disperse the Carolinians, while, in five minutes after the reception of this deadly fire, they were again in line of battle proper, and bravely advanced on the enemy. engage the enemy, yet our following General This was enough to disconcert and discourage Stuart goes to demonstrate our willingness to the bravest men, and throw into confusion the hazard our lives. It was reported that fifteen best disciplined regiment in the world. But the regiments were sent in the direction of Dranes-shock, though very severe, was not sufficient to ville, subsequent to our setting out for that place-I have since learned that such was not the case. About night, on our way back, our colonel halted us, and put the vote to the regiment, whether or not we were willing to go the entire distance to Centreville; the reply was "yes!" with emphasis. So on we went; poor fellows! some of our men complained bitterly of sore feet, made so by travelling so much on this hard frozen ground. Some one or two were so lucky as to get a ride on horseback. Others were obliged to remain over night, and come in the following (Sunday) morning. No order as to regularity of marching could be maintained, each getting along as best he could. My captain, myself, and several others were amongst the first to get to camp-how glad were we to get there. We found hot coffee and warm fires. So, drinking the coffee and toasting our feet, we retired for the night. We got to camp about eleven P. M. "R.," Eighteenth Virginia Regiment. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. CAMP CENTREVILLE, December 27, 1861. EDITORS DISPATCH: Several communications have been published in your columns recently, describing the battle at Dranesville, but none of these contributors have been explicit enough to describe the positions and conduct of the South Carolinians in that engagement. We do not wish to claim for the Sixth South Carolina regiment any unmerited honor, but desire simply to place her position and conduct fairly before the public, and to correct some erroneous statements previously made with reference to the loss she sustained in the engagement. A writer who professes to have been with the Kentucky regiment during the engagement, states that our entire loss was fully one hundred, and that the killed and wounded in that regiment was half that amount. The same writer afterward states the loss of the Sixth South Carolina regiment to be fifteen. Whence he obtained this information we are at a loss to know, but refer the readers of the Dispatch to the report of the killed and wounded of the different regiments published in the Richmond papers, and at once they will ascertain the loss of the Sixth South Carolina to be sixty-five, which, from the small number of men in the regiment-three hundred and fifteen-was much heavier than that of any other regiment. The positions of the regiments when drawn up in the line of battle have been definitely and correctly stated. But the most heart-rending scene that presented itself, resulted on the part of Kentuckians, who, mistaking the brave Carolinians for the enemy, poured a murderous fire into their ranks, at a distance of not more than forty yards. The Yankees were lying in ambush, and when the advancing column had proceeded within one hundred yards of their line, they opened a terrific fire upon it, which was returned in a manner creditable and honorable to the regiment and the brave soldiers of the Palmetto State. Never were soldiers exposed to a more deadly volley, and never did men stand more nobly to their posts. When completely overpowered by numbers, and well-nigh outflanked on our left, we were ordered to fall back to a more advantageous position. The regiment fell back in good order and re-formed, and was shortly afterward withdrawn from the field. The Kentuckians fought well on the left, the Virginians and Alabamians bravely on the right, but the heavy loss sustained by South Carolinians, in the centre, shows conclusively that she was in the heat of the fight, and that her suffering was as severe as any other regiment engaged. PALMETTO. past will have made Charleston an inland city. | of accompanying the expedition. The Cahawba This western bride of the sea is to be a widow; was steaming out to sea when I reached the the decree of divorce is entered in a court with- wharf, and my boat's crew had a hard pull tryout appeals; and the fleet which executes it, ing to intercept her, but just as it became evistorm-tossed, shattered, and unworthy of the dent we must give up the chase she changed sea, is a fit counterpart to the gorgeous galleys her mind, ran back to theWabash, and anchored. with whose stately procession the Doge yearly Some of the whalers being very slow to start, wedded Venice to the Adriatic. Against these we spent a couple of hours in getting them off. crumbling hulks the batteries which silenced The steam-tug Mercury did justice to her name, Sumter point their guns in vain. They have carrying orders to