Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-11-15
ARRITAL FROM THE FLEET
The Expedition Great Success.

Fort MONROE, Nov. 12.-The steamer
BienuiHe has just arrived at Old Point
from the Great Expedition. She left Port
Royal on Sunday morning, and brings
cheering intelligence. Capt. Steedman,
however, left herat this place, and proceeds
direct to Washington with dispatches and
trophies-tWo brass cannon and secession
flags
The feet arrived at Port Royal on Mon
day the 4th. Tuesday, the smaller gun
boats rounded into the channel, under
fire from the forts, which did no damage.
On Wednesday the weather prevented
active operations, but on Thursday morn
ing, the 7th inst, the men of war and The
gunboats advanced to the attack. The
action commenced at ten a. M, and was
holly carried on on both sides, and lasted
about four hours, at the end of which time
the rebels we're compelled, By the shower
of shells, to abandon their works aud beat
hasty retreat. Our loss was eight men
and one offcer-the Chief Engineer of the
Aohicaa-killed, and about twenty woun-
ded. The rebel loss is unknown. Fifty
two bodies were found by our men and
buried
All their wounded, except two, were
carried off,
Two forts were captured. Fort Wal
ker on Hilton Head, mounting 90 guns,
and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point, noun
ting 8 guns, all of heavy calibre. The
forts were both new, and there were splen-
did carthworks of great strength, CON
structed in the highest style of military
science, and pronounced by our engineers
as impregnable against any assault by land
forces.
The final retreat of the rebels was
perfect rout. They left everything, arms
and equipments of all kinds, even to the
officers swords and commissions. All the
letters and papers, both public and private,
order books and document of all kinds,
were left in their flight, and fell into our
hands, Attending our officers much valuable
information. Among the papers was a
telegram from JeE. Davis to the comman-
der OF the post, informing him of the sail
ing Of the fleet, and that he knew their
destination to be Port Royal The whole
surrounding country was seizewith a per-
feet panic
The day after the fight, the Seneca and
two other gunboats proceeded to Beaufort
and found but one white man in the teyn
and he drunk
All the plantations up the river seemed
to be deserted, except by the negroes, who
were seen in great umbers, and who, as
the boats passed, came down to the shore
with bundles in their hands, as if they ex-
pected to be taken off,
They seized all the letters in the Post
Office. After The capture of the forts, the
whole army, about 900 men, were safe
ly landed and established on shore.
The forts were but little injured, but
the rebels could not stand the explosion
Of our big shells
The force of the enemy, as ascertained
from their papers, was 1900 men, under
General Drayton, of South Carolina.
Our victory is complete. the rebels leav.
ing everything but their lives, which they
saved by running.
But four persons were found, and two
Of them were wounded.
All hands of the feet are represented
as acting in the most gallan, manner
The reporters who accompanied the ex-
petition from New York arc on the Bien-
vile with full details