James F. Hall; two companies of the Third Rhode Island artillery, (Capts. Mason and Rodgers,) and a small detachment from company A, corps of engineers, under Sergeant James E. Wilson. Col. Terry and Lieut.-Col. Hall entered most zealously upon the discharge of their varied duties. breach in a brick scarf at two thousand yards distance, with guns of my own selection. 3. No better piece for breaching can be desired than the forty-two pounder James. The grooves, however, must be kept clean. Parrott guns, throwing as much metal as the James, would be equally good, supposing them to fire as accurately as the Parrott thirty-pounder. A detachment from Col. Rosa's regiment, under Capt. Hinkle, have occupied, since the twen- I append to this report a map, giving the posity-second of February, an advanced and very ex- tion of our several batteries, and the orders issued, posed position on Lazaretto Creek, by which boat assigning the detachments to the batteries, and communication between Fort Pulaski and the in-regulating the direction and rapidity of the firing. terior was cut off. Several interesting reconnoissances of Wilmington Island were made by Capt. Hinkle, one of which, commanded by Col. Rosa, developed some useful information. Lieut. Horace Porter, of the Ordnance Department, has rendered signal, important and indispensable services. Besides discharging most faithfully the special duties of ordnance officer, he directed, in person, the transportation of the heaviest ordnance, and drilled and instructed the men in its use, laboring indefatigably day and night. He was actively engaged among the batteries during the action. Lieut. James H. Wilson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, joined my command eleven days before the action, and did good service in instructing the artillerists. He rendered efficient service with the breaching batteries on the tenth and eleventh. Capt. S. H. Pelouze, Fifteenth infantry, U.S.A., and Capt. J. W. Turner, of the Commissary Department, U.S.A., member of Gen. Hunter's staff, volunteered for the action, and did good service in the batteries. I am under obligations to Commander C. R. P. Rodgers, U.S.N., for skilfully serving four siegeguns in battery Sigel on the eleventh. Lieut. P. H. O'Rourke, Corps of Engineers, and Adam Badeau, Esq., volunteered, and served on my staff as aids during the tenth and eleventh. Sergeant J. E. Wilson, of Co. A, Corps of Engineers, (regular army,) did excellent service in mounting the heavy guns and getting them ready for action. Very respectfully, your obedient servant REPORT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL VIELE, HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCES, Į SAVANNAH RIVER, April 11, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the troops under my command, in connection with the investment and reduction of Fort Pulaski. The plan of operations assigned to me comprised the erection of batteries on the Savannah River, to cut off communication between the Fort and the city of Savannah, from which supplies, ammunition and men were drawn; and to establish batteries on the islands adjacent to the Fort, against the gorge and left flank, with which, in conjunction with the batteries on Tybee Island, the Fort could be reduced. The expedition for these purposes was fitted out at Port Royal, and consisted of a detachment of the Third Rhode Island artillery, a detachment of volunteer engineers, a battalion of the Eighth Maine regiment, the Sixth regiment Connecticut Volunteers, the Forty-eighth New-York Volunteers and a full supply of heavy ordnance and intrenching tools. A full reconnoissance and report had previously been made by Lieut. J. H. Wilson, Topographical Engineers, of the water communications with the Savannah River, by which it was developed that the rebels had sunk the hulk of a brig, securely fixed in its position by means of heavy He commanded battery Burnside during the action. No mortar-battery was served more skil-piles, in what is known as “Wall's Cut," an arfully than his. I will close this preliminary report by some general deductions from absolute results, without going into details or reasons. 1. Mortars (even thirteen-inch sea-coast) are unavailable for the reduction of works of small area like Fort Pulaski. They cannot be fired with sufficient accuracy to crush the casemate arches. They might, after a long time, tire out any ordinary garrison. 2. Good rifled guns, properly served, can breach rapidly at one thousand six hundred and fifty yards distance. A few heavy round shot, to bring down the masses loosened by the rifled projectiles, are of good service. I would not hesitate to attempt a practicable tificial channel connecting Wright River, one of the outlets of the Savannah, with Bull River, which last, by its connection, forms a direct communication with the harbor of Port Royal, thus serving as a thoroughfare between that harbor and Savannah. The removal of this hulk was the first thing to be accomplished, and was intrusted to Major 0. S. Beard, Forty-eighth New-York Volunteers, who, with the aid of a company of the Volunteer Engineers, and by means of mechanical appliances suggested by his own ingenuity, succeeded after three weeks of unremitting night labor, and in close proximity to the rebel