, 1862-01-16
FIGHT AT PORT ROYAL.
Brilliant Exploit of Gen. Stevens-.-
The Rebels Beaten.

AE AAG0CAe NVAACAt
Especial Correspondence of Philadelphia rreza-l
Po1sT RorAL, Jau. S, 1862.
4 very sk7}fully Planned and skilfnlIy exc
cutca little movement has just occurred i.cre,
which btgins the new year in the pleasanlcst
HAMMER possible. Beaufort lies on the eastern
side Of Port Royal Island, aud about ten miles
north Of it, on tue Coosaw river, is Port Royal
Ferry, which affords the best means Of cross
ing from the island to the 1nain. The
rebels began entrenclllng themselves on the
farther side Of the Ferry; here they crossed
it's occupation by our troops, and, since this
has bccn prevented, they have established
themselves eonspicuously,' in sight Of our
pickets, and attempted to command the nayl
CATION Of tho Coosaw river. Some two weeks
ago they fred into the little steamer May
flower, used for transporting purposes, aud one
man, in her convoy Of small bouts was killed.
The expedition consisted Of six gunboats
and five regiments, who proceeded to the
scene Of operations and crossed over. Tic &c
count goes on to say:
Gen. Stevens now threw out skirmishers
from all bis reg iments along the right Of his
| 1ill.'; he had between four and five miles 10
| march, and a great part Of the way across
broken fields, over two creeks, amid bushes
and thickets and probably in the face Of an
| enemy. His skirmisers soon drew fire from
| rrbrls concealed in the woods, about q mile to
| his right. Nearly the whole Michigan Eighth
| Regiment, under Col. Fenton, was thus en-
| gagged, when heavy fire from field artillery
| WIS opened upon them. Under this fire, the
| were fired into at Last by nlusketry, which was
| Lot hundred yards of, but completely under
cover The Michigander5 returned the fire,
scrambled through bushes, and tore their
faces and hands with briers, dared the enemy
to come out in the open field and show fight,
| 4frnf .aT7 nHI-h ro{f 1Y1
good order, but rapidly, They had lost one
man killed and twelve wounded, including
| Major Watson. Their behavior was the sub
ject Of universal admiration from the navy and
their own comrades in other regiments.
No attempt was made to pursue them.
Was pushing on in advance Of the Michigan
people, and, III consequence OF Information
t afforded to Gen. tSteze,.s By d negro, deyiated
from the route originally proposed. Il seems
body Of about 4oo rebels showed themselves
outside Of the woods, and eudeayored to dc.
coy the Fhtieth; behind them, and iu tht
woods, could be socn, from the masthcads ot
up ii line. Had it not been for the negroes
Stevens would have known nothing Of this
force as it was, he allowed the Fifticth Penn,
sylyania to drive back the dccoying party, but
before it reached the larscr force, lying III am
bash, well-aimed shell, from tic vessels
burst in the advance party Of the rebels, whe
lrokc and fed ut once. After this, the gun
bouts proceeded to shell the woods, signal;
being constantly made them from shore Of tut
progress Of the skirmisling, aud Of the diFcc
ion to be given TO their guns. Every com
| l'any Of Federal troops carried flags Eo tha
there wls no danger Of inJuTing our own men
The force Of rcbcls in the woods was etfvctu
| ally dispersed by this shclling. which WAS re
markably accurate, and must iave done grea
damage to the enemy. When the field WIZ
r$-1$r rfa+1 nnF
was covered with fragments Of human bodies
and blood stood around in puddles, as if it hat
been slaughter yard. NJ other opposition
was ot1rred to the advance Of our troops, ant
i Tie Sevent y-ninth New FORK mrs sent on tt
, | the fort.
They advanced without hinching; mean
| while, however, the gunboats had been pour
I ing heavy fire into the battery; but it VIZ
4 ! still uncertain whether it had been abandoned
when the Seventy ninth entered and ran VI
the American f1ag. Immediately tEO compa
5 mics Of pioneers and the whole Roundhea4
!, | tPcnnsylvania} regiment Col Leasure, cross
cd Port Royal Ferry on the ferry boats, as ha
:, been previously arranged, and set to work de
1 stro.ing the fort. They completely leyellc
:. the earth walls, burned the wood work, seize
: the solitary gun left behind, 4 bronze eightee
FOUNDER marked Georgius Rex, and fred tn
! buildings which had been used by the rebel
4 for military purposes. The enemy's force ha
S been entirely Withdrawn at an early hour i
| LIE MQIulDEt stuu AAC Eulla lE1ltfEu. ILL
| was reported By the negroes.
= While all this WIS occurring, the tTo gur
! hoats, Seneca and Ellen, had come up fto1
: Broad river through a short cut, the Wha1
+ branch, into the Coosaw. and she11ed an II
5 complete work Of the enemy at scabrook, tw
E miles beyond Port Royal Ferry. After thi
+ was accomplished body Of 200 troops crosse
= I under cover Of their guns, from the islanG
n and destroyed the work. The Seneca and E.
t len then joined their consorts, and all five {
g. .J~ fty1A $.SH4 $r7r1r
= the ferry while the complete destruction ofth
= rebel battery was consun1mated.
= It vas long after nightfau before this wa
: completed, and the flames Of the bu1nin
= | buildings were answered in twenty difcreu
directions By the blazing cotton-houses, FIRE
r By the rebels, who thus proved that they e,
uected to be driven still farther back, and wer
l. ! making preparations for defeat. Before nit
| night, General Stevens received a flag Of truct
asking permission for the enemy to burr the
y dead. One hour WIS granted; but before th
T. reply reached the rebel officer who bore th
i | Tag, he had galioped of. Whether the who]
affair was ruse OF not, it is impossible to So,
~ If in earnest, the loss Of the enemy must haE
- been large, or he would not have deemed
Is necessary to make the request Some four
= five bodies Of the rebels were found and il
. | tered by orr troops, and many more fra!
ments Of bodies seen lying on the fields.
The Orleans Princes Leave for III
rope.
The New York correspondent Of the Phil
4 adelpbia Inquirer says:
le The two Orleans Princes, while in tow
n were almost nightly the guests Of soH
d. prominent citizen Or other up town. It
q said that they have resigned the places the
IS 1,,re racan4lv hold an General Efcf.la13an
!; staa. and are making preparations to 1etul
sez to Europe. + cannot ascertain that al
ID reason is assigned for this proceeding. apa
Of from the apprehension Of the Prince de Joi
ID vile that the United States is about to be ct
e8 brn1ed with f0rpfnn nowers and that il is II
af desirable that his nephews should be in a p
Eition which might necessisate them, even
appearance, to take up arms against Franc
~ OF IA ally Of France. This is q rather sing
~ ~ lar statement for the Prince to ma&e, und
fG 1s1fI ha1,u he haSt