daring adventure. The event is thus described threw the flambeau into the hold of the schooner, and feelby a Confederate officer: "The enemy executed last night the most-brilliant and daring act which has yet marked the history of the war. About 3 o'clock in the morning five launches, containing about thirty-five men each, pulled across from Santa Rosa Island to the Navy-yard, a distance of about two miles. Each launch had in it a small brass howitzer on a pivot. Their main object seems to have been to burn the largest schooner of our harbor police, which was anchored near the wharf. They were led by an officer with the courage of forty Numidian lions, and their success was perfect. "Under cover of the darkness, silently, with muffled oars, they approached the wharf, and were not discovered until very near it. They then pulled rapidly to the schooner and grappled to her, when their daring leader shouted, Board her!' leading the way himself, with a cut. lass in one hand and a blazing fire-ball in the other. He ing sure that she was on fire, ordered his men to take to their launches and pull for life, as he said that a shower of grape would soon be rattling after them. They pulled off a short distance; but before going they sent back a shower of grape from their howitzers, directed upon our men as they were forming. The schooner burned rapidly, and we had to cut her loose from the wharf to save it from destruction. She floated off in the tide, emitting a brilliant flood of light over the surrounding darkness of the scene." Though the above narrative is not minutely accurate, it shows the impression the bold adventure produced upon the minds of the rebels. In fact, the vessel was found with her crew on board, moored to the wharf, under protection As our boats of a battery and field-piece. approached the crew poured into them a volley REINFORCEMENT OF FORT PICKENS. In a few weeks the rebels attempted to retaliate. For some months they had been surrounding Fort Pickens with batteries, and arming them with their heaviest guns. It was their design, by a simultaneous concentric fire, to batter down its walls as Sumter had been re of musketry. The boatmen, cutlass in hand, sprang on board, and, after a short but desperate fight, drove the crew on to the wharf, where, joined by the guard, they rallied, and kept up a continued fire upon our men. In the mean time a small party landed to spike a great gun. This was accomplished by Lieu-duced. tenant Sproston and gunner Horton. In fif- The night of the 9th of October was intenseteen minutes the whole work was accomplished, the gun spiked and the schooner fired. As our boats pulled back, when a few yards from the shore they rallied, and from their howitzers fired six charges of canister into the yard. Several of our men were killed or wounded in this brilliant adventure. The loss of the rebels is not known. ly dark. In the darkness 1500 rebels landed on the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island, and attacked Fort Pickens in the rear, hoping to carry it by surprise. The midnight storm of battle was terrible, with its vivid lightnings and its pealing thunders. The assailants were repulsed, driven back with serious slaughter to their boats, and breathless, bleeding, and smit ten with consternation with difficulty succeeded | Fernandina is found one of the best harbors on in reaching the shelter of their batteries. On the morning of the 22d Colonel Harvey Brown, who was in command of Fort Pickens, opened fire upon the batteries of the foe. The fleet, under command of Flag-officer M'Kean, co-operated. There instantly arose such a tempest of war as has rarely been witnessed in this or any other land. The rebels had two forts M'Rae and Barrancas-and fourteen separate batteries, armed with 10-inch Columbiads and 13-inch sea-coast mortars. All day long the terrific roar of battle shook the hills. For a few hours during the night there was silence, but not much repose, as both parties were preparing to resume the strife on the mor row. The next morning the desperate battle commenced anew. The combatants were hurling enormous and deadly missiles at each other from a distance of between two and three thousand yards. Fort M'Rae and several batteries of the rebels were silenced the day before. The fire from the Union fort, batteries, and ships became increasingly deliberate and effective. About noon nearly the whole of Warrenton was in flames, and a large part of the Navy-yard. The conflict continued all day until dark, and then, until 2 o'clock in the morning, shells were occasionally thrown into the works of the foe. The scene presented in the night by the conflagration was grand in the extreme. Fort Pickens, though it had been struck by a great many shot and shell, was as efficient for action at the close as at the commencement of the combat. One gun was.dismounted, one man killed, and four wounded. The rebel loss in life and limb was also small, as the gunners were so well protected. The rebel batteries were much knocked to