The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-01 00:00:00

THE CAPTURE OF NEWBURN.

"BALTIMORE, March 18.—Sergeant•Major D. H.
Johnson, of the 23d Massachusetts Regiment, came
a passenger by the steamer Commodore, in, charge
of the bodies of Lieut.-Col. Merritt, of the 23d
Massachusetts Regiment, and Adjutant Stearns, of
the 21st Massachusetts Regiment, who bravely fell
whilst leading on their regiments in an attack on
the batteries of the rebels at Newburn.

"From Sergeant-Major Johnson, who was in the
fight, we gather the following interesting parti-
culars

" Our troops, under Gencra.ol
h of s‘lan
lillilioruntside,land,ed
on Thursday evening near th
Creel, on the NNe ,t E•ide of Keusc river,n the naval l5
miles
, below Newburn. Owing icir:o fo to a f , ~,
'ridgy morning. the fight commenced. Our troopslli
:',9:itshelsthdeidNneloistep:irvteirc,ipate in the fight. Early on
\
r4(lvaneed along the country road running para e
The road Nye, skirted
fter
beunt at
hme i
west l e o r two
sick
d e inb
yt ha() rreaai rj.
..
road and dense swamp. All along the river side
.
were a series
cur troops one
of batteries, which were taken by
hand-to-hand contests,aanoothurer,traefetpesr
wsoetnree
divided
into three brigades under Generals Reno, Forster,
and Parks. We advanced gy d li d -
a ea y, the enemy de
-
P their guns, until we reached a line of earth-
works extending across the road from the river to,

the swamp on the west, a distance of some two
miles. These earthworks were very strong ; they
were located about two miles south of Newburn,
and between these and the city was the Trent river.
The country road and the railroad both -passed
through these works and crossed into the city by
bridges.
" In front of these works the rebels had felled
a large number of trees, forming an almost impene-
trable abattis. There the flying rebels were rallied,
and made for a while a desperate stand. Our brave
fellows fought until all their ammunition was spent,
when an order to charge bayonets was given, and
the works were finally taken at the point of the
bayonet, the enemy flying like frightened sheep,
leaving everything behind them in their retreat.
The rebels burnt the bridges communicating with
the town over both the country road and the rail-
road. As they had their trains and cars in the rear,
just across the bridges, they were of course able to
carry off their wounded and dead. Their loss is
therefore not certainly known, but it must have
been pretty severe. Before our troops encountered
this last work they passed another which was
already deserted before they came up, It was in
front of the last fortification that our greatest loss
was sustained. Our entire loss is estimated by Major
Johnson at 90 killed and 400 wounded and missing.
The force of the rebels is supposed to have been
about 8,000. We captured a number of prisoners,
including Col. Avery, who cursed his soldiers as
cowards. Just as the battle terminated the fog
lifted and enabled our gunboats, which had been
impatiently waiting for an opportunity to partici-
pate in the fight, to come up the river, and our
troops were furnished with means of transport
across the Trent river to Newburn. The rebels
attempted to fire the town on their retreat, bat were
prevented by the citizens, who extinguished the
flames as fast as the soldiers started them. None of
lour generals nor any of our staff officers were killed
or wounded. The fight terminated at 3 p.m. on
Friday, when our troops remained masters of the
position.' "

THE CONFEDERATE ACCoUNT OF TILE

GREAT 214 VAL FIGHI:

The following description of the engagement
somewhat differs from the Federal accounts of it,
especially as regards the result of the contest be-
tween the Merrimac and the Monitor. It will be
observed that the Merrimac is throughout called
the Virginia, having been renamed by the Con-
federates :

" In the rebel Congress, on the 10th inst., the
following communication was received from the
rebel Executive, in response to the resolution of Mr.
Lyons, calling for the report of the naval battle in
Hampton Roads :
" ' Confederate States' Steam Battery Virginia,
off Sewall's Point, March 8.

