The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1862-01-09
THE WAR FOR THE UNION.

fY OF the lseaC f0fG ISCH ana w tCHt90f
eM-Major Watson seriously acoumtled
The U. S. steam transport Vanderbilt
Capt. Lefevre, arrived on Monday morn
ing from Port Royal, S c., which por
she left on the Sd inst., at a m, with
the mails and passengers, and 1857 bale'
of Sea Island cotton consigned to Col. ID
D. Tompkin', United States Quartermas
ter. The Vanderbilt brings the result o.
the battle of Beaufort Ferry. Genera
Stevens's brigade advanced on the main
land on the lst inst. and took possession
Of the rebel batteries after a short resist
ance of the rebels, our brigade being as
sisted by the gunboats which shelled the
batteries.
Gen. Stevens then followed to within
six miles of the Charleston Railroad. II
Gag Of truce was sent by the rebels. witt
a request to procure and bury the dead
which vas granted, one hour being allot
ted for that purpose. after which they fel
back upon the tortifcutions near the rail
road, (which we're very extensive" leav
ing behind them one large gun, which
they had spiked. The rebel force wa.
e.tim ated at from 1000 to II 900 men
under the commsnd of Gen, Pope, and
their loss is not known. The forces o.
the Union troops we're 4,50O, the loss OIL
the Unioo side being wounded. Major
Watson of the 9Th Michigan vas mortalIy
woupAed. Gen. Stevens now holds po
session Of the main land, and awaits re.
enforce M nts from the North to proceed.
The correspondent Of Tile Express fur
ni.hes the following additional particu
lars of the engagement:
Port Royal Island, on which Beaufort
is situated, is l3 miles long, and seven
miles wide. and is formed by the Broad
River on its western eide, and the Port
Royal on its eastern shore. These are
connected at the north of the Island by
the Coosaw River; and the Port Ro, al
itself, which is really on strait. loses it.
name in its upper position, and is called
Brick Yard Creek. Opposite the juno
ton OF the Broad and the Coosaw is Boy ds
Neck. To the north Of Port Royal Isl
and is the main land, and about half way
between the two points where the Coo
saw intersects the Broad and Port Roy
for Brick Y ard Greek is Port Royal Fer
ry, distant ten miles across the Island
from Beaufort. A correct apprehension
Of the geography Of the country is neces
sary to render Ineligible any accoupt o!
the Fl ht.
At Port Royal Berry the Retels in
trencbed themselves as sooU as they re-
covered in the slightest degree from the
panic into which they were thrown by the
affair at Hilton Head Various reports
were made at various times of their
strength. The pickets on the two sides
of the riser-here 200 yardr wide-were
in sight of each other, and occasionally
halloed across. Finally. about week or
ten days ago. the steamboat May flower,
Capt. Phillips, 10 making the circuit of
Port Royal Island for sounding purposes.
was fred into from the Rebel battery, and
a man kilad. The firing was returned,
but with whst effect. there was no means
of ascertaining. The May flower proceed
ed on her wsy around the Island. This
insult has now been avenged.
On Tuesday. Dec 81, four gunboat-s-
the Seneca, Capt. Ammen; the Ellen, Capt
Budd; the Peubina, Capt. BaDkhead,
and the Ottawa, Capt Stevens--were or
dered to approach Port Royal Ferry, the
.wo former by the way Of the Broad Riv
sr, and the latter by Brick Yard Creek.
he Seneca was tc fire into Boyd S Neck
IN her way up. aud distract attention for
! while; after which, 10 conjunction With
be Ellen, she was to assist in silencog a
battery at Seabrook, oD the Goose ", some
wo or three miles west of Port Royal
Ferry.
The other two gun boats we're to 90
hrough the Port Royal River, and cover
landing of Uuion troops opposite the
mouth of Brick Yard Greek. Gen. Ste
ens's brigade, consisting of the Round {
cad Regiment, under Col. Leasure; the l
eighth Michigan, Col. Fenton; the Fifti. i
th Pennsylvania, Col. Crist, and the 18th
Iew York. Major Morrison CON u anding, /
7ere already at Beaufort, distant, as |
ave said, about ten miles by land from t
be Ferry; the Forty New York. =
ol. Frazier, and the Forty ighth, Col Q
'erry. we're ordered up from Hilton Head y
nd the entire force placed under Gen. t
tevcns's orders. o
Capt. Raymond Rogers of the Wabash a
as the senior naval officer present in the o
'tion. The troops we're marched from
eaufort during the 3lst of December to b
e mouth of Brick Yard Creek, within ii
hioh had been prepared fats and other II
bats for the transportation Of Gen. Ste N
'ns's command. They crossed early on p
ew Years morning, having accomplish re
the passage by 8 a. m. They had CT
en some four or FIVE miles to march be ia
re reaching Port Royal Ferry. The Of
ttawa and the Pembina we're meanwhile
layed BY the state of the tide at or near b,
Q mouth of the creek, one of them get bl
x aground. d,
A delay also occurred in the movements W
the troops, owing, it is stated, to mis-. CO
prehensou by Col. Fepton Of the orders III