Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-12-19
TIL f. w A r..
The Affair at Fort Pickens.

The following extract from letter written
by an officer at Fort Pickens and published in
the New York Times of the 18th, throws the
first ray of light upon the recent bombardment
of Fort Pckcns, that has iumined that hith-
erto mysterious affair."
Fort PIcKENs, Monday, Nov. %, 1861.
The long agony is, hope, over, and well
over. We have had as much success as | could
reasonably hope for, and with much less loss
and damage than | could have expected We
were under continuous and heavy fire from
the forts and batteries of the enemy, fourteen
or fifteen in number, for two days, with loss
of only one private killed. and one sergeant one
corporal and four privates wounded, and which
is singular but one man was hurt on the ram
parts, the most exposed place.
You can have some idea Of the amount of fire
we gave and received when | tell YOU that we
consumed fifty thousand pounds of powder, and
that three guns were fred every minute for
two days. The avalanche of shot and shell was
terrible, but our soldiers did their duty, as Un-
ion soldiers fighting for their country should,
and most ably did officers and men perform
their whole duty.
The Navy, unfortunately, could not give us
the assistance we expected, in consequence of
drawing too much water, and we therefore fail
ed IN the great object of our hopes, the capture
Of Fort McRae.
About two thirds of Warrenton is burned,
and although we cannot see it, | think as much
of Woosey, village north of the Navy-yard /;
and good many buildings in the yard are burn
ed, and the remainder must be shattered by the
heavy shot and shell so increasingly poured up
on them.
Two steamers. the Time and Bradford, had
become particularly obnoxious to our soldiers,
who ardently desired to destroy them, but
Bragg, afraid of losing them, always kept them
at night at Pensa, ola, and only sent them down
when loaded. AT nine o'clock they according
ly came steaming down, little dreaming of the
salution that awaited them. The Time is one
of those three-story Mississippi steamers, pic
lures of which you see in children's books and
the Bradford is a small low gungoat. We wait
ed quietly until they had both fastened to the
wharf and let off their steam, when the word
was given to fire, and fire did belch forth sim
ultaneously upon them from twenty guns. We
were Immediately enveloped in smoke, and SO
continued for an hour when at length we could
see we found the Time still there, but the Brad
ford had gone.
The former continued exposed to our fire all
day, and was probable ruined, but her hull be-
IllS Olill Il SCON, We uOl olllh IGG, ullll ~
night she was towed off.
We think we have done a most important
service to the country. In the first place, we
have fully avenged the gross insult offered to
our flag by the rebels attacking Billy Wilson's
camp, and then trying to attack our batteries
and no one with truth can say that spot or
blemsh has been received by the glorious old
Star-Spanged Banner, while in our keeping,
that has not been fllly wiped out.
In the second place, by attacking Bragg at
this time, ,ce Minh pe hare made an importan,
dirersion in faror of Gen. Sherman at Beau
fort, not only By preventing Bragg from sending
more troops there, [Ae has sent some,l but By
compelling him to bring others here he ,oas al
so daiiy strengthening his batteries. We have
very effectualy weakened him for some time to
come. and have compelled him to expend a vast
amount of ammunition which he can i'll afford
to lose.
We have therefore, with eight hundred men,
with one fort nearly surrounded by forts and
batteries, 1.-TWO forts, and at least fifteen bate
ries,) successfully attcked him, with his eight OF
nine thousand troops.
How they feel in England about the Seizure OF
Mason and Sliden.
The steamer Hansa arrived at New York or
the morning of the 10Th bringing the first re.
port of British opinion on the capture of Ma
son and Slidell from under the English Flag
The first news of the affair received in England
was by the British West India mail steamer Ia
Plata; and the account seems to have beer
tolerably fair, excepting few exaggerated de
tails thrown in for effect. 1t produced con
siderable excitement in London, Liverpool ant
elsewhere; though not as much as had been an
ticipated by some people here. The Times dis
cusses the legal rights and precedents in thu
case, but says that it requires a strong effort o
self-restrant to do so. 1t says that the lega
course for the American naval officer woulC
have been to take the Trent into port, and have
the case adjudicated in Court of Admiralty
1t hopes that the British people will not NEE
this provocation with an outburst OF passion, o
rush to resentment without full consideration o
all the bearings of the case. The Star say
that the opinion of the law officers of the Crow
had been taken on the subject and that it i
in favor of the right assumed by the Unite
States Government. 1t urges GOODNESS anC
temperance, and trusts in American Justice
The purser of the Trent publishes statemen
of the case which is somewhat mendacious anC
dramatic. The dispatches of Mason and Sli
dell, which escaped the vigilance of Cap. Wilkes
had been received in London by the La Plata
The Times City Acticle gives high colorini
to the British excitement, and says that Englisl
funds fell one per cent, from which there was
afterward rally of a half per cent, while a
Lloyd's war risks of five guinies were deman
ded on vessels from New York.
The pirate NdsdrWe still remained at he
berth in the Southampton dock, flying the rebe
flag and pennant; and Mr. Yancey says tn
British Government had recognized her as
national vessel. She had been coaed in tn
Southampton docks.
Cap. Nelson, of the Hdrey Birch, had az
piled to the London borough magistrates for
searchwarrant to recover various articles take
from him when his vessel was burnt. His ar
plcation was not granted, but he was referre,
to the Secretary of State. APPLICATION was the
made to Earl Russell, who replied that he ha
no power to do anything in relation to the mat
ter in question, and tina his Lordship mus
therefore decline to interfere.
The rebel Commissioner from North Care
lima, ]. i. Peyton, has addressed letter to tn
Times, denying the existence of any Unio
feeling in that State.
An Iron-Clad Screw Frigate.
There is now being constructed at the shiI
, ward of Messrs Cramp & Son, Philadelphia, a
iron Glad scrpv friUate for tho usa of tho 10,