Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-01-14
LATE NORTHERN INTELLIGENCE.
Tho Fight NJ Fort PIckens-The Official
Report OF Col. Harvey Brown.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF FLORIDA,
FoKT PIcEENs. Nov. 25. 1861.

GENEKAL:-That Fort Pickens has been be.
leagueTod By the rebels Tor the last nina
months, and that it YVES daily threatened with
the fate Of S;lntcr, is a fact notorious to the
whole world. Since its occupancy ny Lieut.
Slemmer, tho rebels have been surrounding it
with batteries, and daily arning thtm with
the heavies! ald most efficient guns known to
| our ~srrvice-EunE sICien from the United
States-until they consiue;ed tsris Tor! IS vir-
tusllY their own, lis Occupancy being only a
question Of time.
! have been in command since The 10th oi
April, and atTing the %hole of that time ;Aeif
force has averaged, 80 iar as | can learn, iTon
eight to tc7 timea the number Of ;nlnt. The
position in which | base thus been placed has
been sufficiently trying. snd l have a: three
~sc,arate tinea !.;tpnded to free myself from II
hv UDcricg nY hatlcTIsscm thrla, but imperious
| circumstances. over which I na1 To control,
HAYS unexpectedly in each instance prevented.
Affairs wsT: ~ Ibis state on tho morning oil
the 9Th 3f October, when the enemy, fifteen
hundred strong, attacked, hy surprise, . por-
ton Of my command On all intensely dark
night. They Terc defeated and irirrr from
the Island silt: great loss by less ilsG no
hundred regulars aud fifty '&luhteera-:.i TIE
efficient force ! Lad a.sposabls Tor the paf
pose. III in3uic 80 gTUss iG the Elg Of ms
country could not b. me CO PASSED. ulnot'cer,
sah | Designed immediately to lake appropriate
motto. ul it; but, as / SAID i;sf0Te. circrln.
stanccs OYER which l hsl no control pre7entca.
make these predatory Remarks to explain
why ! hava nov Cpsned .ly batteries on the
encmY, wien, from the ama!iness Of my forces,
iabua. unG-six;h Vi lis, thirteen huadred 10
eigh: taoas.ild,J have not tie means OF pro
ducing any decisive results, and us eTldence
6f M h.7irg accomplished what | designed
The furnishing the perpetrators Of an insult
on MY country's Tag.
Having invited Flag Officer AcKcan 10 81
operate With re in attacking The rebels, and
10 which h.: rnve a ready and coTdia! assent.
|, uu ;l,r morning ii the a2i. opened my ha :
ter!t; on the enemy, 10 which, IN the couTis
81 half al hour, ne responded rom hs hu'ner-
ous frri; aEd batteries extending from tie
Navy iacG Ia Fort 5cRas; 3 distance OF aoGut
four miles, Tie whole nearly tlu! from
this ihrt, ai!1 On which line he has TWO !oris-
McRra AMI RaTrancas-and fourteen separate
hRtl.rirs, containing from ole 10 Jour EHiis,
many 81 thtm haing 10 inch eslutnblads did
seine - ami 10 inch sea cOa.t %lnorlars. The
distance varying from TWO thousand Che linn-
drcitu t;.o Thousand nine hundred yards iroEIi
this fort. At lhs satns time Of my opening,
Flag Officer Mexican, in the Niaga'a, a:d
Cip:a:n Ellison, ii the Il chmOnG, took p""'-
ZION ~ rcay 70 Fort McRae az the icp.h NJ
wa.eT Eoull permit, but which uni9liunatriy
Saa MOI sufficiently heco 10 give iuIi enc: %
th@ir ~;}"*c::ul ha.ttE'c". I!cT. no"c7t!,
k.Ia up & spirited lTe M inu iart End ~cJ!csn!
tamcrics during thu whota dag.
Nv fire vas iacfssaTt from ih2 time oi 0ptr.
! ing until II waa t1n dark to sc. Il: the rate vi
n shot f3r fzu!i gun every fifteen or twenty
minutes, the fl?e 81 the ,namy being 3tn hat
slowe:. b. neon the cuos Ct Fort IcH1e
! were oil si'eacei Hu' one, ard three hours he
love sunse: this for: gnd the adjoining battery
cafgci tire. directed the CUTS Of batteries
Liacoiu, Cameron and Totem principally nn
the taii..:t. ~a,:i4clnt t. the Navy la:d, tt.n;=
; Of h-lter, Scott and Fori McRse, snd the hight.
anu*o batteries: snd thos: Of the t"lt IT, all
w reduced TaTy porceptioig tee hte Of Bar
rancas, entirely Eil=nced that IN the Navy Iard,
! and IL one o. Two Ct the other battorla:-thc
efficiency Of our lire, 2. the close of tbs dsy,
not being tine least impaired.
