St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-12-05

.-..- OH :sTsgassaT.' =.
1sftkiiaaaIs ~ nc aIsoA, eapfa,s2 MN,
thickeSs Of thse6S s;siG d pindividual ne
,nsnto Of tho fray. The water was brokse
into gea,let tnPp'ea BY the Pplbasan.l Lree.s,
which proved Of just su6cient power 4,
thG sueeeedisg, ey,atfsl tpurs % lift thf
bsstle atpoke, ,foe.g IT,, water, and give =
the ,splssdilc cau&eassi off, many thopsands
,hsq aaest pos''sls view If .hs aeaali 81
4Reetse4eo gsif as.i 3rdl o3u9,ss' mi pui, !
to The Transports wcrs securely anchored
at safe distance, jlst out Of se.nas,a
rangs, md were 'erovled in every, svsils,
BIZ Pars of deck and rigging xita Az q.
ger aud excited throni. - Ill u4'~.u .i
|n(Tkere' ltd been arumdr that daring
tatts6pt; was 70 Be nads BY some Of the
rebel gunboats during the hest Of the 20.
tiooin, and while al our armed vessels ~ers
engaged At Z distance Of several miles froln
|'oor transports, to .1ash down into the doek
Fof unarmcd ships, and burn, sink, andodt-
ssroy. ~ To prevent the accomplishments Of
this notable scheme, the sloop-of.warlals.
which had that morning arrived, was tow
ed out to position to intercept asy such
hostile craft. ~ os!r s':.
Flag Officer, Dupont had ordered that
the ships should form in two lines-the
Starboard or; main column; nearest the
shore, being led by the Wabash. uude'
Fhy: Officer Dupont himself, aud the Port
or dank;ns column, being headed by the
Bienville, Captain Steedman. .~j i. ait.
The batteries were situated one. =
strong, admirably-built tortid' alton called
Fort Walker, mounting % ."n%, one on
The side Of the Broad River lhere about
u miles w,de1, and two other batteries,
behind less elaborate carthworks on the
opposite side of the river Of the latter,
ons mounted fifteen uns, and :was named
Fort Beausegard, and the other 4 guns: !,
/ The plan Of car attack vas equally sim
pie, admirable, aud effective, being neither
moe nor less than fur the ships to steam
in / circle, or elhrsc,' running close 10 one
shore as they came Jo,oa 1t4er;ver, Drift
Iibg or steamins u slowly As possible pdst
the batteries thers, and paying their fiery
respects, then making tho t1rn 'to 60 b.ck
and as they went up. the river, favorins
the other batteries with similar compli-
f,nent--the game TO- BIZ continued 1a lidi.
.un,, or until the: Rebel aag: came down.
The ships were all prepared tor action
the day before, aud ut g o'clock 'cn Thurs
day morning began to- move from their re-
! spective poants. Of anchorage. aud ,ta ake
their appointed places in the lincof bat
tie. At about haIf.past nine oclSck, they
Legan their magnificent march,. I. Z
1.-The strangeness of the sight oe this 6nf
fleet. now 50 qaiet, but bearing =. most de-
struetive armament, moving 70 Kracefulil,
in precise lines to bloody sLaus shtcr, fht
moody shores where as yet the only NOV
ing things were the waving Palmetto tree.
and the fitting birds and butterflies; ane
the knowledy ye that the white decks ver'
So soon to be slippery with blood, aud tn,
*hitcr sands of the beach 10 soon to dfinl
deeply ct the same precious fluid, wa
scarcely Thought Of by the excited sEro,,:
that looked 80 eagerly on, and were d7l
anxioas for the deadly work to begin. ::
Andvn this ,occasios, the trite common
placeism about Ebfother being arraye<
agaiusto bgother,,' "a. literally realized.
Capt Percival DraYton Of our guhboat
Pocahon:as,> aud Brig. len. Drsyteu, ii,
chief Of the rebel forces on shore, ar
brothers;z but though 7the. fire from tl,'
batteries was at times concentrated on tht
Pvc4houtas, and though the Pyc.hontas
took her share in the battle With all posi-
bio fiery eIoqusnce trom the iron mouth.
Of her largest guns, the brothers ,rer guilt
less Of fraterual blood, tor both escaped
uuhurt. ~. :.......,.., 49,, -. ~
The action commenced at precisely l(
A. NJ, the first shot being fred from tht
Hilton Head fertilization ut the; flagship
and three. guns were fired before We re-
pied. The, shots theu elected. a rep y
Com. Dapont being too purcsiiious : gen
| tlelnan to permit; 50 marked a compliment
to be long unrecognized and un. answered
The two entire br,ndsides Of the Wabash
composed Of two batteries Of 25guns each;
and the pivvt gym, at once poured in thci'
f':s!.s.;;:.. storm pt: shells upon the batteries
on both sides of the river 1t o"ce. Tht
! meo, who had stripped TO- :heir: work in'
staatly reloaded the gucs, and as the try
ate moved with just sut6clen: speed 70 give
her stecrag.way, and keep her under con
! troll, she h4d the battery ia range twenty
! ! minutes, for al IL which time the men
were loading and 6ringat thotrate i0f once
minute for each guui:-thus ;givins The
immense nnmbsr, of 441 shells that ~~er.
rained in upon that devoted e;,arrison blythe
,tN abash alone every tune 81; passed, lto'
after the frste frs, she 'iadstd ouly The star
! ths ship. xere within point: blank range q
j tbe: shore, some ! of f them apProaehiRg xith