The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-09-03
HAEuoR on pENshcoLA.

HAEBoE
Orders were given by the Flag Officer 10 place
bags filled with coal around such portions Of
the machinery as were exposed 10 shot, and
nearly all the work was done which is neccs-
sary 10 prepare for action"
Early on the morning of the DIST the Flag
Officer went on shore 10 confer with Col
Brown, commanding the lama forces, regarding
the preiminarios. AZ noon lac returned, and
orders were issued TO complete all necessary
arrangements. Tho naval forces wero 90 move
in 20 daylight and engage Fort McRae the
water battery and the la battery ip front OF
Mcl,ae, all three OF which could bring their
guns 10 bear upon either Fort pickens or the
shipping in iis immediate vicinity. NO idea
OF the strength % these places could be formed,
and thus ID was highly important that their
Gre should DE drawn, because they culladed the
parlpel guns OF Fort Tickcns. ID had Teen
arranged iIat as soon as The steamers came
down from Pensacola 90 the Navy yard, The
fort WIS 10 open Ere upon them, SO as % sink
them I'll p0s- BILE aud thus cut or ali means Of
bringing down IciHf0rccmcuts from the town.
The fIst gun from the loIt was 10 be the signal
for us 10 move u and open fire. sufficient food
was cooked Cor two days rati0us and az % late
hour All turned IN % dream OF terrible battles
aud hair breadth escapes on The morrow.
8y sunrise on The morning Of the pa every
thing was la readiness The boasts were huistcd
out aud moved alongside, shot and shell got
up, aud steam, ready 10 move iu at short no.
tice. About l0 "a. no. Hg could see the steamers
coming down 81 The Navy yard, little suspect
ing their doom was sealed. Iu a very short
time they were fast ID the dock. Smoke WAS
seen 10 issue from Forl picEous and The BOOM
ing OF gun pave us notice that everything
was .u readiness Tor thC action 10 commence.
"A cheer burst forth from our men, aud 10 eyer q
ships anchor came up lively ID was ours. IN
order 10 bring our guns Within range ID was
necessary l0r us 90 ran u very shoal water and
consequently b. required the utmost caution Ia
working tID ship. While working our way iu
the Richmond Camcuuder our stern and as she
drew less Water thgn we dbl, the Commodore
Ordered Der 60 join aud open fire as soon as She
was within range She passed us, aud took q
position nearer the land and opened FIRE.
Meanwhile Tho water battery aud Fort HcBea
were doing ,Eo.r best o. lfIgIteu us by throw
ing SHOT that .r.i about q mile short. We kept
on stead 81 until wC thought Fc were within
range aud then came o. anchor.
The action was begun iy 1rst firing an 81
pound rife and ID told with very good effect.
A few more were fired but finding that we
were too ia o. we hove up our anchor aud
ran .u about 0ue-iolriH Of q mile further We
now again opened iTs from our broaisiie guns,
HUd this time 10 some purpose Almost cvcry
shot told Tic J0huuics were constantly
Increasing iac charge Of powder or else getting
NOR. elevation, i0r their shots gradually came
nearer % us though lt WAS not NATL lGtc in
thr afternoon that we were struck. Bv noon
both The Richmond and Niagara. together with
the guns Di Fort Pickcus and Battery Scot,
were playing into Fort Ncl,ae and tho sur
rounding batteries we averaged one shell
every three minutes, while thC guns from the
land batteries. including the forts, averaged
two shells every minuto.
About . p. %. firing commenced from q
masked battery which disclosed itself Do tho
woods along tIc shore about milo south oil
Mclan THIS battery seemed % have "a par3 ic
uIar piie against u.s. by The pcrluacly of iii
hrc. Many 0i their shots came very close
Their attention seemed turned towards th,
Richmond. only one shot. however, tool
effect This killed one Uau and wounded
seven Tor some reason our shots seemed a
fall short and as THE tide was about turning
we dropped farther 0ut During this engage
meHt shell from Font Iicecus sci Ere 90
frame house boa the rear OF Ncl.ac, aud for th,
time bClGE the rebel fort was cHgcloUed iu
cloud al smoke. Soon after this Gre broke 4u
theT flagstaff was shot away, aud tu, sacro
rag came clown lv tHc run. They sUBse
queuly raised tapaiu Iu another place
During tho afternoon few shots passed owe
us aud dropped iutO tho water, and one par
ticu.ar gun which VIC Thought 10 De an "hrm
EtIDNN hI RI ItAhhiAH il Jig man ll.ttNifN
Fayr us considerable annoyance. They sac
cce9c1 BOZ planting one 0, tEpir shots in one q
the lieuicuauts rooms D. made rather al
ugly Ho.c DOB tUc side of thc ship bu. Wc rc
turned tho compliment with interest and d
doubt d.sm0uutcd lhC gun luT it ceased lriu
altogether We ceased lIiup at D. ln., it has
ing become too dark 90 get good aim. DuIu
thc afternoon 2J1 shells aud solid shot wef
fired from the two guuH0ats. our continue
firing set Gre 10 De town az Warrington au
the Navy yard. The former had been bumiu
since b. m. About 900 shots were Ere
FROM l0u PIckeus aud the surrounding bat
tcr.gs. The sight was grand, sublime, exec
ling anything Dl the kind ever before wi
messed by The troops stationed on Santa 10.
Island.
On The morning Of tho 28l Gre was agai
opened 900 Fort McEac During the past D Igl
the enemy had been busy Do repairing dan
ages 90 their WatCr batteries DO front OF NcRa
I'lIis, with another masked battery opened o
Us aud Tor some time kept upa vigorous Gr
aud as the morning advanced other masko
batteries discharged themselves all along a
beach. In aIl Wc supposed that al least 80 qua
opposed as. Fort PicEeus and the surr0undiu
batteries ou Santa Rosa Island delivered vel
effective fire, soon compelling the enemy
cease aring hy as Il was supposed, dsmouH
ms their guns Late Ia the afternoon Ere vi