! The ns.t ,norning | again opei!-1 about The
same b"ur, the navy unfortunately, owing To
Il red. TOR u Inc depth Cf water, 1a.!sOG h :
chang. nf Hini, 10; bainZ atie ip se' Sd nral
as Yesterday. consequently the dlstancr Taa
; 800 gI*at 10 nc a~iiec:uai. My fire th:s day waS
less rapid, and think r1ore efficient than thH:
] 81 Yesterday. EMt McRie, 20 iEsc:usiiy ST.
iencad Yesterday. did .ct fire again to-day
I We giicncsd entirely OTe or two guns, ai:i !d&
q one Of ou.s disabled oy sho: coming through
I the cuibraSurc.
About three o'clock fire was rcumun!cGted
: 10 one. Of he houses III Warrington, and short.
If a!ter 10 The church steepie, tue church
= and thH whole village being Immediately il
rear 81 soiae vi lie rcErl batteries, they spr1-
! rently having placed them purpos"lv directly
in front OF The lar gest and most valuable build.
4 inga. The fire rapidly communicated To other
buildings along the street, until probably two
thirds of ipwes consumed; and about tue saIT.e
, time fire was discovered issuing from the back
, part OF the Navy Yard. probably in Wolco.t, &
village to tho north and Immediately adjoining
the gard, rs NRTTrntno 4ocs Hn III wcS;.--
Finally i; penetrated 10 the yard, rn1 ss ii
continued !, imru b::gt.!!. 81! n;oh;. | 2"r-
i cluded Thai either liz 1t ii IL WJl:ott ingny
buildings were destroyed, Tery iIeaSy TAN
aye sas Also done to the buildings OF the yard
I b. tho avalanche Of sho:, shell and spiinters
E showercd Increasingly Oil ttleiI tYr two days
and being nearly fire proof, being built with
! brick and covered with slate, | could not sue
coed IN firing them, thy hot shot nor shells not
: havingany power oi igniting them.
The slexluuT I,iue, which 1ss at the wl:ar
3 at tta time, was abandoned on first day and
: exposed to Our lire, which probably entirely
disabled haT. Tine fire was again runtiIu.c
: ;ill daik, ani witf mnIlals occasionally unit,
two o'cIack the next rICi ming. wkcH the CON
hst ceased.
THIS Fort, Tt lis corciiaion, though it has
received u great many shot and shell, is, ir
!, every respect, save The Disabling oi one gun
. carriage and Tue loss Of service Of six meE, as
{ ~efic!eu; IS it Was a: the "ctGmeucemeaI 0
= .nc combat; but liz" rIsds | proposed in CON-
I lasncins having isen att.irta, except ore
, which | ind to bG iIDpracticablc with my pfcs
i ent meai,E, | Dc mol deem it advisable further
; 70 continue il urle=s the eneIny think il proper
to do so, wl.cr I shall meet him with alacri!y
: The attack on Billy Wilson's camp, tie at
tempted attack on my batteries, and the irGul
10 our glorious fig, have been fully ard fear
7 tnily avenged. | have no .Erans of knowing
the loss OF the enemy, and nave 10 disposition
!. 10 guess at it. The firing on his batteries was
very hsavr, well directed and CONTINUOUS fol
t !so dayE, and could hardly fail 0f having i'm
poT.ant results.
OIr loss would base been heavy but for ihs
: foresight which, with great labor. caused US Ie
erect elaborate means ii protection, and which
Ssred mn? lives. ! lost che private hill,'i
0 one sergeant, one corporal ana inur men ipri
! rsi..) wcunIcI, only Dig, severely.
Nj Il ,e7s, nor: commissioned ~ttl2srs Az
= p~t;Yairs were everything | could desire i'u"y
:. onc and all performed their duty with ,hs
, greatest ch-=TiuInesS, and in the NEST able and
efficient manner.
lite Report ;nen specially notices in con
. ~clusion, various individuals as worthy Of
praise.
q HsApQaRrgks DEPARTMENT. tf FioEIpa,
Fort p,ckens, Nov. %, 1881.
=, Lanriai:-The noMbaTdmeni uf Inc @2d