The naval attack on Port Royal.
results of the engagement — our batteries abandoned — the enemy in full possession of the harbor — the inhabitants all left Beaufort, &c., &c.From Charleston and Savannah papers, received last night, we obtain full particulars of the naval attack on Port Royal. The Charleston Mercury, of the 9th, contains the following: A mass of conflicting rumors reached us yesterday from Port Royal. Early in the day it was generally believed that the abandonment of Fort Walker was owing to the powder having been exhausted. Our latest dispatches bring us the very different, and much less mortifying statement, that the Fort was held by its defenders until twenty-seven, out of its twenty-nine guns, were dismounted and useless. From a passenger direct from the scene of action, we learn that each of the enemy's transports was convoyed into the harbor by two war steamers, one on either side. In this order they passed our batteries, the two war steamers delivering a broadside each, as they steamed rapidly by. When a number of their vessels had thus reached the interior of the harbor, an incessant and simultaneous fire of shot and shell was opened upon Fort Walker, from three sides — the steamers in side, those outside, and one just in front of Hilton Head, taking part in the attack. Not withstanding the abandonment of our batteries, we hear no news, thus far, of the enemy attempting a landing. We understand that our forces have placed formidable obstructions in the river at a point about four miles below Beaufort. Gen. Lee is said to be constructing fortifications at Beaufort, while General Ripley is erecting works at Boyd's Landing for the defence of the railroad. Reports were current yesterday that the Wabash had been burned to the water's edge and that one of the enemy's transports was sunk in Broad River; but we could find no substantial basis for these rumors. We give below the dispatches received yesterday and last night:
Abandonment of our batteries.
Pocataligo, November 8, 3 A. M.
--Our batteries at Bay Point and Hilton Head have been abandoned by the garrisons.
The enemy have possession of Port Royal harbor and Broad River.
All the inhabitants have left Beaufort, taking with them such of their affects as they could carry off. The town is now almost deserted.
It is presumed that the enemy will effect a landing to-day, either at Beaufort or at some point in the immediate neighborhood.
[second Dispatch.]
Savannah, Nov. 8, 3 P. M.
--The steamer Sampson has arrived from Port Royal, bringing some of our men who were wounded in the engagement yesterday.
The principal fighting took place directly between Fort Walker at Hilton Head, and the batteries on the other side, at Bay Point.
When the Sampson left Port Royal, fifteen of the Yankee vessels were inside, and several outside.
The garrison of Fort Walker consisted of five hundred men, and 1,300 more were posted upon the island, outside the fort.
The steamship Minnesota was the first vessel to run the gauntlet of our batteries.
She was rapidly followed by the others.
They then attacked our forces simultaneously from three sides.
After the second round from the fleet the principal gun in our battery was dismounted.
The engagement lasted about five hours. All the guns in Fort Walker were dismounted, except two.
The post, being then no longer considered tenable, the two remaining guns were also dismounted, and the magazine was arranged so as to blow up when the enemy enters.
The total loss on our side was about one hundred, killed and wounded.
Among our casualties were the following:
Sergeant J. Parkerson and Private Heiss, of the Berry Infantry, (Georgia,) were slightly wounded.
Two of the Georgia Foresters, of Waresboro', Georgia, are missing.
J. W. Fontaine, of the Thomas county Volunteers, is missing.
Private Amon Thompson, of the 17th Patriots, is missing.
Two are missing from Captain Radcliffe's company.
Fifteen of one company in Col. DeSaussure's South Carolina regiment, are missing.
Dr. E. Somers Buist, of Charleston, was killed while dressing a wound.
Lieut. Smach was wounded in the leg.
Fifteen of Captain Reid's company of regulars were killed, wounded, and missing.
One of Gen. Drayton's Aids was shot from his horse.
Gen. Drayton was slightly wounded.
[third Dispatch.]
Pocotaligo. Nov. 8
--10 P. M.--Gen. Drayton and his command retreated in two steamers, by way of Pope's Ferry, in safety, and a now at Bluffton.
The last report of the casualties received here makes the number between thirty and forty. Gen. Dunnovant retreated by way of Lady's Island and Beaufort to Port Royal Ferry.
This morning Capt. Hamilton took off a company at Sam's Ferry, and landed with his company at Port Royal.
They are now at Pocotaligo.
Beaufort, probably, will not be burned.
A great deal of cotton on the Islands will fall into the hands of the enemy.
Bluffton will be burned, if attacked.
The points of danger now, are: The railroad, at Pocotaligo, Charleston and Savannah.
