The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-06-14
F1NDLAY, OHIO, FRIDAY, JUNE IA, 1861.
The Fight at Acquia Creek--vivid de
scription Of the Action.

, The Fight at Acquia Creek--vivid de-
, scription Of the Action.
A correspondent Of the New York
Herald, who was present at the fight
ofthe thirty first, in which the steam.
er Anacostd and gunboat Thomas
: Freedom attacked the rebel batteries
at the mouth Of Acquia creek. gives
tho following detailed account of the
/. skirmish. After describing the voy-
age to the scene Of action, the writer
says:
Il Nearer and nearer the vessels ap.
preached, till the batt ries were
plainly distinguished by tho naked
i eye, and the secession flag was seen
Haunting in the breeze. But wha,
is that brown spot on the summit OF
, a hill, that contrasts 30 strongly with
: the surrounding greene Glasses are
eegcrly directed toward the sus.
picious looking spot, and it is soon
, discovered to be sand battery.
Some Of our officers thought they
could see the guns, in which i'm.
preston shared. Certainly the
works swarined with men, and one
man was distinctly seen going
through the motions Of using pick
: axe, or some such implement.
The AndcostG took up a position
a little on our port side, and some
. what further from shore. We-that
is, the Freedom were in a quarter
less two fathoms, a. near as We could
approach the enemy with prudence
in consequence Of the shoal water
That solemn silence which always
precedes the opening OF fire in a na
val engagement. now arsnad. II
was at length broken by the CHEEKY
voice of Captain Ward, saying, II
am about to fire on the steamer. ~
Boom! went the forward gun, and
the shot pitched right ahead OF the
; steamer, about her own length from
her. Now" said Captain Ward
. 81 am going to aim at the depot" a
, red building at the end of tho pier.
: A ten second shell was accordingly
sent on its errand OF destruction, but
, fell short, directly in line Of the de
pot, bursting in mid air. The Al.
dcosta now opened fire from her sol.
itary thirty.tvo pound.r, but the
. shot fell entirely short.
The proper elevation having been
/, obtained. shell WAS fired right in
. to the depot, where it burst. 1t was
followed by another immediately af.
, ter, completely shattering a consid.
cradle portion Of the bui ding. An.
other shell exploded right into one o
the batteries to the lett Of the depot
i doing great damage. Long before
this the Soldiers were seen clearing
! out OF the d'poi, which they had oc,
; cupied IA barracks. and, by the aid
Y OF our glasses, bodies were seer
carried away on lltters by the Sol
= iiers, but whether Of mea killed by
7 our shot, or simply wounded We
c were Of conrse unable to ascertain.
> We had fired about eleven rounds
: before the enemy opened fire. Ills
hrst shot was II round thirty-twC
; FOUNDER, which struck the water,
i and riochcting, Skinned along tn,
t surface, bury ing itself at some dis
: tance from our port side. His mex
E shot approached within thirty fee
OF our bow, but the force being spent
S il sank. The Anacosta occasional,
: put in shot or shell. One of tn,
e latter struck corner Of the depot
7 which it com pletely tore away. Tn,
y engagement now became general
a Shot and shell were poured in OF
: both sides; on our part with consid
e cradle effect, while those from the
!. enemy generally fell short. Singu
}. lar as it may read, some OF our shell
;, actually burst under water, throw
!. ing up the spray to a considerable
h height.
& The sight was d solemn one, bu
;, not deveid of a sort OF terrific beau
Il ty. The smoke from the enemy
Is guns, the flight Of the shells, coca
Is sionally bursting in mid air, leav
,e ing beautiful wreath of smok
where the explosion took place; tn
. riochet OF the shots, skimning alon
" the surface OF the CLASSY smooth riv
2. er, all mede up tableau that shoul
be seen to be appreciated. 1t car
not be understood by mere descri;
ton. The programme | folio we
le was this: On seeing the smoke fro.
us the enemy's gun, | would wait ic
the report and then look out for tn
shot, which was very easily svoic
ed at that distance, 80 long as th
enemy fired from his lower batteries
ws but it afterwards became quite
to different affair when he opened frol
the hill. There was no dodein
these shots. Tor in avoiding one
you could sre it-you might pei
he chance run your head against anotl
er, the fire was 80 incessant.
es The sound of the guns breakin
Vn on the air, in notes Of thunder, an
OF the whistling Of the balls, were II
to less worthy oi notice than what m,
go the vision. Tho reverberatio
ke among the distant hills was gran
q and terrific.