forces, in removing the piles and hulk from the channel, so as to admit of the passage of gunboats and light-draught steamers. This being accomplished, the expedition proceeded to the north end of Dawfuskie Island, at which point a camp and depot were established for operations in the Savannah. Reconnoissances for suitable locations for the batteries were there made, under the superintendence of Capt. and Acting Brig. Gen. Gilmore, during which the telegraphic communication between Fort Pulaski and Savannah was cut, and the wires, both land and submarine, removed for about the distance of one mile. Venus Point, on Jones's Island, on the north side of the Savannah, and the upper end of Long Island, in the Savannah River, were recommended as the most feasible positions to be occupied. These islands, as well as all others in the river, are merely deposits of soft mud, on sand shoals, always covered at high-tide, and overgrown with dank grasses. The occupation of points so unfavorable for the erection of batteries, was rendered still more difficult by the presence in the Savannah of a fleet of rebel gunboats, constantly passing and always on the alert. To have floated the ordnance in the flatboats in which it had been placed, into the Savannah River, would have exposed it to capture by the gunboats; to move it over the swamps seemed almost impossible, while at the same time it would constantly be exposed to view from the river. The alternative was adopted of moving the armament of one battery by hand, at night, on shifting tram-ways, across Jones's Island; and this was accomplished on the night of the eleventh of February. A drenching storm added to the difficulties-the men often sinking to their waists in the marsh, and the guns sometimes slipping from the tram-ways. By morning the guns were in position on the river, and the next day resisted, with unfinished platforms, and without cover, an attack from the rebel gunboats, disabling and driving them off. Three days after, another battery was erected on Bird Island, in the Savannah, under cover of the battery on Jones's Island. Bird Island was selected in preference to the upper end of Long Island, as affording a more uninterrupted command of the south channel of the river. the erection of the batteries until those on Tybee Island were ready to open. Hence, it was not until the night before the bombardment commenced, that they were thrown up. The intrenchments were completed; but before the guns were all in position, the Fort surrendered unconditionally. The mortar-batteries on Long Island did good execution. In reporting the results accomplished, I have to refer to the services rendered by the staff of Gen. Sherman, without which the work could not have been performed. These officers were Capt. and Acting Brig.-Gen. Gilmore, Chief Engineer; Capt. John Hamilton, Chief of Artillery; Lieut. J. H. Wilson, Topographical Engineer; Lieut. Porter, Ordnance Corps, and Lieutenant O'Rourke, Engineer Corps. Hesitating at no amount of exposure or fatigue, they succeeded, by their individual examples, in inspiring the men with that energy and zeal which alone could have led them to accomplish the arduous labor required. I am also greatly indebted to the services of Capt. Sears, of the Volunteer Engineers, and to Captain J. H. Liebenau, Assistant Adjutant-General. The accompanying sketch exhibits the positions of the batteries. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, To Lieut. A. B. ELY, Brigadier-General Commanding. Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. REPORT OF COMMODORE DU PONT. FLAG-SHIP WABASH, PORT ROYAL HARBOR, S. C., April 13, 1862. SIR: The despatches from the Commanding General of this Department to the Honorable Secretary of War, will convey the gratifying intelligence of the fall of Fort Pulaski. It was a purely military operation, the result of laborious and scientific preparation, and of consummate skill It would not have and bravery in the execution. this brilliant and successful achievement, had pertained to me to address you, in reference to not Major-General Hunter, with a generous spirit long to be remembered, permitted the navy to be represented on this interesting occasion, by allowing a detachment of seamen and officers from this ship to serve one of the breaching-batteries. Since the erection of the batteries, the works have been completed on both islands-the one on Jones's Island being called Fort Vulcan, and that I have thanked the General personally for this on Bird Island, battery Hamilton; and although the material of which they are composed, (mud, kindness, and I desire, at the same time, to exhighly saturated with water,) is of the most unfa- press my acknowledgments to Brig.-Gen. Benvorable description, they are both creditable speci-ham and Acting Brig.-Gen. Gilmore for the acts mens of field-works, and evidence the great la- of consideration shown by them to my officers bor and perseverance of the troops, under the most trying circumstances - the fatigue-parties always standing in water twenty-four hours. The positions selected for batteries to aid in the reduction of the Fort, were the lower end of Long Island and the south side of Turtle Island. As these two points were directly under the fire of the Fort, it was deemed advisable to delay and men. I enclose the report of Commander C. R. P. Rodgers, who had the honor to command the battery "Sigel," on the second and important day. