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Doc. 37. the burning of the dry dock, at Pensacola, Fla., Sept. 2, 1861.

A correspondent writing from Fort Pickens September 14, gives the following account of the affair: Several months since, the rebels removed the dry dock, lying at the Warrenton Navy Yard, out into the channel and sunk it, the object being to intercept the passage of vessels into the bay in case of an engagement. Not content with the disposition thus made of it, a plan was formed to pump out the water, raise and float it further down to a position opposite Fort McRea, where the channel is very narrow, and where, if sunk, it would effectually bar the passage inward of any vessel of size.

On the night of the 31st of August, Colonel Brown got an inkling of the design on foot, from the unusual stir at the Navy Yard, the frequent passage of boats to and from the shore, conveying, what afterward proved to be fuel for the furnaces, to the dock, &c. His plans to defeat the accomplishment of the purpose which the enemy had in view were quickly formed. Selecting one of his most trusty officers, Lieut. Shipley, he gave him orders to hold himself in readiness with a crew of picked men, to man a boat the following night, cautiously to approach the dry dock, land upon and set fire to it, then retreat as speedily as possible for the fort.

Colonel Brown, in the mean time, made every preparation for a general engagement. He could not believe that the enemy would allow a handful of men to approach so near his batteries, burn the dock, and find their way unmolested back to the fort, and he had fully determined, if the retreating boat was fired upon, at once to open with all his guns upon the Navy Yard and the adjoining batteries, which, we all trusted, would lead to a general engagement.

All the next day (Sunday) was employed in making preparations. At the fort bomb-shells were filled and placed convenient to the mortars, the furnaces were filled with fuel, ready to be ignited at a moment's warning, for the purpose of heating cannon balls, and the officers and men were all detailed to their respective positions at the guns.

In our camp there was an unusual degree of excitement. Although we could not expect to take a very active part while the bombardment lasted, yet we longed for the fray to commence.

As there were several guns upon the opposite shore pointing directly toward our camp, every [118] thing was placed in a state of readiness so that a removal could be made at a moment's notice, and now we waited expectantly for the coming darkness.

Night came, cloudless; the heavens, lit up by hosts of stars, looked beautiful beyond description. The opposite shore was plainly visible, and the enterprise seemed too hazardous, as in the planning of it, a darker night had been looked for. Upon consultation it was thought best to wait till the following night.

All day Monday a strong breeze blew from off the Gulf; rain was expected but none fell. Night came and the sky was cloudy.

A few minutes after “tattoo,” (nine o'clock,) Lieutenant Shipley left the beach in front of the fort in a boat with eleven picked men, rowing noiselessly for the dry dock.

The boat reached the dock without being challenged, was made fast, when the men sprang up prepared to encounter and overcome the sentries, who had often been seen stationed upon it at night; none were found, however, and they proceeded to accomplish their work. Combustible material of various kinds had been prepared and brought along, together with three large columbiad shells. These were placed in the boilers. The combustibles properly arranged, word was given for the men to go aboard the boat, Lieutenant Shipley remaining to apply the match, which done, he quickly followed in their wake. Scarcely had a distance of twenty yards from the doomed structure been gained by the gallant little band when the flames burst forth, followed almost immediately by the explosion of the shells which filled the air with fragments that fell in a perfect shower around the retreating boat, but fortunately injuring none of its crew.

As the first streak of flame mounted upward, the “long roll” sounded at the Navy Yard, the soldiers stationed there turned out in haste, the engineers ran to their guns, and every thing was wild confusion: but not a shot was fired, the boat reached the shore in safety, the crew disembarked and proceeded to the fort to receive the congratulations of their comrades. Meanwhile the whole sky was illumined by the tall spires of flame which shot upward from the burning dock.

All night long the fierce element sped on its work of destruction, and when morning dawned a shapeless mass of ruin, floating upon the water, was all that remained of the dry dock, which cost the government upwards of a million and a half of dollars, but which the “mad demon of rebellion” had wrested from its grasp.

Who would have thought that the hot-headed Southerners could bear all this tamely? Some immediate act of retaliation was expected, but none followed.

Nearly two weeks went by, and life in camp, which had been slightly swayed from its usual monotonous course by the event just narrated, turned back into the old channel.

The enemy made no demonstrations. Every thing seemed quiet upon the opposite shore. The columbiad planted upon the dock of the Navy Yard frowned upon our camp, plainly visible, now that the dock yard no longer intercepted the vision.

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