Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-05-10
The Reinforcement of Fort
Pickens.


The purser of the steamship Atlantic,
which arrived at New York Wednesday,
gives the following interesting account of
the reinforcement of Fort Pickcns, for
which place the Atlantie was dispatched
with men anl stores, April :, under sealed
orders
We arrived and dropped anchor in the
outer roads at Key West. three miles from
Fo. t Taylor. Vt ; 7. NJ. on Saturday,
the 18th, one of our boats WAS sent to Fort
Taylor, conveying Colonel Brown arl his
staff, who had prolonged interviews with
officers, military aud civil. vt ! p. VI.
VIC commenced receiving additional troops,
ordnance, ordnance stores and shells which
were placed on 4 lighter and towed out to
the Atlantic, by the United States steam-
er Crusader, Capt. Craven.
This labor was continued without ccS-
sation until t \. VI. Of Sunday, the Eth
and at 6 \. NJ. we weighed anchor and
stecrcd for Tortugas, where we anchored
close TO Fort Jefferson, at > T. VI. on the
same day. At this point wstook on board
more officers, troops, laborers, howlthars,
gun carriages, materials, &c, and at ) L.
VI. were under way for our liaal dcstina-
ton which was now known only to Col.
Brown and Captain Meies OF the army,
and to Captain Gray Of the Atlantic.
Daring that night aud the next day
great curiosity was manifested. and al
though the ships course seemed 10 midi
cate Fort Piekens, yet it was not Until the
evening ot Monday, the 18th, that tn Sc
erct was disclosed and tbe reinforcement
nj Fort PicienS openly announced. Up
to this time all was conjecture, but now
the couuteuanccs Of all on board bcamol
with the KNOWLEDGE Of an approaching
event Activity and preparation took ths
place of supineuess and uncertainty, AMI
the fact that Fort Piehcu~ could he and
should be reinforced was settled that nigat.
Oa Tda,dlY. the 10th, at s II +. NJ,
we anehorr oft Santa Rosa islani, Fort
PicNens being on its western eXtrcmJttes,l
four niles from shore, close hS trsltc 81
bine. the nas ship Of the squadron, COM
modore Alams Atcr communicating
with the commlnlcr and thanayal officers
present, lee t00A n t9r ttc boaS of tfe
fret, Somc hccaty IN HRmber, aH gtt@
d7rk pei1tcd aae45r and sto1et IN st7fc,
all lights being extineui~hel, |, and came to
anchor within mile OF Fort Pirkcns, and
in direct rangc OF the guns OF Fort Me-
Rae and the water batteries, and three
fourths Of mile from the beach, i'll four
fathoms Of water.
At quarter past 9 the first boat pushed
off Tor the beach with Colonel Brown and
Captain Mcies, Who were the first to meet
the intrepid Slcmmcr aud hi. command.
Durin. the cmharhatjon Of the troops in
the boats, the signal from Fort Picken,
for an apprehcndei attack was made by
the sending up Of rockets. This signal
was repeated, and hasicncl the operations.
Captain Nod.cs and other officers in the
fort were astonishcl at the rapidity of the
reinforcement. Before midnight the ma
iority of the officers and soldiers 600 in
alb were safely in the fort, and although
a heavy surf was running dlring the night
no accident OF any kind occurred.
This successful landing took place three
DAYS after the bombardment and surrender
of Fort Sumter, a fact we'll known on the
main land hut not known at Fort Pick
eag, nor by the forces ahoat.
Early on the morning Of the 18th, the
remaining troops were landed except the
artillery men of Capt Barry company,
who remained to land with their horses
At \. VI. We asain weighed anchor aud
stood to the eastward, and anchored about
three and half miles from Fort PicNens,
aud half mile from the beach. This
point WAS selected a, the best place for
landing the horses, This difficult work
wa, commenced in the afternoon, contin-
uel during the night, and finished on the
morning Of the lsth.
The nitcd States steam tfielte Pow
hatan. eommandel hy Capt. David y.
Porter. arrived on the afternoon OF the
l7th, aud after communicating with the
Tia. ship, took position Just ahead of Us,
in order Ia cover the future landing. In
thi, movement She was followed by the
BROOKLYN, CAPTAIN Poor, which anchored
under our stern, The Wyanlotte was
cruisia. about. The Sabine, st. Louis
aal Supply being outside about three
miles distant. The boats Of all Of the
ship, Of the squadron were actively Gu
gtgcl in lanliug troops and stores, &c,
from the night of the 10Th until the morn
ins of the 13l ult. The Illinois, with re-
Inducements, arrived at midnight on Fri
day morning the 10Th aud her troops were
landed the next morning.
Seven Of the horses were lost-.our died
on the passage, one was drowned along
side, one had his neck broken i'll the surt
and one died from exhaustion on reaching
the shore. The forage and light artillery
were landed simultaneously with the
horses. On the 18th the landing of the
general cargo Of heavy and light ordnance
ammunition, provisions, &c., Ne, was fair
ly commenced and continued with but par
tial interruption until the forenoon of
Tuesday, 23d, when She was finally dis
charged to the qualification Of all con-
cerucd.
Tnc position of the Powhatan and
Brooklyn was such that their guns could
sweep Santa Rosa Island and prevent a
landing from the main land, and at the
same time shielded the hull Of the Atlan-
tie. vt no time was steam allowed to so
down, 50 that in case of attack or gale,or
an emergency, we were ready to 60 off
shore. On Monday Colonel Brown, the