pieces, and their loss by the conflagration severe. The first of January, 1862, was ushered in with another artillery battle in Pensacola Bay, from forts and batteries, which was continued far into the night. The combatants stood at such a distance from each other that though they made a tremendous noise, and hurled at each other the most ponderous missiles, no decisive results were gained. The spectacle at night was magnificent. Several buildings in the Navy-yard and a large part of the town of Woolsey were in flames. The graceful curve of every shell through the air could be traced from the time it left the gun until it exploded. The illumination was so brilliant that it was seen by our ships forty miles at sea. Nothing effective was accomplished by these bombard the Atlantic coast south of Chesapeake Bay. It was all-important to close this port against blockade - runners. Commodore Du Pont's squadron consisted of twenty-six vessels, including gun-boats and transports, and conveyed a battalion of marines under Major Reynolds, and a brigade under General Wright. As they drew near Fernandina they learned from a contraband that the rebels had been informed of their approach, and were evacuating the forts and flying from the island in terror. As the heavier gun-boats could not easily thread the narrow channel Commander P. Drayton was sent forward in the steam-sloop Pawnee, with six light-draught gun-boats and three armed launches, with orders "to push through the sound with the utmost speed, to save public and-private property from threatened destruction; to prevent poisoning the wells, and to put a stop to all those outrages, by the perpetration of which the leaders of this nefarious war hope to deceive and exasperate the people of the South." On the northern extremity of the island is situated Fort Clinch. This was so manifestly abandoned that Commander Drayton without delay merely sent an armed boat on shore to raise the American flag, and pushed on. As they came in sight of Fernandina a train of cars, laden with soldiers and military stores, was seen just starting to run down the island four miles, and then, crossing by a bridge, to escape to the main land. The road ran along for some distance on the shore of the sound. Southern locomotives are proverbially slow of foot. There ensued, perhaps, an unprecedented race between the steamboat and the railroad train. The Ottowa pelted the fugitive cars with her 11-inch shells, until the conductor, having cut off some of the rear cars and put on extra steam, succeeded in effecting his escape. In the mean time a rebel steamer was discovered, heavily laden, also endeavoring to escape down the narrow sound. The boat was filled with women and children, flying in ter ror from the outrages they had been told the Yankee soldiery would perpetrate. The rebel authorities had compelled all the citizens to leave the town. As the Ottowa hurled her terrific missiles at the rebel steamer, a mile distant, the women and children with shrieks, and upon their knees, entreated the commander to surrender. Their heart-rending supplications could not move him. He owned the boat and a large number of negroes on board, and he was willing to peril the lives of his helpless passengers for the chance of escaping with his property. ever-friendly slaves, stood upon the banks greeting the passing boats with cheers and waving of handkerchiefs. Ladies stood upon verandas waving white flags. But as the little fleet drew nearer Jacksonville smouldering ruins alone presented themselves on each side of the river. "Nothing but the massive columns of dark on the Georgia border, where it was supposed that the armament from Fort Clinch had been taken, and then ascended the river several miles on a reconnoissance. As they were returning, when passing a bend in the stream, where the channel brought them near to the shore, a Mississippi regiment concealed in the bushes poured upon the deck a storm of bul-pitch-pine smoke, smothered flames, and blacklets. Commander Rogers was all prepared for this. His guns, heavily charged with grape, were immediately brought to bear upon the foe in ambush. The effect of one discharge, as our steamer swept along, was truly appalling. "The shricks of the wounded and the groans of the dying could be distinctly heard, while the sailors at the mast-head could see the men falling." But five on board the Ottowa were wounded, though many had their clothes torn by bullets. The punishment inflicted upon the rebels, as they were left groaning, mangled, bleeding, dying, was dreadful. ened piles remained of the huge saw-mills that had existed twenty-four hours previously. Such Vandalism we have never witnessed. Eight immense mills, and hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of valuable lumber, destroyed in a single night by these ruthless villains-guerrillas recognized by that lovely Government, the Southern Confederacy. The principal sufferers by these incendiaries are Northern men." At noon of the 12th the Ottowa, with her 11-inch