The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-08
/ III + FIGHT AT AQUA GRE Elk
AHTGHLY NARRATIVE.


| eye witness. The only fault that can be found
| with it is that it is totally nutrue, SO far
| the effect of the fire from the steamers IS con-
| cerned
| Nearer and nearer the vessels approached
| tlli the batteries were plainly distinguished
| by the naked eye, anu the secession nAg was
seen haunting in The breeze. Bat what is
| that Drown spot ON the summit OF IL hill, that
con trasLs 80 strongly with Tue surrounding
| green p? Glasses are eagerly directed TOWARDS
The suspicious looking spot, ana ii Is SION ais
| covered ~ be a saud battery. Some Of our
officers thought they could see the guns, in
| which impression l saared. Certainly the
| works sWarmed with men. and one man was
distinctly seen gulGg through the motions Oh
using Il pick1xe, or some sucn lin plement.
| Captain Ward now sguiiied the Auacostia
| to approach within nail, when Lieut.. Collins,
| IN obvulence 10 the summons, camo on board
Tue freeoorn, bringing with him eX perleuced
| pilot, well acquainted with Tie InirIcacles OF
| The river and creek. On gaining the deck of
the Freeoorn, Capt Ward ana Lieut. Collins
Consulted Tor a snort time, aid the plan OF
operations was soon agreed upon Captain
Nard then took up a posi- zion about Two
thousand five hundred ards from the batteries
near the pier, nearly stern on, with his tor
ward gun trained sharp tor ward the port
| SIDE, So as To bear on the shore. fuis position
| WAS different from that assumed On w euues
| day evening, Wnen We hAd Tie brush at the
same place. Then we na1 guns the
sttrootI q side
Clear snip for action" and call hands 1T
| quarters, were now the orders given by our
| commander. These orders were soon obey ed ,
| ana we were prepared for the very pleasant
pastime that was now about to take place
The Anacostia took up a position a little on
| our port side, and somewhat further from
| shore. We-th4t is, the Freeborn--were in
| quarter less two fathoms, as near as we
could approach the enemy with prudence, in
| consequence of the shoal water. That SOL
| emn silence which always precedes the open
| ing CT fire IN naval engagement now ensued.
| 1t was at length broken by the CHEEKY voice
/ fla anita w ard saytn hn, IN fro
| 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, 4 red building at the end
| of the pier. A ten second shell was accord
| ingiy sent on its errand of destruction, but
fell short directly in line of the depot
| bursting in mid air. The Anacostia now
| opened fire from her solitary thirty two
| FOUNDER. but the shot fell entirely short.
| The Freedom now fired Il number OF round
| shots, still from her forward gun-for the aft
| er one had not yet opened-jnst 10 get the
| proper elevation. One or two fell short in
| consequence of too great depression, but the
] greater number welt clear over the pier and
| The ba ttarY ltse lhSOne OF them pitching in
| small white house on the beach. The proper
| elevation having been obtained, shell was
! fired right into the depot, where it burst. 1t
| was followed by another immediately after,
| completely shattering q considerable portion
| of the building. Another shell OK ploded rig ut
| iuto one of the batteries 10 the left OF the de-
pot, doing great damage.
| We had fired about eleven rounds before the
| enemy opened fire. His first shot was round
| thirty two FOUNDER, which struck tue water,
| and ricocheting, skinned along the surface,
| burying itself at some distance from our port
| side. His next shot approached within about
! thirty feet of our bow, but the force being
| spent. il sank The Anacostia occasionally
| put in Il shot or a shell. One of the latter
| struck the corner of the depot, which it com
| pletely tore away. The eng tgement now be-
| came general. Shot and shell were poured in
| on both sides; on cur part with considerable
effect while those from the enemy generally
fell short. Singularly il may read, some
| two or three of our shells actually burst under
| water. throwing up the spray to a considera-
| BILE height.
