is presented a panorama of
life and beauty which few eyes have ever beheld.

[Illustration: The opening Gun.]

Du Pont, in the majestic "Wabash," moved down the bay, and, as he came
in range of Fort Walker, sent a shell shrieking from a bow-gun, as
signal that the action was begun. The old frigate moved on slowly,
making play with the bow-guns until abreast of the fort, when with a
crash she let fly her whole broadside. On she went for a few yards,
then turning in a grand circle came back, giving the other broadside
to the forts as she passed. The other ships fell in behind; and round
and round before the forts the fiery circle revolved, spitting out
fire and ponderous iron bolts, and making the peaceful shores of the
bay tremble with the deep reverberations of the cannon.

The Confederates, for their part, went into the action with the utmost
coolness. They had been assured that their position was impregnable,
and had been cautioned to be deliberate and determined in their
defence. For a time their artillery service was admirable. But soon
they found certain discouraging features about the affair. Their guns
were too light to have any effect on the fleet, and their powder was
of such bad quality that many of their shots fell short. Two great
guns dismounted themselves, seriously injuring the men who were
handling them, and the very first broadside from the fleet dismounted
several more. Then it was found that the shells for the great Parrott
guns were too large, and that the shells from other cannon failed to
explode, owing to defective fuses. Soon the fleet found a point of
fire from which it could enfilade the forts, and thereafter a perfect
hail of shell and grape-shot fell in the trenches. One shell disabled
eleven men. A solid shot struck a gun thought to be perfectly
protected, and hurled it, with the men serving it, over the parapet.
Every twenty minutes a gun was dismounted in Fort Walker, and at the
end of the conflict Fort Beauregard had but nine serviceable guns.

For about four hours there was no cessation of fire on the part of the
fleet. Round and round the circle the vessels steamed, giving one fort
a broadside on the way up, and the other a broadside on the way down.
The bombs rose from them in a majestic sweep through the air, and
plunged into the fort, exploding with a roar equal to that of a
cannon. One ship was commanded by Capt. Drayton, who rained shot and
shell mercilessly against the forts,