The Pensacola fight — official report of Colonel Brown.
From the following report of old Harvey Brown it will be seen that the characteristic disease of all Yankeedom — blustering and balderdash — has disseminated itself through every vein of that old humbug. Can Lincoln's minions much longer put up with such trash as these lying proclamations from their leaders:
That Fort Pickens has been beleaguered by the rebels for the last nine months, and that it was daily threatened with the fate of Sumter, is a fact notorious to the whole world. Since its occupancy by Lieut. Slemmer the rebels have been surrounding it with batteries, and daily arming them with the heaviest and most efficient guns known to our service — guns stolen from the United States--until they considered this fort as virtually their own, its occupancy being only a question of time.
I have been in command since the 16th of April, and during the whole of that time their force has averaged, so far as I can learn, from eight to ten times the number of mine. The position in which I have thus been placed has been sufficiently trying, and I have at three separate times intended to free myself from it, by opening my batteries on them, but imperious circumstances, over which I had no control, has unexpectedly in each instance prevented.
Affairs were in this state on the morning of the 9th of October, when the enemy, fifteen hundred strong, attacked by surprise a portion of my command on an intensely dark night. They were defeated and driven from the island with great loss by less than two hundred regulars and fifty volunteers — all the efficient force I had disposable for the purpose.
An insult to the flag of my country could not by me be passed unnoticed, and I designed immediately to take appropriate notice of it; but, as I said before, circumstances over which I had no control prevented. I make these prefatory remarks to explain why I have now opened my batteries on the enemy, when, from the smallness of my forces, about one-sixth of his, thirteen hundred to eight thousand, I have not the means of producing any decisive results, and as evidence of my having accomplished what I designed — the punishing the perpetrators of an insult of my country's flag.
Having invited flag officer McKean to cooperate with me in attacking the rebels, and to which he gave a ready and cordial assent, on the morning of the 22d, opened my batteries on the enemy, to which, in the course of half an hour, he responded from his numerous forts and batteries extending from the navy-yard to Fort McBas, a distance of about four miles, the whole nearly equidistant from this fort, and on which line he has two forts — McRae and Barrancas — and fourteen separate batteries, containing from one to four guns, many of them being ten inch columbiads, and some 12 and 13-inch coast mortars, the distance varying from two thousand one hundred to two thousand nine hundred yards from this fort. At the same time of my opening, flag officer McKean, in the Niagara, and Capt. Ellison, in the Richmond, took position as near to Fort McRae as the depth of water would permit, but which unfortunately was not sufficiently deep to give full effect to their powerful batteries. They, however, kept up a spirited fire on the fort and adjacent batteries during the whole day.
My fire was incessant from the time of opening until it was too dark to see, at the rate of a shot for each gun every fifteen or twenty minutes, the fire of the enemy being somewhat slower. By noon the guns of Fort McRae were all silenced but one, and three hours before sunset this fort and the adjoining battery ceased fire. I directed the guns of batteries Lincoln, Cameron and Town principally on the batteries adjacent to the navy-yard, those of battery Scott to Fort McRae, and the light house, batteries and those of the fort to all. We reduced very perceptibly the fire of Barrancas, entirely silenced that in the navy-yard, and in one or two of the other batteries; the efficiency of our fire, at the close of the day not being the least impaired.
The next morning I again opened, about the same hour, the navy, unfortunately, owing to a reduction in the depth of water, caused by a change of the wind, not being able to get so near as yesterday, consequently the distance was too great to be effectual My fire this day was less rapid, and I think more efficient, than that of yesterday. Fort McRae, so effectually silenced yesterday, did not fire again to-day. We silenced entirely one or two guns, and had one of ours disabled by a shot coming through the embrassure
About three o'clock fire was communicated to one of the houses in Warrington, and shortly afterwards to the church steeple, the church and the whole village being immediately in the rear of some of the rebel batteries, they apparently having placed them purposely directly in front of the largest and most valuable buildings.
The fire rapidly communicated to other buildings along the street until probably two-thirds of it was consumed; and about the same time fire was discovered from the back part of the Navy-Yard, probably in Wolcott, a village to the north and immediately adjoining the yard; as Warrington does on the west. Finally it penetrated to the yard, and as it continued to burn brightly all night, I concluded that either in it or in Wolcott many buildings were destroyed. Very heavy damage was also done to the buildings of the yard by the avalanche of shot, shell and splinters showered unceasingly on them for two days, and being nearly fire proof, being built of brick and covered with state, I could not succeed in firing them, my hot shot nor shell not having any power of igniting them.
The steamer Time, which was at the wharf at the time, was abandoned on the first day and exposed to our fire, which probably entirely disabled her. The fire was again continued till dark, and with mortars occasionally until two o'clock next morning, when the combat ceased.
This fort, at its conclusion, though it had received a great many shot and shell, is it every respect, save the disabling of one gun-carriage, and the loss of service of six men, as efficient as it was at the commencement of the combat but the ends I proposed in commencing having been attained, except out, which I find to be impracticable with my present means, I do not deem it advisable further to continue it, unless the enemy think proper to do so, when I shall meet him with alacrity.
The attack on "Billy Wilson's" camp, the attempted attack on my batteries, and the insult to our glorious flag, have been fully and fearfully avenged. I have no means of knowing the loss of the enemy, and have no disposition to guess at it. The firing on his batteries was very heavy, well directed, and continued for two days, and could hardly fall of having important results.
Our loss would have been heavy but for the foresight which, with great labor, caused us to erect elaborate means of protection, and which saved many lives. I lost one private killed, one sergeant, one corporal, and four men (privates) wounded, only one severely.
