The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1861-12-21

"'~ - "'' ~ i'ho WI great INTEREST," -
U; s. FLAG Sur NIAGARA,
OI Fort fickens, Nov. %, | ,6l SP. NJ
On Wednesday, the goth, (iay before ves,e,.
cayD 1t hecame pretty generally well known
an ong US that the Flag Officer hsd made mn hi,
IhiI c 70 commence the Commandment OF P.n5,,o
Ia, providing that Colonel Brown was ready, and
a. we knew that the Colonel onlv waited ier ii,
rags action, We fclt pretty certain tina, -
bal would be opened at once. | need no, .,
you that all hands were up to concert nj cb !,
and as eager to commence as you at the Nor,b
lave been anxious TO have Us, snd although %
felt sure that tome Formidable masked bstte,i,,
would disclose themselves, We were ready 10
ind out where they were, and try the effect, of
our IL ipch guns in tilencing them
The object cds 10 destroy he nay ward M N,
topH a stop 10 their use of gooernnaeSf pron,yg,,
and tocLs In building any mole extensive meats
OF defence, and to la ter down some of their
Notifications. Orders were given TO our on
eineeIs to place bags filed with coal around
such portions Of the machinery as were expose
TO shot, and nearly all the work was done VIII. h
is necessary TO prepare ship for action"
Early yesterday morning the fac. officer wont
on shore TO Golfer with Colonel Brown 10 re.
gaI u 10 prelininaries. At twelve o'cock he 70.
tufi ed, and then we received orders to conn, ts
all NJ &c ssary arrangements. Officers were dis
patched TO the Richmond" and "Montgome.
~, then in port, giving them diicc ions b, "
10 act, and the word was pNssed that VIC should
move In at Daylight go A. to engage Fort McR,e
the water battery ard the sand battery lust in
front OF Mci,ae, all three Of which could bring
thelr gurs to bear upon either Fort Pickens or
the shipping.
by sunrise this morning we wero ali ready.
Dor boats had been boosted out and moorsd
alorgsice, shot and shell got up and steam all
ready to move at short notice. The usual
me n ing prayer was offered up, the chanl,in
imnlOred "A h. r..
alter which the Elag-ofIicer addressed A tes
words to the men in his usual clear, quick, come.
to-the-point manner. He urged upon them
"strict obedience to all orders, GOODNESS, jud p
ment and precision in fling" Tho answer wasl
three hearty cheers.
About half past we could see the steamers
coming down TO the navy yard, li,tls suspect
ing that their doom was sealed. In a very short
time they were fast to the dock, and az lust
twelve minutes VI ten we saw smoke issue forth
from Fort Pickrns, and heard the booming Of
the gun. A cheer burst forth from our mes,
and II ever ships anchor came up lively il
was ours then.
While working our way 10, theRichmond came
up under our stern, ard, as she draws Less water
than we do, the Commodore ordered her 10 10
in and open fire as soon as she was within range.
She passed by us, took position nearer TO tho
land and op ned fire. Meantime, the water
battery and Fort McRea we're doing their best to
brighten us, by throwing shot thai FL about q
mile short. We kept on steadily until We
thought that we were within range and then
came to nv Choir.
BY twelve o'clock both the Richmond and
Niagara, together with the guns bearitg from
Fort Pckens and Battery Scott, were all play.
ing into Fort McRea and its surrounding batter-
les. We averaged one shell every three min-
utes, and as the Richmond had more euns,
though smaller, and more than our number Of
w bein NJ
was about two shells each minute, being fed
D this point O.
About ono o'clock q firing commenced from T.
masked ba terry which Disclosed itself in tho
woods along the shore, ard q mile south OF Nc
Rea. They seemed to have q particular spite
against us, by the pertinacity with which they
fired at us but finding that they could not
reach u, they turned their attention to the
Richmond, which was nearer in shore. Many
OF their shot came very close TO the latter, and
had they been well directed, would have done
a great deal Of damage. Only ono took effect
however, and j regret 10 record that this killed
one man and wounded seven. The man killed
was captain Of the gun, and vas in the act Of
taking aim when struck. The wounded were
but eighty hurt.
About three O'Clock. one or two shots passed
over us and dropped into the water, AID by the
note which they sang as they passed. we knew
that they had turned some heavier metal up'n
u.s. Two or three Oh our guns were directed 70
the spot whence the smoke was seen to issue,
and u they treated US TO music VIC returned the
compliment win INTEREST," lhey succeeded IN
planning TWO shots IN our sioes, making rstner
ugly holes and upsetilng thinEs IN one oil the
iieuttnants room; by SIX o'clock We must
nave ultmoun.ed the gun, Io' AZ teat time me-
hea eeasen MING MsJeg.n9r ano Dr one hou ns
ana bSli we tumoled smell AFTER smell INSIDE Z"
After wa had b.come we'll engaged In the
hight We hardly thought Of or haa time 70 100.
at Fort rickens. once IN WINE ! wou,c cast
giabse tnat way anu couiu rec tna' tno
mieiicle OF Datteres arouna hnr were keJP,n5
up cons,an. explosion OF sneiL o.er nor ,oya
walls wnhe rom 9ut ner sues ,pe,e e, Jn so,
STEADY stream OF wnite sinoke, nnu opu,s ~
Una, .ne sno.s , 'Soh pEoa r sn Me-. snd P;ci
nlaae lwo 49, n1'es n Io.t n.' ha,a ~ -
ems mao o knGcheu hO'e 'nA' n'''o A''u
H' on.I IN H.. ,., o. from, Coion.l p,oxr
~ nas JuS' ov t I'm LII ~
~. ,ornd,d Tard ,h., ho " ~. on 0ot ,.., e.,i-
,,nsd ~ TIL O., sho, fron, ,ha To-, Az
.GIad .ho s,aoma, .sr,mss y ri R,owo th;nL,
= ~, Ea.s No. Ia a.,.,c,,.l,, S;iancsd
s'"' fO'' ".ei' % e''eo'N'' ''.o'
THE SECOND DAT OF THE frohr.
SATURDAY, Nov. 23-7;3O p MAS ! com
mence to write to night, the whole sky is llu-
mir ated by the burr ing Of the town Of Warning
ton and the Navy Yard. The former has burned
since p. NJ, but the latter has just taken
fire. The sight is grand, sublime, anything
you choose 10 call IL, only VIC are too tired tol
look at it. The forts and batteries have just
ceased firing. Fort Pickers must have tired
over 900 shot and shell today.
AT $50 sign lis were made to Fort Pickens,
and at 10 we weighed anchor and steamed in