The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-22
The CUTTING our OF THE SMITHS POINT
LIGHTSHIP.
OUR ANNAPOLIS CORRESPONDENTS.

OUR ANNAPOLIS CORRESPONDENCE.
AssApoiIs May IS, 1881.
or THURSDAY last a secret expedition embarked on
boord the steam,ug william Woodward, under command
of eu'erant Fusser Of the United States navy, with
fifty seamen from the receiving chip, and proceeded
down ,he Chesapeake Bay, IN company with the Phlsie
pha City Ice Boat under of officer from the
United states cutter Forward with fifteen seanen and
sixty men Of the New York Thirteenth regiment rifle
men, under command OF Captain Woodward. About four
a. u. s,ood in for the Great Wicomco under Smiths
Point when launch sent out TO reconnoitre and re-
ported the Smiths Point ghtship moored in Middle
creek near the head made al preparation on board and
stood recaptrre her, and succeede1 in doing In
than hour; hficd her moorngs and took her In
tow. When turning the creek party from the bank
opcred Ere from muskety, within sbor, range, firing
by Lieutenant fusser 70 open ire upon the shore party
which was lept up until the tug and her prize cleared
Midce creek. This morning the expedition with It's
prize anchored safeiy IN tbs hsronr under handsome
ovation, this being The second hsh'sh p retsken.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The following letter. descriptive Of the recapture Of tn,
lien thip, was received by Mr. W. schwrzwaeder, bro
'hsr Of the Colonel OF the Fifth regiment
ASSArolIs May IS 1881.
We have Just returned this morning from expedl.
tou In which have 10 thank the vrsinans for being
such poor msyksmeL--or else our good luck We we're
ordered on rhursday morning last, TO prepare for an
early start for Washington and So accordingly, we
packed up ard waited further orders, bu. came
until abou, three r. then the order for Washington
countermanded, and in pla;e detach nent and
gurs were ordered on board a propeller, with
three days ra,ions The captain told that
ght than We had yet been as onr orders were
10 cut lghishp out Of the Wyclmico river, Virginia
Well to cortnue, We started down the ray about five
y. N had with us forty marines and fifty Of the
Thirteenth Teg men', OF Brooklyn The marines were TO
Toad he prize We also towed two launches After a
pretty rough fbt the old propeller, At about veAM
anchor ed IA the Wy comco rver vi about 100 yards
oidf lqsa. atphah
I'D and cong they immediately made tracks In
cid wagon, some OF them only halr dressed. party
u the marines landed ard vent to hunt the
ghehp up and after essf II search Of hour
and half returned We then up anchor, went round 70
MI creef-s email stream. with good depth Of water
which we ended. We saw several sailbosts, which
teok "Frtnch leave mmec lately. We also saw party
Of daI khs hauling sone We hailed them and askeh
where ihe thp was They pointed up The river 80 We
moved sIowIy aoog, and arnog the next bend In
river there she The bOys Immediately sto ID TO tbsr
Runs and slowly approached her She was moored
fifteen yards from the rivers hank, and apparently
one aboard However u was ra'aer an exctiog mo
ment We old not know a. wha, poDt masked battery
or yoiley from sharpsho)tcrs might open ON us As
we touched her the marines, cutiass 10 hand,
jun ped aboard cut the bs~ser and the way ths. old
ansnof lev op va "a .are , an, n,,za ~ ,
but the channel o the creek beng 50 narrow had the
enemy been smart they would have had US IN bad 20.
si.ion We seveTa men en- snore, but they made
until guns were turned dow the creek
when ore apparently the lesder, waived bis hand and
then crack, crack rhz went their Tines. We up with
he stars and strpee, gave three cheers ami then re
turued the ere poci earnest the infantry with tn sir
muskes and VIC With or pistols They Took good care
70 We get far enough around 70 bringing
oar guLs-loadeo With Feenisterto bear them. We,
however had occasional shot al them they do ged
throu g the trees and buthes the blok We pr0eeed
down the cHsk with our prize, Their bullets wnzz ng
after and over us until our Sergeant e. Kea ney SAID
laughing msnuer "Stand fact men; dout dJdge their
Duetsn We arrived, without loss n, mouth Of the
river about Eve O'Clock the wind bio sing so vioenty
the captain would not venture outside. We hailed
schooner pasire and Nought her TO- Captain Fletcher
tou arde
formed him was the Lancaster Grays who dred ON US
The wind having gone down, started with our prize
but foon found steamer chasing us, We male up our
minds 10 let her come no and then we her gun. bat
on the contrary TO surprise, she hrei gun across
our bows for VI 70 beave TO- then thought that We
were In for II certain we we're within rev miles OF
Richmond. We were prepared for the brush, ani the
infantry drawn up on the upper deck, we AZ our
gups forward they hailed and sent boat aboard us
they proved 10 he the United States steamer Bati.
Mutual salntes being exchanged they bore away,
AID We arrived ssfe with our Prize, r. E s