Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-07-09
From TIE Norfolk Herald.
LATE AND INTERESTING FROM TAM

From TIE Norfolk Hreld.
LATE AND INTERESTING FROM TAM
PIC0.
We have been politely favored with the
following extract vi q letter received BY gen
leman IN this city dated.
u. s. SHtP ST. MARrs.
Of fampieo, June IL, 46. |
The war grows apace. On the Sth inst, ]
VIC discovered the enemy erecting another tort |
on the North side OF the entrance TO the river, |
and at one O'Clock. p. NJ, we got the ship un- |
derweigh under topsails stood in. aud went !
within a mile Of the tort aud gun boats, the |
latter three in number. and ionning about one
hundred. opened fire upon the fort. Being
on lee shore aud In shoal water. we were
not able TO FIRE more than eight shot, before
II became necessary 10 claw OF, which we did;
but al three o'clock, returned and continued
the hiring until we mad tired 40 shells, and
20 round solid shot. In the last rencontre,
tue enemy returned our fire, with about ten
shot irom Is pound guns, four Of which pass
Ell nrsr us. two fell directly under our "lore
loot, one passed between the fore and main
top mast, and one over the foot, The others
fell at a distance.
The FIRST shell which burs, over the fort, e.
lected every soldier from the neighbourhood
the whole OF them taking Immediately To the
oi the schooner's mss,s, and exploded beyond
her, fragment having struck the bowsprit aud
bulwerks, tearing both considerably so we
have learned since the fight. One corner OF
the custom house was knocked down. house
on the north side of the river, was fred by
the explosion OF a shell; and a soldier at the
Fort on guard. b. the bursting of another she'll,
exchanged his musket for paeancy, il having
been shattered, without. believe, iniuriug
his valuable person. Having driven the par
ty, from their embryo fort, we returned to our
anchorage at half past three.
We were not satisfied, however, with this
engagement, for yesterday we projected plan
Tor cutting out the gunboats, aud accordingly
at dusk boosted out all boats. arrived there, The
launch having a nine FOUNDER in the bows,
and at half past ten o'clock, p. NJ. got under.
weigh and brought the ship nearer the shore,
about one and a half miles off.-It takes a
longer time TO describe the minutie OF this al
lair than 1 can devote 10 il now. We had de-
sired To make the attack before the moon rose.
but could not. At / O'Clock she was lifting
her head above the horizon when our five boa )
leit the ship. every thing having been pre-
Niously arranged by our gallant "a plain. Mind
YOU, we not only Lad the difficulty OF captu-
ring three heavy gunboats with 30 or more
men IN each, and 10 quell Fort, OF which we
had 10 pass within fifty yards, but there was
dangerous bar TO be- crossed, bat frst 10 be
found. We pulled into the shore with muf-
He'd oars, literally feeling our way .ior at one
Time we would be quite in the breakers, aud
then too far sea-uard, with strong tide be.
meath aud bright moon above us, every thing
seeming to conspire against our daring expe-
diion. In seeking our way 10 the mouth Of
The river we were obliged 10 pass near the
shore fora distance OF 300 yards, and the noise
consequent upon the difficulty Of finding our
way throusha passage OF which we knew moth
ing, betrayed US to the sentinels along the
shore, who rapidly communicated with the
encampment aud IL conveyed intelligence 70 !
The gunboats, so that unknown to US, our foe I
was watching our every movement
However. tabout o'clock A. NJ. we had
discovered the narrow entrance 10 the mouth
oi The river, and were pulling in, when, with
IN two hundred yards OF he Fort, near which
we mad 10 pass, much 70 our surprise, as you
may ie.~sias. hang! ven, ,sS-.sl srA,lAkets. and
the balls " hizzcd q but our eass va l.;1 20
s-.s cara aud in Ava minutes after the NM -
oil nushsis commenced, the gun In the launch
was trained and '-iet drive" A~gun rather !
heavier from one OF she gun boats yocceeded
TO this; the shot passed clear Of Us. and the
gun in the launch was loaded snd fired again,
" hen the firing ashore ceased. There were
also fired frorDthe lAunch few carbines.
AT this idne we had not passed the point,
and after getting iaside we should have been
obhGOd TO pull al least 300 yards before reach.
| fDs the obisci Of the expedition. The eaemy
Being elresey on the alert, and with superior
lforce, u woeld have bren almost madness To
proceed, and the ohi~et would not have COM
pensaied :or '''e sacrifice we should have made.
Bes'de1' 'ns passage through which we had to
/ f'ass was not wide enough TO admit the boats
except IN single five, so th.s ss.- ,,..,-s'S'Its
would have rked Us fore and aft before we
could have come along side OF them. II we
had attacked the Fort believe we should have
carried the boats to certainty. We had with
US 80 men and adrines;.lhe lst and ID Lieu
.soants, MosieF and oil the Mids. except two.
we returned to the ship at 2 A. ~, much ia
ugnsd snd disappointed I will write -
of this conveyance and tell him Of the next
fdy's fight. Yours Sc ~