The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-04

The sound Of the guns breaking the air IN notes Of
thunder and the whistlng Of the balls, wore no lees
beraton among the distant hills was grand and terrific
After had been engaged for about three quarters Of
thsm) nsar the depot were completely slenced, and
were oonsratuatng ourselves on having done our work
seStu. and Is being out Of from the battery
that We were quite mistaken. wreath Of smoke 10
seen from a ravine, just below the hill already mon
and BY Thor a ball came whizzing just astern
OF u.s.. Tho sound was most peculiar, resem-
apparent mt h was "a rom psshas from
neldpiece which was seen being dragged up the hill
Tho AFTER gun-a short thirty two FOUNDER, served by
Masters Mate Lee, under the direction Of Lieutenant
Csshnow opened fire for the first time, pitching the
apparent execution consequence Of the great distance
and the height Of the battery All this time, must be
batteries near the depot and that the forward gun was
trained sharp forward. slight variation was, however,
and them by bringing the vessel nearer broad
without the range OF the enemys shots On the opening
Of the hill battery these tactics altered The Free
born placed brcads.de on, enable both guns
to be brought bear the enemy, the after gun firing
at the hill battery, while the forward gun-served By
Captain Ward himself ably assisted BY Masters Mate
Gray, who, though stu suffering from sprained ancle
was AZ nimble as lampliehter-hred few rounds
more q the depot batteries, 50 as 70 render
the entire satisfaction of Captain Ward he trained lis
forward gun bear the hin battery and blAzed away
such rapid successoa tia. had to close my note book
in which had been, to this moment, recording every
shot from ourselves and the enemy The balls Or rather
deck ~ thick as bail One ball went 20 close 70
my port that felt what had often heard ard road
fred with admirable precision One ball struck the ugly
old long boat that captured the other day. and which
vi c s Ss ss
Freedom, to tho port side Of which she secured
thus doing us admirable service as breastwork An.
nth voIlo fhA IN knuy and
rcochetpg went through the planking Of the bulwar
tearing Of pretty large splinter sAncing thence, i
ihe gun carriage. and fell upon the deck It
proved to be a sugar loaf shaped concern, about
inches IN ue ana 20 zen
come board, for YVES the port side, the pilot
house, and really thought II had killed or severely
wounded Of gallant fellows who working
the bow gun, and nexpressiby pleased nquirng,
to find that such was not the fact.
II now became apparent that IL OF OF
use airing at battery that guns could hardly
reach while the shallow water prevented us from going
that was followed by the AnacostsNand we Law notion.
less on the river for some tme receiving the enemy
hre, which We did not return; At length the word was
been attended to by Mr. Walters, was closed and the
action was at end
seventy nne-namely fortyfour shes and thirty five
round shots. The Anacosta fired thirteen rounds OF
which three were shells The after gun Of the Freedom
The shot fired by the bow gun. may remark that
retiring, Masters MITE Lee his ardor gave the
which were fred with remarkable quiCkness The first
shot fired from the Freeborn thus commencing the
engagement, at quarter past ten O'clock and the last
round by Mr.. Lee fred at ten minutes 70 twelve
evincing the great superiority OF Captain Wards
gun carriage the old arrangement And here may
| mention the remarkable fact that old fashioned
FOUNDER, mounted the forecastle proved
be far superior TO the modern affair board the
| Anscoeta In connection with this subject l cannot
omit mentioning the cool and courageous of
captains OF both guns-Couch and Churchil-ss well
soph ". Moope, worthy Of honorable Mention may
too that the esolpe took no part in the action
her brass twenty -four FOUNDER could net
and her sister boat Reliance rihed cannon, men.
toned In his official DESPATCH carried out they will
After the action W was over Iea.eass Collins, Of
the Aoscosfa, acSompsnied by Ls1tsn amt B.
geant and twenty the Anstosta came
on board the Freeborn. From these gentlemen
went her deck and of them knocked of the
cap Of Lieut. Prendergast by the rushing wind it caused
| in its fight.
L m now again on board the Resolute proceeding Il
Washington, where will send this and the accompanying
letter. The Freeborn is to cruise of the mouth OF thu
| Rappahsnnock, and the Reliance and Anacosta are Il
| blockad AQUA Greek.
UNITED Stains STEAMER KEYSTONE STATE,
WASHINGTON, June /, 1851. {
Aoxments on the Potomac-7he AQsia Greek Engagement
Fburt1n Rebels Kliiei at Se,oaUs Point-A0airs al
| Washsn9ton Nary lard, dc.
short time after writing 10 you from Old Point VI
sol noe way for this place, where we arrived yesterday
afternoon. On way up the river short distance be
low Aqua Creek discovered schooners dashed to
gether and anchored few hundred yards from the RICH
bark AS they hoisted flag sent an armed boat Il
board them They turned out to be Captain Wards Goa
tenders anchored there to supply his dotla with fuel
Spoke steamer City Of Richmond, from Washing
l ton hntsnd tn Dn Cl,.
by our forces the batteries at Aquia Creek
At noon abreast Of the batteries an,
discovered the steam gunboats Freeborn Anscost
and Resolute engaging the batteries They were place.
about sixteen hundred yards from the shore and
two hundred from each other and threw their shell witt
great precision One shell from the Freeb0rn explode
at the foot of the flagstaff, and must have done muc
damage Before we had passed out of sight the batter
| on the wharf composed Of-as well could Judge
from that distancethree guns, and the just above
were silenced and the steamers moved further down
attack the most active Of the batteries in the valley
The shell from the batteries nearly all fell short th
steamers were unDjured. The Pawnee for some tim,
past anchored alexandria, and the Pocahontss wen
Gown no 70 AQUA a Creek Gre last evening Inc dpna city
start at moments warning with troops l see thi
morning that they have not yet gone The steamer Mon
here Her commander Enge, has been detached and or
dered TO the santee Commander Carr ordered In hi
attack Sewas Point learn that were fourteen
killed In the batteries and that the rebels expected
an attack on Craney Island. He says that com
pany OF rifemen who were forced to join thu
rebels had determined in case of an attack by the
federal forces, to assist them by spiking the
! guns. | have no doubt that soon az battle
is fought, and the rebels meet reverse, that the
many Union men in Virginia will rise and assist us The
Seventh regiment which left here yesterday presented
splendid appearance on their march down the avenue
Their departure is much regretted The Seventy first
regiment have rendered very important services since
they have been here They have great or arduous
duty TO perform and do we'll present at parade
and drill last evening After parade dismissed the
] regiment was put through number Of movements by
its very efficient Colonel Colonel Martin appears to BIZ
perfectly fat in military matters he has every
reason to be proud Of his men, for finer Of fellows
| have never
Dahgren Lieut.. Foxhal Parker, Lieut.. X. Wainwright
| (ordnance duty) Master Norris, Surgeon Duvall. Ma
rine ofcers-Leut Fendal and Passed Assistant Sur
geon Seldom. The Monticello, after receiving heavier
battery and some repairs 10 her machinery will probably
return to Old Point.