Dahlgrens frowning menacingly upon the town, dropped anchor about one hundred yards from the wharf. If there were any loyalty in the place, it was overawed by the barbaric terrors of secessiondom. Groups of men and boys were collected on the wharf, silent if not sullen. After some little conference Lieutenant Stevens commenced landing the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment to take possession of the town. In less than two hours the regiment was landed, and the Stars and Stripes floated in security over Jacksonville. It subsequently appeared that many of the most intelligent of the inhabitants were eagerly waiting for the protection of the National flag. But an inexorable reign of terror, threatening to lay the buildings of every loyalist in ashes, and to lead their occupants to the scaffold, had silenced all such utterances. As Commodore Du Pont examined the works at Fernandina he was surprised that they should have been surrendered without a struggle. There were forts and batteries, armed with the heaviest guns, which commanded all the turnings of the channel. The batteries were concealed and so protected by sand-hills as to afford perfect shelter for the men. Many of the guns were 38-pounders. There were several 8-inch guns, and also one 80 and one 120 pounder rifled gun. "We captured Port Royal," says Commodore Du Pont, "but Fernandina and Fort Clinch have been given to us.' A railroad ran directly across the neck of the Florida Peninsula, from Fernandina to Cedar Keys, on the Mexican Gulf. As Cedar Keys had been captured by a Union force on the 16th of January, both termini of the railroad were now in our possession. The inhab-ecrated the rebellion. Though aware that itants at Fernandina stated that the rebels intended to abandon all the sea-port towns, and make a desperate stand in the interior. On the 12th of March four of the gun-boats, the Ottowa leading, entered the mouth of the St. Johns River to take possession of the beautiful town of Jacksonville, which contained some three thousand inhabitants, and was situated on the north bank of the stream about twenty-five miles from its mouth. Lieutenant Stevens, in the Ottowa, led this expedition. It was late in the evening before all the gunboats had crossed the bar. The western horizon was then brightly illumined by the flames of the mills, houses, and other property belonging to Northern men who were suspected of Union sympathies. The rebel commander, General Trapier, is said to have issued this barbaric order. As the vessels ascended the romantic stream, rich in lovely scenery, they were surprised and delighted to find such decisive indications of Union sentiments. Many Northern families had emigrated to Florida, and not a few of them retained their loyalty to the National flag. Men, women, and children, and groups of The presence of the National flag, however, somewhat emboldened those who in heart ex should our forces be withdrawn they would be exposed to the brutalities of the most unscrupulous men the civilized world has ever seen, they ventured to organize a meeting of loyal citizens at Jacksonville on the 20th of March, in which they passed a series of resolutions declaring that no State has a constitutional right to separate itself from the United States; that the Ordinance of Secession is void, as both unconstitutional and never having been submitted to the people for ratification; that thousands of the people of Florida would hail with joy the restoration of the National authority, and remonstrating against the system of tyranny which had deprived them of freedom of speech, robbed them of their money, driven them by the terrors of an inexorable conscription into the ranks of rebellion, thus demanding the abandonment of homes and property, and the exposure of wives and children to sickness, destitution, gaunt famine, and innumerable and untold miseries and sorrows. It required more courage on the part of these loyal men to pass these resolves than to face bullets and shells on the battle-field. The rebels were building a large gun-boat at Jacksonville, to be fitted out with a strong armament as a privateer. It was nearly completed, and would soon have been preying upon our commerce. Upon the approach of our fleet the torch was applied, and in a few hours the vessel was in ashes. rest landed, and the two commanding officers of the expedition, Lieutenant Budd and ActingMaster Mather, proceeded to examine some old abandoned earth-works, covered with dense forest and underbrush. Suddenly they were fired upon by a party of rebel soldiers in ambush. Both of the officers were instantly killed, and three of the five men composing the boat's crew. The other two were wounded and made prisoners. As the other boats eame up they also were fired into and sustained more or less loss. The Henry Andrew the next morning was hauled up close to the scene of attack, but no foe could be found. "The commanding officer," writes Commodore In the mean time Commodore Du Pont steamed down the coast with several