The New York herald., 1861-12-17
OUR. FORT pIcKENs CORRESPONDENCE,
CAnr BRown, Dec. s, 1861


OUR FORT PICKENS CORRESPONDrNCH.
CAMP BRown, Dec. s, 1861.
Dsatted Account Of Me Bonbarcsea.s from zo,ace-Rs
irfo'ce.n sts wanet 20 Capture iPensaco'aTae 7im>s
h'aes Stermer jniured-lccwate Firing on Both Sttes
The Richmond and Niagara Destroy HcRae-3he Nar9
farda Heap IF Rutns--0nc Zoaaw Kitied--Ssz Rc0s-
lars Hsl9ed and -Four Wounded BY Aectdrt DC, dc.
knowing from experience that the South ,rn journals
win peryert tho facts relative to tho bonbardcn Of
this for1cation has,on TO give you correct vorsts
o. the a0air which, SO FAR as 1t has progressed ia do
cided Union triumph. The Only thing wo at present
require is Had but Sufficient reinforcemcn;s
not only would the Navy Yard at Warrington Forts Mcas
ana have beon reduced but Pensacola would
havo fallen into our hands The enemy wore 80 dis.
concerted at tho terrific Gre poured in on them.
the conagraton Of their Navy Yard (mosty consisting
of pine buildings and tho broadsdcs from the ships)
that with couple OF Northern regiments victory
would have been complete Why such roin!orcementa
have hot bcon supplied to Is mystery to every
in this regiment but presume the authorities at Wash
ngton are tho bost Judges Of this matter But for
th, details Tho Times Confederate steamer, has long
bem great eye-sore 70 u.s. She conveyed the TROOPS
which nearly destroyed the morning Of the
eh o. October, when our camp was burned and
nrtnbcr OF men killed Since that time she
has boen actively engaged in transporting troops from
the Navy Yard and the adjacent fort to Pensacola and
formidable batteries OAK Island recently erected by
the rebels, and which will on our ultimate attacks on
Icn5aCOla,
Blown, though certainly his policy was 10 remain
qiict until he had reeeiysd rsn'orcements, appearcA
TO have become tired Of thus remaining Inactive
and allowing his opponents, without hudlanos
from him, to construct battery after battery.
lie therefore sent notice to the enemy that should the
Times steamer continue stl TO ply the river hc would
ondeavor to sink her This warning produced no OBJECT
on the other side and accordingly fire oponcd The
day previous TO this regiment received notice that
something important about to take place. and that
were to keep ourselves IN readiness at All nsant's
notice, Orders were Immediately issued that all our
trunks, fact every thing that we couli not carry
should be buried in the sand We set to work. and soon
everything was under ground. Some OF tho mon haa
constructed hrtilcia collars beneath the flooring Of their
TENTS and thus rendered excavation Of the sand unne
cesssry. Others who had been loss industrious, wan
SSfsa %sss Ssy sss soa s ay IN ::sfss 5 ;:::;
and acreened from the gaze Of all ob.ervers-fSor the
d renco between su and teuo, is not much regarded
nominated by many Of us BY the mild term Of 'appro.
priaton secured their property as best they could
waited with anxiety to know what would take pace
AT about ton the Times was 10 be tho Navy
Yard, and Fort lckens oponed Ere. AS far could
See she WAS sstruck. All tents struck aud we
marGhed up TO the batteries amid pretty good shower
OF she'll from the enemy which near but fortunately
did injury. Our boys behaved pretty well. TIE
round shot did not appear to trouble them much but the
whizzng which he popularity OF the shell n It's rapid
passage through the air @nade good many shrink and
feel that position was critical However, at the bat
tcrios arrived safe and sound IN the interim our
balierias bad opened Are. and we could distinctly
Yard About half An hour after this t5e Niayara and
RICHMOND t9ok w their positions near to Fort AloAc
aid p6urod IN an ihcessant re on il and thcwscr and
sand batteries contiguous TO H. Their fire must have
been very destructive, McRaes artillery with the
cepton OF two guns was soon senccd. With tho bate
riss just a'lpaeto was different for they replied 9th
spirit ard effect 10 Tho ships, and imagine nl,sl have
done them copsiderebc damage, A small gunboat
whose naine could pot in the hurry ascertain steamed
landing troops, II being feared they would throw largo
force Santa Rosa during The bombardmcn, and en-
demor to carry the batteries and pckens BY storm. We
sheltered orse % best could behind tho sand bat
teres. Adutant Sccey, Of the regulars, had taken .
