the larger number were crowded with excursionists, from all the country round, who had come to witness the utter humiliation of the "Yankees" and the destruction of their fleet. One of the steamers is believed to have had the Consuls of England and France on board, for she displayed the flags of those nations, as well as the rebel ensign, and taking a position beyond the reach of danger, remained until the victory

was won.

At 9 o'clock, the fleet was signalled from the Wabash to raise anchor, and in rather more than half an hour afterward, all the vessels were in motion. They moved slowly toward the land, cautiously feeling the way with the sounding line, arranged in two columns, of which the first was led by the flag-ship, and the second by the Bienville. The first column comprised the Wabash, Susquehanna, Mohican, Seminole, Pawnee, Unadilla, Ottawa, Pembina, and Vandalia, in tow of the Isaac Smith. The gunboats Penguin, Augusta, Curlew, Seneca, and R. B. Forbes, followed in the track of the Bienville. Sufficient space was given each vessel, in order that the fire from one column might not interfere with the operation of the other. It was well understood that the Commodore intended to fight at close quarters, and the fact intensified the interest everybody felt in the approaching conflict. As the fleet moved majestically on toward the foe, the few minutes consumed in getting within range of the batteries seemed dreadfully long to the spectators, who watched in deep suspense for the commencement of the fight. At length, precisely at five minutes before 10 o'clock, the Bay Point battery opened its fire upon the Wabash, and that at Hilton Head followed almost within a second. The ships were then nearly midway between the hostile guns, and scarcely within range. For a minute they made no reply; but presently the Wabash began. Then grandly she poured from both her massive sides a terrible rain of metal, which fell with frightful rapidity upon either shore. The other vessels were not slow in following her example, and the battle was fairly begun.

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It was, I believe, part of the plan of battle to engage the batteries alternately, and the vessels preserving their relative positions, were to move in circles before the foe. This mode of procedure was decided upon, because the current sets swiftly in the straits between the fortifications, which are about two miles and three-quarters apart, and it was impossible, even had it been desirable, for the vessels to remain stationary long enough to silence one battery before attacking the other. Something occurred, however, to change these arrangements a little. It is true the larger vessels followed the Wabash, from first to last, in the prescribed way, and the Bienville, leading the second division, gallantly maintained the position which had been assigned to her throughout the entire action; but the gunboats, finding that they could bring a destructive enfilading fire to bear upon Hilton Head, by stationing themselves in a cove, about a mile's distance to the left of the fortification, took that position, and performed most efficient service. The Commodore, perceiving the good result of the manœuvre, permitted them to remain.

The Wabash was brought as near Hilton Head battery as the depth of water permitted; while soundings were given and signals made during the whole time the ship was in action, as regularly as upon ordinary occasions.

Within a distance of nine hundred yards from the rebel guns, the Wabash threw in her fiery messengers, while the other frigates, no further away, participated in the deadly strife; and the gunboats, from their sheltered nook, raked the ramparts frightfully. Thus the fire of about fifty guns was concentrated every moment upon the enemy, who worked heroically, never wavering in his reply, except when the Wabash was using her batteries directly in front of him. Then it was too hot for flesh and blood to endure. Shells fell almost as rapidly as hail-drops within, and for a mile and-a-half beyond the battery. As they struck and ploughed into the earth, a dense pillar of sand would shoot upward, totally obscuring the fortification, and driving the blinded gunners from their pieces.

From my point of observation, on board the In describing their circuit and delivering Atlantic, which had been taken as close to the their fire, the vessels consumed rather more combatants as was consistent with safety, in than an hour for each round. Little more order that Gen. Sherman might witness the than half of this time, however, was spent proceedings, it was apparent that few of the in getting into position; for gliding slowly shells, which at first were the only projectiles around, perhaps entering the bay beyond used, burst within the fortifications. The guns the fort half a mile, just far enough to perhad too great an elevation, and their iron mes-mit the safe turning of his immense ship, the sengers went crashing among the tree-tops a commodore brought her back, and repeated mile or two beyond the batteries. The same from his starboard battery, until the guns bewas the case with the rebels, whose shot passed came too hot to handle, that devastating fire. between the masts and above our vessels. The What is true respecting the firing of the Wabash frigates and gunboats each having delivered is also true respecting the Susquehanna, Bientheir fire, which mainly in this round was direct-ville, Pawnee, Mohican, and the rest. Each ed against Bay Point, passed within the bay, indifferent alike to the bursting shells, humming projectiles, and hot round-shot which the rebels furiously discharged, breaking the water into foaming columns every where around them.

vessel discharged her broadside at the shortest possible range, loading and firing again and again, with all the coolness and precision exercised in target practice, before she passed the battery.

sel, the Flag, now blockading off Charleston, and had been acting during the fight as aid to Commodore Dupont, was assigned the duty of taking the flag ashore. Himself and crew were unarmed, but they found no one to receive them. He planted the American ensign upon the deserted ramparts, and took possession of the rebel soil of South Carolina in the majesty of the United States. Another and larger StarSpangled banner was afterward displayed upon the flag-staff of a building a few rods to the left, where the rebel standard had waved during the combat, and whence it had just been taken down.