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Secretary of the Navy. COMMANDER RODGERS'S REPORT. FLAG-SHIP WABASH, SIR: "I have the honor to report the return of the detachment from this ship, which had the good fortune to take part in the bombardment of Fort Pulaski. It reached Tybee on the morning of the tenth instant, just before the fire was opened, and the batteries being already manned, our men could not participate in the action of the first day. Gen. Hunter, Gen. Benham, and Gen. Gilmore all manifested the most generous desire to give the navy a share in the good work; and on the eleventh, the most important day, two rifled guns in battery "Sigel," one of the nearest and most exposed batteries, and consequently one of the posts of honor, were assigned to the men of the Wabash. We occupied it at daybreak, and kept up a steady and well-directed fire until the Fort hauled down its flag, at two o'clock P.M. The officers and men behaved well. I beg leave to commend to you Lieut. Irwin, Acting Master Robertson, and Midshipmen M. L. Johnson and F. H. Pearson, Lewis Boun, captain of the forecastle, and George H. Wood, quartermaster. When the enemy hoisted the white flag, Gen. Benham most courteously invited me to detail a naval officer to accompany the officers sent by him to arrange the terms of the surrender, and I sent Lieut. Irwin upon that honorable duty. I spent the first day of the bombardment in the trenches with Gen. Hunter, and in visiting the different batteries, which I caused to be visit ed by several of our officers and men, that they might profit by the experience to be acquired. The bombardment began at eight o'clock A.M on the tenth, and continued during the day. At first, while procuring the ranges, it was somewhat inaccurate, many of the artillerists being quite untrained. On the second day, in spite of a high wind, the firing from the rifled guns and columbiads was excellent, the former boring into the brick face of the wall like augers, and the latter striking and breaking off great masses of masonry which had been cut loose by the rifles. The four upper batteries were about sixteen hundred yards distant from Fort Pulaski, and quite beyond the distance at which it has hitherto been held practicable to effect a breach, but it proved an easy breaching range with those wonderful projectiles which we now possess. When the Fort surrendered, the barbette guns had been silenced, and many of them dismounted. The breach was practicable in two places, and could have been stormed without doubt. Our projectiles were passing through it, and were knocking down the opposite wall, which protected the main magazine, so that the garrison were convinced that in an hour the magazine must have blown up. The heavy thirteen-inch mortars inflicted much less injury than I had expected. The casemates did not seem at all shaken by them. The parade-ground had been farmed into FORT PULASKI, GA., April 11, 1862. Gen. H. W. Benham, Commanding Northern District, Department of the South, Tybee Island, Ga. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the terms of capitulation for the surrender to the United States of Fort Pulaski, Ga., signed by me this eleventh day of April, 1862. I trust these terms will receive your approval, they being substantially those authorized by you, as commander of the District. The Fort hoisted the white flag at forty-five minutes past one o'clock this afternoon, after a resistance since eight o'clock yesterday morning to the continuous fire of our batteries. A practicable breach in the walls was made in eighteen and a half hours' firing by daylight. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, Q. A. GILMORE. Brig. Gen. Volunteers, Com'g U. S. Forces on Tybee Island, Ga. HEADQUARTERS NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, TYBEE ISLAND, GA., April 11, 1562.) Major-Gen. D. Hunter, United States Army, herewith the terms of surrender of Fort Pulaski, as arranged this day by Acting Brig.-Gen. Q. A. Gilmore, whom I despatched to the Fort for that purpose immediately after the appearance of the white flag from that Fort, about two P.M., this day-the anniversary of the opening of the fire upon Fort Sumter by the rebels, last year. The terms agreed to by Col. C. H. Olmstead, the rebel commander of the Fort, are essentially those dictated by myself; and such as I trust will meet with your approval, from my previous communications with you on this subject. With much congratulation to you on this first success in your present department, I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient H. W. BENHAM, servant, Brig. Gen. Com'g Northern District and First Division Department of the South. Terms of capitulation agreed upon for the surrender to the forces of the United States of Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, Ga. : ART. 1. The Fort, armament, and garrison to be surrendered at once to the forces of the United States. ART. 2. The officers and men of the garrison to be allowed to take with them all their private ef fects, such as clothing, bedding, books, etc. This not to include private weapons. ART. 3. The sick and