withdrawn after a few hours, and the battle left to the forts and batteries, The fire of Fort Pickens, on this day, was more deliberate than on the day preceding, and its effects more visible. Fort McRae, which had suffered so much the previous day, was still silent, its shattered walls not being strong enough to bear the discharges of its own guns; but the shore batteries and Fort Barancas kept up a vigorous and well-directed fire. At 3 P. M., some of the houses in Warrington, in the rear of the rebel fortifications, were set on fire by our shells and red-hot shot. The conflagration spread to the church, and thence along the street, till nearly the whole village was in flames. About the same time, buildings in Woolcott, a village adjoining the navy yard on the north and east, were seen to be burning. From this conflagration, the flames extended to several wooden structures in the yard. Most of the buildings here, however, being of brick, and with slated roofs, were more injured by the quantities of shot, and of shells filled with sand, for breaching the walls, than from the conflagration.

The scene at night was magnificent. Shells in countless numbers filled the air, and yet each one could be followed, in the meteoric splendor of its graceful curve, from the time it left the gun till it exploded in a deafening The whole bay was illumined by the conflagration with more than noon-day brilliance. The glow of the flame arrested the eyes of the crew of the steamer Mercedita, over forty miles distant, at sea.

roar.

The firing was continued on both sides far into the night. At length the deafening reports of artillery, the whistling of shot, the screech and crash of bursting shells gradually ceased; though the occasional roar of the mortars was heard till after midnight. The harbor was brilliantly lighted up till morning by the burning villages and detached buildings on shore, but besides this, little had been accomplished by this day's bombardment. The Federal force was not large enough to follow it up by a night attack upon the enemy's works, and as it was not in their power otherwise to drive them from their position, it was decided not to continue the engagement longer. The loss on both sides was very slight. In Fort Pickens one private was killed, six wounded. The only casualty on the ships was that on the Richmond mentioned above. Gen. Bragg reported his loss five killed and seven wounded. The only injury sustained by Fort Pickens from the fire of the rebels, though that fire was very accurate, was the dismounting of one gun, by a shot that shattered its carriage. The Richmond was quite seriously damaged by a shell which penetrated her side at the water line. The Niagara, though more exposed, escaped with trifling injury.

Sunday, the 24th, succeeded-a day of quietness that was in strange contrast with the noise and confusion of battle with which the week had closed. The enemy waited in vain for the renewal of the strife, still maintaining their position with confidence and exultation. Though the walls of their forts were battered and in some places broken, several of their batteries silenced, and many neighboring buildings consumed, yet it was evident that those two days of bombardment had produced trifling results when compared with the mighty energies employed. Still the rebels could not but be disheartened by the result. They were the besieging

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 negros, 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,
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.