Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-16
THM EXPEDITION.
Lottsz from an Officer Of the wabash.
CLOSE FIRING OF THE FLEET.

On the 9TH instant, commencing at forty
minutes past nine A. M. and ending at half.
past two P. NJ, we fought good fight, and
succeeded in driving the chivalrv from their
nests in a style for which "Bull Run" had as
yet alone been remarkablej this time the
boot is on the other foot
In the time mentioned we captured both
Forts Walker and Beauregard, aRd by three
o'clock our "blue jackets" were on Shore
and entered Fort Walker, and planted thereon
the American flag. We sent out pickets,
and held possession with sailors alone until
long after dark, when the volunteers got on
shore. Captain Rogers turned over the fort
to General Sherman, who relieved our sem
tries, and the sailors returned to the ship.
THE VICTORY.
| 1t is the bandsomest thing that has oc-
Cured in our naval history. Both forts are
very formidable, and the rebels anticipated
an easy fight and our utter demolition. That
our loss is so slight is simply ProvidentiaL
| We lcstbut one man killed and four wounded.
The feet lost but ten killed (.hree officers
and seven menl and about twenty five
wounded.
HOW THE WABASH CAUGHT IT.
Our ship is very much cut up in spars,
| rigging and hull. Our mainmast is shot
| through, but stands; we can probably keep
it up by fishes" and wooldings," but can
| never carry sail on it again. We received
two shots in our counter during the early
part of the action, which caused leak that
| nearly flooded our magazine. One of our
guns was dismouuted, and three men were
wounded at it and one killed.
Our sails were shot away in many places,
and spanker- boom cut in two pieces; both
| mainstays were shot away one port
knocked into a cooked hat; starboard sheet
and fore channels split, cut and ripped main
and mizzen ditto; stays, shrouds and gear
aloft cut in innumerable places. spar deck
bored by ricocbet shot. l never heard such
| music in my life as the rushing and whist
ling of the shot and shell over and about
us-and don't care particularly to hear the
music too often.
| THE ENEMY's DEAD AND WOUNDED.
The enemy's loss is great. Before we took
possession they buried twenty. We buried
| several when we took possession, horribly
mutilated, where they fell. Our men were
continually finding more bodies in out of
the way places. We found the dead body of
the captain of artillery in the shel-Toom,
and buried him by himself. The rest We
buried in our trench in the ditch of Fort
Walker-performing an impromptu funeral
| service over them.
Their wounded were scattered every
f where, poor, miserable creatures, with fright
ful wounds. Their hospital was some dis
tance back, and contained many wounded.
They carried off great numbers. The Sur
t geon. General wss found this afternoon in the
] cellar of a house, near the fort dead; the
same shell which killed him buried him in
. full uniform in the sand.
EFFECTS OF OUR FIRING ON FORT WALKER.
The ruin and havoc, in Fort Walker par
. ticularly, was beyond all description. Five
} of their guns were dismounted carriages 10 n
, to atoms and tumbed about in extricabie
confusion. The works were ripped aod toro.
A cloud of sand and dirt enshrouded the
3 forts under the terrific fire of this ship and
E the SuSguehdnnd. These vessels did their
= lighting at the short distance of five hundred
0 yards--using FIVE second fuses. The sand
' blinded the rebels by the bursting of a
= shower of shot and shells. Their guns could
; not be worked under the fire and became
5 choked with sand.
r Five times our ship, followed closely by
the Susquehdnnd, ranged up, at no time at a
greater distance than seven hundred and
= fifty yards the fourth time, on the second
turn, on the home stretch, at a distance of
five hundred yards. The scene then battles
all de scription. We made up our minds that
: they must leave. The officers and men of the
= army on the transports below say that the
g firing for rapidity and precision exceeded
1 any thing tley ever dreamed Of We were
, twenty minutes in face of the battery at that
distance, and fred about twenty. six broad
sides.
, OUR SMALL LOSS ACCOUNTED FOR.
The enemy replied gallantly, but not
} dreaming we would dare to come so close,
7 their guns had too great elevation, and our
: rigging only suffered. The people below on
! the transports say that they expected to see
us come out (if we came out at al) of the
: cloud of smoke that enveloped us, as a wreck.
But as we finally drifted by, and ranged out
of fire, and they saw us fright side up"
their cheers could be heard three miles away
After that the enemy replied to our gun
. boats, which, instead of following US, were
playing 'lOng taw," and did them some
damage; but as soon as we turned and ranged
up the ldst time they fled like sheep. "Bull
Run" was nothing to their run. We fred one
single gun, and signalled cease firing to
the feet.
| THE LANDING-oUR FLAG OVER SOUTH CARO-
1 | LIMA.
r Captain John Rogers went on shore with
f flag of truce, and found no one to receive
= him. The place was entirely abandoned. He
a went to the hospital staff and hoisted our en-
d sign over it.
g Then such cheers
s We put our battalion on board the Mer-
r curry, which steamed up within few yards
s of the shore, and from her they were soon
J, uded. We marched up to the parapet
a scaled it, and sooD, very soon, planted our
a boat flag there.
d IHE OCCUPATION. r.
If wish had time TO give you some idea Of
,. how that place looked. We stationed senti-
1t nels on the parapet and threw out twenty
d four pickets half mile outside. The deaC
d lying at their guns were collected and {
D. trench dug. Captain Rogers sent for ou
/. chaplain, and by dusk we buried them, to
% gether with arms, legs and pieces of flesh. |
Ie was sad sight 1t was not until dark, halt
Q. past seven o'clock, that the soldiers landed
J. Captain Rogers in neat speech, turned
: over the fruit of our labors and the soldier
n took possession.
Is JACKS "LooT."
Our tsrs got lots OF booty; or, as the Eng
lish call it, "lOOt." Jack was generous, too
r and looked out for his officers. Men cam
up to me with fine double-barreled shot
9 guns, officers swords, sashes gold watches
er money, ladies' fans, Teticules, splendid over
coats, pistols, boxes of cigars, triukets Of al
- kinds, papers and letters containing Valuabl
i9 S and priceless information.
y y Jack secured the woods and brought i
y, -, several hapleEs 'cusses," whom they csugh
;;s trying TO get away. Such ridiculous, laugh
u able scenes you never will witness. tn
o. o. sailors were fairly crazy; as soon as one go
AZ AZ all he wanted, he would relieve some chuu
~ and then searching would 60 on afresh, unit
- ~ he got something more. ~ r-. ...-..
"a. THE REBELS RETREAT. gss
IL The retreat was 80 precipitate that officer
tn and men left every thing, even their side
of arms dinners half cooked pipes half smoked