party-superior in every respect of position and numbers. The Federals had attacked them in self-defense. The rebels had opened on them their whole force of artillery, which they had been nine months preparing, for the utter destruction of the beleaguered fort. Yet, after twenty consecutive hours of steady and accurate firing, the solid walls that confronted them showed no signs of weakness, and but one gun had been temporarily disabled. Those walls had proved almost a perfect shelter to their determined garrison, before whose fire many of the walls of the rebels had crumbled, and many of their guns had been rendered useless. That our troops still held possession at all of Pickens was to the Confederates a virtual defeat ; how much more when their own fortifications were much weakened by the Federal guns, whose defenses were unimpaired? It is not strange, then, that after a winter of inactivity, disheartened by their reverses, demoralized by their sufferings, by lack of discipline and the consciousness of the falsity of their position in hopelessly besieging a fort tenfold stronger than their own severely tested works, the next event we have to record of the rebel forces, is the evacuation of Pensacola? We must now anticipate events of great importance which had taken place in other parts of the widely extended field of conflict. The 7th of May had arrived. New Orleans had been restored to the National Government by the energies of that brilliant naval campaign which we shall record in subsequent chapters. The fortifications at New Orleans, upon which the rebels had exhausted all their means of defense, had fallen before the terrible power of Porter's mortar fleet and Farragut's gun-boats. On the morning of the 7th of May, the rebels at Pensacola were thrown into a great state of excitement and consternation, by the appearance off the bar of several steamers belonging to Com. Porter's mortar flotilla. It was evident that the fleet was either concentrating there for an attack upon Mobile, or that the resistless bolts they wielded were soon to fall upon McRae and Barancas. The forts which had already been so shattered by the fire of Fort Pickens could not stand the renewal of that fire aided by the flotilla which had caused the rebel flag to descend from Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. The siege of Fort Pickens had now been maintained, at an immense outlay of labor and expense, for fifteen months, and had thus far proved an entire failure. The fort had withstood the utmost fury of their bombardment unharmed. It was now stronger than ever, and could receive any amount of supplies and reënforcements by sea. The rebel troops thus uselessly detained there were very much needed in other parts of the field. For some time the evacuation of the forts had doubtless been contemplated. Indeed, the siege had virtually been abandoned two months before, in March, when Gen. Bragg left, with most of the rebel force, for another command in the West. Since that time the rebel forts and batteries at Pensacola were garrisoned by but three thousand troops, five hundred of whom were old soldiers, and the remainder three months volunteers. Gen. Arnold was now in command at Pickens, having been promoted to that important post for meritorious services the preceding year. He had been restrained from attacking the forts, from the fact that he had not suitable means of transportation to convey his troops across the bay to take possession of them. And again, he was not very unwilling that three thousand rebel troops should be detained behind those impotent ramparts. They might cause much trouble elsewhere, but could do no harm there. The recent triumphs of our naval squadron had spread the terror of its arm all along the Southern coast. No fort or city or any navigable harbor, not even Charleston, with its Sumter, could now be considered safe. The rebel government had recently adopted the policy of reducing its lines of defense, and massing its forces. Thus influenced, they decided to evacuate their military stations manifestly untenable in eastern and western Florida. Commodore Dupont, sailing down the coast from Port Royal, had found all the eastern forts evacuated, and had raised over them the National banner. The rebels having decided to abandon all their works at Pensacola, resolved to destroy everything which they could not carry away. At eleven o'clock at night, of the 9th of May, the National troops on Santa Rosa Island, perceived indications of some unusual movements on the opposite shores. The alarm was instantly given, when signal lights were seen ascending from Fort McRae, which were immediately answered along the line of forts to Pensacola, and the work of destruction began. Hundreds of rebels were seen running in all directions applying torches to the combustible materials which had previously been arranged; and almost instantly a wide-reaching conflagration lighted up the midnight sky. The flames burst forth, along the winding coast, a distance of nearly ten miles, from Fort McRae to Pensacola. The Marine Hospital buildings at the navy yard, store-houses, forts, barracks, dwelling-houses, shipping-all were enveloped in sheets of fire. To add