Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-01-03
I0oI1o1,. at the BonSardmeur Of Bort Pick

A~N--
The following extract is from letter writ
ten by an officer on board the United States
steamer Richmond after the bOmbardment OF
Fort Pickens:
81 vent by invitation Of Lieut.. -- Of
the Engineers, TO visit the fort. Took a cir
cult FIRST OF tho covered way, then OF the
parapet and ramparts. All around the fort
Inside and out were marks Of the enemy's
shot and shell. On the glaela, here and
there, are deep grooves, ending in a large
hole, where the shot had pumped intoit, and
where there had been shell which had burst.
The hole was = great evacuation, into which
you could drive An OF cart Where the pro-
iectiles have struck the standing walls, they
have chipped of patches Of the brick-work,
(it is q brick and not q stone fort) 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 fOrd6cations received an injury tending
/ in the least 10 weaken IL, and this after two
days heavy firing. The only man who was
killed outright during the two days action,
was an artilleryman, who was passing into
the classmates with some bread from the
bakehouse. A shell exploded at the other
side of the area, and one piece, flying a dis
lance OF some two or three hundred feet
passed through his body, under his arms
he walked few steps and dropped dead.
There were many almost miraculous es-
Gapes. A shell was heard coming towards a
gun on the parapet, and the men lodged un-
der their bomb proofs. The shell hit fairly
on top Of the bOmb-proof, went through and
dropped into pail of water beside the off,
Ger, where it exploded. When the men came
out again to resume their work, all they saw
of their officer was his heels sticking out Of
a pile of rubbish. After digging him out
they stood amazed to see that he was not
even hart He rose up, shook the sand from
his hair and clothes, and coolly said, 'Oome,
come what are you standing there gaping
att Load that gun there" At 1t they went
again as if nothing mad happened.
Another officer, who had charge Of a bat.
terry of mortars, had no less than seventeen
shells strike within ten yards Of him. l saw
the ground plowed up in every direction, and
yet not a man was hurt. About twenty oi
the men, who had been relieved from theil
guns, were sitting smoking and watching
| sAS AAA-G ~ . SoAA9aI PACNo~eoA AASAn oAoh "
the walls, when half of huge shell struck
and buried itself right in the middle of the
groupe, without disturbing them in the least
"Whats thAt2" asked one. "The devil
knows, and be won't tell" ind;ferently re.
sponded another, and went on smoking. A
ten-inch Columbiad came rolling towards 6
group, the fuse whizzing and smoking
"WoLder if thstl hit US ?" "Guess not
we're too near itp Crack went the shell
flying in every dire:tion, but fortunately es
Gaping them all.
The rebel powder was poor, az was also
their shot and shell, except that portion
which they succeeded in stealing before the
rebellion broke ou. Their practice, however
was said to be goOd-how could it have
been otherWise2 Uncle Sam taught them a
his unparalleled school at West Point; bu
with little thought that the teaching would
be thus employed.