New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-01
: barrier, Admiral Hope leading n on. Of the gun.

the barriers Admiral Hope leading n one Of tie gun
Thi. Whole fo,ce consisted Of ten gunb, oats rclud og
on. French ard three large ste smers, OF class de-
ron mated dispatch vessel, Carrying ia al .b,us %
guIs They aso hsd On bosit Of ssme Chinese junks,
at the mouth of the river, reserve OF boats witn ses-
q en- and marines. On the Ad nral Ie.chre the 6rst
barrier the fonts suddenly swarued WITH men, AMI
terrible Ere from very heavy guns vas opened on n
from all the forts, both sizes of the river. Two OF
bis vessels at this moment yoonted near TIE epot me
Toey.w had gronnde1 the day before.
The BIltieh and French fought si,h tue mos. deter
min. valor, bet fifteen minutes suhced 70 saoS me
wtbt hope OF success The IRE Of the Chinese vas
directed with fa;sl .kil and chiefly concentrated
on the Admiral snc the vessels Deorest 70 MIN. MS
flag veisel being disabled and her crew GU up as smut
ed bis fsg TO s-cond and On her meeting the fae OF
the first be again shfed il TO the Coruorant one o me
larger ldispatcb) steamers Here again the hre was
cor certra,ed on the flag OF the gsll.nt Admiral
By this time ?. ID, several of his vessels hai been
tuLk and il evident to that rothiog could en-
able him TO exrcste hmself ana retire from the hope
less conflict but the reserve OF b)ss and men a,
the junhs, but al the time the tide was runcing zoo
strong for the crowded boats ~ sem. The officer 10
charge Of these boats nov visited me. He sand
nothing Of aid but bis silent appeal powerful in
deed In the fe " moments lie wa. on board he would
look aDxiously alternately a. his Admiral and al the
bosts After he left held censattt,ioa WIN MI NJ
Ward and he agreed with me perfectly that uader all
the circumstances Of our position With the Euglsh and
the aid the Admiral had rendered me the day before
could do 10 less than 10 tow the boas - ms reh.i.
I mad r.
accepted. While the bosis were making fat to
hawsers which veersd astern, insisted on Mf. ard
and bic cutie leaving the Toey wau and sopg on board
one Of the junks for reasons thst will be obvious he
Al first reluc antly yieed and left us, but soon re-
turned in one of the English boats, declaring that as
the Toey.wau was his home and was gang under hre
with his appreciation and concurrence, he would remain
in her. | reluctantly yielded to his gallant impulse.
At this time young British officer came 70 me ron
the vessels engaged say thst the gallant admiral WAS
Dangerously wounded and had bu. six men left. He
the officer had two boats sunk in reaching me.
flowed the bosts through the British lice 70 within
q short dtsIce Of the Admiral Whose tag was lying
on the Cormorant when, casting them off, retired to
the rear Of the lice, the French gunbost, snd
anchored for the night took up TINS position, as IL
might enable me TO aid the wounded snd shoud ooa q
be sunk TO rescue their crewe. After anch)ring i
though. of the Admiral ard Of his cnivarous kindness
10 me the day before which, from an unwirguess to
ictrude on him when he was preparing Tor acuon, l
had in no way yet acknowledged. Therefore, With
ny flag leuter sn., Mr.. Tfenchard went in my barge
TO visit bin. When within few feet OF the Cormo
rant roundshot struck the boat. killed my coKs Fsin
and slightly bruised my flag lieutenant. We iortu-
naey reached the COrmoran. before the boat entirely
filed. :,
| fsund the Admiral lying on bis quarter badly
wounded. informed him that had called to pay him
nv respects and to express my regret a, his con ilon
After remaining on board the COrmorant about ten
minutes took adv vantage of an English boat that was
passing to return to the Toey ~eu. The Cormorant
h.
fourth vessel the Coromsndel Ia .htg, believe, un-
precedented thus evlcng an indomtsble valor uuder
very dsheartening and almost hopeless circumstances
At dusk about p. IN, a desperate attempt was made
BY landing from boats to storm the forts but they
stood in an impossible morass. and the assaants were
repealed nth heavy lose.
On the morning following this day and night OF
slaughter-tbe action It'll continuing but the ne more
feeble and Distant found that Fix OF the Eoghsh yes
sels were sunk and that the remainder had withdrawn
TO more distant and safer position from which they
could easly retire out Of gunshot now prepared 10
return to the Powhatan with Mr. Ward BAT h'st caied
on board the Coromaude 70 take leave of the Admiral,
and also on board the French gun boat, to 'nqllre
after the French Commodore tTricaulY whom had
met Oh board the Cormorsnt when called on the Ad-
miral ard who had subsequently been wounded. l
deferred my departure by request that might tow to
their shps at sea, two launch-oads oil the wounded
Engli-h.
On reaching the Powhatan, again dispatched the
Toey wau into the farbor, in charge OF Lieut. John
stop first of the Powhatan with orders 20 remsin a.
the mouth of the harbor, out OF fire, and 70 afford all
the aid consistent with our neutrality. After al ef
fcent performance Of this duty for twenty four hours
he reoined me. Ire sea officers with me in the Tosy
wan on this service Capt. Pearson, Lieuts.
Trenchard and Semmes, all Of the Powhatsn; and
Midshipman MeIchan, of the Germantown. The
glneer offcers were Messrs City aud Archer. Capt.
A. s. Taylor, of the Marine Corps, was also with me.
/ have to thank them for their Jealous services
NV coxswain John Hart, whose death / have to
antnt was the con Of John and Mary HIATT, living
at Jamaica, Long leland lie was q widower, but has
left yourg daughter eight years old. | shall CON-
manicae the sad event to bis parents and as MA Child
whom he supported, will be entitled to pension, msy
beg the favor Of as soon as the proper papers
shall be filed at the dep itment TO direct that the pen
sion be issued without unnecessary delay Hart mad
been long time in the Navy, having served under NE
fifteen years ago.
The Ecglish retired this morning from the river,
having recovered aud brought out three of their sunk
en- vessels and destroyed the other. Their loss is
about four hundred and fifty killed and wounded in
Gliding twelve French. Eight officers are killed aud
twenty three wounded. Among the wounded are the
four senior officers including the Admiral a.d the
French Commodore Tricsult. They attacked with
about twelve hundred men,
am, Sir with great respec, ycu. obedent servant.
JOSIAH TArNALL,
Flag Officer Commanding East Ind, Sluadron.
The Hon. Isaac ToUCEy,
Secretary of the Navy, Washington.