small ricd TO the Spanish fort distance Of six
nile, from tho camp and worked it with great efficiency
~ about three oclocsp. ~ largo volume of smoke
burst from Mclae, and she Immediately ceased firing
@ aa sos was Wood BY work our Of shs hss to,, %
then marched back agsn 10 tho Dtrcncmoa.s be.
yond our camp which were constructed long time since
down the island Is puzzle to us all Probably itmay
have been 10 aceastom noyces as we arc 10 tho dan
commenced firing again, but with very little cHcct most
of their shot falling short OF the vessels they dcs
tined to striko Hostilties we're suspended for brief
period by a heavy rain, which rendered it impossible
for the to IRE effectively. This was .
fortunate occurrence FOR the robes, as shortly after
its commencement fire broke out in the Navy Yard,
which burned brisky and brilliantly for some tIne but
ex,inguisiied. The weather soon cleared up,
and worn out with fatigue and watching aftor our frugal
supper of bread and cofeo We fung ourselves on tho
sand apd soon asleep. Wo called up several
lines during the night from false reports that tho foo
dered US al their leisure from faded condition and
the smanes Of numbers, should have offered but
Cooper, of Company H. On saturday, the 2sd, Fort
Pickens opened Are AZ holf-past two O'Clock
s l red"f shot from from nor r rappars This soon kndsd
and several buildings close to it were destroyed
had splendid view Of this from tho Spanish fort and
ai,h,he aid of glass could perceive the strenuous
Efforts made to exingush IT, but it OF avail and
they reduced to heap of smouldering ruins
ey shot shs hdwos dsx nso
pckcns aud the batteries but caused tla damage We
returned their fire until about theo O'Clock in tho morn
ing, occasionally setting fro to building In the
town. Indeed fires occurred in the village and
Navy Yard during the entire night regret to say
that Fix regulars killed and -four wounded in the
fort by the accidental explosion o she'll Col Brown
sued orders that II we were left unmolesed on the Sab
course did So and the enemy did not think nt to
annoy as, left in peace The Richmond of.
war lost one killed and six wounded. For the
present hostilitiss have ceased and apprehcnd with
gain TO our side The Navy Yard is reduced to ashss
and can afford no accommodation for the Southern
troops to winter in. Fort McRao completely disabled
fast sinking into her so,t bed Of sand, ana
weak that the rebound or her own
serously damaged but still presents Formidable 'front.'
Thus they have si left to them that stronghold, the
water battery and some others scattered in front Of the
Navy Yard rather, that which navy yard.
The naioit. Of their troops have been withdrawn TO
Psnsac1l where the final and, am fearful sanguinary
any impression that town. with the operation
Of shipping, unless are furnished with at least Ave
thousand men, INK then u seems TO the that must
remain quiet When The final push comos u wiz
he hard work, for We shall have to attack them In
boats In tho face Of their batteries, and contend
against force at least FIVE times number.
The damage done 10 us has been but trfing. Fort
Pickers looks we'll ever md with the exception OF
few OF the bricks being disturbed, would have
known that bobardDlenl had occurred We have lost
but nothing OF personal property for that
all buried Rather expensive work this for the enemy,
each shot cstmated to cost them $40. The reg
men rather what is left Of is in the enjoyment OF
good health; but hope shortly TO see New York
faces, aud plenty OF them.
rhe Burning OF the Harvey Birch .
Pira ticRI Act.
The Montrea, Herald has elaborate article in regard
20 the Nashville IT takes ground that tho British 60
though il cannot under the circumstances
refuse Hospitality 10 tho Nashville, the vessel Of