensive amusement, even for =
great country" A few, a very few. items
of the expense of the show would foot Up
| something like this:
Rent of the vessels up to this ..,.,.
time, say, s3,sod,oo5
Pay Of the soldiers, &C., up to
this time, eso,o6o
Value OF ratioIs consumed up to
this time, 100000
Value OF clothing worn out up to
this time, ls5, 900
Value OF powder burned. :S,O 900
Value Of the Governor aud Peerless,
lost, OF the Ca,iiue shoAl $4,000, 100000
Total, $4,000, 900
Let some political economist add to this
| the losses to the country of the labor OF SO
! many men, and compute other expenses
more in this way than mine-my arithlncticsl
gucsswork has brought the country into q
most expensive predlcament already,