The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-11-28

means as strong as the one on Che oppO.
sits side Of the river, italso has l6 guDl
mounted. and every one Of them Is iifsd,
and will throw aVshOt four miles. Two
miles up the river is another Fort. built
on smaller scale; then there is anothsI
one AbOut q mile above rs. on the Sea
Beach; these two latter Forts the rebels
made no attempt to hold when they were
driven from the two frstnamed bu. fed
for their lives. You can form some idea
Of their fight, when I tell you that they
left without even spiking their guns
Most of their guns they left loaded. They
also left as some nice ammunition, which
is estimated to be 90 tons. / dare say
it is quite nice pile. Trunks filed with
fine clothing. beds, mattresses, boots and
shoes, pans. dishes, bacon, rice. -four and
salt and various other articles too uumer.
Gus to mention, were also left behiud. A
blacksmith shop fitted out with a fine
new anvil and bellows, &C., several hun
dred tents and the necessary articles be.
long to them, were also left. II were
TO go on and tell you what all we csptur.
ed, l would have to get another sheet Of
paper. But to make long story short.
| will say that we landed some $1,000
troops, and we are nicely quartered, with
plenty 10 eat and drink. The only thing
that troubles me is the mosquitoes; it is as
hot here now as it is in Lancaster in the
month Of August; but we get fus cool
sea breeze through the day which adds
greatly to our comfort. In the engage.
tnent We only lost eleven men-this you
can rely 5h.
l almost fotsut to tell you about the
shipwreck We had at sea. The boat we
left Fort Monroe in was ovsrtaken by a
storm and totally wrecked. The storm
came on us on Thursday and lasted until
Sunday morning. The wind blew at an
awful rate. tossing the ship to and fro,
and up and down, that we expected her
to 60 down every moment; two large
brace beams that strengthen the ship gave
wap and she sprung leak, and the water
came rushing in at fearful rate. Blu:
by good steady work all bands managed to
keep the ship aaoat. Had it not been for
a ship called the Young Rover, we should
certainly have been lost, as we were ou,
ofsight from land. But this Young Ro
yer happened to spy us and bore down
on us; but the sea RAD so high that she
was not able to render us any assistance
SO she hoisted Secession flag aud lsf
us and ran up toward the blockade, wher
she was spisd by the frigate Sabine, who
toook her to be Sauthern Privateer.-
The Sabine then gave chase, and the Ro
YER turnod and ran toward us again, uu.
Ill the sa6ihe saw us in distress, and ther
she knew what was the matter. This
was on Saturday and that nigh. she an
ohorsd close by US. But the sea was 10,
rough far US to 60 aboard of her, so W
had to work all that night bailiEg water
this making the third night we had bee
up. But on Sunday morning the sea hs
become quite cslm. and we all went o.
borad. and then the boat sank. TIL
night Before we lost nine men in trying
get aboard. I had to jump into the Sc
and swim to a small boat before coul
get on the Sabine. y x
Has Gen. Mcclellan taken Manassas
Let me know and tell me how many wei
killed. This is all for this time as hay
no more space. Ny respects to one an
all. and may God bless you now and fo
ever. Write soon and direct
: LEWIS ABEL,
In Maj. Reynolds Marine Battalion.
!, Port Royal. South Carolin