wounded, under charge of the hospital steward of the garrison, to be sent up under a flag of truce to the confederate lines; and at the same time the men to be allowed to send up any letters they may desire, subject to the inspection of a Federal officer. Signed the eleventh day of April, 1862, at Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, Ga. CHAS. H. OLMSTEAD, Col. First Vol. Reg't of Ga., Com'g Fort Pulaski. REBEL OFFICERS CAPTURED. Col. Chas. H. Olmstead, commanding post. Adjutant M. H. Hopkins. Porter through the batteries. His object was to ascertain if it would be possible to open fire at sunrise in the morning. We visited each battery in turn: first the two mortar-batteries, Stanton and Grant, the furthest from the Fort. These were to be commanded by Capts. Skinner and Palmer, of the Connecticut Seventh. Then batteries Lyon and Lincoln, under Capt. Pelouze. One of them mounted three ten-inch, and the other three eight-inch columbiads. All of these four works were more than three thousand yards from Pulaski. Battery Burnside, under command of Sergeant Wilson, of the Ordnance, mounted one thirteen-inch mortar; battery Sherman commanded by Capt. Francis, consisted of three thirteen-inch mortars. There stretched out an interval of ground beyond this battery, half One battery, (Halleck, Capt. Sanford,) only interrupted it. Halleck was two thousand four hundred yards from the Fort, and contained the last of the thirteen-inch mortars. The next was battery Scott, Capt. Mason, of the Third Rhode Island, only one thousand six hundred and seventy-seven yards from Fort Pulaski. It containe three teninch columbiads, and one eight-inch. Next came battery Sigel, Captain Seldeneck, of the Fortysixth New-York, and battery McClellan, Capt. Rodgers. Both of these, which were side by side, were one thousand six hundred and twenty yards Commissaries Robert D. Walker, J. T. Mc- a mile or more, entirely exposed. Farland. Sergeant-Major Robert H. Lewis. Quartermaster's Sergeant Wm. C. Crawford. OFFICERS OF THE MONTGOMERY GUARD, SAVANNAH. Capt. L. J. Gilmartin, First Lieut. John J. Symons, Senior Second Lieut. Christopher Hussey, Junior Second Lieut. C. M. Murphy. GERMAN VOLUNTEERS, SAVANNAH. Capt. John H. Steigen, Senior Second Lieut. Henry Warner, Junior Second Lieut. Charles Umback. OGLETHORPE LIGHT INFANTRY, SAVANNAH. Capt. T. W. Sims, First Lieut. H. C. Truman, Junior Second Lieut. James Ackerman. WISE GUARD, MACON COUNTY, GA. distant from the centre of Pulaski. The former mounted one twenty-four-pound James, and fiv twenty-pound Parrott guns; the latter two twelve pound James, and two thirty-two-pound James Last of all was battery Totten, under Capt. Rod man, where were placed the four ten-inch mortars. All of these nearest batteries were very close together, and, as they were to be so much exposed, connected by trenches or covered ways. The splinter-proofs now were immediately in the rear of the batteries, so that the men could pass directly from their guns to cover. These works Capt. John McMahon, First Lieut. Francis were erected on a narrow strip of fast land, and Blair, Senior Second Lieut. J. C. Rowland, Ju-just behind them was a wide swamp, into which Capt. M. J. McMullin, First Lieut. T. W. Montfort, Senior Second Lieut. J. D. N. Lullow, Junior Second Lieut. John Blow. WASHINGTON VOLUNTEERS, SAVANNAH. nior Second Lieut. A. J. McArthur. ACCOUNT BY A PARTICIPANT. it was hoped that most of the enemy's shells would fall. The batteries, though open, were still admirably protected. A man could scarcely be hurt, unless in passing between them, or in the event of a shell falling directly into the works and exploding; when, of course, all in the neighborhood were endangered. The swamp extends into the interior of the Island, and seemed likely to receive some of the shot and shell aimed at the lower batteries, but its position in the rear of those most exposed seemed almost providential. On the eighth of April, Gen. Hunter and staff went ashore on Tybee Island. It was intended to open fire the next morning, but a delay of one day was found necessary. Gen. Hunter did not take up his headquarters ashore, though he visited the batteries, and on the first day of the bombardment remained at them. Gen. Benham was in the action both days, but the command was left with General Gilmore. Capt. Pelouze, late Men were very busily at work without lanAdjutant-General on Gen. Sherman's staff, and terns, at every one of the batteries, piling or fillnow Inspector-General of the Department of the ing shells, building revetments to render the parSouth, volunteered to take command of a battery, apets still more secure, lowering the terrepleins, and was assigned to two. Lieut. Wilson, who deepening the trenches. And Porter went had been engaged in drilling his men at their guns around to each gun, to ascertain if its captain for several days, acted on the staff of Gen. Gil- was prepared with whatever would be necessary more, and exercised a sort of supervision of sev- on the morrow. Some wanted one implement, eral of the batteries in conjunction with Lieut. and some another; these had no priming-wire, Porter. and those no friction-tube All the thousand litOn the night of the ninth I rode with Lieut.tle needs that spring up invariably in an emer gency were