The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-17
The Naval Victory at the Mouth
Of the Mississippi.
Particulars OF the Engagemeat-Arrival Of
Commodore Hellins Mt New Orlsaus.

The New Orleans True Delta. of SUNDAY
morning, gives the followin. particulars con-
corning the recent brilliant engagement of
the mouth of the Mississippi:
At midnight, last night, the steamer Cal.
houn arrived at the wharf foot of Bieuvilt
street, having OIL board Commodore Hoii,ps
A dispatch to announce her arrival had been,
received from the FORT but few persons saw
IL, as ii was not published. Nevertheless u
considerable crowd collected on the wharf
about nine O'Clock and waited q couple OF
hours, but when the Calhoun finally arrived
| there were not Inorc than TWO dozen people
present. These, however, sent mp hearty
shout for the hero of the naval vic tory.
Commodore Hoiiins went ashore immedi-
ately and drove OFT I'd his home. He was ex-
eessively fatigued and worn out, and unable
to furnish any details Of the remarkable com
Dat he mad planned and execG ted nat from
gentleman who was all through the fight,
we obtained the ciiowing particulars:
The expedition started down the river from
| the forts at an early hour Saturday morn
| ing, the hre-b boats ahead, and the gun boat
following. But the span of fire boats could
not be controlled by the tug that was attempt
| ing to guide it, anu very soon it commenced to
Sic" roho0, ana then, despite every effort, il
| ran into the river bank.
| The plan OF 1ripg the fleet was immediate
| Is abandoned by Conmodore Holiius on the
occurrence OF this accident, and he proceeded
down the river with the gun boats for thu
parpose OF making legitimate attack upon
them.
|
mead or the passes Were the steam frigate
| richmond. the sailing sioop- of war Eincen-
| mes, the ing sioOp-o OF war Prebie, and the
! steam gun boat Water Witch.
| They were taken oInpleteiy by surprise
and had not the steamers mad steam mp at the
| time, perhaps none of them would have es-
| capped As 1t was, their firing, Inanpuvres,
and general conduct, showed that they were
| thunoerstruck and [rign tened.
| The MANASSAS led the way of our little fleet.
and, steering straight Tor one OF the sloops-of-
| war; ran right into her. The force Of the con-
| cussIon was tremendous; much SO as TO put
| the machinery Of the Manassas out OF gear
| and render her perfectly useless, floating
| iIoout in an unnanageabie condition on the
| water.
| But the enemy were very quick in making
| their arrangement to move, and the two
| steamers each took one OF the sloops- {. { war
| IN tow, and started down the river, making
| the best speed OF which they We're capable
| they defended their retreat with every gun
| they couid bring To bear upon their pursuers
| but their aim was wild and showed that the
| gunners were terribly alarmed
! The M3Itae, Ivy, and TuScarora led our
fleet, sud were the boats that kept UP the III.
| on the retreating vessels, aud drove them
down stream. Inc other vessels of our Ieer
| followed Oh down as well as they could
The eae,nys vessels took the Southwest
| fass Tor their avenue of escape, but some OF
them got aground the bar there The
boats o. our neet then came UD with them,
abOut clock n. M, and firing now com
nenced il earnest 1t being daylight they
discovered the weakness OF our fleet and they
| managed their guns in & far ADLER manner.
For over an hour the duel was kept no but
| at the END OF that time Commodore Hollius
| s;gnalled our boats TO withdraw from so IN
equat Il contest, in which nothing more was
| to be gained AT the time OF leaving, they
| were taking The men Oft the sloop-of- war that
had been run into by the Manassas and she
| was settling in the wafer in significant
III amer 80 that there can be 10 doubt of her
laundering and total loss. Orr inform a /
! ! rs Tho
| and not the i'reble, as was reported by Com
mcdore Holiins.