But the enemy was by no means inactive. was to inquire if the enemy had surrendered. He offered a stubborn and heroic resistance. Commander John Rodgers, a passenger on the Looking through a powerful telescope belong-Wabash, who had come down to join his vesing to the engineer officers of the expedition, I saw, when the ships were approaching the battery the second time, two men wearing red shirts. They had been particularly active, and now sat at the muzzle of a gun, apparently exhausted, and waiting for more ammunition. This terrible fire from the fleet was falling all around them, but they moved not, and I doubted if they were alive. Finally they sprang up and loaded their piece-a shell at that instant burst near them, and they disappeared, doubtless blown into atoms. I heard frequently, during the hottest of the fight, most unqualified expressions of approval for the manner in which the rebels served their guns. That their marksmanship was good, the torn hulls and cut rigging of our vessels, rather than the number of killed on board, furnish full evidence.

After the second round had been brilliantly fought on both sides, the Wabash gave a signal to the vessels which had been most actively engaged, to cease firing and give refreshments to their men. Accordingly the steamers repaired to a point beyond reach of the batteries, and the poor sailors-nearly exhausted with their work-satisfied their hunger and gratefully accepted a few moments' repose. Then it was that the gunboats did their most efficient cannonading. Their shell and round shot flew straight across the parapet of the fortification, driving the men from their guns and making dreadful havoc. The little steam-tug Mercury, Master Commanding Martin, gallantly steamed into a shallow bay to the left of the fort, not more than half a mile distant, and presenting her diminutive figure to the rebel guns, opened upon them with her thirty-pounder Parrott, which was fired rapidly and with good effect. From her proximity to the fort, Capt. Martin was probably the first to see that the rebels were preparing to evacuate the place. In rear of the fortification, extending about three-fourths of a mile, is a broad meadow bounded by dense woods. Across this open space the enemy was carrying his dead and wounded, and wagons were hurriedly removing the equipage of the

camp.

The Mercury, steaming closer to the shore, found that the battery had been deserted, and immediately took the news to the flag-ship, which, by this time, with her sister vessels, was coming up like a destroying angel to renew the conflict. The commodore almost simultaneously received confirmation of the tidings from other sources, and even while listening to the words of the messenger, the rebels struck their flag.

The signal to cease firing was at once hoisted, and it being precisely a quarter to three o'clock, the bombardment had been nearly five hours in

Commodore Tatnall and his gunboats disappeared in the early part of the engagement. He sent a few shots toward the fleet, but as usual his boats were not near enough to do us injury. Much regret was felt that neither of our fast steamers pursued and captured the Commodore. He would have been an interesting prisoner. Among the papers found in the secessionist garrison was one from Mr. Tatnall, in which he promised emphatically to General Drayton, who commanded the rebel forces, that his gunboats should be, brought down from Savannah, and that they should share the fate of the forts. The promise was kept and the fate was shared-the latter much earlier than was necessary.

Ten thousand eager eyes beheld our flag as it was planted upon the parapet, and who shall describe the enthusiasm with which the sight was greeted? Cheer followed cheer from the men-of-war, and were echoed by the transports in the distance. Tears of joyful pride filled many an eye; hands were cordially shaken, heartfelt congratulations for the glorious victory were expressed. Some, in the exuberance of their exultation, danced wildly and clapped their hands, until it seemed doubtful whether they would ever cease their antics. Nor was the ebullition of patriotic fervor at all decreased when the regimental bands, with earnest feeling, as if by a spontaneous impulse, all struck up "The Star-Spangled Banner," the majesty of which had been so signally vindicated.