sleepy captains of reluctant taken counsel of the Romans, who declared that vessels, and keeping her sandals-that is, padhe is the most dangerous enemy who values not dles-steadily moving. By two o'clock the his own life, and has insured success by resolv-last vessel had got her anchor, and begun to ing on suicide. drift lazily down with a light breeze that hardly Sixteen vessels will be sunk on the bar at filled her sails. The Cahiawba took the Poto the river entrance. Amazon.. Here is the list: Capt. Swift...New Bedford. Capt. Chase... New Bedford Capt. Beard... New Bedford. Capt. Worth.. New Bedford. Capt. Brayton.New Bedford. Capt. Rice....New London Capt. Gifford.. New Bedford. Capt. Tilton... New Bedford. Capt. Howland New Bedford. Maria Theresa ..Capt. Bailey....New Bedford. Capt. Brown... New Bedford. Rebecca Simms.....Capt. Willis....New Bedford. L. C. Richmond....Capt. Maloy....New Bedford. Robin Hood.......Capt. Skinner..New London. Tenedos..........Capt. Sisson..... New London. William Lee......Capt. Lake.......New Bedford. Potomac.. ...... They range from two hundred and seventyfive to five hundred tons, are all old whalers, heavily loaded with large blocks of granite, and cost the Government from two thousand five hundred dollars to five thousand dollars each. Some of them were once famous ships; the Archer, for instance, the Kensington, the Rebecca Simms, and the Robin Hood, once owned by Girard. The Tenedos is one of the oldest, if I may trust the mate of the Cahawba, who confidentially informed me that her keel was laid when Adam was an oakum-boy; and if this be correct, one or two must date still further back to the period of mastodon and saurian. With this fleet go the Cahawba, Philadelphia, and Ericsson, to help them along and assist at the sinking. The Mohican, Capt. Godon; Ottawa, Capt. Stevens, and Pocahontas, Capt. Balch, are convoy to the whole, and if Mr. Commodore Tatnall should be too curious about our operations, their eleven-inch shells will give him an intelligible hint to keep at a respectful distance. The business over, the Philadelphia and Ericsson go North with the crews of the sunken ships; the Cahawba returns to Port Royal. She is a good steamer, and at this moment carries her nose uncommonly high, for she is flagship of the squadron, by virtue of having the fleet-captain on board, Chas. H. Davis, U. S. N., who has temporarily quitted the Wabash to superintend operations. I am indebted to his kind invitation for the pleasure mac in tow, the Mercury picked up the Robin Hood, which had been run into by the Alabama and partly disabled, and both stood out of the harbor. Some of the fleet have crawled well away already, under canvas, and the Philadelphia has towed one over the bar, and is returning to do the same office for another. At three, we pass a small schooner bound in, apparently a captured rebel with a prize crew aboard. The men-of-war, most of whom dislike unprofessional service, have been set to work towing, for we want to get the whole fleet outside tonight in readiness for the first breath of air that may come to help them along. As yet there is very little wind, all of it now the wrong way, and the best clipper in port might be puzzled to beat out against the strong flood-tide. The Potomac, our tow, is enjoying herself greatly. There is swell enough from the steamer's wheels to make her roll a little, and her bluff bows nod to us rather gracefully as she lifts herself on the wave, and yaws with the surge of the hawser. Poor old ship; it is her last voyage, and she does well to make the most of it. We drop her pretty soon, and return for another, passing through the fleet on our way, close enough to many of them to read the names painted in white on their square sterns, which are of such abrupt angularity as to recall the familiar legend concerning the Maine shipyards: that they built vessels by the mile, and sawed them off to order. The Marion is coming out with the Ocean Express in tow, bound for Tybee-two very smart-looking vessels. Presently the propeller Parkersburg comes within hail, and is asked to go back with us to tow. The captain is understood to say he will, but doesn't. He is not of our party, and may have other business. Next, the Ericsson shears alongside, and we confidently count on her help, because she belongs to the expedition. Being ordered to return, her captain remonstrates that he draws too much water, seeming to be under the impression that he is expected to take a whaler on board instead of in tow. One of our officers says the Ericsson is a beast, which I find, on inquiry, to mean that she is a fine ship, but has very poor engines and worse boilers, with a name for ill-luck, which is, of course, fatal among sailors, However, she is allowed to go, though we don't quite see how | and under his eye, ready to start with the she would draw any more water with a tow breeze. The Cahawba lets go the tow-ropes than without. We are presently consoled by and