The Savannah (Ga.) News, of the 9th, has the following: ‘
From various sources we have gathered the following:
As stated in our paper yesterday the firing between Fort Walker and the fleet commenced about nine o'clock, the fleet giving the most of their attention to Fort Walker.
Before ten o'clock seven of the largest steamers of the fleet had passed the batteries, and when the St. Mary's left, from whose passengers we obtained our account of the first part of the action, a most terrific cannonading was going on. The fight continued until the departure of the Emma at twelve o'clock, and when the Savannah left, at 2 o'clock, the firing was unabated, except at the Bay Point battery, which had been silenced between eleven and twelve o'clock. At this time a tremendous cannonading was kept up by the fleet, consisting of some thirty-odd steamers and gun-boats, which was returned by Fort Walker, the battery on Hilton Head.
The Fort Walker armament consisted of sixteen guns, nine of which bore upon the shipping, the balance being in position on the land side.
Five or six of these guns, among them the 24-pound rifle cannon and one ten inch Columbiad, were disabled during the forenoon.
Thus disabled and their ammunition exhausted, the garrison evacuated Fort Walker between three and four o'clock, retiring in the direction of Bluffton, leaving the guns in position and unspiked, having no spikes for that purpose.
Capt. Jacob Reed's artillery corps of the First Georgia Regiment of Regulars arrived at the scene of action on Wednesday night, and on yesterday bore a gallant part in the fight.
Four or five of his men were killed early in the action.
The corps lost two of their guns and several horses.
Col. Randolph Spaulding Georgia Volunteer Regiment, commanded by Capt. Berry were also in the engagement.
They were marched to the beach where they received a galling fire of round shot and shell from the fleet, which, however, they were unable to return with their muskets.
Of the Floyd county Berry Infantry, Jas. S. Ayres, and Second Surgeon Wm. H. Perkinson, received slight wounds.
Col. Wm. H. Styles's Volunteer Georgia Regiment reached the scene of action at 11 o'clock, having marched from Skidaway--seven and a half miles distant--at the double quick.
But they were also unable to fire on the fleet, which was out of the range of their guns.
The regiment has several killed and wounded by shells from the fleet.
Our informant states that Col. Styles had two horses shot under him, and in the fall of one of them received a slight injury in the shoulder.
The Colonel and his regiment was at one time exposed to a terrific shelling from the ships, and it is only surprising that more of them were not killed and wounded.
Colonel Randolph Spaulding, not being in command of his regiment, joined a corps belonging to another regiment, and engaged in the fight, as far as it was possible for the infantry to participate in it, with his musket on his shoulder.
Between 11 and 12 o'clock, twelve vessels engaged the forts, five of them first-class steam frigates, the other seven were second-class steamers, with a tug leading.
The tug opened fire on our infantry stationed some distance from the beach.
One of the frigates, the Minnesota, at a distance of two miles, also threw shot and shell at the infantry.
Our informant assures us that seven Dahlgren guns from one of the frigates fired many shots on the hospital containing our wounded, hitting the building several times, notwithstanding the yellow flag was flying.
The surgeons were compelled by this barbarous act to have our wounded moved further into the interior.
The Minnesota is reported to have been on fire three times from hot shot thrown from the batteries.
Col. Spalding's regiment lost all its baggage, blankets, &c., but saved all their arms.
We understand that the loss on our side is about twelve killed and forty wounded. Dr. Burst, of Greenville, South Carolina, was instantly killed by a shell striking him in the head.
We have no positive information from Bay Point battery further than it was silenced at 11 o'clock. We hear that it suffered serious loss.
It is reported that the garrison relived in safety towards Beaufort.
Of Col. DeSaussure's regiment, stationed at Fort Walker, four were killed at the batteries and twenty wounded.
We understand that the Confederates lost no prisoners, except, perhaps, one or two from Col. Deffaussure's regiment.
The killed were covered with blankets and left.
The wounded were all placed on board of steamers, and will arrive in Savannah to-day.
The abandoned batteries were taken possession of by the enemy and the United States flag waived over them as our troops retired.
Thus ends the first act in the grand drama of invasion and subjugation on our Southern coast.
We have no time for comments, and can only say, important as it is, let it not dishearten or discourage, but rather let it stimulate our entire people, every man, woman, and child, to determined and unconquerable resistance. ’
From the Savannah Republican, of the 9th we copy the following: ‘
Our force in the battery, while the fight was progressing, amounted to about 220 men, the rest of the troops being disposed in the rear and within the distance of a mile.
The greater portion of the loss occurred outside, from the bursting of shells, which were rained over a large district of territory.
