The New York herald., 1863-01-25

naD1 ree out Amongst thcm aud hcvc and there spoke
~ aDgsopsAte WORDS intended Inspire the troops iorp
~ >xpsessa assault upon the FORT To Ohio
Gssps - said"I expect great thisss from Ohio to-day
- - nssssw." I'VE win follow you, General" was
tnsk reply 70 some OF the Illinois regiments he sa,d
'linsiaans, wAstyoa emulate the example already
sAswn by the troops Of your lustSious State" To The
vxsynfth Illinois hs saiA:6oldis. expect you 70 add
" ethe brilliant for yourselves at Shilohn "We
wiHsv and do n, Geoesai;' and ihen they checred
Barry In the afternoon The gunboats firing
sieeas shen whilst troops forming In the fields
Necenpoi<sSng parties were sent out 10 examine Tho
ground In 'front.' Ascertaiued that thsye two
roxs Of rifle pits or embankmcnts, having a interval
euDrasures for artillery. They seemed 70 bo aban.
Aoon1. General Sherman directed General stuas
70 move with hs division along the sves parallel with
river. covering hs front with regiment Of skmish
eS and 10 found tho works Abandoned y enter quaekiy
M display his coiors 70 the Eunboass This was deas,
~ 10 SreasswOrs found 70 b. abandoned Aboas
ips of waeoas W. seen saiss oas u u fort
- rsbei troops wore observed IN moseua Issw ons
4rEs red dag ~ loSked IKE battle ag) carried y the
AosSO hody a TROOPS q doS6Is quck. II vas borno
Gong over tho opsa ground until u disappeared inside The
~ seassA that The rsbes were leaving ths Post
&Rsady rshll n9w AuA several sshsr prisoners bad
bsea caysuseA soon after three O'Clock Ssuasrs div
stca, a Ghwmaa's corps, In position on tho right,
ready open the attack but Mosans corps, which
occupy Tho sft, had not yct been depioyed takss
tsh 6shArk tToops, form them ths neid and depoy
sAem line, previous General MccIsrnand
ssnt orders 70 Morgan make haste tho troops whIch
hsA hsss dsbarked prepared 70 mako the assault
and ~ The sans time sgnalizsd the Admiral that he
might advance with tho gunSoass and open nre. The
gunboass advanced nrst the rsn-ciads then the
Admirals flagship, and then the light draught gun
boats, known ~ tho "Mosquito Fleet" Il had
been previously arranged between tho General and
tho Admiral that whom the sound Of tho attack by the
troops WAS heard the Admiral would open tho terrific
cannonading Of the gunboats Il at nrst suppose1
that the assault would be made and perhaps tho fort
duced thas day but At sundown tho troops tho
right had not worked round far enough surround
the fotand In truth, tho troops not IN position TO
attack. II apparent that would be compelled
TO walt tl day Sunday assault upon tho
fort.
BRILLIANT NIGHT BoABAEDMRsT.
However, we witnessed brief night bombardment by
the gunboats. They moved up above tho bend OF the
river Indicated In the map, 10 within few hundred
yards OF the FORT and commenced the cannonade just
about sundown. BY ak O'Clock they had become fairly
engaged with the fort As the twilight faded and the
darkness dcepencd tho the river beautiful At tho
commencement, grew grander tin the end u the BON
bardment. Perhaps there is nothing in terribly
AA8niucent as uIknt DOmUhfui0cnt. zero were sosn
the gunboats the river, arranged in line aud
close 70 tho fort, tho fearful flashes from their
and from those IN the enemys utrsnch,nenta lu
nlnating the whole horizon vivid ightning docs
tho revcSberaions Of the sounding IKE the oudess
thunder, the cracking noise Of the vocys Of uskesry
nre from tho river banks a the gunboats the columns
ef black SMOKE ascending from their smoxestacks the
appearing the clesr sky which s displayed tho
departing grandeur Of the crimson sunset Tne Admiral
IN the littls stcamtug, moving quickly about from
boat TO boat giving orders. Tho light draught gvnboat
Rather, walter Smith, Lieutenant CSmmander, passed
almost under the guns Of the FORT and struck ssvers
times. One hall passed completely through her smash
ing everything in the csplains cabin She not ono Of
tbs regular ronclads There iron hsr only for the
pretsctiou = her guns. Another shot from the fors
struck tho Iron and glanced on; but the momentum Of
the bal forced In tho woodwork. and struck Jolly
tar In The face, fracturing his jaw. On the sido
which was exposed to tho nre Of the fort q shot
struck the davits and carried ons Of her boaIs away
The damage 10 the Rather s slght and BE-
paired. 1hsSCncnnat, Lieutenant Commander George
L. Bschs the baron DcKslb Lieutenant Commander John
H. Walker and the Louisville Lieutenant Commander X
L. Owen, all Hon-clads also the fort aud
tanned injuries The Cine cnnAt for threw
grape and canister the fort one shell cxpoddd on
her deck doing fearful among the crew shc
had killed outright, two mortally and over .
dozcn slightly wounded. Tho little tug from which tho
Admiral was directing the operations of the gunbosn
was struck several times And thus the bombardfnsnt
continued for over half an hour. II brief but
brilliant We have since asceralned that by the expo.
of shell In u Tho cf the fort quite
considerable number Of tho enemy were killed aud
wounded.
cArruRs
Whilst We wore watching this gunboat bombardmant,
(o Gtua NJ Mcf.l dss
gia who had gone out scouting with cavalry Game
IN with ,x,y seventy prisoners whom they had cap.
turcd camps outside the fort These cxmrs consisted
Of tents and log houses calculated quarter
quito . large number Of troops. These were cap
ured about half mie from iho tort. convssscsut
camp Among them Lieutenant shcsiinbergsr, Of
the Third Iioos cavalry, whom the rebels had taken
prisoner wheo they cxpturoi tie Bus wisg. He was
recaptured. Ths prisoners said they were every
moment expecting The arrival os renforcsaenis u tbs
Tort and that when the assault ssou,d made shcud
learn that would hare tough time taking
nDsIcsr rxRovaa forxr Avn svAnr
After O'Clock General McCIcrnAnS issued his
orders for The night The troops 10 get posi
ton during the night ready 10 make this attack The
morning General Sherman swing his right round
n " invest tho fort brigade WAS thrown across
the river In order 70 prevent the arrival Of
dswn the escape q the gsrrisos up tho sbsr
could the natural obstacles Ia hs way on.
sstng of swampe and bayors and the river
tho fort, the whole rebel force would be surrounded
and captured. BY reference 70 ths accompanying map u
will b. that tho bcnd la the offered spsadid
opportunity to invest the fort The whole affair was veil
planned aod admirably cxecatod. shsrnan. columns
commenced on saturday night working round 10 the
right withoui any guides whatever. the brigade corn.
nsDders took their troops through the almost imrrns
uabe frest u tangled timber and marshes Indicated In
the map. Generals Hoysy, ThsyS snd Blair bssiy
engaged pushing their brlgAiss through that s-smpy
region. Tho mud and tho darkness wess % great that
lbey oomp~ed 10 isave er artillery is the real
until the morning when dsyiisht dawned y revealed 70
view their long lines of nfanty dspoyed IN spisndd
style amid the Tres and bushes, ths riSht sim working
round 70 complete tbs Investment II ths fort when the
rebels uw iboss iinss tAsy muss have bssa convinced
that means ~ escape sss them we're slnoss Gu, d.