Durst from the lips of the whole crowded fleet. The other large ships immediately followed, and at once prepared for action. But a rising gale, and other unavoidable causes of detention, rendered it necessary to delay the assault upon the forts until the next day. It was, however, judged best to send out a reconnoissance of a few gun-boats, to draw the fire of the batteries, that their situation and strength might be ascertained.

Early Tuesday morning, the gun-boat Mercury ran along the sand beach skirting Hilton Head. One or two other armed vessels were also cautiously creeping along the suspicious shores. It was a beautiful morning, and the serene sky, the mirrored bay, and the soft, luxuriant outline of the land, presented an aspect of rare loveliness. For an hour the sail seemed to be but a delightful pleasure excursion. But about half-past seven the batteries on Hilton Head and on Bay Point opened upon the adventurous explorers, and for two hours there was a fierce conflict, the only object of which was, on the part of the Union ships, to ascertain the position of the rebel batteries, and the number and weight of their guns. A small fleet of rebel gun-boats also emerged from the labyrinth of creeks, and took part in the skirmish. Commodore Tatnall, now a rebel officer, but who had grown gray in honorable service, beneath the Stars and Stripes, led this fleet against the flag which he should have defended with his life. The object of the reconnoissance having been attained, a signal from the flag-ship recalled the gun-boats.

The rebels, seeing the vessels retire, thought they were defeated, though, in reality, they had received not the slightest harm. The petty little fleet of rebel gun-boats followed them, when two or three of the Union vessels turned and hurled upon them such volleys of shot and shell, that they wheeled about and scampered back into the creeks with celerity, which excited a general burst of laughter. These steamers burned pitch pine, instead of anthracite coal, and their dense black smoke was visible for many miles in the distance, over the low and level islands. Thus Tuesday passed.

On Wednesday, for some unexplained reason, no attack was ordered, and though doubtless vigorous preparations were being made for the great battle, the day seemed to be passed in inaction. It is said that the Wabash stuck upon a shoal, and that one of the ships, blown off by the storm, and which had on board some heavy siege guns, had not arrived. The morning of Thursday dawned serene and clear, and as mild as the most balmy day in June. The groves, on the shore, were vocal with the songs of birds, and innumerable butterflies were flitting about through the rigging of the ships. The scene presented as the sun rose from the wave, was one of the most charming which can be imagined. The placid bay, the luxuriant shores, the distant ocean, the frowning forts, the majestic frigates and war steamers scowling defiance upon the foe they were just on the point of attacking, and the fleet of defenseless transports anchored at a safe distance, upon whose decks and rigging an army of fifteen thousand men were clustered, waiting for the opening of one of the sublimest tragedies of war-all this presented a panorama of life and beauty, such as few eyes have beheld.

A rumor had passed through the fleet that it was the design of the rebels, as soon as the war ships were thoroughly engaged with the forts, te make a plunge, with their gun-boats, upon the defenseless transports, and, with merciless havoc, to burn and destroy. To guard against this a sloop of war was detached for their protection. The plan of the battle was admirable in its simplicity and efficiency. The ships, forming in line, steamed in a circle very slowly, each one, as it entered the mouth of the river, about two and a half miles wide, delivering incessant broadsides upon Fort Beauregard, and the Battery on Bay Point, and as it turned and came out upon the other shore, pouring the same deadly volleys into Fort Walker upon Hilton Head. This circle, or rather ellipse, was about two and a half miles in its longest diameter, and three-quarters of a mile in its shortest. There were fifteen ships composing this circle, mounting in all 145 heavy guns.

It was a beautiful sight as this fleet gracefully swept into line, so silent, so peaceful, soon to burst into the loudest thunders, and the most desolating storm of war. This wicked rebellion has often arrayed brother against brother, and father against son. In this case, as we have mentioned, brother was arrayed against brother. This great conflict between freedom and slavery often constrained the patriot to meet as foes members of his own household.

At 10 o'clock the action commenced, the first three shots being fired from the rebel fort upon the flag-ship, which led the advance. The tremendous response of the Wabash consisted of two entire broadsides from her two batteries of twenty-six guns each, and from her pivot gun. The frigate steamed along as slowly as possible, only fast enough to give her steerage way. These immense guns were loaded and fired each one every minute. Fifty-three guns a minute, for twenty minutes, was the incessant peal from that one ship alone. But the other ships following on, came gradually into range and opened their fire. The ships ran within six hundred yards of the batteries, and threw their massive balls and shells with a force which would make them efficient at a distance of two and a half miles.

Many of the enemy's guns were large columbiads, throwing one hundred and thirty pound shot. In less than twenty minutes, three of these massive cannon were dismounted. By the plan of attack seven or eight vessels were able to play upon the hostile batteries at the same time, each commencing, as soon as it arrived within three-fourths of a mile of the forts, and continuing until three-fourths of a mile beyond. The fleet of Commodore Josiah Tatnall had already been treated so roughly by the few gun-boats which conducted the reconnoisance, and was so appalled by the tremendous fire of the whole naval armament, that it ran away trembling into the distant inlets. When the whole Union fleet was in operation, fifty of the most terrible projectiles, round shot and shells, fell into and upon each of the forts, as the ships passed, every minute. As each ship held the fort for twenty minutes within its range, every time the line came round, which was at very short intervals, 400 of these fiery projectiles fell upon the doomed rebels, like the bolts of divine wrath upon Sodom and Gomorrah. The grandeur of the scene cannot be imagined.