The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-02-25

CAPTAIN. DAvIs's REPoRr-FoRr PULASKI
FLAHKED-BATTLE WITH TArSALL's FLEET.
FLAe-sHP wABAsu.

. CAPTAIN. pAvIs's REPoRT-FoRr PULAsK
FLANKEp-BATrLE WITH TArNALL's FLEET.
= FLAe-SHP WABASH
PoRr ROYAL HARBoR, s. @, Feb. l. l662.}
SIR: Il have the honor 10 inform you tha
: , 10 obedience to your orders, g't under wa
. on sunday morning the 26th ultimo, and sail
= ed fam this harbor, having under my CON
= mand the gun-boals Ottawa, Lieutenant Com
manding Stevens; Seneca. AmmeD: and tn
armed steamers Isaac Smith. Nicholson; Po
: tomska, Wa,mough; Ellen, Master Conman
ding Budd; Western World, Gregory; anc
the two armed launches Of this ship: aud hav
ing in comraur the transports Cosmop ,litan
D"leware and Boston, on board of whice wer,
the 9th CONNECTICUT, the 1t, New Hsmpshir,
AID the 9th Pennsylvania regiments; in a.
twenty four hunA'ei men, commanded by
Brig Gen. II. e. Wright
Commander G. X. p. Rogers accompa.
uied the expepition. The vessel anchored in
Warsaw Sound the same evening.
On Mouday mmning General Wright came
on board the Ottawa, IN which ship | was,
bringing with him Major Speidcl. conman
ding the battalion, and company G. of the
Connecticut 6,h he also sent Co psnv ID OF
the same regiment on board the Seneca, where
Capt Rogers had taken up his quarters. -
The comman ling officers repaired on b ar
10y signal, when the pat of operations was
explained to them.
Owing to the shoalincss Of the bar and
channel, it was not until half past 8 O'Clock
that | entered Lilllc ~ bee river or Freet orn
Cut, aud it was half past before passed
Fot Pulaski at tho nearest point; the Fort
was not prepared for an enemy on this side =,
aud did not fire into the vessels. But pre-.
/ parations were Immediately set on foot TO re.
ceive us on our return. The distance Is that
of long range with rihed gun, or one Of
heavy calibre.
After coming up with and passing the high
land on Wilmington Island, the further pro.
gress of the gunboats was arrested by block
adc OF heavy piles driven in double row across
the channel. The vessels were anchored and
boats were despatched from every one of them
to examine the numerous creeks leading to
the river, aud to .nake Reconnaissance Of the
main stream. CAPT. Rodgers landed with
tho armed launches and a detachment OF
troops, TO scout and determine whether there
were marks Of recent occupation by troops;
the regiment of City Light Guards, from Ss.
vannsh, composed of every young persons had
beea sts toned at Scrivens. No carthworks
were found, but traces were discovered of
hors"men, who musi have been on the spot
very lately.
At five o'clock the Confed rate steamers,
five in number, one of them carrying ,he
square flag at the fore (probably Com odore
TatnalI's) came 10 anchor at the mouth Of
the creek. They had it in their power to
choose their distance, and this led TO the ex.
pectaton Of an attack, but the night passed
quietly.
A, this hcur Captain Amm"n passed The
marsh and CIT he telegraph wire from Fort
PUN ki to the city.
After breakfast on the morning of Tresday
the 2Srh, the surveys ard examinations were
received, anl am deeply indebe! To 'iener.
al Wright for taking an active part in them
all AMI forming from personal examinations
his Conclusions rs tn the military seizure md
occupa o. of Wlnngtn Island To whch
G neral Sber"ao aud yourself had called my
part cular attention.
AT /. l5 the five steamers composing the
i"et of Commolore ratnall las it IS suppo.edD
attempted tu pass down the river with scows
in tow. Captain John Il ger., who lay at An
chor in WrigE Is'and, and myself, opened
tire upon them, which they rtulped with
spirit. The result of the engagement which
lasted less than half An hour, was, that Com
nolore Tarnal au one of his squad on were
driven back the other three escaped injury.
apparently. and name good their passage
down to Fort PuIa XII.
At Two O'Clock tn latter returned up the
IIy ha Hrinu "a Th.y huI
waited Cor low water, aud were SO well pro-
t"cted by the banks f the river, while we
ourselves wers lying in n natural trenc or
moat, that the harm i:hcted upon them was
entirely dsproporlionale to the amount of
ammunition expended. Their shot, which
would nave easily reached Us by ricoche. on
the water, was generally spant in force betore
they arrived at the creek in which we were
anchored. We have e,n teld by a contra
band since come 10, that one of the steamers
sunk at the wharf after getting tn the city
and we could SEQ with our glasses that some
of our shells took effect.
The practice of the day was vfry instruc.
tive. At four o'clock on Wednesday morn
ing came down the Narrows, passing the
range OF Fort Pulaski before day 'ight; aul
leaving the other vessels in Warsaw Sound.
| returned to this place by the way of Tybee
RoaIs and Calib 'gue Sound.
AS demonstration, the appearance Of the
naval aud military force in Wilmington AMI
Warsaw Sound has had complete success. Ss.
vannah WAS thrown into u state Of great alarm
aud all the energies OF the place have been
exered TO the utmost TO Increase its military
defences, for which purpose troops have been
Withdrawn from other places.
As Reconnaissance the results are satisfac.
tory. We have improved our knowedge Of
these obscure and intricate passages. We
have ascertained that Wilmington Island is
abandoned not oulv by the enemy's troops,
bu, even by its inhabitants that this cut or
narrows can be navigsted by gunboats with
out difficulty; but an account Of the width Of
tie march opposite 10 the high land on VIII.
mington Islsnd, that the channels Of Savan
nah river cannot be advantagrously comman
ded from this point at any time, an especi
ally nj low water; that gunboa,s could not lie
in safety in any part Of the narrows unless
Wilmington Island were occupied in force, on
account Of the advantages it possesses 'or con-
structing masked batteries, and the protection
il affords to rifenen and skr,nshcrs.