" ' Flag Officer,—ln consequence of the wound
of Flag-officer Buchanan it becomes my duty to
report that the Virginia left the yard this morning
at 11 o'clock, steamed down the river past our bat-
teries, and over to Newport News, where we en-
gaged the frigates Cumberland and Congress and
the batteries ashore, and also two large steam fri-
gates, supposed to be the Minnesota and Roanoke,
and a sailing frigate and several small steamers
armed with heavy rifled guns. We sank the Cum-
berland, drove the Congress ashore, where she
hauled down her colours and hoisted the white flag;
but she fired upon us with the white flag flying,
wounding Lieut. Minor and some of our men. We
again opened fire upon her, and she is now in flames.
The shoal water prevented our reaching the other
frigates. This, with approaching night, we think,
saved them from destruction. Our loss is two
killed and eight wounded. Two of our guns have
the muzzles shot off; the prow was twisted, and ar-
mour somewhat damaged; the anchor and all flag-
staffs shot away, and the smoke-stack and steam-pipe
were riddled. The bearing of officers and men was all
that could be wished, and, in fact, it could not have
been otherwise, after the noble and daring conduct
of the flag-officer, whose wound is deeply re-
gretted by all on board, who would kindly have
sacrificed themselves in order to save him. We
were accompanied from the yard by the Beaufort
Lieut. Parker, and Raleigh, Lieut. Alexander, and
as soon as it was discovered up the James River
that the action had commenced we were joined by
the Patrick Henry, Com. Tucker ; the Jamestown,
Lieut. Barney ; and the Teaser, Lieut. Webb, all of
which were actively engaged, and rendered very
efficient service. Enclosed I send the surgeons' re-
port of the casualties.—l have the honour to be, sir,
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
" CATESBY AP. R. JONES, Ex, and Ord. Officer.
" ' Flag Officer F. Forrest.' "

(From the Norfolk Daybook of the 10th.)
On the morning of the Bth the steam frigate Vir-
ginia, Flag-officer Franklin Buchanan commanding,
left her moorings at the dockyard, and, attended by
the steamtug Beaufort, Lieut.-Commanding Parker,
and the Raleigh, Lieut.-Commanding Alexander,
steamed down the harbour. It was a gallant sight
to see the iron-clad leviathan gliding noiselessly
through the water, flying the red pennon of her
commander at the fore flagstaff and the gay Confe-
derate ensign aft. Not the least impressive thought
which she suggested was that her gallant crew,
under a commander and officers worthy to direct
their destiny and defend the flag she bore, went
thus boldly with smiles and huzzas to solve a new
problem in maritime warfare—to make the "trial
trip" of the Virginia the trial of battle. Nor could
any man behold the little tugs, with their gay en-
signs at peak and masthead, their battle flags set
steaming in her wake, without an emotion of admi-
ration for the brave men they thus bore, and a
prayer for their deliverance. In the wake of all
came the Port Admiral, with a staff of naval officers.
Thus down the harbour, past the wharves, thronged
with eager eitizens, past the batteries, whose para-
pets were dark with soldiers, steamed the squadron.
Through the two barricades, ani then the Vir-
ginia put her helm a-starboard and took the south
channel. Meantime, the morning was as still as
that of a Sabbath. The two frigates lay with their
' boats at the booms and washclothes in the rigging.
Did they see the long dark hull ? Had they made
her out P Was it ignorance, apathy, or composure ?
These were the questions we discussed as we steamed
across the flats to the south of the frigate, with the
two gallant little gunboats well on our starboard
beam heading up for the enemy. Our doubts were
solved by the heavy boom of a gun from beyond
Sewall's Point. The reverbation rolled across the
sunlit water and died away, but still the clothes
hung in the rigging, still the boats lay at the
booms. Another gun (20 minutes past 1) broke on
the air, and a tug started from Newport News,
while at the same time two others left Old Point,
taking the channel inside Hampton bar. Steadily,
with a grim and ominous silence the Virginia glides
through the water ; steadily and with defiant valour
the Beaufort and Raleigh fellow where she leads.
At 1 50 a rifled gun from one of these little vessels
rang out, then a white puff from her consort. Still
the clothes in the rigging and the boats at the
boom. Was this confidence ? It could not be
ignorance. Did it mean torpedoes, submarine bat-
teries, infernal machines ? The gunboats have fired
again, and, lo! here away to the eastward were the
Roanoke and the 'Minnesota, rising like the prodi-
gious castles above the placid water, the first under
steam, the second in tow. Other puffs of smoke,
other ~harp reports from the gunboats, but the Vir-
ginia goes on steadily, silently, to do her work.
Now the in-shore frigate, the Cumberland, fires,
now the Virginia close aboard, now Sewall's I'oint
battery, now the Minnesota, now the Roanoke,
now the air trembles with the cannonade. Now
the Virginia delivers both broadsides, now she runs
full against the Cumberland's starboard bow, now 1
the smoke clears away, and she appears to be head-
ing up James River. This is 22 minutes to 2. The
Congress now lets fall foretopsail and then the
main, and so, with a tug alongside, starts down
the north channel, where the Minnesota has
grounded, and presently runs plump ashore. Mean-
while the Virginia opens upon the Yankee fort ;
slowly she steams back, and the Cumberland
sunk now to her white streak, opens upon her
again. A gallant man fought that ship—a man
worthy to have maintained a better cause. Gun
after gun be fired; lower and lower sank his

xise ak..4 11.7.7 v 1-11 LILY iN L.D 1.11,1