The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-29 00:00:00

TVAII UPON THE _RAILLOAD.

Colonel Barton, of the Federal army, reporting
to headquarters at Hilton Head the result of an
expedition to destroy part of the Charleston and
Savannah railroad, states that he proceeded with
350 men up the Coosahatchie river, and disembark-
ing near the town of that name and taking a 12-
pound howitzer with him, trade for the railway.
" When about a mile from the village," he writes,
" the whistle of a locomotive was heard. The con-
traband who was our guide said it was the dirt-
train, but a few moments proved that he had ',11i,.
informed me. As the train approached I directed a
rapid and heavy fire upon it with grape and canister
and musketry. This fire was very destructive. The
train consisted of eight cars, six of which were plat-
forms crowded with men, and two cars C.lled with
officers. There were also two light field pieces on
board. Many were seen to fall at the first fire
(among them the engineer), and 25 or 30 jumped from,
the train, most of whom were maimed or killed.
The rest with one exception, betaking themselves to
the woods and swamps on the other side of the track.
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the Whippy Swamp Guards.' We left a number
of the enemy's dead and wounded on the track. I
have since learnt from the Savannah papers that
among the killed at this point was Major Harrison,
of the 11th Georgia Regiment, which regiment,
with the guards named above, were on the train.
Immediately after the train had passed Captain
Eaton, by my directions, set vigorously to work
tearing up the railroad track, and continued this
until the retreat was sounded." A force was
approaching nearly double his number, and he be-
gan his retreat to his boats, and by destroying the
bridges as soon as he had passed over them, suc-
ceeded in re-embarking with no other casualty than
one lieutenant seriously wounded.

WRECK OF THE NATAL MAIL STEAMER
WALDENSIA IV.

(From the Cape Argus.)
This serious casualty occurred on the ninth of Monday
last, October 13, and was occasioned, it is supposed, by the
vessel being carried by the current out of her course and
upon the Struys Point reef, where in twelve hours she
broke up and became a total wreck. The passengers,
crew, and mails, were landed safely, but everything else
was list. The vessel left Algoa Bay on her return trip to
Cape Town at one a.m. on Saturday, October 11. She
encountered severe gales, and at noon on gunday put into
St. Frances Bay for shelter. In the evening she proceeded
on her voyage, but again experiencing strong head winds,
on Sunday morning early put into Plettenberg's Bay,
where she remained until the afternoon. The following
day, Monday, the 13th, was fine, and tolerably good way
was made, the ship going about seven knots an hour. In
a letter to Captain Murison, of the firm of Deane and John-
son, the agent of the ship, Captain Joss, who had com-'
mended her ever since she was launched, says :—" I passed
Cape Infanta about half-past six last Monday night, about
seven to eight miles off the land, and steering any usual
course for L'Agulbas Point light. The night was very
hazy, and about half-past nine I went off the deck, leaving
the second mate in charge. I said to hint, ' Keep a good
look-out for ships,' as it was dark, and a light south-cast
with the square sails set. 1 did not leave the deck to turn
in, but I went down to read, and about ten p.m. I fell
asleep, and about eleven p.m, the ship ran on the reef,
going about seven knots. I jumped on deck and was for
a minute quite taken aback, as I thought we were so
far off the land. I tried to back astern, but
found her so fast that she would not move, the bottom
soon got holed, the water came iu and put the fires out."
Knowing the place, Captain Joss sent the second officer to
a boat to look for the landing-place, the direction of which
he knew. Fortunately, the officer succeeded in finding it,
and in the course of an hour returned to the ship,when the
debarkation of the passengers, who, with the crew, num-
bered upwards of 120, commenced. There wet° 16 ladies
on board, several of whom had young children with them,
and they were first sent off in two boats under the charge
of the first and second officers, and happily were all landed
safely, but very wet, as they had to wade through the surf to
the shore, and many of them only partially dressed. There
they were left alone until joined by the freight of the next two
boats, despatched under the care of the carpenter and the
boatswain, which consisted of the old men and elders, some
of whom after landing succeeded in lighting a fire. Then
the younger men were sent off, and finally the crew. All
the passengers were landed by daylight on Tuesday morn-
ing, notwithstanding the darkness and the fact that two of
the boats were stove. At seven o'clock the fishermen who
live on the opposite side of the bay went off in their whale-
boat, and in it Captain Joss took the mails ashore. The
water was then gaining rapidly upon the ship, the sea was
getting rough, every wave breaking right over the vessel,
and nothing could be got out of her. At eleven o'clock the
captain and chief officer again went off to the vessel, to see
if any of the personal effects of the passengers could be
saved, and they succeeded in getting a few things out
of the saloon. But the sea was very rough, and they
were able to remain on ioard the vessel only a very
few minutes. The port side of the vessel had been stove
in, and in ten minutes after they left the mainmast went
over the side and the ship broke into two parts. There
was a valuable cargo on board in addition to the personal
effects of the passengers. The Christy Minstrels were
amongst the passengers. They lost all their instruments
and dresses ; and Joe Brown, the celebrated American
dancer, lost his prize belt and a considerable sum in cash,
which were below in his box. But perhaps the most seri-
ous loss of all, in the sense of being irreparable except at
cost of considerable time and great labour, as well as ex-
pense, is that which bofel Captain Bailey, of the Royal
Engineers. Ho had just completed the trigonometrical
survey of the coast, and excepting a strip of the coast
which he had previously given to Lieut. Skede all his
plans, calculations, and memoranda have gone down with
the wreck. All the inland data are said to be irrevocably
lost. He had been engaged upon the work for four years.
The Waldensian had been on the coast nearly five years.
She arrived in Table Bay from Plymouth on the lfith Nov.,
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they were carried out, are spoken of in terms of the highest
commendation by all on board.