drops her anchor. the report that the Pocahontas is coming, and shortly afterward the Mercury, also, which is constantly turning up in the most unexpected way just as she is wanted. By this time we are well in the midst of the whole fleet, part of which is anchored outside the bar, part waiting for our return, while the gunboats and steamers and tugs are moving busily in all directions. More than thirty vessels are in plain sight, most of them on the same errand to a hostile port. The scene is extraordinary; the number of vessels, their purpose, the poetic and religious justice of the fate they carry with them, and the raré beauty of the day by whose fading light the scene is visible, make it singularly impressive. Far away in the harbor, rides a phantom fleet, its spars dimly outlined against the sky. Nearer, a ship, whose seams are yawing, like the ancient mariner's skeleton bark, crosses the disk of fire in the west, with a motion spectrally slow. The sun, just touching the sea, dyes its surface with crimson splendor, and passes into purple twilight. It has hardly sunk when another rises in the east, so exactly the same in color and size that you cannot at once believe it the moon. For the rest of the night she is regnant queen. OFF CHARLESTON, STEAMSHIP CAHAWBA, The fleet got under weigh next morning, Wednesday, about an hour before sunrise, part of the ships in tow of the steamers, the rest trusting to canvas. There is the same delicious weather, only not quite enough wind for sailing vessels. A butterfly floats for an hour about our quarter-deck. Charleston light is in sight at half-past three, and soon after the blockading squadron-the Florida, Augusta, and Roebuck. The Florida runs down to take a look at us and make sure that the rebels have not contrived to steal a fleet and get to sea. At five we are fairly off the entrance of Charleston harbor, and there, lifting its walls high out of the sea, is Fort Sumter! No loyal American can look on it without grateful remembrance of the service it has done. I have nothing to say of what is called its defence, nor of its final surrender, but I salute the fort with silent respect. None of the ships under canvas arrived that night. The Philadelphia came about seven o'clock. The Ericsson, whose zeal had outrun her discretion in the attempt to tow three vessels, was seen sometimes during the night. Both were expected to remain till operations were finished, but the Philadelphia suddenly sent to say she had only three days' coal, and must go to New York at once. Five minutes allowed for letters. The only business of the evening was a channel reconnoissance, which resulted in the discovery that the channel buoy had been moved in order to mislead us, and that further soundings would be necessary the next day to determine its true position. Ships enough had arrived no doubt to persuade the anxiouslywatchful Carolinians that all the men-of-war had come, and were ready to repeat the Port Royal lesson. Two or three of the whalers on their way down passed within sight of the harbor, and caused some excitement on shore, signals being raised and guns fired in evident expectation of attack. The Charleston Mercury, it is thought, would be pleasant reading on the morrow, but unhappily the newsboys neglected to bring it. We hail two whalers, the Courier and Amazon, fast anchored, and apparently asleep, and get their hawsers aboard, with such clumsiness on the part of the Courier's boat that she is nearly caught and tossed in the bight of the line. Then the Amazon hails to say she has thirty fathoms of chain out and cannot get her anchor, but being ordered to look alive and make no further trouble, the anchor is speedily up. We have the fleet-captain aboard, and shall stand no nonsense. The Courier meantime has swung round till her cabin windows are staring into ours, but as she is about as sharp one end as the other, tows stern first very well indeed. Only one ship is left; we can't very well take her, but we are determined to leave nothing behind. A steamer is coming out, bound for New York. We know her to be the Daniel Webster, Capt. Johnson. It is rather dark, and she is evidently indisposed to see us, but we all go up on the paddle-box and wave hats and The first news on Thursday morning was that handkerchiefs till she can no longer pretend to the rebels had blown up the light house during be blind, but puts her wheel to larboard and the night. It is evident they supposed the fleet waits for our hail. "Daniel Webster, ahoy! to be men-of-war, and an attack intended. Will you tow that ship out over the bar?" They could have no other object than to obsings out our Master. "I'll see you damned struct its entrance, for the destruction of the first," answers Daniel Webster; and with that lighthouse was an advantage to the real purpolite and obliging response, resumes her inter-pose of the expedition, and had been contemrupted journey. Somehow, the Mercury at this moment reappears and of