New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-02
RETURN OF THE ATLANTIC.
THE REINFORCEMENT OF FORT plckEl&
INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE.
PURsER's STATEMENT.

l PURSEtS STATEMENT
| The steamship Atlantic A. G. Gray ESQ.,, oom-
mandng, left New.York, Sunday, Apri7, under seaAs1
orders from the Government. AT q. m. dischssgc4
pilot and at 10 a. M shaped her in complianss
with orders. On Monday, the 9th, at p. n.. IL
wind suddenly shifted and blew fresh from 3. f., q.
30 continued until midnight, when it increased to =
heavy gale In order to tho horses the ship W.
| hove to with her head TO S. L. After the gale ha4
! abated, We proceeded on our course for Key Wesb
having laid to for 3G hours.
We arrived and dropped anchor in the outer roads g
/ Kew West three miles FROM Fort Taylor at p. N. q
Fort Taylor conveying Col. Brown AID his staff, whs
1 had prolonged interviews with the United Stases
officers, both military and civil.
ATT p. IN. commenced receiving additional troopa.
ordnance, { ordnancej stores, shells, &C., which
placed on lighter and towed out to the Atlantis
by U. s. steamer Crusader Capt. Craven. Tnis labor
continued without O. ssation until a. m. Of Sun
day, the nth, and at a. IN. weighed anchor and
seered for Torugas, where anchored close 70 Fort
Jefferson at P. M, same day. At this point we took
on board more officers, troops labores, howzes, gun
carriages materials, &c, and st p. m. was under way
for final destination, which was now known only -
Col Blown and Capt Meigs of the Army, and TO Capk
o. tQe Atfdutc. DuTng tndt nigDt 640 Tue no0
day great curiosity manifested and although the
ships course seemed to indicate Fort Pickens yet t
was not until the evening Of Monday the l5h that hs
secret was disclosed and the Reinforcement of Pors
Pckens openly announced. TIP to this time all wa
conjecture but now the countensnces of all board
beaned with the knowledge of an approaching eveAG
Activity and preparation took the place Of supineneO
and uncertainty, and the fact that Fort Pckens soah
ii h. ,aEy f,,cc sufflod hat niUkt
On Tuesday, the 10th, at 6I p. m., we anchored Of
Santa Rosa Island Fort Pickens being its western
extremity four miles from shore, close BY the frgats
Sabine, the flagship Of the squadron, Com. Aoams.
After communicating with the Commander and tho
naval captains present, we took in tow the boG1B
of the deet some twenty in number, and after dark
weighed anchor aud stood in shore, all ghts beins
extinguisbed, and came to anchor within milo
of Fort Pckens, and in direct range of the guns
of Fort McRae and the water-batteries and three
quarters of q mile from the beach, in four fstbo1
of water. At 81 the first boat pushed of for shs
beach, with Col Brown and Capt. Meigs, who wcss
the first TO meet and surprise the intrepid SIemmsr
and his command. During the embarksiion Of ths
troops in The boats the signal from Fort Pckens fee
sn appre bended attack made by the sending up
of rockets. The signal was repeated, and fastened
the operations Capt. vodges and other officers u,
the fort were astoDished the rapidty of the res
forcemen Before midnight the majority Of oficsD'
and soldiers were safely in the fort, and although
heavy surf was running during the night, no aocdeu1
OF any kind occurred.
This successful landing took place three days after
the bombardment and surrender Of For Sumter, fac
we'll known on the mainland, but not known st F0se
Pickens. nor by the forces aaoat.
Early in the morning Of the 18th, the re.
naming troops were landed, excepting the artillery
men Of Capt. Barry's Company, who remained
to land with their horses At q. m. We again
weighed anchor and stood the eastward and anchored
about 81 miles from Fort Pickens and half mile froa
the beach. This point selected as the best place
for landing the horses. This difficult work COM
menced in the afternoon continued during the nigh
and finished on tie morning of the 18th.
The United States steam figate Powhatan com
manded by Capt David D. Porter, arrived on the ~
ternoon of the l7th and afier communicating with tho
chip took position just ab ad Of in order to
the future anding ID this movement sue was followed
by the Brooklyn, Capt. Poor, which anchored under
our stern. Tue Wyandoste cruising about. the
Sabine, St. Louis, and Supply being outside abosk
three miles distant.
The boats of ali the ships of the squadron were ae-
lively engaged in landing troops, and stores &C., from
the night of the 18th until the morning Of the 2d. The
Illinois, with Reinforcement arrived at midnight o.
Friday, the 10Th, and her troops landed the nsxt
morning.
Seven Of the horses were lost-four died the pas
sage, one was drowned alongside, one had bis mock
broken in the surf and one died from exhaustion o.
reaching the shore. The forage and light artillery were
landed simultaneously with the horses. On the 18th,
the landing Of the general cargo of heavy and light
ordnance, ammunition, provisions &C., was fairly
commenced and continued with but partial Interrupt
ton until the forenoon Of Tuesday 23d, when she was
finally discharged to the great satisfaction of all CON-
cemed.
The position of the Powhatan and Brooklyn wae
such that their guns could sweep Rosa Island and
prevent landing from the main land, and at the same
time shield the hull of the Atlantic. At no time WIS
our steam allowed go down, that in of attack
or gale, or any emergency, We were ready to 60 IL
shore.
On Monday, Col. Brown, the Commander of the
United States forces in Florida, gave to Capt. Gray in
Fort Pickens the necessary certificate and orders and
dispatches for Key West. On Tuesday, Capt. Meig,
the indeatgsble engineer Of the expedition, came On
board and at were passing through the feet.
sa uting and sauted on our way to Key West for coal
We arrived at Key West at u Of the 25tb, making