The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-11-29

oarihworks, without any protection from
I shells 10y bombs.
! The Island or Hilton Head was COIN
mandcd by Gen. Drayton. Tho officer.
Immediately experimenting tho ARTILLERY
and conducting the frcs Of Fort Walker
were Col. Wagoncr, Major Authc~ Hurar
ana capt. Yates of tho rcrular service
especially detailed by Gen. Ripley TO aid
Ia directing the artillery. Col Duuovaut
commanded at Fort Bcamcrurd. but he
generously allowed Capt. Elliot Of tho
beaufort Artillery, 20 direct and conduct
the batteries Of the fort. Tho day was
bcoutilul--culm mud clear, with scarcely a
cloud IN the hcuvcnt--iust such day as
our invaders would have ordained, if they
could, 10 carry on thcir operations.
rHE nay or rHE HArrLE.
Thursday dawncd gloriuusly upon our
weoricd but uud0untcd runncrs, and an
tclt that the day oftrial had at last arrived.
scarcely hud hr, aklast boon dispatched,
Whch TIC hostile fleet wos observed i'm
cummotiun. Tho great war steamer.
formed rapidly IN single file, and within
supporting distance or each other. Tho
irigate Wabash, the nnr-ship Of Com.
Dupont, IN the van. As the long line Of
formidable looking vcsscls, thirteen in
number mostcfthcm powcrulpropellcrs,
with few sailing mcn-of-wOr in tow,
swept rapidly and mbicsticully in, with
ports open and bristrling with uuns of
the heaviest calhcr, the sirht was Grand
and imposing. This was az So o'clock.
Uhtil the Minnesota came within range of
and directly opposite our battcrics ON
Hilton Head, all was still. Suddenly the
hitccn heavy guns of Fort Walker. which
had been aimed directly at the gun ldy-
ate, bclchcd iOrth their simultaneous fire,
and the action was begun.
Almost Immediately aitcrward, the hat
tcries Of Fort Bcaurcgard, ON the other
siGc vf The entrance, also opcncd their
hre. Tho enemy at first did not reply
BCt Hs The second steamer came opposite
to ort Walker, tho hulls orthc first three
wer uddcnly wrapped IN smoke sod me
shot aud shell Of three homenduus broad
sides, mukps, IN oil scycny-Gyc guns,
,amc crashing against our works.
From this moment the bombardmcnt
was inocgsant and terrific; one by one the
propcllcrs boro down upon our forts, de-
livered their fire as they passed, until
nine had gained the interior Of the harbor,
beyond the range Of our guns. The Min
nosota, still followed by the others, then
turned round aud steamed slowly out,
giving a broudsidc TO TT. Beaurcpard us
she rcpOssed. Then tho battle was CON
tinued, the enemy's vessels sailing in an
eliptcal course, pouring one broadsidc
into Bay Point, aud then sweeping around
to dcliv,r the other against Hilton Head.
This furious fire from 400 guns, many OF
them The ll-inch Dahlgren pattern, aud
some even l3-inoh bore (lor sabot Of
that diameter was found in Fort Beaure-
gnrd) was maintained nccssantly aud the
roar OF the cUnnonudo seemed continu-
ous.
Meanwhile our gnrrsons were making
a gallant defense, They kept up virur-
Gus and well directed fire against thoh
nssuiluhts, and, notwithstanding that theiI
best gun was dlsmounted at the beginning
~ uiG ov,ioii hoy suocccded In sntfino
Wc 70 bcFotui ~f che Sims. w nruUvtt
this happened, however tue onomv would
haul of aud soon cxtingush the flames
The effect Of our guns was. i' naIIy m
stances, plainly visible rom the iorts.-
/ Although the sides Of the Minnesota ar,
Of massive strength, several of her port,
were knocked into one. Nor was she the
only vessel upon which this evidence o
the power Of our fire could be secn.-
Many of the other steamers were likewise
badly hullcd.
Ancr some time spent in sailing rount
and delivering their broadsidcs in rotu.
ton, in the manner we have described
the enCmy's steamships adopted another
and more successful attack. One orthem
took position inside the harbor 50 as "a
cnflHde the batteries Of Fort Walker
while several opened simultaneous ON.
finding fire from the outside. Bcsidef
this terrific cross-fro, two Cf the largest
steamers maintained the fire in front oI
the forts. Thus three furious conyerp
ing streams Of shot and she'll were raincC
amongst the brave little garrison fol
hours. The vessels came up within 4
halfa mile Of the shore, but noarly all oui
guns had, by this time, been dismountcd
and were no longer able to rcp,y will
any serious effect.
Soon after II o'clock, the batteries O
Boy Point were silclced The fire O
Fort Walker, as far as the guns that re
manned were concerned, was not viii
slackered until one o'clock. By that tim
the dreadful condition Of the forts bccum
too apparent to be disregnrdad longer
| The guns lay In every direction, disman
tied and useless; the dead and the dyini
were 60 bo seen on every side, and still
the iron hail poured pitilessly in.
FORT wALEER ABANDONED.
In this strait IL was determined to aban
don the icrt. A long waste about mil,
| in extent, and commanded by the enemy
gums, interviewed between the garrison
aud the woods. Across this they werl
ordered to run for their lives, each man TO
himself, the object being 20 scatter then
as much as possible, so as not 10 afford
target for the rihcd guns Of the fleet
The preparations for tho running thii
perilous gauntlet were soon made. Knap
sacks were abandoned, bot the men re-
tanned their muskets. Each Of the woun
ded was placed in a blanket and carrie,
or by four men, The safety Of tho living
prccluded the idea Of removing the dead
: And thus the gallant little band quittet
the scene Of their glory, and scompere6
off, each one as best he could, toward the
woods. The retreat was covered by
small detachment who remained in The
/ fort for an hour after their oomrads lef
Among those who remained were Captain
/ Harms, with six men; Lieut.. Milohers
with four men; and Liout. Bischof, viii
/ four men. These worked three gun,
until about two o'clock, when they also
quilted the post.
The abandonment Of Fort BeHuregar,
was equally necessity. The garrison
were exhausted, and IN momentary dan
ger ofbeing cut OF, When Col. Duna
want ordered a retreat, tears Of morlifica
ton and indignation filled the eyes o
Capt. Elliot al the sad necessity. Th,
retreat Vas admirably conducted, am
rendered entirely successful BY the pru