New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-05-15
Es1ilitsa.v e,erres sonaenoe.
Special u the NV orieaas essscent.i

Special to the Esys orieaas cgescentsf
pEssAcotas FE4.s Nay a Isga
Mr. Ea1or-It is with some modification that
have to announce to you the first victory of tse
enemy in this war. The affair will doubtless fgnse
in the Northern papers as . glorious victory RsAs
prize-highly important capture great success BIZ
the q. s. arms-and therefore, deserves careful
and elaborate description FROM your faithful ca4on
icler. You must know that SONS days ago on ae4
count Of the difficulties and expense of land trans
portation, it was determined 10 make the effort ID
bring large amount Of supplies from Mobile to
this place by water. The assurance Of Captain
Adams. OF the Sabine, to the gentlemen who rss
Gently visited him, that be had not prevented antS
did not intend to prevent unarned vessels golslp
into the harboT until he received further orders ai
that if a blockade was declared, he would give due
notice thereof. may have had some influence ID ffse
adoption of this course. It was generally heEeyea
however, a rash and dangerous exuariment EoS
trust to assurances of the good fata or sincerity
Of this commander of The feet, after recent Illus
trations, evinced great cfednllty and simplicity.
However, the experiment was determined on TIE
two small steamboats,, Keyes and Lewis, and swo
schooners, were loaded with o great quantity og
stores and provisions, and dispatched from Hubble
on Monday last for this place. The expectation
was that they would come In in the night, or, if
they intercepted by the feet, that they YoHid
run ashore near the mouth OF the PeTdido aEI
there land their eargoes. But, having fair wind
and the sky being unusually clear and bright, they
hove in sight in the afternoon and came distinctly
in view, at great distance of, Of not only the aest
| and Fort Pickens, bat also of the Navy Yard and
| mainland. When they were thus seen approach
ing, great anxiety peryaded our camp to know
| what course would be pursued towards taege ves4
sells by the U. s. Ships and crowds Of afr officers
and citizens collected on all the elevated places to
| observe the scene. had the good fortune 10 oc-
cupy lofty lookout u the Navy Yard, and to Wit
ness the whole spectacle as distinctly as IL Il had
occurred but quarter Of mile of, with the aia
4 of a strong lorgnette. could read the names
| Keyes y and 6 Lewis Y on the wheel-hGuses oE
4 the steamboats,. II was quite Obvious thgt they
were watched and would be overhauled by the
| fleet. First, a small fastsaing yacht employed
by the feet as q pilot-boat and armed with tWG
small guns was seen sailing toWardB the steamboats,
| 1t appeared to reach and hail them. The steam
boats did not seem to heed her hail. but putting our
great volumes of black smoke, appeared to be
putting on all steam and making towards the har-
Dor, if to escape the big ships Of the Rect or
come under the protection Of the guns of Fort
MeRae. Intense anxiety and Excitement pegVsdeG
the crowds Of lookers-on In our army. The enemy
appeared to be equally excited. Signals were fun
up the flagstaff at Fort Pickens, the drum beat to
arms. and the gunners darkeHed the Tamparts-a
The Powhatan and Brooklyn that lay a mile ar aos
off the island to the southeast Of Pckens, had gDt
| under way and were steamfng towards the f0Ts;
and the entrance Of the bay, az il to cut Off the
steamboats,. The Powhatan steamed along MI
pretty good speed but the bulky Brooklyn erept
along slowly. As soon as the Powhatan had ap-
preached as near to McRae as was safe. she turned
in southerly course, and then placed herself n a
position that rendered it very difficult for the steaIn
the fire of the powerful battery of the shps-o
Meantime, McRae, too, had been beat to arms, aDtz
our gallant fellows stood to their pieces, ready to
s launch an iron tornado st the nsolent ships, aS
4 soon they came within striking distance, or to
open upon Pickens in the event of any denonstra-
8 ton on her part The steamboats, in vain Gtrug-
gled to escape. The PoWhatan's guns were run
out menacngly. and the steamboats, being perfectly
IS defenceess, were thus compelled to come to-. Il
e the meantime, the Brooklyn sought to ignalize
her heroism by cutting off and overhaung the two
- small schooners loaded with provisions for oui
. army; and actually fired two of her big guns nj
y these little Gfafss. The steamboats,, in the maan
= time, were taken possession of, all imagined last
= night as prizes and conducta1st to ptlin ADAMS
10 headquarters on the Sabine. Here they
- all night. In the morning, however, they were OBJ
80 served to be making steam, and soon got unfe
way their return voyage to Mobile. Whethe
i they were unloaded of their valuable cargoes, b
u sent back just as they weres you will probahl,
Il is, that the sehooners heavily laden with Vatua
BILE supplies for our army, were permitted to como
and reached wharf in safety, greatly To the ne
IN lief of our Quartermaster. Why were the steam
Of ers sent back? Do those fellows imagine that ON
troops will need steambeafs to get over to III
island, when they have made up their minds 4
Ia storm Pickenss During the progress Of the trans
action have related the most intense interest ms
anxiety prevailed throughout our whole army
Every body expected, and hoped, that the atfai
he would result in the commencement of hpstilitie
20, Our soldiers, though as comfortable contehtel
nd and well provided for any troops that tool
u the field are impatient for the fray. We do aa
believe that any place in the world. except Eur
Pickens--so peculiarly defended as 1t is--wGul'
ev remain SO long uuassaed by 80 eager, imp etuaa
n and resolute an army as this. But the great dill
ill Guilty which Restraints and fres the chivary OF
Ie gallant youth, is to get at these feows on thel
ia sand bank so far from the mainland, and in for
SO completely inaccessible and 50 well defsndeils
,pJ i { 4 : 4 d w.