The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-02

and ;es. Inc range Of mas lons shstytwo p,a,dsr
the so'eeaste Accordingly the sessel was sto,pss,
AMI the bow gun tran cd lice with the battery aad
eesaed 90 as % throw the ave seconds shell, with which
che vas haded to TIE erases possible oisanoe ALI hands
were low AZ quassers, bcsh largo guns bsing fully
ned Lieutenant Cash on The force aste 70 supsin
lend The working Of tho bow gum under the direction Of
front Of the po. house. Mr. Gray nrs master's lte
who has been suffering nom swollen anoie, caused
by . hurt from hawssr, and Mr.. Walterp
the parser, had charge OF the aszine white Mr. Lee
the eecond masters mate, occupied the hurricane deck
where your correspondent stationed himself to watch
The e1ects OF the approaching Dr. Moore had
every thing prepared in case o. casualties. NJ Person,
the pilot, was at the Wheel Mr. Lewis, the other
pilot OF this aOtila-
rhe boz gun having been brought to bear the solemn
silence which Away preoodes the opening Of hre when
vessel s going into action was az length broken By the
first discharge. me distance was too great for SHE'LL
the fuse or which s only calculated 10 for i've
and therefore burst In mid air, mater OF
course, considerably short Of the land. round shot
distance from the shore, but in direct limo With the bat
tery and rcochetng several times seemed to close
in shore. IT, indeed ii DID not actually reach tho land,
which il may have done permitted to judge by
the scamperpg that took place the part Of the ssca
tors Captain Ward now ordered up shell calculated for
fifteen seCondy to euit the long range The st sbo
most beautiful one Most OF the officers and man de-
clare that It went clear Shore for IN AfGen secon s
rom the time left the mozze Of the gun II eypkde1
and soon wreath OF smoke was seen curling upwards
arnorg the trees behind the battery, some OF the
trees beng distinctly visible In front Of the
experienced In gunnery, and ignorant practically as am
OF tho laws which govern the digit Of proectlss will
that the shell thrown that prodgious distance and
that could travel 30 far in short space OF time.
Perhaps we were al laborng under an optical Illusion.
Spccula,ions now became rife to whether fire
would be return ed and captain actually seemed t.
pause TO give the enemy chan respond TO the card
he hsd SO politely left with hun 1 was eginang 10
think we were to have all TO ourselves when ol sud
den flash from the shore, and in few seconds pan Of
smoke in the line OF the Freeborn, but apparently mile
falling Of the fragments the shell which had burst.
The ball fairly opened, and began 70 pour in
COR shell with admirable precision, far as the direction
vas eerned while the spot In which each missile fell
almost invariably in tho and apparently near in
shorehowed that the elevation Of the gun correct
We aud then throw snoi by way OF variety,
and with good Judgment the fuse OF the shell always
burnt out and caused tho she to explode before the force
Of the missile was spent And so the game went on till
We had expended thirteen shells and six round shots
when the increasing darkness put stop 70 the engage
ment
While We were firing tho enemy was not idle, bat he
continued TO throw shut and SHOT, but more of the for
than the latter and FROM apparently, only gun
His guns admirably pointed for each shot fell and
each she burst directly in line with but invariably
short by very long way, showing that ordnance
superior to HIS in length OF range AS be warmed,
however We had coser opportunities Of adnaring his
hRDowork for the last shell from him burst, cst1at
ed by Capain Ward himself, at about quarter of mile
froa na and IN dTec, line. Whether not he would
have hecomo SO thoroughly educated as to actually send
hs pretty Ornaments board, If we hao not hauled of
for tho reason already mentioned not prepared to
say Tho same remark, of course, applies to sdo Of
the question.
Something must be said of the qulckness Of the
my fire. In this, too, he improved for at rst fired
twice and MORE to his once but he returned
W shot fer shot and a. the end OF the canonade he had
expended eleven rouDds Here have to correct or
into which Lieutenant Cash says had fallen in q
previous part Of this letter &c says tho enemy used
two guns towards tho Close This may account for his
apparent improvement In quick firing
While all this was going on the little Reliance was seen
con along astern OF u.s. and on nearing, Lieutenant
Mygatt, who TO be fond OF running himself into
mischief where fighting is concerned lot fly three shells
perhaps Of creating diversion; and, faith, he did IT,
for everybody board the Freeborn diverted as
bursting his five second snen calculated to carry two
and quarter miles No di,paragement s intended to
Mr. My gait, VINO Is really brave young officer, and,
hope win make Lis mark yet. and leave tho same with
few words about the ordnance o. Aqu.a Creek. The
opinion general board that the rebel battery
thinks they are rifed 12pounders. He bases his
opinion the fact that when the shell thrown from tho
enemy burst il Dot attended by bread explosion
as were our shells which burst further of from U.s.
Besides he says the scattering OF tho Fragments as in
dcaed by the spray caused much less than If the
mssile had been thrown by larger piece OF ordnance
Another opinion Of the captain is that all our shot and
shel stopped short Of the battery by quarter Of
mile, but that the fragments Of the shells exploding
may have reached shore by the momentum Of the whole
she'll accelerated by the impetus given by the force Of
the guupowder contained in II when it exploded.
By this action have established these facs:-Frst,
that there Is battery at Aqua Creek second that the
ordnance there, yet not very formidable after all
third that there is armed steamer to be feared
peaceabe vessels fourth that the commander Of the
flying fot)a is In earnest and will keep the river clear
for the navigation Of honest and loyal people, at all
hazards and any cost
Perhaps it may interest those who have friends con-
nected with the ota to state that letters and parcels
for them directed TO Fort Washington Potomac river
OF our vessels up there twice every week.