imperious. Lists were made out, and sent into headquarters, and officers assured that everything possible should be obtained, and the rest must be dispensed with. At the ten-inch mortar battery, fuse-plugs were still wanting, and the ordnance officer was in despair. He had brought out a specimen of one prepared for another piece, in hopes it might serve; and although one trial doubtless convinced him how vain were his hopes, he persisted in poking his plug again and again into the hole; but it was of no use. Here were these four pieces, at this most advanced position, rendered entirely useless. Not one could be fired. Finally, a happy thought struck him; there was a Yankee regiment on the island; all Yankees are whittlers; if this regiment could be turned out to-night, they might whittle enough fuse-plugs before morning to fire a thousand rounds. So we put spurs to our horses, and rode (in the darkness) bravely over the open space which separates the batteries back to camp. The Sixth Connecticut was ordered out to whittle, and did whittle to advantage, providing all the plugs that were used in battery Totten on the two succeeding days. white flag waving under the Stars and Stripes, as you The formal demand carried by Lieut. Wilson has probably already been made public. It was felicitous in calling for a surrender and restoration of Fort Pulaski. The reply was gallant: "We are here to defend, not to surrender the Fort." So Porter opened fire, and the other batteries followed in their order, and Pulaski was not more than four or five minutes behindhand in In the ordnance yard was a confused group-replying, although she had not anticipated an atwagons waiting for their piles of implements, tack so soon. In a very short while all of our workmen manufacturing or mending implements own works were engaged. The great thirteenand weapons; others providing ammunition; inch mortars were long in getting the range, and, officers making out lists, or filling them up, to tell the truth, did not succeed in retaining any or giving various orders; every now and then accurate range at all. Several of the columbiads a messenger arriving or leaving, all by night; were dismounted early in the action, but not by a lantern burning dimly here and there; and the enemy the accident was owing to some dethe moon struggling to look down through fect in their pintles. Then one of the mortars in misty clouds. Camp could be seen beyond some battery Sherman became useless for an hour or sand-hummocks in the distance; and the inces- more; still, battery Burnside, with its single sant roar of the surf prevented all noise of our piece, was doing good execution, and up at bathammering or shouting from reaching the ears of tery McClellan the firing was rapid and accurate. the beleaguered garrison, unconscious how near Wilson was there. The three Generals and their its fate was at hand. The sentinel on the walls aids were on the ground; Gen. Hunter remaincried out, "All's well ;" and a private soldier ex-ing all day at a point to the left of battery Linclaimed: 66 Ah! you wouldn't say that, if you could see what we are about over here." It was long past midnight before we were all abed, in the lightkeeper's house; for Gen. Gilmore's headquarters were established in the shanty where the keeper of Tybee light once slept calmly, undisturbed by wars or rumors of wars. Five of us bunked in one garret, in our blankets. We had been used to talk late into the night, but this time all the sleep that could be secured before daylight was necessary. A Major-General and three of his aids lay in the opposite room, no better off than we; a Brigadier and his staff below. One man was awake, without being called, in the morning, and that was Lieut. Wilson, who was to carry the demand for a surrender; and none of the others was later than he. Wilson had fairly earned the honor, which nobody grudged him; but how we feared he might bring back terms! Everything was got ready to open fire, so soon as he should return with a defiance. He bore a written summons from Gen. Hunter, and a man was stationed in the lighthouse to watch his course. His boat, with its coln; Gen. Benham being more active, and Gen. Gilmore hard at work, knowing that his spurs were to be won. Pelouze was provoked because one of his guns was dismounted, and O'Rourke was delighted because he was bidden to put it in order, under fire. This was accomplished by the help of a detachment of volunteer engineers, of whom Col. Hall was in command. Aids and orderlies galloped across the dangerous ground, and Generals, more cautious for officers than these for themselves, ordered the younger men to take the least uncovered road. Down, gentlemen, down," said General Hunter, when those around him were needlessly exposing themselves. Horses fastened near the battery got frightened at the prodigious noise, and broke their bridles, scampering off to camp; no orderly could be sent, under that fire, for a horse; an aid came along soon after; as a sorry substitute, some quartermaster had lent him a brute that evidently would stand any fire without running; the rider had no spurs nor whip, and he labored the animal with the flat of his sword; so a comrade afoot, but accustomed to ride, sat down on the roadside, took off his own spurs, and fastened |