Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-10-23

upon duties connected with their COM
pany property, together with a party
of ten or fifteen non commissioned. Off
GERS and privates, also took passage
with me, on board the Dayton.
I'VE left here about 10 o'clock a. m.
and about - M, while the boat was
under way, the boilers burst with a
tremendous explosion, killing Instant
| " two officers, Lieutenants Higgins
and Berry, of the 4th infanlry,) two
sergeants, six Of the officers and crew
Of the boat, and wounding several 9TH
ers, some of whom will yet die Of their
wounds.
Sat the moment of the explosion, !
was sitting with two other officers,
(Lieutenants Graham, 4th, and Cor
don, Sd infantry,O on a boiler deck,
near the chimney, and Immediately
over the forward part Of one of the boil
ers. We were all thrown up high In
the air, and fell into the water about
eighty yards from the boat. The boat,
with nearly all the cabin blown off of
her, Immediately took fire, and very
soon sunk, in about two fathoms OF
water; having still on board many OF
the wounded, the dying, and the dead
The scene that Immediately followed,
and which | leave you to imagine, was
horrible and appallingt Its terrible re-
alities battles a.1d dehes description, ane
| will no; even attempt it. Fortunate
", We were not far from the shore
not more than quarter of a mile, and
all who precipitated into the water,ex-
cept those who were killed outright,
we're saved by the small boat, and by
clinging to fragments Of the shattered
wreck and fre.wood which covered
the water in every direction.
sLieutenants Graham and Gordon,
as well as myself, escaped with our
lives most sngularly; for we were, from
our position, and the marks still lett
upon our clothes, which were rlddled
and torn to pieces as if by grape shot,
in the very vortex of the explosion
The thick, heavy wooden seats of the
chairs on which we were sitting, prob
ably alone saved US from destruction.
'The whole number of persons kill
ed, and who have since died of their
wounds, is eleven; and, it is feared,
two others, now in the hospital, can
not survive.
'The only severe injury | received,
was from confusion on the leg; which
has kept me confined to my tent until
to-day; although | have not yet remit
ted days duty, and have been able
to attend to my Office duties, &c. |
have been on horseback this morning,
and in few days anticipate a COM
plete recovery from my lameness and
all my hurts. Lieutenants Graham
and Gordon, both them bruised, and
Slightly burnt, will also, in few days,
be able to return to duty
The Secret Expedition from Great B,'i-
tain:- Some kind ofasecret movement
is always going on in England. The
last number of Bell's Weekly Messen-
ger, received in this country, has the
following paragraphs:
Secret Expedition to the Gulf Of
.Nerico.-Our government has made
movement within the last three weeks,
which must be confessed to be as vi
gorous as it is secret, but which we
hope may end as well as it has COM
menced. 'ia- t-. q
This measure is in substance as fol-
lows.-It is confidently reported "a
mong persons whose station and intel
ligence entitle them to credit, that when
the protest and declaration of the Mex
lean government against the annexa-
ton of Texas reached London, and
was officially communicated to our
government by the Mexican Minister,
orders were Immediately issued to our
valcommanders at Halifax and in the
West Indies, to send off by single ships
as many vessels of war as could be
spared, and the departure of which
could not excite any special notice.
Conveniently with this order, single
ships have also been sent off from 9TH
err remote station on the coast of Africa
and Brazil, and are at this time assem-
bled in the gulf of Mexico. 1T is thus
the object of Sir R. Peel, says our au-
tbority, gradually and secretly to as
semble considerable naval force in
the Mexican seas, which is to act as
occasion may arise, and at all events, to
prevent any blockade by the American
nayey, should the Mexican government
proceed further in their declaration of
war;
If this be all as stated by Bel's !
Messenger, it is queer proceeding on
behalf Of the British Government, and
does not comport with the previous de-
clarations that no interference would be
had in regard to the Mexican difficult
tiac - Vofaty1oa, Cnn,.spa. Si |