The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-11-16
THE GREAT NAVAL EXPEDITION.

49,.
For nearly a week excitement had -un
high all over the North to hear authentic
accounts from the naval expedition, in
deffinate rumors from which kept stealing
daily across the lines from Norfolk, Rich,
mond, Memphis, d.c. On Wednesday,
however, public curiosity and anxiety was
fully relieved, by the arrival of the BEN
Vile at Fort Monroe, direct from Port
Royal, South Carolina, having left there
On Sunday morning. The news she brings
Is in the highest degree interesting and
cheering.
The expedition left Hampton Roads on
the Doth ult. When q little beyond Hat
teras, it encountered the gale heretofore
noticed. The gale was terrific.
IT. T-,,;~>r ovid n.:anIa won't aslorn and
We're lost, as was previously reported Tie
Governor foundered at sea, but the Isaac L.
Smith succeeded in saving all her crew, with
the exception OF few marines.
The fleet arrived at Port ROYAL OF Mon
day. the 4th on Tuesday, the smaller gun
boat rounded in the channel under fire
from the forts, which did no damage On
"Wednesday the weather prevented active
operations, but on Thursday morning the
9TH instantly, the men-of war and the gun
boats advanced 10 the att; OK
The action commenced at 10 Il NJ and
was holly carried on on both sides. and
lasted about four hours, at the end of
which time, the rebels were compelled by
the shower Of shells to abandon their
works and beat :. hasty retreat
Olr loss was ei1it man ,-I ono
The chief engineer OF the Mohicau was
killed, and about 20 wounded.
The rebel loss unknown; fiftytwo bod
les were found by our men, and buried
All their wounded, except two. were car
ried off
Two forts were captured, Fort Walker,
on Hilton Head, mounting twenty-iour
guns, and Fort Beauregard on Bay Point,
mounting nineteen guns Of heavy calibre.
The forts were both new and splendid
earthworks of great strength, constructed
in the highest style of military science,
and pronounced as impregnabie against
any assault by land forces
The final retreat of the rebels was a per-
feet rout They left every thing, arms and
equipments of all kinds, even to the Off
GERS swords and commissions. All the
letters and papers, both public and pri-
vate, order books and documents of all
kinds were left in their flight, and fell
into our hands, at5ordng our officers val
liable information. Among the papers
was telegram from JEFF Davis to the
commander Of the post informing him OF
the sailing of the fleet and that he knew
their destination to be Port Royal.
The whole surrounding country was
seized with perfect panic.
The day after the fight, the Seneca
and two other gun-boats proceeded to
Beaufort, and found but one white man in
the town, and he was drunk All the plan
tations up the river seemed to be deserted
except by the negroes who We've seen in
great numbers, and who, as the boat:
passed, came down to the shore with bun
dies in their hands, as if they expected &c
be taken Oft They seized all the letters
in the post office.
After the capture of the forts, the
whole, about $4,000 men, were safely land
ed and established on shore The forts
were but little injured, but the rebels
could not stand the explosion of our big
shells
The forces of the enemy, as ascertaineCl
from their papers, was 1000 men, under
Gen Drayton, Of South Carolina
Our victory is complete, the rebels leav
ing everything but their lives, which they
saved by running.
A letter from Commodore Dupont tc
Assistant Secretary Fox gives some inter
esting details. He says the surprise and
qualification at the ease with which the
victory was gained, that the men on board
the vessels at a distance, when they saw
the Union flag hoisted over the forts, were
Fowerless to cheer, but wept When the
'troors landed at Beaufort, the darkies
who had focked around in hundreds
were wild with JOY. One bury fellow
says to Gen. Sherman, CORA, massa,
didn' tlnk you could do il so easy" Gen
Sherman at once commenced building en-
itfenchments, and was overrun with hand.
(siayes) to assist him.
+, The success of the Yankees" has filed
the country with terror. The negroes are
wild and are p!undering their masters
houses The whites have been driving
p the negroes away by force, and shooting
them down; but they still come to the
gun boats. The moment Gen. Drayton
took to his horse in the panic of the 9Th
his 200 servants went Immediately to the
% Wabash.
i.ai Perhaps no better index of the state OF
feeling in the South in consequence OF
this important event can be given than