the open sea. Showers of balls from
ten-inch columbiads and forty-two-pounders, and shells from
thirteen-inch mortars poured into the fort in one incessant stream,
causing great flakes of masonry to fall in all directions. When the
immense mortar shells, after sailing high in the air, came down in a
vertical direction, and buried themselves in the parade-ground, their
explosion shook the fort like an earthquake.[19]

Our own guns were very defective, as they had no breech-sights. In place
of these, Seymour and myself were obliged to devise notched sticks,
which answered the purpose, but were necessarily very imperfect.

Our fort had been built with reference to the penetration of shot when
the old system of smooth-bore guns prevailed. The balls from a new
Blakely gun on Cummings Point, however, had force enough to go entirely
through the wall which sheltered us, and some of the fragments of brick
which were knocked out wounded several of my detachment. None were
seriously hurt except Sergeant Thomas Kirnan, of my company. His
contusions were severe, but did not keep him out of the fight.

After three hours' firing, my men became exhausted, and Captain Seymour
came, with a fresh detachment, to relieve us. He has a great deal of
humor in his composition, and said, jocosely, "Doubleday, what in the
world is the matter here, and what is all this uproar about?"

I replied, "There is a trifling difference of opinion between us and our
neighbors opposite, and we are trying to settle it."

"Very well," he said; "do you wish me to take a hand?"

I said, "Yes, I would like to have you go in."

"All right," he said. "What is your elevation, and range?"

I replied, "Five degrees, and twelve hundred yards."

"Well," he said, "here goes!" And he went to work with a will.

Part of the fleet was visible outside the bar about half-past ten A.M.
It exchanged salutes with us, but did not attempt to enter the harbor,
or take part in the battle. In fact, it would have had considerable
difficulty in finding the channel, as the marks and buoys had all been
taken up. It was composed originally of the frigates _Pawnee_, under
Commodore Rowan; the _Pocahontas_, under Captain Gillis; the _Powhatan_,
under Captain Mercer; the steam transport _Baltic_, under Captain
Fletcher; and, I believe, the steam-tugs _Yankee_, _Uncle Ben_, and
another, which was not permitted to leave New York. The soldiers on
board consisted of two hundred and fift