Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-11-15
FoRr MONROE. Nov. |

The scouts reported two howitzers in position
by the rebels COL Weber advanced and
drew their fire, which was steadily returned,
the rebels losing two men killed and severa.
wounded The rebels then withdrew, taking
with them their guns. Col. Weber did not
lose man.
Fort MONROE, Nov. -,
The steamer Bienville has Just arrived at
Old Point from the Great Expedition. She
left Port Royal on Sunday morning and brings
cheering intelligence Capt. Steedman, how.
ever, left her at that place, and proceeds d.
rectly to Washington with dispatches and
trophies of brass cannon and secession flags.
He reports that the gale encountered by the
fleet was very severe. The Union and Osceo-
la went ashore and were lost, as previously
reported. The Governor foundered at sea,
but the Isaac G. Smith succeeded in saving
ali her crew with the exception of few ma
rines.
The fleet arrived at Port Royal on Monday,
the 4th. Tuesday, the smaller gun boats
rounded in the channel under a fire from the
forts, which did no damage. On Wednesday,
the weather prevented active operations, but
on Thursday morning the man of-war gun
boa s advanced TO the attack.
7 The action commenced at 10 A. NJ, and
was holly carried on hy both sides, and lasted
about hours, at the end Of which time the
rebels were compelled by the shower of shells
to abandon their works and beat hasty re-
treat. Our loss was s men AID one officer.
the chief engineer Of the Mohcan, and about
20 wounded. Rebel loss unknown: 50 bodies
were found by our men and buried All of
their wounded except two were carried off.
Two forts were captul ed. Fort Walker, on
lii ton Head, mounting % guns, and Fort
i'eaurcgard, on Bay Point, mounting 10 guns,
and of heavy calibre The forts are both new
and splendid earth-works of great strength,
constructed in the highest style of military sci
ence, and pronounced by our engineers as i'm
pregnabe against any assault by land forces.
The final retreat of the rebels was a perfect
rout. They left everything ammunition
and equipments of all kinds, even to the Off
GERS swords and commissions-all the letters
and papers, both public and private, order
books and documents of all kinds, were left
i'll their flight and fell into our hands, affording
our officers much valu ,ble information
Among the papers was telegram fo jeff
Davis to the commander of the pest, III form
ing him of the sailing of the feet and that he
knew their destination to be Port ROYAL.
The whole surrounding country was seized
with perfect anc The day after the fight
the Seneca and two other gun boats proceed.
cd to Beaufort, and found but one white man
in the town-and him drunk All the plant
atoms up the river seemed 20 be deserted ex
cept by negroes, who were seen in great mum.
bers, and Sho, as the boat passed, came down
to the shore with bundles in their hands, as
if they expected to be taken off.
Our forces seized all the letters in the Post
Office. After the capture of the forts, the
whole, about Is, 900 men, were landed and
established on shore. The forts were but
little beyond, but the rebels couldn't stand
the explosi m of our big shells.
The force of the enemy, as ascertained by
their papers, was 1000 men, under Genera
Drayton, of South Carolina.
Our victory is complete, the rebels leaving
everything bat their lives, which they saved
by running. But four persons were found
and two OF them were wounded All hands
OF the fleet are represented as acting in the
most gallant manner
The reporters who accompanied the expe
dition from New York are on the Bienvile
with full details
BALTIMORE, NOV. 10.
From an officer who just came up we gath.
or the following additional particulars:
None of our vessels were sunk. The Paw
nee lost six killed and two wounded, and suf
fcrcd more injury than any other, but was
not disabled. A round shot went through her
ward-room. The Wabash had her main-mast
badly hurt with round shot The Pocahon.
tas had one man injured. The assistant en-.
gineer of the Mohican was badly wounded
and the chief killed. When our troops took
possession Of the forts they found the FLAG
flying on the fort on Hilton Head The reb
els had mined the works, and fixed the hal
yards of the flag so that when the flag shou d
be drawn down the mine would be sprung.
The halyards sprung mine in the house
used by the officers, but it did very little
damage and hurt no one The magazine did
not explode. 4 large quantity of powder
was found, also u large amount of English
anmuniti. n and projcctiles.
NEW YoRK. Nov 49,
The Tibunes special from Fortress Mon
roe says tbs entire fleet formed in two gener-
al lines for the fght-the Wabash leading and
the Bienville tianblng the movement, which
was in circle, first delivering broad-sidcs
'''eo vi l'~aui VII CiS west. Tic
fleet came round, ralling Fort Walker on the
southwest, Both responded vigorously. The
pawnce and Mohican got aground, and were
considerably damaged.
The rebel loss is supposed to be 200. Gen
Drayton commanded at Fort Walker, and Col.
Elliott at Fort Beauresard. The rebels retired
across Skull creek to village % miles in the
interior, where, it is said, they intend making
a stand. The negroes had already begun to
pllage and destroy Beaufort. The white pop
ulatlon fled to Charleston on small steamers,
by the inside route. Gen. Sherman has hun
dreds of negro laborers.
There was panic at Savannah, and it was
believed its capture would be easy 1t is I'M
derstool Sherman will improve the defenses
Of his position before making any forward
movement.
In the forts was found a large supply of
ammunition and stores of the best descrip-
ton.
Commodore Dupont will immediately sur
vey the harbor and place buoys and erect
light houses, The position will be made a
permanent basis Of operations. The feet
was within 800 and 900 feet of the forts,
firing 5-second fuses and pound shells INFO
them, at the rate of 200 per hour Not
single shell fired by the rebels burst in the
ships, though the Wabash was struck several
times, as was most of the fleet, but every
ship was in fighting condition when the
rebels took to their heels.
Tire surgeon of Fort Walker was killed.
At Charleston, next day, u minute guns
were fired, indicating the burial OF Briga-
der General
The troops had not occupied Beaufort when
she steamer left, being better engaged in
strengthening their position.
New YORK, Nov. Is.
Orders have been received to-day for the
shipment Of ordnance AMI ordnance stores to
Port Royal, They will be forwarded imme-
diately.
A letter from Bermuda, by the brig Peer
less, states that the rebel steamer Nashville
was at st. Georges October %, taking in
coal.
w Nov