Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-21
special Correspondence Of Cleveland Lsadsrl
Ehs RoRbardmsnt q Eost PulaslZla-.Intsr.
exiting Partiuulnrs,

PoRT RoYAL, 8. O., April IL, 1852.
As you viii see BY the above data, We
have changed our lOOation since my last,
which was dated At Beaufort. shall skip
over some matters which had intended
to make the subject matter Of my nezt let
ter and come to the subject which has been
the sll-absOrbing one for two or three days
past here, viz the bOmbardment Of Fort
Pulaski. Without attempting to give
things in their regular sequence, then,
commence BY snnOunoing the fact that
this Fort surrendered TO our forces yestsr.
day afternoon, being Friday, April II, 1892.
dare say the telegraph will have brought
you the intelligence before the arrival Of
this letter, but not perhaps SO much In de-
tail as I give It to you.
FIRST DAY's BoMBARDNEHE.
Having given you tis great fact will go
back to Thursday morning, when the bonn
bardment commenced, and, as / was fortu-
nate enough to be In sight Of almost the
entire transaction, q narrative Of my exps-
rienoe from that time to Friday evening
will put you In possession Of Whst I know
about 1t. At an early hour Thursday
morning the thunder Of cannon announced
to our expeOtsnt esrs ct Hilton Head, that
the long expected and extensively provided
for bombardment had commenced "a earaeit
1 stood the excitement Of the sound ell the
forenoon, but at noon concluded that 1t was
absolutely necessary to get little nearer
the scene Of action. Braddock's Point
which Is the Southern extremity Of the Is
land, approaches within about Eve miles Of
Fort Pulaski, and with the aid Of good
glars affords q very good point Of Observa-
ton, about the best which could be found
outside the actual range Of firing. This
place is reached BY tOlerably good road
from here, being distant about fourteen
miles. Procuring four hcrsss and a four
horse ambulance, myself and six others
started for the Point at about Il O'Clock
Thursday afternoon. Passing through
POpe's, LaWtOn's, and several other plsnta-
tions Of the Island, we reached Baynard's
plantation on the Poiat ct about O'clock.
Bsynard, who oWns l this plantation, be-
longed to the famous Black Horse cavalry,
and is supposed to have been killed ct the
battle Of Bull Bun, ,ss he has not been heard
from since. Here we found detachment
Of soldiers, some quartered in the house,
and some In teEss pitched on the ground,
under absTge OF Lieut. Nichols, VINO has
charge Of the Ferry ct DsWfuskie Island,
and Of the Express for transmitting des-
patches too and fro. Wishing to get nearer
ths sceneof operation, we left our team and
walked some two miles to the extreme point
on the beach, in the direction of Pulaski.
Here We took possession Of small build.
ing standing upon the dilapidated earth.
works Of an old Fort and q capital point
Of observation.
Directly before us, with nothing but the
waters Of Tybse Sound intervening, loomed
up the Fort now the focus Of observation,
as well as Federal ball and she'll. To the
left was Tybee, Its shores for two or three
miles seeming to belch forth fre and smoke
continually for here were located our most
effective batteries. To the right we're the
wooded shores of Danopuski, Turtle and
Jones Islands. With the aid Of a glass we
were enabled to make out objects at the Fort
quite distinctly, the day being, what is a rar-
ity here, very clear, the almost continuous
haze which usually obscures distant objects
seeming to have disappeared for our especial
benefit. The rebel flag could be distinctly
seen flying from staff above the center of
the fort and we could even make out the
guns upon the ramparts; when the smoke did
not intervene, and they thought fit to show
themselves, (which was not often you can be
assured we could distinguish the gunners
themselves The firing from our batteries on
Tybee was incessant and heavy, while that |
from the fort was emily at tintervals of few |
minutes. Our heavy mortars we're located /
st the extreme left, as we looked, and at the /
long range batteries: 90 that we could al. |
ways tell when to look for shells, the burst
ing of which We watched with interest be. |
ing that part of the performance which ap-
peared most perceptible to the eye. "There
goes a mortar" cries one, snow look out
for a shell at the F4rt" and in a few sec.
onds the shell would be seen to burst, some
times in the water, short Of, beyond, or one
side of the fort; often in the air directly over
and sometimes within the fort itself. The
solid shot thrown from the batteries nearest
the Fort could plainly be seen to strike the
walls, the conclusion being indicated by
small cloud of pulverized brick and mortar
rising from the point struck. A shot during
the day cut the fsg halyards and down came
the emblem of treason by the run. It was
Immediately raised upon e short staff upon
the rampsrts where it remained till the close
Of the conflict We watched with the deep.
est interest the progress Of the fgnt until
darkness put an end alike to the cannonad-
ing and observation.
MIDEIeHF RIDE.
After partaking of the hospltalities of
Lieut. Nichols, In the shape Of a soldiers
supper, we enjoyed beautiful moonlight
ride back to the Head through the luxuriant
groves and plantations of the Island. In i
looking ont upon the strange, tropical ferns
of the palmettos, and other trees unfamiliar
to our Northern eyes, flooded With the al
ways mysterious enchantment Of the noon
light, and inhaling the occasional fragrance
Of the orange blossoms as the wind stirred
their creamy petals, the whole scene seemed
more like dream than reality. But like
all dreams, its charm was soon broken
Driving along under the thick, overhanging
branches Of the trees, suddenly the sharp
clGnk of the iron cavalry-ssore would catch
the ear and the sharp command, shalt p
bring US up suddenly to And picket of the
Massachusetts, cavalry In the road before rs.
HWho goes there 2" "Friend." advance