The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-07-17
From the Norfolk Herald, of July Cd.
LATE AND INTERESTING FROM TAN.
PICO.

following extract OF a letter received by
gentleman in this city dated
L. s >mP ST. MAYS,
Orr TAnrico, June 10, lo46
The war grows apace. Ga the sth ia.
stant, we discovered the enemy erecting
another fort on the North side Of the en-
trance 10 the river, and at one o'clock, L.
NJ. we got the ship under weigh under
,opsas, stood IN, and when within a mile
Of The folt and gun boats, the latter three
ii number, and lounlng about one hundred,
opened fire upon them both. Beng on
n lee shore and Ia shoal water, We were
not able TO fire more than eight shot, be-
fore !, became necessary 10 claw OIL, which
we did but al three O'Clock, returned and
continued the firing until we had hred 40
shells, and % round solid shot. In the
las, recontre, the enemy returned our fire,
with about ten shot from Is pound guns
four Of which passed near US, two lei! dl.
recty under our :" fore foot" one passed
between the fore aud main top-mast, aud
one over the foot, the others Tell at a DIS
lance.
The first she'll which burst over the fort,
rejected every soldier from the nelshbor'
hood, the whole of them taking lmmedi-
ately TO the woods. One Of our shells
passed between one of the schooners masts
and exploded beyond her, fragment hav'
ING struck Tie bow.spT,t and bulwaIks,
tearing both considerably, as we have lear.
ned since tie fgh'. One corner OF the
custom house was knocked doNn-a house
on the north side Of the river, was fired by
the explosion Of a she'll aud a soldier al
the Fort on guard, by the bursting OF an.
other shell, eXchan- ed lis musket Tor IA
concy, it having been shattered, without,
believe, iujurns his valuable person.
Having driven the party from their en-.
bryo fort, We returned to our anchorage at
half asst three.
We were not sat, fed, however, with
this engagement, for yesterday We proJec.
ted plan for cutting out the gun-boats,
and accordingly at dusk boosted out all
boats, arrived there the launch having a
nine pouEderln The bows, and al 10 O'Clock
p VI, got undcrweigh aud brought the
ship nearer the shore about one aud halt
miles Off 1t takes a longer 'iue TO de-
scribe the mlnutiH Of this affair than can
devote to it now. We had desired 10 make
the attack before the moon rosc, but could
not. All o'clock she vas hitting her
head above the horizon when our five boats
LEFT the ship, every thing having been pre-.
viously arranged by our gallant Captain.
Mind you, We not only had the difficulty Of
capturing three heavy eun,boats with 80
or more men 10 each and to qucll Fort,
Of which we had to pass within 30 yards,
but there was a dangerous bar 10 te cross.
ed, bat first 10 BE- found. We pulled into
the shore with mutiled oars, literally feel.
ing our way, for at one lime We would be
quite in the breakers and then too far sea
ward, with a strong tide beneath and 0
bright moon above u, every thing seem
ing 10 consplre against our daring expedi
ton. In seeking our way 10 the mouth D
the river We we're Obliged to pass near the
shore for distance Of 200 wards, and thC
noise consequent upon the difficulty Of find
ing our way through a passage OF ~hcl
We knew nothing, betrayed Us to the sentt
nels along the shore, who rapidly commu
ncated with the encampmcnt, aud It con
yeyed intelligence to the guu.Joats, SO lha
unknown to ", our fye VAS watching GU
every movement. However, at about | A
VI. VIC had discovered the narrow entrance
10 the mouth Of the river, and were pulling
in, When, within two hundred yards II th,
Fort, near which We had to pass, much Il
our surprise, as yon may imagine, bang
went a de- zen uuskcts, nud the balls whlz
zcd abou. our ears. We laid on cur oars
and in five minutes after the firing Of mus
kets commenced, the gun IA the launct
wns trained and 4" let drive" A gun raih
er heavier from one Of the gun boats sue
ceeded to this the shot passed clear o
~. and the gun in the launch was loaded
and tfed rnin when tie firing ashor,
ceased. There wcrv 1,n fired from tn,
launch a few cdrblnes.
At this lime wc had not passed the poin'
] and after getting Inside we should hay
been obliged to pull at least 800 yards be
}. fore reaching the object Of the expedition
a The enemy being already on the alert an
with superior force, 1t would have been al
y most madness to proceed, and the ohjec
would not have compensated for the sacri
, fee We should have made. Besides, tn
n passage tn. ough which we had to pass wa
d not wide enough to admit the boats excer
u in single file, so that the gun boats woul
have raked US fore aud aft before We coul
80 'i-.r -Lr.. II ,yn La
!, passed the Fot, believe we should hnS
!, carried the boats to certainty. We ha
= with Us So men and marines the LIST nm
3 I'd Lleutenants, Master and all the MIDI
n except two. We returned to the shin =
Il A. NJ. much fatigued and disappointed
:, VIII wriIe-- by this conveyance, an
# tell him Of the next days fight.
d va Alta Loco Congressional Distric
= Convention, recently held in Illinois, n
I mong other resolutions passed was ono n,