Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-11-19
NO. 90.

sky
Beautiful as was the airy course Of the deadly
missile, Its earthly track was marked by GRIM
son stream Of flowing blood, by the sickening
crash of shatterng bones and by wreck, ruin,
and destruction of Whatever thing it touched.
Nothing could stand before this fiery storm
guns were hurled from their carriages houses
were knocked into heaps of bricks and mortar,
and beams and boards; the formidable lort-Walis
of the solidest masonry were in places torn ana
spntered, and the tough trees Of the pitch pine
woods were shivered twisted, wreuched, and
cut of like slender reeds; aud the men were
beaten into quivering masses Of bruised, CORY
flesh or were torn into mutilalel, ghasty
sckening objects
The terrible effects of a shell bursting in the
midst of a group Of men cannot be adequately
described, for words and pen alike are weak.
knot of men talking together, full of sturdest
life, and earnest action; every word aud gesture
denoting healthiest and most vigorous manlness
| and strength-there comes u puff If pearly
smoke, n binding flash of red fire, sharp, sud
den report, and in an instant the active life OF
the eager men is crushed and beaten out, the
parehed sand drinks up their life.blood before
the smoke can clear away; but the mangied
limbs the still throbbing brains the gaping
wounds, half-flIed with dirt and purple mud,
are not covered by the sand until that later hour
when the sword and musket are laid aside for the
pick and spade, and men forget their deadly
hates to cousgn Earth to earth, and dust to
| dust"
The effects of n round shot or of one of the
newly invented riied cannon projectiles, are not
so CHASTITY and terrible TO the eye-the men die,
but their limbs are not torn aud twisted oil as
by the iron splinters of a bursting bomb.
1t was suspected that the enemy had q large
force concealed in the woods back of the fort,
and many shells were thrown in them for the
purpose of dslodeing any troops there stationed.
Tl,a fifg,tu aa ftnr tTol mnmlpr
Of men had fed from the fort 10 the woods, ter
ritied at the tremendous effects Of our Ere. Many
OF these poor fellows were killed without having
fired shot
Had Gen Mcdowell so sheled the woods near
Manassas, instead 'of sending in unsupported
single regiments of infantry, there had never
been for as any Bull Run rout.
After the ships had made one round, and
sailed their fiery circle once, the order of battle
was changed certain ones Of the gunb0ats drop
ped out of their assigned places. having diseoy-
cred that they could take up position which
enabled them 10 remain stationary, and still keep
up a rapid and calling fire on the fort So,
hencefortb, the other attacking ships moved in
single line, the Wabash still leading.
Four of the gunboats ran into the blight the
river to the north Of the fort, where they were
enabled to keep up an enfdadiDg fire, tlut COM
petely raked the entire iorthcltions of Fort
Walker and distressad the enemy exceedingly.
These gunboats were the 0uama, Uurew,
Senaca, aud Unadilla. They were afterwards
Joined by the Pocahontas, under command of
Captain Percival Drayton, South Catolinian,
and borother of Brigadier General Drayton of the
rebels. Captain Drayton, though placed in this
| peculiar and painful position, evinced no lack of
loyalty to the Union, or eagerness TO give the
rebels their due, and the Pocnhontas was most
active in the fight until il closed.
Very many Of the shot from the shore batter
les were aimed high, especially at the Eienvile,
and other steamers having the walking-beam Of
the engine high above the deck, the object eg-
IDENTIFY being to cripple the engine, and thus
render the vessel unmanagenblc, so that she
might drift on the shoals, aud become an easy
prey In these attempts they were not success
tul in single instance, for no one Of our ships,
save the Penguin, which was Immediately taken
care by one Of our own boats, was injured in her
steam works, so as to be disabled for Il single
| instant
The rebels had conf cnly calculated on being
able to sink the entire fleet in twenty minutes
rs we learned from some copies of Southern pa
pers, aud from some Of the rebel letters, many
of which tell into our hands, and in several Of
which this result is confidently Predicted, and is
regarded not merely as 'consummaton devout-
y to be Wished" but was looked upon almost
as an accomplished fact. The utter destruction
of the entire expedition was considered SO posi-
lively assured, and their belief in the ability Of
I Jnelf Uulteflea TO put ll eutCluul VuleNua upuh
the pretentons OF Lincolns' fleet was so perfect,
that in one or two of the documents the writer's
lamented the necessity they should he under Of
sending the ships TO the bottom. when the Con
federates are so much in need Of ships
1t was taken for granted that the tremendous
execution to be done by their heavy guns would
perforate the hulls Of cur ships and send them
instantly to the bottom Having this confident
expectation, the rebels looked eagerly after every
fire to see some Of our ships go down. They
especially concentrated their guns on the Wabash,
and, as prisoners afterwards informed us, were
much surprised that she persisted in remaining
ahoat. When the ships had all passed their
battery in safety for the first time aud had "pep
pered them well," and had all got off without
apparent injury, the astonishment was great and
the universal impression began to prevail that
there was some mistake.
For the second time the fleet came steamiug
down; for the second time they poured IN that
terrible fire, dsmantliDg the guns, shattering
the buildings and stretching in death numbers
of their men and for the second time the fleet
passed on in safety, showing not the slightest
sign Of any intention of gong to the bottom.
By this time new element began TO mingle
with the rebel garrison. With astonish-
ment and wonder that they had not yet sunk any
OF The opposing vessels, began to mingle large,
a very large proportion OF doubt whether they
could do it.
Without paying more attention to the barking
of the battery at Fort Beauregard, on Bay Point,
n than to pitch them IN occasional shot, mercy 10
p let them know they we're not forgotten, for tho
third lime the fleet rounded their circular track
$ and came slowly down to pay theiT respects again
y Again was the whole FIRE of the fort concentrated
on the Wabash, aud afterward in turn on each
Que of the ships. they passed in fiery pro-
oessiOn before the shore, delivering with the
utmost coolness and the most exact precision,
their murderous FIRE, running even nearer than
before. firing more ehectually than ever, ndugain
steaming away, unharmed, and turning the point
for still another round.
r The utmost CONSERVATION now took full pos
0 session Of the rebels, and, in an uncomfortable
= panic, they fled with tho utmost precipitation.
The panic at Bull Run was not more complete
t indeed, not half SO much so, for the rebels, IN
3 their mortal terror, ran for the woods without
e stopping for anything whatever, They left in
their tents hundreds Of dollars Of money, gold
5 watches, costly swords, and other yaluables,
y showing that their fear was uncontrollable and
e complete.
t The flight was observed first from the ittl'
:, runboat Mercury, was communicated to thu
1t dag ship, and was Immediately teegraphed to al
= the fleet
u Capt John Rogers, now the commander OF The
ct sloop- of-war Flag, who had been on board III
wabash, acting as aid to Flag Officer Dupont du
rs ring the fight ut once sent on shore in boa
j. with fag OF truce to ascertain if the flight wa
m real or feint. He found the fort entirely de
IN serted, and Immediately with his own hand, raj
lg up the stars and stripes on the rampalts-
in At precisely 8 O'Clock p, N. OF Thursday
re Nov. Z, 1861, the American fag was planted i
" South Carolina, on South Carolina fort, 10
re the first time since it was hauled down IN IN
al dsgraceful capture of Fort sump'er
n, The thousands Of men the transports vii
ds messed the event with frantic delight and halle
ly the 0ae with cheers that seemed to have no lim