to the sublimity of the scene, all the batteries upon Santa Rosa opened their guns upon the retreating foe. It was hoped that thus the retreat of the rebels might be precipitated, and the progress of their incendiarism arrested. The vandals, however, had well matured their plans for the destruction of all the property they had so infamously wrested from the United States Government. For five hours bomb-shells fell like hail-stones around the flaming fortifications, and the designs of the rebels were, in a measure, frustrated. Some of their work of ruin they were compelled to leave unfinished. They had failed in their attempt to fire their camp, and it fell into the hands of the National troops, almost unharmed, with all its tents and equipments. The lighthouse and Fort Barancas were also but little injured. They had filled the custom-house with combustibles and had attempted to set them on fire, but the shells which were dropping so fast, drove them away before they had accomplished their plan, and the building was saved. The marine barracks, the foundry, the machine shops and the granite dock in the navy yard, were saved for the National Government. But McRae and scores of other buildings were a mass of smoking ruins when the morning light broke upon the scene of desolation. The rebels having withdrawn, General Arnold dispatched his aid, Capt. R. Jackson, across the bay, in a blockading schooner, to Pensacola, with an order for the surrender of the city. A crowd of citizens surrounded him at the landing, many, with undisguised joy, welcoming him as the representative of their old Government. The citizens were called upon to aid in extinguishing the burning wharves, and other public property, to which call they willingly responded. It so chanced that Com. Porter was cruising along the Gulf coast that night, in the splendid steamer, the Harriet Lane. Seeing the light of the conflagration, he immediately turned his prow in that direction, and in the early morning was at Pensacola, to find the rebel forts evacuated or in ruins, and Warrington, a large part of the navy yard, and portions of Pensacola, in ashes. His arrival was very opportune, as Gen. Arnold had not otherwise the means of transporting his troops across the bay, to take possession of the abandoned works. The Harriet Lane performed this needful duty, and on that eventful day, the Stars and Stripes again floated over all the national property in the harbor of Pensacola; the flag of treason no longer disgracing any portion of Florida. Our troops found the streets of Pensacola silent and deserted, and every thing going to decay. Rebellion had ruined its trade, and blasted its prosperity. There was one portion of the population who received the National troops, with joy which could not be repressed. The whole colored population were half delirious with delight. They were eager to assist our soldiers in every possible way. Even the frowns and menaces of rebel masters could not restrain them. The negroes, fond of music, always sing when happy. Some untutored Milton among their number had improvised a jubilant song, ending in the refrain, welcoming the longexpected Yankees, their looked-for Messiah, "Dey have come at last, The melody of this song greeted the ears of our soldiers everywhere; and the negroes engaged with a will in any work to which they were invited, cheering themselves in labors ever so arduous with this anthem of their deliverance. They had faith in God. We pray thee, oh, God! that they may not be disappointed. Every fort in the Southern States can easily, economically and effectually, be garrisoned by colored troops. They ought to be thus garrisoned. The men are there, among their friends, acclimated and eager for the work. They can afford to serve for small wages, and, under educated officers from our military schools, are abundantly capable of performing all the service which can be required of them. Just emerging from the debasement of slavery, the highly honorable service of the soldier would be to them most valuable tuition. Our Northern young men, with energy and education, are too valuable to be cooped up in forts, and to spend their days shouldering a musket. They are needed to extend the beauty and thrift of Northern villages all over our majestic land. How long would England retain India, if she scorned to employ a native soldier? Every consideration of common sense combines to urge the garrisoning of our Southern forts with colored men, from that region. And let them be so garrisoned that rebellion will never again raise her parricidal hand. The regaining of the bay of Pensacola by the National Government, cleared Florida of the last rebel force of any importance, within the State. Early in March, an expedition had sailed from Port Royal, to take possession of the eastern coast. The fleet consisted of the flag-ship Wabash, under Com. Dupont, and twenty-six gun-boats and transports. Hugging the coast of Georgia, they passed down the sound between Cumberland Island and the main-land, until they reached Amelia Island, just off the coast of Florida. Upon the northern extremity of this island, there is one of the finest harbors south of the Chesapeake, upon the shores