Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-07-09
2. s. SnIP ST. MARY's,

4 IN that city VIA New Orleans, we presume, as
a letter bag from the ST. Mary's was received
there on the 23d ut
u s. SHrp ST. MARY's,2
Orr TAsPIco, June 10, 1886
| The war grows apace. On the 9Th inst,
we discovered the enemy erecting another for
on the North side Of The entrance to The river.
and at one O'Clock, r. NJ, we got the ship IN.
der weigh under topsails, stood in, and when
within a mile Of the forts and gunboats, the
latter, three in number, and tonning about one
hundred, opened fire upon US. Being on a
lee shore and in shoal water, we were not able
to hre more than eight shots, before il became
necessary 10 claw off, which we did but at
three O'Clock returned and continued the firing
until we had fred 20 shells, and % round solid
shot. In the last reconue, the enemy returned
our fire, with about ten shots from Is pound
guns, four of which passed near US, two fell
directly under our Store foot" one passed be.
tween the fore and man-top mast, and one
over the foot; the others fell at distance.
The first shell which burst over the fort eiec
ted every soldier from the neighbourhood, the
whole ofthem taking Immediately TO the woods
One Of our shells passed between one Of the
schooner's masis, and exploded beyond her,
fragment having struck the bowsbrit and
bulwarks, tearing both considerably, as we
have learned since the fight One corner of
the custom house was knocked down. A
house on the north side OF the river was fired
by the explosion Of shell and a soldier at the
Fort on guard, by the bursting Of another shell,
exchanged his muslfet for pacdnsy, il having
been shattered, without, believe, injuring his
valuable person. Having driven the party
from the embryo fort, we returned to our an
chorage at half past three.
We were not satisfied, however, with this
engagement, FOR yesterday we projected plan
for cutting out the gunboats, and accordingly
at dusk hoistcd out all boats, arrived there, the
| launch bearing nine FOUNDER in the bows,
and at 10 O'Clock P. M. got underweigh and
brought the ship nearer the shore, about one
and a half miles off.-It takes longer time to
describe the minutia of this affair Than can
devote to il now. We had desired to make
the attack before the moon rose, but could not
AT ii O'Clock she was lifting her head above
the horizon when our five boats left the ship,
every thing having been previously arranged
by our gallant Captain. Mind you, we not
only had the difficulty of capturing three hea-
Wy gunboats with 80 more men in each, and
to quell Fort Of which we had to pass with
in fifty yards, but there was q bar to be crossed,
but first 10 be found.
We pulled into the shore with muffled oars,
actually feeling our way, for at one time we
would be quite in the breakers, and then too
far seaward, with a strong tide beneath and a
bright moon above us, every thing seeming to
conspire against our daring expedition. In
seeking our way to the mouth of the river we
were obliged to pass near the shore for dis
lance of 200 yards, and the noise consequent
upon the difficulty of finding our way through
a passage of which we knew nothing, betrayed
us 10 the sentinels along the shore, who rapid
y communicated with the encampment, and
it conveyed intelligence 10 the gunboats, so
that unknown to us, our foe was watching
our every movement However, at about
A. M. we had discovered the narrow entrance
TO the mouth Of the river, and were pulling in,
when. within two hundred yards of the Fort,
near which we had to pass. much to our sur
prise, as you may imagine, bang went doz-
en- muskets, and the balls whizzed about our
ears. We laid on our oars, and in five min
utes after the firing of muskets commenced, the
gun in the launch was trained and ''let drive"
A gun rather heavier from one of the gun boats
succeeded TO this; the shot passed clear Of us,
and the gun in the launch was loaded and f.
red again, when the firing ashore ceased
There were also fired from the launch a few
carblnes.
AT this time we had not passed the point,
and after getting inside we should have been
obliged TO pull atleast 800 yards before reach
ing the object Of the expedition. The enemy
being already on the alert and with superior
force, it would have been almost madness to
proceed, and the object would not have COM
pensated for the sacrifice we should have made
Besides, the passage through which we had to
pass was not vide enough to admit the boats
except in single file, so that the gunboats would
have raked us fore and aft before we could
have corse along side of them. five had pas
sed the Fort believe we should have carried
the boats to certainty. We had with us IS
men and marines the LIST and I'd Leutenants,
Master, and all the Mids, except two. We
returned to the ship al A. NJ, much fatgued
and disappointed. ] will write--by this
conveyance, and tell him of the next days
fight Yours. Sc.