The transports had been lying during the engagement with their anchors "hove short," ready to run up to the fort with their troops at the first sign of victory. Immediately they got under way, steaming quickly along through hundreds of shell cases, which, having been emptied of their contents, were thrown overboard, and now dotted the smooth water for miles around us, telling as plainly as words of the large number of shots that bad been fired. As the transports passed the ships which had participated in the glories of the day, cheer after cheer was cordially given by the soldiers in acknowledgment of the dauntless courage which had resulted in such a victory, and the enthusiasm was undiminished until long after

away the dead and wounded. I was afterward told by a negro-a slave-who gave himself into custody, that the rebels, believing their position to be impregnable, and confident of sinking the ships, had invited the ladies of the neighborhood to come down and see our chastisement. Many did so, and the broken carriages in the field had conveyed them thither, but in view of the unexpected result of the fight, these vehicles were devoted to the use of the wounded.

our anchors had been dropped, a few hundred | family carriages, which had been used to carry yards from shore, and the boats were being collected for the purposes of disembarkation. The limited means for landing made the operation one of the slowest and most tedious I have ever witnessed. The surf and flat boats first went alongside the steamers containing Wright's brigade, and one regiment was put on shore before any attempt to move another was made. I must be permitted to remark, without intending to be offensive, that soldiers on shipboard are awkward enough, but pack them closely in a small boat and they seem to lose all There was plenty of testimony regarding the control over their limbs, so that nothing what-destructiveness of our fire-not alone from the ever can be done with them. This characteristic intractability was not lacking on this occasion, and it seemed that each particular man took ten minutes to get himself on board after the order to enter the boat was given. Adding to the delay was the fact that the beach shelved so gradually that none of the loaded boats could approach it within fifty yards or more; and the soldiers, therefore, had to divest themselves of shoes and stockings, and flounder through water up to their knees. Leaving these unfortunate creatures with my mind filled with misgivings as to the consequences should the rebels rally to attack them in their unprepared condition, I sauntered into the fort and examined it.

It was then in charge of Lieut. Barnes, of the Wabash, who had been sent on shore with his battalion, consisting of seventy sailors and fifty marines. Sentinels were pacing upon the parapets and at the approaches to the work, and pickets were stationed about two hundred yards from the outer limits, on the flanks and at the rear. Evidences of the wild confusion-nay, the abject terror-in which the rebels had left the fort, were abundant everywhere. There were twenty-three guns in the fort, only three of which had been dismounted by our fire, and not one of the remainder had been spiked. Several, indeed, were loaded, ready for our men to defend themselves in case they should be attacked; while the magazines, of which there were three in the fort, contained ammunition enough to withstand a very long siege.

prisoners, of whom about twenty fell into our hands, but also from the very earth itself, where numerous deep and long furrows, caused by ricochetting shells, and fragments of jagged iron, in countless quantity, told mutely and more impressively.

Eight dead bodies, some shockingly mangled, were found within the fort. One was that of a young officer, whose legs had been shot away. There was a mangled arm in one place, halfburied in the sand, and in another, near where the huge guns lay prone with their carriages shattered, were mangled pieces of flesh immersed in gore. I saw still other sickening things.

Commander Charles Steedman, of the Bienville, himself a native of Charleston, with that humanity which is ever the handmaid of bravery, assumed the task of interring the remains of those South Carolinians who had fallen. This was accomplished in as respectable a way as circumstances permitted, and the Episcopal burial service was read by the chaplain of the Wabash.

Meanwhile, as the troops landed, they scattered themselves about the encampment, apparently under no control of their officers, but possessed with the one idea of plundering the property which the rebels had left. This conduct was utterly inexcusable, as the victory had been won without their slightest aid; but, for a while, nothing but pillaging went on. The soldiers were eclipsed, however, in their disgraceful deeds by the crews and some of the The encampment, consisting of about eighty officers of the transports. These last, not contents, to the left of the fortifications, indicated, tent with securing a slight memento of the if any thing, more plainly than the fort, how fight, filled their boats with trunks, muskets, hurriedly its late occupants had decamped. and other "portable property," which they Most of the tents had been undisturbed. Offi- placed on board their ships, and then returned cers' furniture, uniforms and other clothing, for more. It was painful to witness the wandress swords, small stores, with here and there ton destruction of clothing, which the ravagers an article which told that even in camp the trod under foot after they had obtained it from warriors had not been wholly bereft of the so- trunks that were broken open in their desire to ciety of their wives, mothers, and sisters-were find more valuable spoils. The free use of left as significant tell-tales of a sudden depart- whiskey, which was found in abundance among ure. Over the meadow, to which I before al- the officers' stores, began to have its effects luded, were scattered blankets, knapsacks, (some upon the men; and, finally, only after stringent of which, singularly enough, were recognized measures had been resorted to, was some deas those which had been cast away by our gree of order restored. panic-stricken troops at Bull Run,) muskets, bayonets, cartridge-boxes, and a few dead mules and broken vehicles, not camp wagons, but

I learned that the tars who landed earliest obtained some splendid trophies. The most elegant was a sword, with silver scabbard and