course carries off the lingering whaler. When we arrive outside we find the squadron anchored. There is no chance of getting to Charleston to-night with any thing but a fraction of the fleet. Capt. Davis is well satisfied to have ot all the whalers out of port plated as a part of its work. Less agreeable information followed, that the Ericsson had gone North without waiting for orders, or any way communicating with the flag-ship-an unmanly desertion which interferes with the plan of operations, and compels the crews of the sunken vessels to return to Port Royal, instead of going direct to New York. A rebel steamer comes half way over the harbor about ten o'clock to take a look at our fleet, but keeps well out of range. The work of the day goes rapidly on. All the whalers which have not arrived are in sight, and coming up well. Mr. Godfrey is sounding to determine the points at which the outside vessels are to bo sunk, while the Cahawba is busily moving about, bringing some of the ships further in, and hailing each one that she passes. The Robin Hood, whose name appears economically on her quarter as the R. Hood, has been rather a favorite, and is chosen for the longest life and the most tragic fate of all the fleet. Each ship is ordered to unbend her sails. Mr. Bradbury hails the R. II. "Robin Hood, ahoy! We shall send all the sails aboard you for the present. When you have them all, we shall take them on the Cahawba, and you will then sink your ship!" A remark which has a startling emphasis, one would think, on board the Robin Hood. and fought throughout the action with perfect steadiness and unflinching courage. Capt. Goldsborough of the Florida, one of the blockading squadron, came aboard during the morning with the news of the great fire in Charleston, of which some rumors had reached us at Port Royal. He was at anchor close in shore, and had the bearings of the city. The fire commenced on the night of the 11th and burned all night, the next day, and the night following. It was on the further side of the city, not near the water, the church steeples being plainly seen against the light. The wind was blowing fresh from the north-east, and the fire seemed to spread from the north-east to the south-west side of the city, and was awful in appearance and extent. Capt. Goldsborough also gave an account of a Swede, escaped from the Nashville at Bermuda, who described the condition of the city as one of great consternation and destitution. The people were constantly expecting an attack, were out of many kinds of provisions, and greatly dispirited. A rumor, current at Port Royal, says that a meeting was held in Charleston not long since, at which the question of abandoning the Confederacy was discussed, and several votes given in favor of that policy, among them that of the Mayor of the city. Guns are now heard from time to time during the day. Moultrie is said to be now a school of practice. Sumter is hidden from sight. The weather, which has favored us hitherto, is still every thing that could be wished; and the haze on the land side has dropped a vail between us and Charleston, so that they are left wholly to conjecture our movements. A few people can Most of the day was spent in preparation. be seen at Morris Island, some of them negroes, The Ottawa went in and anchored half a mile at the water's edge, and even wading in, as if beyond the bay, while the Mohican took a potrying to come off to the ships. The Susque-sition about a mile east of the channel and comhanna, Mr. Bradbury tells us, has nine who escaped before the fight while she was blockading off Charleston. Six of them are sailors and fishermen, worth two thousand dollars a piece, and earning fifteeen dollars a month for their masters. They readily went to work with the rest of the crew, were stationed at different guns during the bombardment at Port Royal, manding its approaches from the city. Neither vessel is in reach of guns from the shore, unless possibly a shot from Morris Island might find them in range. But there are no guns on that island at present. Many are known to have been carried from the forts and batteries commanding the channel to defend the city on the land side. Three heavy batteries still remain Secondly. The bar is not to be obstructed entirely; for natural forces would soon open a new passage, since the rivers must discharge themselves by some outlet; but to be only partially obstructed, so that, while this channel is ruined, no old one, like Swash or Sanford, shall be improved, or a new one formed. Thirdly. The vessels are to be so placed that on the channel course it shall be difficult to draw a line through any part of it that will not be intercepted by one of them. A ship, therefore, endeavoring to make her way out or in, cannot do it by taking the bearings of any point of departure, as she cannot sail on any straight line. on Sullivan Island, though the blockading vessels have seen some of the guns removed even from Sumter. In the