vessels of the squadron toward St. Augustine. This ancient Spanish city was situated about thirty miles south of the mouth of the St. Johns River, and two miles within the bar of the bay upon whose northern shores it was built. The town was defended by a strong fort, with walls twenty feet high and twelve feet thick. Arriving off the harbor he sent Commander Rog-Du Pont, "a Captain Bird, who had come from ers, in the Wabash, to the city with a flag of The Mayor stated that the city had been evacuated the preceding night by the troops, and that he cheerfully surrendered it to Commodore Du Pont. The National banner was immediately displayed from the flag-staff of the fort, and all the cannon and munitions of war were turned over to our fleet. truce. But about fifteen hundred people remained in St. Augustine, the remainder, some three hundred and fifty, having fled. The women here, as in most other parts of the South, were found more virulent and unrelenting in their rebellion than the men. Commander Rogers, in his report to Flag-officer Du Pont, says: "I believe that there are many citizens who are earnestly attached to the Union, a large number who are silently opposed to it, and a still larger number who care very little about the matter. There is much violent and pestilent feeling among the women. They seem to mistake treason for courage, and have a theatrical desire to figure as heroines. On the night before our arrival a party of women assembled in front of the barracks and cut down the flag-staff in order that it might not be used to support the old flag." a camp at a distance, made some show of courtesy by returning papers and a watch as if ashamed of this mode of warfare; for these were the very troops that, with sufficient force, means, and material for a respectable defense, had ingloriously fled from St. Augustine on our approach." By these operations on the Florida coast the blockade was rendered much more effective, and the rebels were deprived of much of their power of doing harm. At the mouth of the Apalachicola River, on the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico, is the thriving town of Apalachicola, from whose commodious harbor very considerable commerce was carried on. The stream was navigable for small vessels seventy miles above its mouth, and for boats four hundred miles. It was reported that there were quite a number of blockaderunners at or above the city. The latter part of March Commander Stellwagen, with two gun-boats, appeared off the place and organized an armed boat expedition to ascend the river and capture or destroy any rebel vessels which might be found there. They found the place almost entirely abandoned by its male inhabitants, the fort dismantled, and the guns removed. The inhabitants who remained wel United States flag. The boat expedition captured quite a number of vessels, some of which they burned, and others they took with them down the river. The oath of allegiance was administered to some of the inhabitants, and formal possession was taken of the town. The rebels in their flight had taken several guns from the fort, but we obtained three fine 32-pounders and two 8-inch howitzers. About fifty miles south of St. Augustine was Mos-comed the expedition and promptly raised the quito Inlet, where the British blockade-runners from Nassau were conveying, by vessels of light draught, arms and other munitions of war to aid the rebels. Two gun-boats, the Penguin, under Lieutenant T. A. Budd, and the Henry Andrew, under Acting-Master S. W. Mather, were sent to this place to establish an inside blockade, capture any vessels which might be there, and guard from incendiarism a large quantity of live-oak timber belonging to the Government, which had been cut and was ready for shipment. The two steamers reached the Inlet on the 22d of "For the information of all concerned. There are cerMarch; and an expedition, consisting of five tain lounging, worthless people, white as well as colored, light boats conveying forty-five men, was fitted who frequent Pensacola and vicinity, who have no observaout to explore the long and narrow bay. They Colonel commanding does not believe it; and as he has be ble occupation. Their intentions may be honest, but the cruised along in a southerly direction, passing use for their presence, they are warned to leave or the the little hamlet of New Smyrna, some eight-consequences must rest on their own heads. The gallows een miles, and, meeting with no incident, com- is erected in Pensacola, and will be in constant use on and menced their return. after the 3d of April, 1862. The town is under complete martial law." When within sight of one of the steamers the advance boat at some distance from the It is very evident that at Pensacola, notwithstanding it was in rebel hands, there were some decisive indications of Union feeling; for on the 30th of March Colonel T. M. Jones, then commanding the rebel force there, issued the following characteristic proclamation: A little before midnight on the 9th of May |