| The SIGHT was a solemn one, but not devoid
| of a sort of terrific beauty. Ehe smoke from
| the enemy's guns, the flight of the shells, oc-
ca>ionaliy bursting in mid air, leaving a beau
| full wreath of smoke where the explosion took
place the ricochet of the shots, Summing
| along the surface of the CLASSY smooth river
| all made up a tabledu that should be seen to
| be appreciated
| The sound of the guns, breaking on the air
| in notes of thunder and the whlstling of the
| balls were no less worthy of notice than
| what met the vision. The reverberdtions
| among the distant hills was grand and ter
| rife.
| After we had been engaged for about three
| quarters Of an hour, the enemy's batteries
| (there were three OF them) near the depot
! were com pletely silenced, and We We're con-
| graduating ourselves on having done cur
| work effectually, and AS being out OF danger
| from tho battery on the summit OF the hill TO
| the left, when we soon found we were quite
| mistaken. A wreath OF smoke Is seen from q
ravine, just below the hill already mentioned,
aud at the foot of Il smaller hill adjoining,
| and, by Thor ball came whizzng just
astern of US. The sound Was most peculiar,
| resembling the sharp, shrIli chirrup of Il
cricket. 1t was apparent that this was from
| rifled cannon, perhaps from Il field piece,
which was seen being dragged up the hill bu t
| q little while before
The after guns short thi:ty-two FOUNDER,
served BY Master 3 Mate Lee. aaaer tue dirsc-
| ton Of Lieutenant Cash-now opened fire for
the f1rst time, pitching shot right into the hill
| battery, but without doing much apparent
| exec utiou, in coLseQ nence OF the great dis
| lance and the height OF the battery. All this
time, 1t must be remembered, that the Free
| born was almost stem on 10 The batteries near
the depot, and that the forward gun was
| trained sharp forward. A slight variation
| was, however, made nov aud then, by bring
lug the vessel nearer broadside OF, and the gun
| TO bear more amidshlps, 50 as To get without
| the range of the enemy's shots On the opening
of tho hill battery these tactics were al
| tered. The Freeborn was placed broad
| side on, so rs to enable both guns TO be
brought to bear on the euemy, the after
gun firing al the hill battery, while
| the forward gun-served by Capt. Ward hm-
self, ably assisted by Masters Mate Gray,
| who, though still suffering from sprain-d
| ankle, WAS as nimble as a lamp iighter-fred
few rounds more at the depot batteries Sc
| as to render the destruction complete. When
this had been done to the entire sttisfact ton
! of Captain Ward, he trained his forward gun
to bear on the hill battery, and blazed away
| The enemy now fired in volieys gun succeed
ing gun in such rapid succession that had TO
close my note book, in which had been, TO
this moment, recording every shot from our
selves and the enemy. The balls, or rather
| slugs, fell around US, across the bow and the
stern, and over our deck as thick as hail. One
ball went SO close TO my port ear that / felt
| what had often heard and read OF before
the wind Of the ball,
The enemy in fact, fred with admirabls
| precision. One bali struck the ugly old long
boat that was captured the other day, and
| which we have appropriated as coal barge,
and glancing OF. fell into the water between
| her star board side and the Freeborn, 70 the
| port side Of which she was seeured-thus do
| ing as admirable service As breastwork.
1 Another ball struck the water close TO our
| port bow, and ricocheting, went through the
| planking of the bulwarks, tearing on pretty
large splinter; giancinx thence II grazed the
| struck the gun carriage and fell upon deck.
| 1t proved TO be a sugar-loaf shaped concern.
| about three or four inches In diameter, and
| from nine to ten inches IN iength-an ugly
customer. disiinc thy saw it come on board
for l was ON the port side near the pilot
house. and really thought 1t had killed or
verely wounded some OF our gallant fellows
who were working tue bow gun, and was
pleased, on ing uirinS, 10 INC tnat suen was
not the fact.
Itnow became apparent that it was OF no
manner of use our firing at battery that our
guns could hardly reach, while the shallow
water proven ted as from going In close; there
fore Captain Ward ceased hfing-an example
that was followed by the Anacostia-.and we
lay motionlsss on the water Tor some time. re-
eeiyins the sasny,'s nrs, Which We did not ~.
:s.a ~ aa ,ss xsa wa s.a aaS ~
efIanhsd u ~ Ne, WhllaPe, VIVA ejosat, and