The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-22
News by Mail.

An important letter from a correspondents OF,
hoard the United States ship Iowh0'd", oh
Pensacola. gives a better idea OF affairs III forc
Pickcns and among tho secession troops across
the channel, than anything which has re reached
US from that quarter foi some time. lhtre 10
little doubt, the correspondent thlnks''nat "eh'
| BRAGG intends soon to commence OFFENSIVE oPei
atoms against Fort Pickens. The greatest ac-
tivity is observable among his forces, which nave
recently been augmented, by arrivals from MIS-
sissppi and Georgia, and now number, AZ
least ten thousand men. Several additional
batteries have also been erected, but in local.
ties but partially known to the U. s. forces
The secession leaders have apparently determ'n-
ed that the Fort shall be captured, at whatever
cost of life j, may occasion At Key West, the
utmost caution was necessary to prevent the men
being poisoned by caring provisions prepared Tor
them by the Floridians. Several changes haa
taken place among the officers OF the tteet IN
Pensacola
Now York, May 21.-The Tribune says the
Government yesterday seized the accumulated
manuscript dispatches Of twelve months in eve
ry considerable telegraph Office of the free
States. The Government Gun now trace the Sc
cret operations of the rebels and their abettors.
The Herald says that slight mlsuuderstaad-
ing existed at Havana between the Consuls Gen
e1al of the United States and England on the
subject Of reported sale of the Southern pri-
vateer W. H. Webb to British residents of Ha-
vana. The United States Consul imagined the
sale only as blind to enable the vessel TO use
the Dgitish flag. The English residents main
tanned the transaction &C bono t;ds.
The " ashington CORES pUndrnco states tllattho
steamer Freoborn, On coming up the Potomac,
/ fl Nd Pale Raj
for Havana, aground off Smiths Point She
attempted to haul her off, but without SUCCESS.
The captain Of the Baltimore is q strong Union
man, and is afraid his vessel would be selzed if
he did not get her off the bar From this friend
~ action the story arose of desperate fight be-
tween the rebels and United States steamer.
The following are the particulars given of the
fight at SewalI s Point
Steamer Freedom reports that while in
Hampton Roads, on Sunday, she heard heavy
cannonading, which proved to be between tho
steamer Monticello and q battery of the rebt Is
on Sewall S Point at the mouth Of the Elizabeth
River. As the Monticello seemed likely to get
the worst of it, the Freeborn was sent to her as
sistanco, and drawing five feet ees water she got
within 900 yards of the battery, and opened fire
from u howitzer throwing shell, and from 32
FOUNDER. The effect was terrific; two colum-
biads on the battery were speedily disabled,
while the men, some fifty in number, scattered
in every direction. In moment they rallied
near the battery, when shell was sent after
them ; it struck the ground some twenty feet in
front. rcocheted and passed through the crowd.
and they all took to their heels A few more
shots smashed the battery, which the officers
considered a good one, into atoms, They think
meme were killed at the battery When the
steamers left, no one could be seen
A dispatch to the Tribune says that General
Butler has orders to proceed at once to active
forward movements, and will directly remove
tho distractions in Norfolk Harbor
The Government has seized some accurate
military maps Of Virginia, made for and en-
route to Governor Lctcher
Pn1LADELpHrA, May 81.
The ship Gen. arkhill, of Liverpool, for
Charleston, arrived to day in charge Of prize
crew from the Niagara. She was spoken off
Cape Roman en- the 10Th, and ordered off, but
was next day captured while attempting to run
the blockade. She was towed up to the Navy
Yard