The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-02

I -
ne Ysn1aeena KIgAt -0Be1al nepeet
q Cs5ensl 1sswn.
Prom De Ssilewlns rspsst 81 81 Har,,,
Brown Il viii ~ sssa thss Ne shasasssssss.
dlssase Sf aH yAnhse1on- stsStsg 81
Saldsrdssh- disssninatsd isssIfshroueS
ssssy vsin Of tAAs ed hpntas. Can Lin.
.coln's ninions mueh longer PIT up with s.eh
straih ~ thess Tying ysoelamAtl0ns from thsl,
leaders
HsADe'as DspAsrnss. OF FLoHIpA.
fort Packsns. Nov. rs, 1851.
General. That Fort Pjcksns has been =.
isas.ssd y ne r:es1: fo n., Inc ,ss aa.
with the fate Of Ssmter, 10 . fact notorious
to the whole world. eiscs its occupancy 3,
Lieut.. Stem mer the rebels lave been spr
rounding It with batteries. and daily armin,
guns known 70 our ssrvice-guns stolen from
the Unissd Statss--until they consider Cd hi,
fort a. virtually their own, It's occupancv
being only question OF time.
have b~en In command since the 18th n,
April. and during the whois Of that tns
their fofce has averaged, so far az can learn
from eight TO ten times the mum Der Of nina
The posittOn ia which ! have thas hsss
have IT three separats timss Intended "a
free my self from IL, BY opeG lng my oattsrits
on them, but imperious ciIcumssAnces over
which mad no control. has unexpectedly
each instance prevented.
AYairs were in this state on the morp,u,
Of the eth OF. October, when the enemy, n.
teen hundred strong, attacked by suYpyissa
portion Of my command on AL INTENSELY
dark night. They were dsfe Aied and driven
from the island With great loss by lees thaa
TWO hundred regulars and nifty volunteer
all the Efficient force had uisposabis tor the
purpose. -,
OF BY mo be passed unnoticcd, ana design.
ed ini medixteiy TO take appro piiaie nohcs o..
It.; but, as l said before, circumstances over
W Mich had TO control prevented. nsks
thee prt fa-ory remarks 10 explain whyl
have now opened my batteries on The enslay,
when, from the smaiiness OF my forcsss Aboss
one.sixth of his, tuirIesu hundred tO eight
thousand, have not the means OF prod0cllS
Any decisive results, aud as evidence of ny
having accom- piishsd what aesigned--ihs
punlshing the perpetrators OF hh Insult OF my
counlry's flag.
Having Ia ' ted nag officer KcKean to co.
operate with mc III attacking the rebels, and
to which he gave u ready and cOr0iai assent
!, on The m oraisg OF the I'D. opened my BAL
tsries on the enemy, TO which, In the cours
OF half An hour, ne responded from ms M
marous forts and batteries extending from
the navy-yard 10 Fort NC Rae. oisiAncsa
about tJur miles, the whole nearly equi'du
tant from this fort, and on which line Nc hu
two torts--Mc hae and barrancas-and four
teen separate batteries, containing from ore
to four guns, many OF inem being ten inea
coium blads, and some IL and lSinch SEA
coast mortars, the distance varying IRON
TWO thousaD nd one hundred to two Thousand
nine hunored yards from this tort. AT The
same time of my 0penin 4, nag officer Mexican,
in the Niagara, aud Capt. Eliison, In tas
Richmond, took position be near to Fort As.
kas a. the depth of wafer would permit, eui
which unios tunately was not sufhcienuy
oeep to give full effect to their Lowerful baL
tsrles. Yeey, however, kept up sparitsd
fiIe ON the fors and acJacsn batteries o0fint
the whole day.
MY Gre was iucessaut from the time Of open.
ing until 1t was TOO dark to see, At the rate Of
SHOT Tor each gun every fifteen or twenty
minutes, the fire OF the enemy being some
what slower. BY noon the guns VI For
McRae were all silsLced but one, ana thrs
hours before eunhet this fort aud the adJol
ing battery ceased fire. i directed the SE-'
CT batteries Lincoln, Cameron and TotN
principally on the Batteries adJacsnt 10 10
navy yard, those OF battery Scott TO fG,
me kae, aud the ligh thouse, batteries md
those Of tho fort TO ALI. We reduced very PEI
csptibly the fire Of Barrancas, entirely IL
fenced that In the navy. yard, and IN ousr
two OF the other battsries; the efficiencyG
cur fire, at the close Of the day not being aa
least impaired.
The next morning I again opened, abou.
the same hour, the navy, unfortunately
owing to q reduction In the depth Ut walG
caused by change OF the wind, not bel
able to get so near rs yesterday, consequen1y
the distance waAtoo great to DO ensctual-
My fire this day vas less rapid, and thin,
more efficient, than thai OF yesterday. Fat
McRae, 30 effectually silenced yesterday, dl /
not fire again to day. We silenced entirsy
one or two guns, and had one Of ours da.
bled BY a shot coming through the EN- b..
sure.
About three O'Clock fire was communicas
TO one Of the houses In Warrington, al
shortly afterwards TO the church seesple. "
church and the whole village being immss =
ately In the rear Of some OF the rebel baiA
riss. they apparently having placed the
purposely directly In front of the lafgz B
and most val uan ole buildings.
The fire rapidly communicated TO 0taG
buildings along the street until probasi
| two thirds OF it was consumed and aba
| the same time fire was discovered isaoig
| from the back part of the Navy Yard. prcst |
| bly, in Wolcott, a village to the north nd Ia
| medirteiy adjoining tire yard, as Warrts |
ten does on the west. Finally II penrtraiA
| TO the yard, and ~ ir cnntin ned to bun
| brightly all night, concluded that either 10
| il or In Wolcott many buildings were d.
streyed. VERY heavy damage was also don.
| to the buildings Of the yard by the nvalanchs
Of shot, shell and splinsers showered nncea,
ingly on them for two days, and being near!
fire proof, being built of brick and covera
with elats. could not uc,esd IN firing thsn,
my hot shot nor shell not having any povu
Of igniting them.
Tho steamer lime, which was at the whar
at the time, was abandoned on the first dsJ
and exposed to our nr-, which probably en-.
tirely disabled her. Tue fire was again en-.
tinued till dark, and with mortars occasicE
ally until two O'Clock neat morning, wha
the combat ceased.
This fort, at Its conclusion, thoagh It ha
received great many shot and shell. 10
every respect, save the disabling OF one era.
carriage, and the loss OF service Of si Z mei.
az efficien. N IL was 1t the commensurate
tho cOmbit, but the ends proposed la CON
mencirg having been attained. excspt oIt
which and to be impracticabis with ny
present means. do not deem II advtssba
further to continue 1t, unless the enemy thili
rrops TO do 20, when shall NEE, him via
nlacrity.
The attack on '"Billy Wilson's" camp, IL
attempted attack on my batteries, and is
Insult to our glorious nag, have been full!
and fearfuily averaged. / have no means Of
knowing the loss of the enemy, aud have 10
disposition to guess ut IL. The drtng on ha
batteries ives very heavy, well directed. saG
continued for two day., and could hardly ISL
OF having important results.
Oar loss wonid have been heavy but for ~
foresight which, with great labor. caused .
to erect elaborate meaLs Of protection, sra
which saved many lives. last one privss
killed, one sergeant. one coporal, snd sa
men ipri vates) wounded. only one severely
4 (2AUaFA1 yAry aoeetf0Hv.