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[449] Federal camp fronting the centre of the bay. The sand-hills of Santa Rosa island stretch out in that locality, and afforded him a more favorable ground for deploying his troops. As soon as they were landed he formed them into three columns, which advanced in silence, capturing the Federal sentinels, who were posted too near their camp. An instant afterwards the camp itself was seized, pillaged, and set on fire. It was two o'clock in the morning; the darkness was intense, and the flames rising among the tents and spreading here and there only served to increase the disorder caused by that surprise. The scattered zouaves rallied in detached groups between their camp and the fort; their adversaries, equally disorganized by the pillage, hunted for them at random, without following up their success. The reports of firearms were heard in every direction; and the soldier who fell, shot down at close quarters, could not tell whether he had been struck by friend or foe. On hearing the noise of battle, Colonel Brown, who was in command at Fort Pickens, sent Major Vogdes with two companies of regular infantry to Wilson's assistance. The major missed his way and fell into the hands of the Confederates, but the regulars sustained themselves in that difficult ordeal of a night battle, resolutely advanced in serried ranks upon the flank of their assailants, who had already driven the zouaves to the sea, and changed the aspect of the fight. The Confederates, becoming frightened in their turn, soon took to flight to regain their boats, into which they crowded in haste, leaving behind them about twenty killed, thirty prisoners, and a considerable number of wounded; they finally reached the main land at the moment when a small Federal steamer from Fort Pickens was about to cut off their retreat. The Wilson Zouaves had not fought well enough to lose many men, and out of thirty-seven Federals, who were wounded in that engagement, twenty-four belonged to the regular army.

The attack of the Confederates had been repulsed, but it convinced Colonel Brown that in the event of a serious attack he could only rely upon the small garrison of the fort for defence. In order to prevent similar attempts in future, he resolved to take the offensive; and as his soldiers were too few in number to make a sortie, it was necessary that the fort itself should take part in

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