to Fort Pickering, when the sentry on the shore fired at us, and we were obliged to "come to" while the poor fellow near us were crying out and imploring us for God's sake to save them; that they couldn't hold out much longer. We pulled a short distance toward the shore and hailed the sentry, who ordered me to come on shore, and who, it seems, had not hailed me before, or if he had his hail had been drowned by the groans of the men drowning in the water. I asked the sentry why he had fired at me, and he said that he had obeyed his orders. I told the sentry what had happened, and that I was picking up drowning men. The sentry did not give me any answer, and we went out again to the middle of the river, where we fell in with the gig laying near a lot of drift which was covered with men drowning, who were so benumbed that my boats' crews were obliged to handle them as if they were dead men. Before we had taken in half of them another shot was fired from the fort, and came whistling over our heads, and I saw that they were determined to make me come ashore. It was not daylight, and though our two boats and a steam-boat's yawl which came out to lend us a hand, made a large mark to shoot at, I would not leave the poor fellows in the water to attend the sentry on shore. When the day began to dawn the cries of the sufferers ceased, and all who had not been rescued had gone down, and I, fearing that I might be fired at again, went to the shore, and when I saw the sentry he had again raised his musket, and I called out to him not to shoot, and at the same time told the sentry, who was a negro, that if there was an officer there I wished to see him. A man came down and told me that he was an officer. I asked him why I had been fired at. He said that his orders were to fire on all skiffs. I told him that these boats were not skiffs; that they were a man-of-war's gig and cutter, and again reminded him of what had happened, and of the drowning men whose cries he could not help hearing, and for the sake of humanity why could he not execute his orders with some discretion in a time like this. He said that he had as much humanity as any one, and if firing at me he had only obeyed orders. I saw a number of skiffs and other boats laying hauled up out of the water, and form appearances no one had made any attempt to launch them, and I reminded him that did not look much like humanity. No one at the fort offered to do anything for the suffering men in our boats except the watchman of the coal barges, who, with the assistance of some of my men, built a fire on the shore, and I left a few of the rescued men by it, who wished to remain, and the others I had put on board vessels near by, where they were well cared for. I then crossed the river, and after looking carefully around I returned on board, having taken out of the water sixty men and one lady.

I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES H. BERRY,

Acting Ensign and Executive Officer.

Actg. Vol. Lieutenant JOHN C. PARKER,

Commanding U. S. Iron-clad Essex.

[First indorsement.]

Respectfully forwarded to Major General C. C. Washburn for his consideration.

JOHN C. PARKER,

Volunteer Lieutenant, Commanding Essex.