course of the afternoon all the whalers arrived and were towed up toward the bar in a convenient position to be taken over. About five o'clock the Ottawa came out, and towed first the Tenedos and then the Leonidas to their positions on the extreme right and left of the line. In a few minutes after anchoring, the crew of the Tenedos left her side in two boats, and we knew the ship was sinking. The process was much slower than had been expected. When the plug was removed, the water rushed in a stream from one side of the vessel to the other, but there was only a single hole, and when that was Fourthly. The vessels are to be placed. reached inside, it entered from the outside with checkerwise, and at some distance from each greatly diminished force. The Tenedos pres- other, so as to create an artificial unevenness of ently heeled over a little, and being on the the bottom, remotely resembling Hell Gate and bottom, lay there for the night. It was low Holmes's Hole, which unevenness will give rise water, and the sides still visible. The Leonidas to eddies, countercurrents, and whirlpools, addnot swinging into the right position, her pluging so seriously to the difficulties of navigation was not drawn till the next morning. After the that it can only be practicable by steamers, or moon and tide had risen, six more vessels were with a very commanding breeze. towed in, four by the Ottawa and two by the Pocahontas. By half past eleven the tide had fallen too far to proceed with the work. These old ships draw from thirteen to seventeen feet, and can only get on the bar near the top of the tide. The sinking of the fleet was intrusted to Capt. Charles H. Davis, formerly, from 1842 to 1849, chief of a hydrographic party on the Coast Survey, and ever since more or less intimately connected with it. It is remarkable that when, in 1851, an appropriation was made by the Federal Government for the improvement of Charleston harbor, and, at the request of South Carolina, a commission of navy and ariny officers was appointed to superintend the work, Capt. Davis was one of the commission, and for three or four years was engaged in these operations. The present attempt was of somewhat different character. The plan adopted by him may be easily understood by reference to a chart of the harbor, or by the following description: The entrance by the main ship channel runs from the bar to Fort Sumter, six miles, nearly south and north. The city is three miles beyond, bearing about N. W. The other channels are Sanford's, Swash, the North, and Maffit's, or Sullivan's Island, which need not to be particularly described. Only the latter is practicable for vessels of any draught, but all serve more or less to empty the waters discharged by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Over the bar, at the entrance of the main ship channel, is a narrow passage, through which vessels may carry eleven feet at low water; about seventeen at high water. The plan of Capt. Davis for closing the harbor proceeded on the following principles: First. The obstructions are to be placed on both sides of the crest of the bar, so that the same forces which have created the bar may be relied on to keep them in their places. With reference to the second, it may be added, that no other channel now existing will be closed, at least for the present, for if such a plan were carried too far, the formation of a new channel would be inevitable. Moreover, for the purposes of the blockade, the obstruction of the main channel is entirely sufficient. Maffit's Channel is so difficult that the Nashville failed in an attempt to escape by it, although made by daylight and with two pilots on board, and if it should be rendered more easily navigable in any way, it can be effectually blockaded by a force which is unable to watch that and another exit at the same time. And as to sinking vessels in the narrowest portion of that channel, it could only be done by first silencing the batteries on Sullivan's Island, if not Sumter itself. The execution of the foregoing plan was begun by buoying out the channel and circumscribing within four points the space where the vessels were all to be sunk, as follows: * 8. W. THE BAR. N. E. * The distance between the points from S. W. to N. E. is about an eighth of a mile; the breadth perhaps half as much. It will be understood that it was no part of the plan to build a wall of ships across, but to drop them at a little distance from each other, on the principles above stated, closing the channel to navigation, but leaving it open to the water. Work was resumed on Friday morning, the 20th, the Ottawa and Pocahontas bringing the ships to their stations. The placing of them was an operation of considerable nicety, especially as some of the vessels were so deep as to be with difficulty dragged on the bar, except at high water. A graver hindrance to their exact location was found in the imperfection of the arrangement for sinking, several of the ships |