of which bay there slumbers the antique little town of Old Fernandina. Just before reaching this place, the fleet picked up one of our ever faithful friends, a contraband, who informed them that the rebels had abandoned in haste the whole of the defenses of Fernandina, and were at that moment retreating from Amelia Island, with such munitions as they could carry away with them in their precipitate flight. Commander Drayton, in the Pawnee, with one or two gun-boats of light draft, was ordered to push through the sound, and save as much as possible of the public and private property from destruction. The remainder of the fleet pushed out to sea, and steamed for the island by its ocean approaches. The water in the sound was so shoal, that all the gun-boats except one grounded. Commander Drayton pushed on with three armed launches. They soon came to Fort Clinch, at the north end of Amelia Island, guarding the inlet to the sound. Its garrison of 1,500 men had deserted it the day before, having received a telegram announcing the approach of the fleet. A boat's crew was sent on shore, to raise over the ramparts the Stars and Stripes. As they approached Old Fernandina, some persons on the shore waved a white flag, while some lurking rebels, concealed in the bushes, fired a volley of rifle shots at them, wounding five and piercing the clothes of many others. A railroad train, loaded with rebels and their purloined store of national property, was seen, just starting from the town. Two locomotives were attached to the train. A railroad bridge connects the island with the main-land. The whole train effected its escape, and disappeared in the woods on the other side. A little steamer, however, which had attempted to escape, was captured. The fleet took possession of the harbor, and of the small town of St. Mary, in Georgia, nearly opposite. Fort Clinch, the main defense of the harbor and the inlet, was a pentagonal structure, with detached towers and bastions, and detached scarps, loop-holed for musketry. Its armament consisted of twenty-seven guns, most of them thirty-two pounders, with a one hundred and twenty-eight pounder, and one rifled gun. The rebels carried off eighteen of the guns to Savannah, spiking the rest, and burning their gun-carriages. A few days after this, Jacksonville was also taken, and a few other minor points, without any struggle. And thus the nation of Florida, as it had no longer a recognized government of its own, became again a territory of the United States. CHAPTER XVI. PULASKI AND THE CONTRABANDS. RECONNOISSANCE OF TYBEE ISLAND.-FORT PULASKI AND ITS BOMBARDMENT.-PREPARATIONS FOR ITS REDUCTION.-ITS BOMBARDMENT.-ITS SURRENDER.-FEELINGS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.-INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF THE SLAVERY QUESTION.-NATIONAL FREEDMAN'S ASSOCIATION.-ADDRESS OF GEN. MCCLELLAN.-FINANCIAL AND MILITARY REPORTS. IN November, 1861, Gen. Sherman, at Port Royal, received orders to make a reconnoissance of Tybee Island, at the mouth of the Savannah River, as a preliminary to the reduction of Fort Pulaski, which commands. the approaches to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is one of the most beautiful of the Southern cities, containing a population of about 6,000 whites and 6,000 slaves. It is situated on a plateau, about forty feet above the level of the river, and seventeen miles from its mouth. Like many other of the cities of the South, it has an oriental air of repose, in strong contrast with the life and vigor of Northern cities. Tybee Island, at the mouth of the river, is a low, barren expanse of sand ridges, about eight miles long and six wide. At the northern extremity of the island there is a lighthouse, and a strong Martello tower, one of those massive circular structures. of masonry, such as the English scattered so profusely along their coasts to guard against the threatened invasion by Napoleon. Three war vessels were despatched upon this enterprise. On the 25th of November they appeared off Tybee, and commenced throwing shot and shell upon the island, at those points where any foe might lurk. Awaking no response, they landed, and found all the works abandoned. At the base of the tower they found a strong battery, but the rebels had been inspired with such terror by the successful bombardment of Forts Walker and Beauregard, that they did not venture to make any stand behind the feebler intrenchments of Tybee. Indeed, Commodore Tatnall announced that after the successful firing at Hilton Head, nothing the rebels had erected could withstand the National fleet. An intense panic had pervaded the whole line of the Southern coast. Several thousand troops took possession of the island; the flag of the Union was raised, and deliberate preparations were made for the reduction of Pulaski. The old Spanish tower was repaired and mounted with an effective armament of 32 and 64-pounders, while breastworks were thrown up surrounding it, a mile in circumference. Only two thousand troops were landed upon the island, and the amount of labor performed by them seems incredible. This National fort, Pulaski, was considered one of the most impregnable in the United States. It had |