-shaped mass of earth and timbers thrown high into
the air; then a large circle of dust descended and covered everything in
our vicinity. We all looked as if we had been pulled through a chimney.
One of the magazines in the fort had blown up. The remnant of a
Wisconsin regiment was stationed in the fort after its surrender, and
the explosion killed nearly all.

Quite a number of us assisted in getting the dead and wounded from the
ruins. At first it was supposed that a torpedo connected by wires with
Fort Anderson had caused the disaster, but it was afterward decided that
it had been an accident. The Confederate prisoners were then furnished
with shovels, and forced to dig up a number of torpedoes that had been
buried on the outside of the fortification.

No wonder our troops had hard work to capture that place, for, by the
peculiar construction of the interior defences, it was easy to repel the
attacking forces. Towards evening I succeeded in getting the survivors
of our detachment on board the Nereus, and was very particular about
having our quota of small-arms sent with them--carbines, revolvers, and
cutlasses, fifty-two of each. No questions were asked about their being
the same ones we took ashore with us. The gunner's report was "All arms
returned," and nothing more was necessary. The fact that Dayton brought
his extra equipments unknown to me was not commented on.

My report, accounting for all the men, was given to the executive
officer, and then I had something to eat. I went to bed, having had no
sleep for thirty-six hours, but I had enough glory to last me for a long
time. The next night the rebels blew up Forts Caswell and Anderson, and
beat a hasty retreat for Wilmington. General Terry soon after captured
the latter place. The hospital transport came alongside the Nereus and
took off our wounded men, and I have never seen or heard of one of them
since. Our anchor was weighed and we returned to Beaufort for a supply
of ammunition and coal, and as soon as possible started for the West
Indies to join our squadron.

About eight days after our departure from Beaufort we sighted Turks
Island, and, going through the Mariguana Passage, we soon had a view of
the high mountains of the Island of Haiti. The weather was fine and
quite a contrast to that of New York. The awnings were spread to protect
us from the hot sun, and heavy clothing was discarded.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE ISLAND OF HAITI

Cape Haitien