The German artillery company from Charleston, who were on the fort, fought like tigers.
Our men were ordered to retreat when their powder was nearly exhausted, the holding of the battery had become hopeless, and the enemy had it in their power to cut off their retreat.
They left in good order, followed by a shower of shells from the ship.
Fortunately, a considerable number of steamers were lying in a deep creek that skirts the west side of the island, which enabled, it is thought, our entire forces to make safe their retreat.
A portion landed at Bluffton and other points on the Carolina shore, and another, the largest, was brought by Com. Tatnall's fleet to Savannah.
Col. Werner, of the German Artillery, was in command of the fort.
Gen. Drayton was also present throughout the fight, and Gen. Ripley arrived about 10 o'clock.
Com. Tatnall's fleet was present aiding the fort to the full extent of its powers, and all are loud in their praise of the intrepidity and daring of its heroic commander.
Of his fleet, the Lady Davis and the Huntress were cut off and went on the Charleston.
Com. Tatnall, after his flag ship was crippled by a shell, retired to Scull Creek, and landed his marines and powder to give aid to the fort; but before reaching it he discovered the United States flag flying on the hospital; he then retraced his steps to his steamer.
The garrison at Bay Point, commanded by Captain Stephen Elliott, made good their escape, and at last accounts were engaged in throwing up a batttery at Port Royal Ferry, near Beaufort.
Capt. Wm. Elliott's company, which garrisoned the work on Braddock's Point, south end of the island, retreated in small boats, and many of them, with their baggage, were picked up by the steamer Leesburg, from Savannah, and landed on the opposite shore.
They burnt their stores, and left their tents behind them.
Of the disasters there were some not mentioned yesterday and some incorrectly stated.
Corporal J. B. Gladney, 15th S. C. Reg. Vols., was slightly wounded in the ankle.
Private Columbus Hunt, of the same regiment, wounded in the leg.
Private Henry Wessinger, of the same regiment, severely wounded in the arm and leg.
Corporal F. E. Howell, company H, S. C. Vols., flesh wound in the left arm.
Private Philip Heaton, Company H, 9th Reg. S. C. Vols., flesh wound in the thigh.
Private J. S. Ayres, 27th Georgia Reg. Vols., wounded in the left foot, slightly.
Lieutenant Norris DeSaussures Reg. S. C. Vols., wounded in the back by a shell; died yesterday in this city, and body sent to Charleston.
Lieut. Myerhoof, Co. D, German Artillery, Charleston, killed by the falling of chases on him in the fight.
Private Burnette, Co. F, 9th South Carolina Regiment, killed.
Claus Meyer, German Artillery, foot shot off.
Private Hawkins, same company, arm shot off.
Geo. Monroe, Co. C. 9th S. C., slightly in the head.
Sergt. S. M. Myrick, Dooly Guards, Georgia Vols., slightly in the face.
Private W. Stokes, same company, in the hand slightly.
Col. DeSaussure's horse was shot under him.
This list is incomplete, as the troops landed at different points, and a portion of them have not yet been definitely heard from.
It is reported that five of Col. Stiles' Regiment were killed, but it lacks confirmation.
Capt. Yates, of Charleston, reported killed, is in this city and uninjured.
All the records and papers of the 9th South Carolina Regiment, together with the stores, were left behind and fell into the hands of the enemy.
The killing of an Aid to Gen. Drayton, and the wounding of the General himself, are false reports.
Private G. W. Whitney was wounded in the wrist; W. Hernandez, in the hand.
The last gun was fired by Lieut. Melcheur, of the German artillery, Charleston; and Captain Read's Company were the last to leave the fort, which they did at common time, picking up the wounded as they went along.
Capt. Read informs us that the Hessians have occupied Braddock's Point, at the south end of Hilton Head, in great force, and are throwing up extensive works.
As Capt. Elliott left all his tents standing on the Point, Capt. R., unless he was very near, may be mistaken in this impression.
The Charleston Courier, of the 9th, has an editorial on the subject of the fight, from which we make the following extract:
Before the overwhelming force against which they had to contend, the batteries, after making a gallant defence, were abandoned.
The troops have been withdrawn from them, and now, with the reinforcements fast hastening to their aid, await the landing of the invader.
Our time has come!
Our destiny is in our own hands.
The God of Battles is the God of Justice, and under His eye we are to fight.
And shall we ask for what do we fight?
The answer is prompt: for all that makes life dear — for more than life itself.
Our rights and our liberties are the stakes for which we are to play, and which we are to win — or die. ’ 