Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-11-21

sailed off, the mosquito feet Of Commodore
Tatnall open fire, but seeing the impossible
ity of making any resistance, soon dispersed
and some were forced to run on shore. while
others were driven up the inlets until al
most out of sight.
| Commodore Tatnall deserted his vessel
and went on shore with his men to assist in
working the batteries, and used them against
other vessels of the Union fleet which were
endeavoring to follow the advance force. -
It must not be imagined, however, that the
passage of the feet through the channel
was the work of moment; it was not ac-
complished until the firing had continued
from half-past nine in the morning to near
ly five o'clock in the afternoon. The con-
test was hottest about half past four O o'clock
P. NJ. During the fight one of the Union
gun-boats is believed to have been burned,
and three steamers disabled. The manner
in which these disasters occurred is not de-
tailed by the rebels, nor is there any allusion
to the loss Of life on the Federal side
1t is acknowledged by the enemy that
alone, but it is impossible to state what their
loss was at the other batteries, although
doubtless very great, as our fire is mention
ed as having been very effective, the guns
being well aimed and of heavy calibre.-
No sooner did our vessels go past the bat
teries at Port Royal entrance and glide into
what is termed Broad river, than they made
for the mouths of the inlets leading to Beau
fort and to Savannah, and towards Charles
ton. These they Immediately blockaded,
although not in time to prevent the escape
of some of the small rebel vessels already
alluded to. Not one of the Federal vessels
was sunk, and the only one believed to have
been destroyed by fire was the gun-boat re-
ferred to above.
The burning of this is described as being
a grand spectacle, the guns going off as the
flames reached them, and THROWN q the she'll
far into the woods on shore. The crew are
said to have passed through the murderous
fire to another vessel, and to have escaped
with very little, if any loss The Union
vessels acted under special instruction in at
once blockading the inlets which lead to the
most important points, and afforded loop
holes of escape to the enemy. While por-
ton of the. fleet entered upon this duty,
however, four ships made at once for Beau
fort, and at three o'clock on Thursday these
vessels were in sight of the town.
REPORT OF GENERAL. SHERMAN.
HEADQUARTERS ExPEDITIoNARY Corps, !
PORT ROYAL, S. c., November 8, 1861.
To the Adjutant General United States dr.
may, Washington, D. c.
Sri have the honor to report that the
force under my command embarked at An
napolis, Maryland, on the 21st of October,
and arrived at Hampton Roads, Virginia,
on the 22d.
In consequence of the delay in the arri-
val of some of our transports and the unfa-
vorable state of the weather, the fleet was
unable to set out for the Southern coast un-
til the 29th, when, under the convoy of
naval squadron under the command of Com
modore Dupont, and after the most mature
consideration of the objects of the expedi-
ton by that Flag Officer and myself, it was
agreed to first reduce any works that might
be found at Port Royal, South Carolina,