New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-06-17

Battle, probably Old Point Flags at Hait. Mast,
etc, etc.
Special to the New Orleans Cresccnt.l
NoRroIK, June T., lNsI
No doubt there has been much exaggeratien in
the accounts of ourages committed by the Federal
troops in the neighbork0ods of Hampton ami New
5sort's News. The story of man named Lattlner
having killed Federal officer in his store and
being hanged for it iii Fortress Monroe, turns out
to be false as doubt are many others of SINH
I lar character. Bat that many outrGges have been
perpetrGted, such as plundering private property
Selling negroes, maltreating and firing upon ndi-
viduas, is a fact past all question. All the negro
| slaves between Hampton and Viewpoints News,
distance of eight or nine miles by land, have been
| seized, and the men put to work in ana about
| Fortress Monroe and the enemy's entertainments :;
| what to do with the women and children had not
at last accounts been decided, but it seems to be
we'll understood that they were not to be returned
to their masters. Day before yesterday a lady
| visited Hampton alone in buggy, to see some
friends, and after having been passed through the
| lines, was hailed by a party of soldiers, and re-
tusins to stop, was fired upon twelve or fifteen
times, OF the shot taking effect. The soldiers
| followed her to the house where she stopped and
| apologiZed, pretending that they were not at the
! time aware they were shooting at a woman They
| must have had very bad eyesight or shot at very
| long range
| Last Sunday evening, just before sunset we in
| camp heard heavy cannonading in the direction of
| Newport'S News on the peninsula. 1t continued
for some time, and was renewed next morning
| with increased energy and duration, the sounds
reaching US with such distinctncss that we could
distinguish the heavy from the light artillery Yes
! terday Norfolk and Portsmouth were alive with
/ ruInors OF Il desperate battle having been fought
| and everything seemed to indicate that such had
! been the case; last night information was sent to
| our encampment that battle had really taken
place and that our troops had proved victorious,
/ nj JIE1
iicting upon them a serious loss. | must not omit
to state that late on Monday afternoon the cannon
| aiding was resumed-agHin Tuesday morning
/ again late yesterday afternoon. and, ALTHOUGH |
! heard il on every occasion above mentioned and
did not this morning, | am told that the guns were
! heard only a few hours ago Just after dawn-clu-
bracing, apparently no less than six different Ell
! gagements within sixty hours. Mr.. DaPOnte of
the Delta, and Mr., Marion A. Baker were at PIG
Point, three or four miles from Viewpoints News
| from Sunday night until yesterday morning, and
the latter says he has doubt thata bloody battle
occurred They could distinctly see the flashes Of
the guns, hear the roll Of musketGy and count the
rounds Of artillery, and after the Federal troops
had returned to their entertainments at Newport's
News, they saw them, with the aid of a glass col
lected in groups about in the encampment, APP
parently looking at or attending to their wounded.
Lieut. Mlllgan, of the Confederate Navy, states
that he saw three OF the enemys vessels embark
ing troops yesterday at Viewpoints News for Old
| Point; whether they were wounded men or not he
was unable to say. And this morning we have in
formation that all the flags at Old Point, on the
shipping and fortress, are at hafmast, indicating
that some person of note has recently taken nas-
sage with the grim ferry man of the StyX. The
above, evidently, refers to the battle at Big Bethel
Ed. CRESCENT.
In consequence of the fact that we have no direct
communication With the peninsula, you will, no
doubt get the particulars of what has taken place
from Richmond or Petersburg before you can from
this point, and, therefore, refrain from wasting
time and space upon the numerous conflicting
mere
Richmond and Petersburg papers for our news
from the York and James river peninsula, with the
exception Of Old Point and hampton.
The enthusiasm in Norfolk and Portsmouth is
reused to high pitch by the warke events taking
place about Us, and the first l.7ui-ianiaus are
greatly chagrined at their bad luck in not having
had share in the glory Of what they believe to he
the first victory.