Ocean Express arrived off the harbor, and Sherman's mind was greatly relieved.

The planning of the bombardment, the manning of the ships, and the effective work done by the fleet, will pass into history as one of the most successful achievements of the kind, as it marked an era in naval warfare.

It was the first time that the powerful auxiliary of steam was brought to play such a decided part in war operations. It was grander and more audacious under Farragut at New Orleans, but it was superb under Dupont at Port Royal. The two works to be encountered, Forts Walker and Beauregard, situated on either side of the harbor, were in themselves models in their construction; admirably designed, well mounted with guns of heavy caliber, and manned

by as gallant a set

THE FLEET PASSING THE FORT IN THE FORM OF AN ELLIPSE.

They were well drilled a telegram from Jeffer

of men as ever fought for any cause or country. and disciplined and were all sanguine of victory; son Davis had given them the true destination of the fleet; they knew its power to a ship, and its strength to a man. I doubt if even the smallest particular was unknown to them, thanks to the reliable sources of information they possessed at Washington. Notwithstanding all this they prepared to meet the odds that were pitted against them with calm

determination. The manner in which they served their guns to the last while a hurricane of shot and shell poured in upon them elicited the unqualified admiration of every soldier and sailor. It was all of no avail. Dupont had planned the attack with the utmost precision. Every vessel had its designated place. The fleet sailed in the form of an ellipse, each ship to deliver its fire at each fort as it passed abreast of it. Three times this circle of death passed in its relentless course. Three times the gallant men at the works received and returned the fire of every vessel. The vessels engaged were the Wabash, Ingraham, Pawnee, Seminole, Bienville, Pocahontas, Mohican and Augusta; the gunboats, Ottawa, Seneca, Unadilla and Pembina. It was a powerful array. For four hours the terrible duel was maintained, and then after a well directed broadside from the Wabash, all was over! The resistless force of numbers prevailed and the forts so desperately and courageously defended were abandoned, their occupants making an undisturbed and safe retreat to the mainland, which by the way, could have been prevented had even a single gunboat been sent to intercept the crossing of the river. Why this was not done is one of those things that will probably never be explained. Commodore Dupont told me he had ordered three gunboats to perform this duty. When Fort Walker was taken possession of a scene presented itself that beggars description. Such havoc and ruin! Such utter destruction probably never overtook a fortification. Certainly no work was

Commander of Fort Walker.

ever more valiantly defended.

One of the sad incidents of this engagement was the fact that while General T. F. Drayton, of Charleston, South Carolina, commanded the forces at Fort Walker, his brother, Captain Percival Drayton, also a South Carolinian, was the commander of the Pocahontas, one of the Union vessels in the attack. General Drayton's residence at Hilton Head was riddled with shells, some of them in all probability coming from Captain Drayton's vessel. This was truly a fratricidal combat.

CAPTAIN PERCIVAL DRAYTON.

Thus was accomplished the most important Commander of the Pocahontas.

step taken up to that time in subduing the rebellion. It was a serious blow to the South, effecting as it did the complete blockade of all the Atlantic seaports through which the European enemies of America had so successfully introduced the sinews of war. It gladdened the hearts of the loyal people of the North, and sent a thrill of joy throughout the vast camps where the legions were gathered for the defense of the Union. But the question will never be answered how often and by whom was the cause of the Union betrayed to its enemies?

Viete

[THE following extract from a private letter written by Commodore Dupont will be of interest in this connection; it was dated on board the flag-ship Wabash, Port Royal, November 9, 1861.

During the disheartening events of our passage my faith never gave way; but at some moments it seemed appalling. On the other hand, I permit no elation at our success. Yet I cannot refrain from telling you that it has been more complete and brilliant than I ever could have believed. I have been too fatigued to send a detailed account of the battle; I had to content myself with a succinct account, which I think will be liked as well as a more detailed narrative. I kept under way and made three turns, though I passed five times between the forts. I had a flanking division of five ships to watch, and Old Tatnall, too, who had eight small and swift steamers ready to pounce upon any of ours should they be disabled. I could get none of my big frigates up. I believe my plan was clever. I stood against the side, and had the management the better in consequence. The confidence of the enemy was extreme that they could drive us away. They fought bravely and their rifle guns never missed. They aimed at one bridge, where they knew they could make a hole if they were lucky. A shot in the center let water into the after magazine; but I saved a hundred lives by keeping under way and bearing in close. I never conceived such a fire as that of this ship on her second turn, and I am told that its effect upon the spectators outside of her was intense. I learn that when they saw our flag flying on shore the troops were powerless to cheer, but wept.

46

On the reception of the official dispatches in Washington, the general order was issued by Secretary Gideon Welles, that to commemorate this signal victory, a national salute be fired from each navy yard, at meridian, on the day after the reception of this order."-EDITOR]

GENERAL GRANT'S MILITARY ABILITIES

BY A CONFEDERATE OFFICER

My first knowledge of General Grant was gained at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and I early obtained an insight into the value of that military maxim: "Never underrate your opponent." On the day before the battle of Baker's Creek, that rendered it inevitable that the fortified city on the Mississippi River must surrender or stand a siege, I was looking after the transportation trains near Big Black River, and fell in with General Loring and his staff. I took the liberty of asking a few questions about General Grant, who was known to have crossed the river, and was therefore for the first time in reach of our forces in the State of Mississippi. Loring said there was "only one thing to fear, and that was his taking the alarm and crossing the river behind his two fleets, before the Confederates could get at him."

On the day of the battle, the next, this one-armed general twice failed to obey the order to support the division to which I belonged, General Stevenson's, on the plea of flanking the enemy, and at last secured his own retreat to join General Joseph E. Johnston, while we were safely bottled for capture in Vicksburg.

I do not criticise General Loring-who has proven himself a hero on so many fields from Mexico to Egypt-I only notice the fact that we of the South underrated General Grant from the outset, and the purpose of this article is to show that, as a general, he is underrated yet, North and South.

I so wrote, when, in 1864, I edited the Augusta (Georgia) Daily Constitutionalist, and while the most of army correspondents in the South were predicting that "Grant is about to butt his brains out against the fortifications of Petersburg." I so wrote when in his first Presidential campaign after the war, it became a sort of Democratic fashion to belittle General Grant. I said: It is not much to the credit of the South if we were defeated by a weak and incompetent man," and reminded friends of the proverb, "Great let me call him, for he conquered me."

As a prisoner of war in his hands at the fall of Vicksburg, until the parole of the whole army, I learned to appreciate his courtesy to the vanquished, and it was with no desire to appear in print that I wrote to Whitelaw Reid of the Tribune asking national prayers for him before he died; for my note to Mr. Reid was entirely a private one.