Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1861-11-21

doned to negroes, who were reported
to be in a lawless condition.
The following is an extract from a
private letter from an officer engaged
in the bombardment
"Our success has been complete,
and terror rules over the whole coun-
try. The negroes are wild, and plum
dering their masters houses. The
whites have been driving the negroes
away by force, and shooting them
down, but they still come to the gun
boats. The moment Gen. Drayton
took his horse, in the panic of the It'll,
his 200 servants went Immediately to
the Wabash. This is worthy OF no.
tice, as putting down the nonsense
that the slaves were ready to tight Tor
their masters. They surrounded Capt.
Ammon in crowds, at Beaufort, one OF
them calling out in the joy of his heart,
81 dident think you couldent do it,
massa.'"
Gen. Sherman's report to Adj. Gen.
eral Thomas is received.
He saws it was agreed between Com.
Dupont and himself to first reduce the
army works that might be found at
Port Royal, and thus open the finest
harbor on the coast south of Hatteras
He says the squadron had been al.
most entirely dispersed by the gales,
and the vessels have been struggling
in up to this date. The transport
steamers Union, Belvidere, Osceola
and Peerless have not arrived. One
of them is known to be lost and prob.
ably all are. 1t is gratifying, howev'
or, that none Of the troops of the trans
ports connected with the land force
were lost, though the Winfield Scott
had to sacrifice her whole cargo, and
the Roanoke portion of hers to save
the lives of the regiment on board.
The former will again be enabled to
put to sea. OF the vessels connected
with the naval portion of the fleet,
none have been lost.
After a careful reconnaissance OF
Port Royal Bay, it was ascertained
the rebels had three field works OF re-
markable strength, strongly garri-
soned and covered by three gun-boats,
besides strong land forces which the
rebels were concentrating at Charles
ton and Savannah. 1t was deemed
proper to first reduce the fort on Hill
ton Head, though to do this greater
or less fire might have to be met from
the batteries on Bay Point at the same
time.
Our original plan Of operation of
the land forces in this attack, had to
he set aside in consequence of the
loss during tho voyage OF the greater
portion of our means Of disembark-
ment, together with the fact that the
only point where the troops should
have landed was five or six miles from
the anchoring place of our transports,
altogether too great distance for sue
cessful debarkation, with our limited
means. 1t was therefore agreed that
the place should be reduced by the ma
val force alone. was a mere specta-
tor of the combat, and it was not my
province to render any report OF this
action. deem it my imperative du-
ty to say, the firing and maneuvcring
of our fleet against that of the rebels
aud their formidable land batteries.
was a master piece, activity, and pro-
fessional skill. After the works had
been reduced took possession of them
with the land forces. The work on
Hilton Head was severely crippled,
and many of the guns dismantlcd.
Much slaughter had evidently been
made there, many bodies having been
buried in the forts, and some twenty
or thirty found some half a mile dis
tant.