The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-10
Affairs ut Fort Pickens.

Uttu tNNc"tus AhOtO hso oSN' wv "'''b o''~S
the ODD of November. Wilson's Zouaves
have been placed within the entrenchments,
and the 18th New York regiment, number
ing eight hundred men, is cncamped outside
Of the iortiications back Of tho Fort. The
force on the island now numbers little less
than 26OO men.
Gen. Bragg has received reinforcemcnts
since the bombarjmcnt of his forts and bat
teries on the 22d and 23d Of November, and
the number now under his command is esti.
mated at ten or twelve thousand. Some
active movements are in progress, but they
do not apparently indicate any immediate
attack upon our positions. Asteamcr and a
schooner have been observed carrying troops
between Pensacola and place called Live
Oak Plantation, on the mainland northeast
from Fort Pickens. Tho rebels ore evidently
fortifying this locality, where a Georgia regi.
ment had for considerable time, even before
the bombardment, been stationed. 1t is
thought that the movements in progress had
reference only to the security of their pro-
positions.
Fort McRac is in about tho same state Of
dilapidation in which the guns OF Fort
Pickens left it at the close Of the lombard
ment. Some men have been observed at
tempting apparently to make some repairs,
efIecting, however, little II any progress
The rebels do not occupy the Fort with
troops, though every morning they hoist the
Confederate lag and take it down again at
night. This nominal occupation ofthc place,
the officers Of the Baltic say, is merely "a game
OF Bragg
There are no evidences whatever Of injury
to the walls Of Fort Pckens by the lombard
ment. A man with u pickagc could do moro
damage in ten minutes than the rebels did in
two days. Yet for considerable distance on
either side of Fort Pickens, and for mile
beyond, fragments Of shells arc strown in
great profusion. A round shot, weighing
los pounds, which had passed over the fort,
was found by tho soldiers, and is now in
possession of First Officer Blake, Of the Baltic,
to whom it was presented by Major Arnold.
1t was fired from ten-inch gun. A frag-
ment Of a shell which hit the magazine of
Fort Pickens, doing, however. no damage, is
also in possession Of one Of the Baltic.
Where the village of Warrenton stood,
near the Navy Yard, the chimneys OF some of
the houses are standing alone like sentinels.
A few detached buildings were not con-
sumed.
1t is now understood that not quite all.
the positions of the rebel forces arc under
command Of Col. Browns guns, and that he
awaits only reiniorcemeuts to reopen fire and
clear out the rebels.
The following interesting extract is from q
letter written by an officer on board the
United States steamer Richmond, after tho
bombardment Of Fort Pickens:
al went by invitation Of Lieut., OF
the Engineers, to visit the fort. Took o cir
cult, first Of the covered way, then Of the
parapct and ramparts. AL around the fort,
inside and out, were marks Of the enemy's
shot and she'll. On the glacis, here and
there, are deep grooves, ending in large
hole, where the shot had pumped into it.,
and where there had been shell which had
burst. The hole was great excavation, into
which you could drive an OK cart. Where
the projectiles have struck the standing walls
they have clipped of patches OF the brick
work (it is brick and not q stone lort,)
perhaps eight or ten inches deep, and where
they have struck the corners, larger portions
have been removed, but in no case has any
part Of the Notifications received an injury
tendinig the least to weaken it, and this
after two days. heavy firing.
The only man who was killed outright,
during the days action, was an artilleryman,
who was passing into the casematcs with
some bread from the bakehouso. A shell
exploded at the other side of the area, and
one piece, nyinga distance of some two or
three hundred feet, passed through his body,
under his arms. lie walked few steps and
droppeddead. There are many almost mi
raculous escapes. A shell was heard coming
toward gun on the parapct, and the men
lodged under their bomb proofs. The shell
hit fairly On the top Of the bomb proof, went
through and dropped into a pail Of water
beside the officer and exploded. When tho
men came out again to resume their work,
all they saw Of their officer was his heels,
sticking out Of 4 pile ofrubbish. After dig.
ging him out, they stood amazed to sec
that he was not even hurt. He rose up.
shook the sand from his hair and clothes, and
coolly said-'Come, come ! what are you
standing there gaping att Load that gun
there At it they went again, as il nothing
had happened. Another officer, who had
charge of battery Of mOrtars, had no less
than seventeen shells strike within ten yards
of him. saw the ground plowed up in every
direction. and yet not man was hurt
About twenty Of tho men who had been
relieved from their guns, were sitting smok-
ing and watching the firing in corner,
-, ,,o,,.,aJ Iror, shot hv tbe xvaIls xvher