Our LITTLE fleet returned up the river aud
captured the cutter Of the steam fri atke
! Richmond, which was full of cutlasstv
| What became OF the men who had thrown
down their cuilasses iii such Il Easty manner
| and abandoned their boat, is not known
! Keturulng 10 the head of the passes q de-
| tichment OF Iaen were landed, who set fire
| TO all the lumber which the enemy had put
ashore there after bringing it such Il distance
and al such great cost, and it WAS totally
| consumed. The Manassas WAS then taken in
| tow and all of the boats returned 10 the
| forts.
| Not one OF our boats are injured in the
| slightest manner, except the slight disar-
rangement of the machinery in the Man assas;
butare quite ready TO repeat the ar 4ir should
| the enemy give them a chance. Not single
| man on any. Of our boats was hurt in The
least. lis believed that all Of the enemy
| vessels are somewhat injured, and that there
! must have been many casualties among their
| crews; but of this ing can be known as
| yet.
The PicoyrNe of Sunday, says in relation to
| tie affair
| This feat will rank with the most brilliant
| and daring achievements of the war. 1t was
| sKIifully projected, ana executed with an i'm
| petnous bravery which reflects new honors
! on the veteran sailor who was in command,
| and stamps the crews whom ne led rs men OF
| the true metal when danger and duty call.
The result of this dashiug expedition shows
| dltions which are GettiDg out from the North
are likely TO met, when the proper prspara-
| mons are made Tor encountering them. The
! advantages OF notilias, of gun boats and
| launches issuing out OF creeks and rivers, and
| supported by proper shore bat teries, over any
| invading force a1l0at, are sufficiently demon
strable, aud now sufficiently demonstrated,
| 10 snow where our real uetelces lie, ana 10
slim ulate the authorities TO place them every
Where where they may be needed to repeI
amy serious attem pit 10 penetrate IN to the couu
try. Another such reception, if Lincolnism
rs willing TO encounter II again, would go far
to e2unsuish finally the idea of atteIn ptin ;,
invasion from that quarter The blow which
has so crippled their force TT the first en-
counter should be our inspiriting caution to
redouole the preparations for resistance TO
any possible accum ala,ion OF attacking force
and thus sntIs1y the enemy of The useless ess
of prosecuting hopeless design.
Its no Hatteras affair, where a Ma lor-ffeu-
eral, at the head OF Il Federal army, aud a
Commodore of a large Federal squadron,
were feted about the Northern cities as IA
nous conquerors, for having captured a petty
sand bank with half a regiment Of men; bat
it was naval fight in which superior forces
were badly whipped, and the victors come to
receive the plaudits of their fellow citizens
\ for the successful repuise of a powerful ard
| insolent invader. By and by land the
good cause fionrishes, under the smiles of "A
| benign Providence, by the strong arms and
brave hearts Of the soldiers and sailors of the
| South. So may it continue to be, until the
invader is driven from our borders and our
| coasts and onr flag waves the uncontested
symbol Of our independence on the sea as up
on the land!
THE SKIRAtsH NEAR PADCcAH KY-The fol-
lowing is reliable account of the recen,
skirmish near Paducah, about which the
| Northern journals have been clarifying them =
| Selyes:
On "Wednesday morning last, Lieu tena II t.
| Colonel logwood, accomp lnied by detach
| neht OF Captain Ballentines company, left
the camp at Column bus and proceeded towards
| Padueah. About ten O'Clock the same nigh
the company dismounted, and, leaving their
| horses, proceeded on foot through the woods
10 within Two miles of Paducah, where there
was Federal picket composed OF SIX dra-
| goons, four Of whom were shot and two taken
prisoners During the firing Mr.. James G.
| Fleming, of the Memphis Light Dragons
| and John Gallagher, Of Capt. Ballentine's
| company, who has. become separated from
| their companions, were shot before they were
| recognized. Dir. Holmes shot and wound
Ell by the Federals. Gallagher WAS killed
almost Instantly. Holmes and Fleming will
probably recover.
FEnERAL VgssEIs CHasED Der OF PAaLtco
| SoUSa.--The Norfolk Day Book OF yesterday
! ontaius the following
The steamer Roanoke, Captain Hobbs, ar
| rived here last evening about s o'clock from
| Roanoke Island
| The Roanoke left the island at O'clock
| Monday afternoon, and her Captain reports
| that the Confederate steamers Curlew Fanny
tntry III ,aRffS fsAff