Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-11-28
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
E,,nI,r & q Nov 1S 1861

For the Yorkvlle Enquirer
CAMP LEE, S. G., Nov. 16, 1861.
Messrs. Editors Having little to do
! propose .q give Toq few disconnected
lines In relation to the battle of Port Royal
As this is my first debut as newspaper
correspondent, you need not expect it tt
possess any intrinsic merit, but only inter
esting so far as It relates to persons with
whom you and your readers are acquainted
As YOU are aware, since the departure Of
the 18th Regiment from Camp johnson, We
have been divided, the right wing being
stationed en- Bay Point, and the left, to
which 1 am attached, upon Hilton Head
Scarcely two weeks after our arrival upon
Hilton Head, telegram was received from
the War Department, announcing the in
telligence that the great expedition, fitted
out at the North, was designed for the d
bove named place. This dispatch was veri
fed on the fourth of the month, by an ar
mada of eighty vessels being discovered
off the bar of the channel. The appear
apce of the feet put our force in active
employment, working upon the fort ano
adjacent ground during the day, aud heavy
picket duty during the night. The men
bore this excessive fatigue cheertully, being
determined to contest every foot of ground
with their formidable foe, as long as resis
tapce was practicable. The fleet during
the first part of the day seemed satisfied te
remain at a respectful distance, except {
light craft or two, which were cruising a
round, evidently upon surveying or recon
noltering expedition. On the evening o.
the same day, our gallant little riyer aee'
under the command Of the intrepid Com
modore Tatnall, sped her way into the jaws
of this mammoth feet, and poured volley
after volley into them with the utmost te
merity, thus giving chivalrous example Of
meeting the enemy upon the Threshold, al
every and all hazards. On the morning o
the following day, our boats engaged then
again and succeeded in drawing them with
in the range of our garrison, and upon it
participating in the fire, the enemy with
drew but not until they had discovered the
ineficiency of our fort, which proved disas
trous to us in the succeeding engagement
un the sixth they made no attempt at an
engagement, the sea being rough and tur
bulent, thus leaving US to bite our lips upor
reflection over the inequality of contend
ing With such fearful odds, protected a
they were, within the embrasures of th'
steel-clading Of their friga:es On th'
morning of the seventh the water had as
sumed an almost mirror smoothness, th'
aay perfectly serene and everything appear
ed 20 favor their purpose, while We laboree
under the great disadvantage of ranging
our guns against the glaring rays of th'
sun, in the direction of the approaching
feet. At 8 o'clock, a. m, she left heI
mooring, led by the huge trigate, Minueso
ia, all metal clad, after the most moderr
improvement opening fire upon the fort witt
the laundering of three hundred guns, car
ryiug ball and shell from ten to 6ftee1
inches in diameter. Our little force re
turned the fire with such spirit, energy and
accuracy as to compel two Of their numbe
10 raise flags Of distress, who receiving th'
assistance of tug boats, were towed ava,
from the scene of action. Superiority o
numbers, facility and position at length pre-
vailed, and passage effected through tn
channel, but not until our garrison was dis
abled by deaths, wounds and fatigue, aut
the guns being either disabled or dlsnount
ed, both being exposed upon the parapet
of the sand bank, while the enemy Tough
With comparative security within the hull
of their trigates.
At this juncture of Affairs the infantry
which had been aligned in battle shor
distance off, received orders to charge upo'
the beach, where we encountered a rakln|
fire of shell aud grape t:or the feet. IL
Occupying this position, we were the re
cipieuts of the particular attention Of th
enemy's ordnance until ordered to abando.
it. Again the impression being received
that the enemy was landing, causing an
other charge Of the Infantry, the fort a
this time Oeiug effectively silenced, we re
oeived the ezclusivs attention Of the aeet
being euhlated and fanked by most ter
rife storm Of shell and shotj nevertheless
the men deported themselves with true sol
dierly bearing and fortitude, whilst the eu
euy's missiles were mapgliug their rank
in the most revolting manner. The LEI
wing Of the twelfth Regiment bore con
splcuous part in the engagement, command
ed by Maj. Jones, who exhibited profount
skill in bis conSummate man9uvering, as
sisted by Adjutant Dunlop, who is wei
known as thorough discipliOarian aud ct
hcient officer
Our battalion is peculiarly fortunate il
the possession of such officers, who conduct
ed them through the most deadly fire o
the enemy, without injury to single man
whilst other detachments suffered seve-el
from the excessive she'll and grape OF tn
enemy. AS my sphere Of observation wa
confined chiefly to the Indian Land Guards
| AIN better able to comment upon the in
trepidity of its officers and soldiers, in tn