, 1861-06-05
TIRE GOSP0RT NAVY YARD.
Why It was Oestfoyed.-Letter from
Adward L. Pierce, Egg.

EDWARD L. PIERCE, Esq, formerly Of this
city. and we'll known to the legal profession
Of the country By his treatise on Railroad
Lew, writes to Gov. Andrew, OF Massachu-
setts, aE Interesting letter in response to the
Governors inquiries concerning the condition
and wants cf The troops at Fort Monroe. Mr.
Picrce is serving rs i private in the Sd regi-
mcEt Of Massachusetts volunteers At Fort
Monroe. Among other things, Mr.. Pierce
siVes the following satisfactory account OF
the reasons for the destruction OF the Gosaort
Navy Yard, i'll which he took part, He sa1s:
About neon OF Saturday, 20lh April, we en-
tered the tort, cur eyes glsddenrd By the
blocm cf an apple orchard in front Of it. We
were thIn 0s=abled by tkn sea sickness manf
II us hse passed through, By the want of
1.on7lchiug Elcsp, Of good :,sr at night, and OF
proper too1 when we were in condition to
take it. After stacking our guns, and ex-
:haAslns congratulations with our comrades
OF the =; b, VIC hat dinner CT the grass, Of
crackers and cold ham-exccleut ham 1t was,
100. Still it VAS generally felt that before ne
adyGncct iE-tIe- re needed rest, sleep and
art!cuiarly q soldiers discipline. Fer one,
had noE fired musket since I vas sixteen
years old, and never with ball cartridge, and
hardly think that my case was entirely ex.
cepiional But ut 4 .. n, or !. uttlo later.
while many were stretched on the grass, at.
tempting to nap, We were called into line, ex-
pectng to march to quarters, but, as no we're
It cnee informed, TO go to Norfolk in the
unlIco States ship P2Wnee, to retake the Cos
port Navy Yard il captured By the accession.
lists, or to defend If ftill in LOYAL hands. VII.
sinia lad seeded, and We received the news
Is Wo reached the fort It T:ls not known s.tt
The fort who held The Navy Yard, or ut the
yard vino still held tho fort. a mysterious
nEeeftainty brooded over all thinga. The test
o. yty fI9,' maS ~ eelng applied to divide the
trust his fellow. Mechanics employed On
Wat vessels needing repairs, left; and officers
necessary to command others, resigned when
they received orders to soil.
Il was not known al the ynri that the SOL
dftrs OF Massachusetts were on their Hay to
the rescue, or that The PaHnee WAS at hand.
che having been of Charleston at the bomb.
ardment OF Sumpter, thence having hurried to
Washington and back to Fort Monroe, where
she arrived on the same day with ollr regi-
ments. Thus unaware, tie officers Of the
Yard Ind commenced the scuttiing Of shipa
and tho splklng OF guns, tho first sounds
which we heard on striving Of the Yard. Our
men, thus disabled and undiscip1ined, main-
talncd their composure, and marched serious
II but firmly to their duty. For tho first time
IN their lTes, they trod the deck Of man-oi-
Har, ready for an encounter. We LETT the fort
asou1eo = " y v eAuEh3 - 1A.S 4oauGu our mus
kets, expecting contest with musket or bay.
cnet, reaching the Navy Yard Ut about So f.
a., lighted On our errand by the rays Of 4
silver moonlight. When within pistol shot
OF the Cumberland, ourgignal being uuheard
snd being mistaken for secessiontsts, the
/ match Was being. applied to tbs guns
Of the Cumberland and Of the Pennsyl-
vanIa, when it was arrested BY the vigorous
| voice Of our intrepid boatswain, and cheers
and He'll Columbia from their bands welcomed
us. Disembarking for four hours, We contin-
utd the work OF destruction already com
msncsd, some rolling several thousands OF
| heavy shells into the sea, while others laid
go~der-trafnE, and still others stood guard.
We were very weary when we vent again on
| board the PaTnce.
On our return VIC pas3Cd under the batteries
| OF the secessionistE, which we had also passed
J en- our way down, and rs tho powder trains
bad taken effect and the ships we're burning,
the officers Of the Cumberland expected that
they would now open upon us in revenge for
ever, tor some reason, open. We'pas5ed safely
on, and having the Cumberland In tow, reach.
cd the fort at six o'clock On Sunday morning,
] W1erc VIC received the congratulations of the
regular soldiers and Of our comrades of the
4.t, both Of whom had expected to see Us
with thinned raDks. Happily We were safe,
had secured most important munitions OF
war from falling into tic hsnts Of the rebels,
had in si1' days from the summons Of the
President penetrated further South than any
| regiment had gone, aud executed what your
! E1cenency In your message to the LeEfsla-
ture ct its extra session hns bean plessed to
! call "a brilliant movement both Of danger
about Cur Fassage to Fort Monroe aud our ex-
| pedition to Norfolk, because, although We
haye had privations, they involved the only
=! real hardsLips We hare been called to meet.