y recruits from Governor's
Island, under command of First Lieutenants E.M.K. Hudson, of the Fourth,
and Robert O. Tyler, of the Third Artillery, and Second Lieutenant A.I.
Thomas, of the First Infantry.

This expedition was designed by Captain Fox, in consultation with G.W.
Blunt, William H. Aspinwall, Russel Sturges, and others. After the
event much obloquy was thrown upon the navy because it did not come in
and engage the numerous batteries and forts, and open for itself a way
to Charleston; but this course would probably have resulted in the
sinking of every vessel.

As far back as December I had written to New York that it was very
difficult for a gun on shore to hit a small boat dancing on the waves in
the daytime, and at night it is almost impossible. I suggested,
therefore, that we might be re-enforced and provisioned by means of a
number of small boats, supplied from several naval vessels as a base of
operations. The same idea had occurred to Captain Fox; and on the
present occasion he had brought thirty launches to be used for this
purpose. They were to be manned by three hundred sailors, and in case
they were assailed, the fleet was to protect them as far as possible by
its guns. Unfortunately, the different vessels did not reach the
rendezvous together. The _Pawnee_ and _Pocahontas_ arrived on the 12th,
but lost a great deal of time in waiting for the _Powhatan_, which
contained the launches and other arrangements, without which a boat
expedition could not be organized. The _Powhatan_ never appeared,
having been unexpectedly detached, by order of the President, at the
solicitation of Secretary Seward, and without consultation with the Navy
Department. I think the _Baltic_ was detained by running upon
Rattlesnake Shoal. The steam-tug _Uncle Ben_ was driven into Wilmington
by a storm, and the _Yankee_ did not make its appearance until the 15th.
The expedition was thus an utter failure. Nevertheless, a passing
schooner was purchased and loaded up with provisions and soldiers, and
an attempt would have been made to run in on the night of the 13th, but
by that time it was too late. The fort had surrendered.

Having explained this matter, we will now resume the narrative of our
operations. For the next three hours a vigorous fire was kept up on both
sides. A great many shots were aimed at our flag-staff, but nearly all
of them passed above the fort and struck in the water beyond. I think we
succeeded in silencin