Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-26
SECOND EDITION.
THREE O'CLOCK p. N.
OUR MILITARY BUDGET.
NO BATTERIES AT MATTHIAS POINT


1 NO BATTERIES AT MATTHIAS POINT
| Assistant Secretary Fox returned this mcrnina
from Fortress Monroe He left there Yesterday.
| He reports that there are no guns whatever In
| battery at Matthias Point Those that were re-
Gently there were evidently field pieces, ~ hSsH-
| SitH.
ARKvIEw
| Gen. Mcclellan, accompanied by bis stat, pre-
/ cesded across the Potomac this forenoon, TO re-
view the division Of his army commanded BY
Gen. FitZ John Porter.
ILRcrrp
We hear that Joseph Segar, Esq, was elected
| to Congress yesterday, from the Hampton (Va-D
| district
:. F. Beach received all the votes cast In The
| Alexandria district.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE AFFAIR OF TIE REBEL
RAN
L. = STEAMSHIP RICHMOND.
s. w Pass Of MtSStssiPPi Rtver, Oct. -, 81.
Sir: have the honor TO make the following re-
port:
At3:45 a. m Oct IL, 1851. while the watch ON
deck were employed in taxing coal on board the
| schooner Joseph II. Toone, a ram was discovered
| in close proximity to this ship. By the time the
| alarm could be given she had struck the ship
abreast Of the fore channels, tearing the schooner
| from her faSts and forcing hole through the
ships side
Passing aft the ram endeavored TO effect
breach in the stern, but failed. Three planks on
the ships side were stove In about two feet below
the water line, making hole about Eve inches I'm
circumference At the frst alarm, the crew
promptly and coolly repaired 70 their quarters,
and as the ram passed abreast Of the ship, the
entire port battery was discharged az her, with
what effect 1t was impossible TO discover, owing
/ TO the darkness
red light was shown az a signal Of "dangefD
and the squadron was underweigh in a few min
utes, having slipped their cables ordered tbs
Preble and Vincennes 20 proceed down 10 the
/ Southwest Pass, while I covered their retreat,
/ which they did at about 50 a. N. At this time
three large fire raf.s, stretching across the river,
were rapidly nearing us. while several large
| steamers and a bark-rigged propeller were seen
astern Of them. The squadron proceeded down
the river In the following order: First, Preble;
| second. Vincennes; third, Richmond; fourth,
Water Witch, with the priZe-schooner Frolic In
tow.
when abreast of the pilot settlement, the pilot
informed me that he did not consider Il safe to
venture turn this ship in the river; but that he
believed he could pass over the bar. / accord
| ingly attempted TO pass over the bar with The
50 uadron, but in the passage, the Nincennes ehd
Richmond grounded, while the Preble went over
clear This occurred about O'Clock, and the
Il enemy who were now down the river with i've
Il stea mers, commenced firing at u.s. while we re-
Il turned the fire from our port battery and rifed
| gun on the poop-our shot however, falling short
OF the enemy. while their shell burs; on all sides
of u.s. and several passed directly over the ship.
| At about $50 Commander Handy, OF the VIM
| cennes, mistaking nv signal to the ships outside
the bar to get underweigh for signal for him to
/ abandon his ship, came on board the Richmond
| with all his officers and large number Of the
crew the remainder having gone - board the
Water Witch Capt. Handy before leaving his
ship had placed a lighted slow match az tbs
magazGne Having waited a reasonable time for
an explosion. directed Commander Handy 10
return TO his ship with his creW-to start bis
water and IL necessary, at his own request, to
| throw overheard his small guns, for the purpose
Of tightening his ship, and to carry out his Hedge
with cable to heave of by.
At 10 a m the enemy ceased FIRING, ana drew
up the river During the engagement a shell en-
tered our porto uaTter-port, and one OF the ooeb
was stove by another shell, At 10 80 a. N. dis
patched Acting Master Devens, Of the Vincennes,
in the FrolIc with orders 70 the South Carolina,
In Barataria Bsy, 70 come down TO our assistance
At 1 .. IN. made steamer standing down nom
Pass al'Ouue towards US, which proved 70 be the
.rmv tran,nort Mcclellan with Enfield guns from
Fort Pickens for this ship.
| Alta D. m sent the w alter Witch down to Ba-
rataria Bay for the South Carolina and Huntsville,
| with orders to order the latter 70 Pass apoutre
/ and the former 70 this place AIS m. received
/ on board the guns and ammunition from the
Mcclellan. NV object In despatching the Water
Witch for the above named steamers was for the
purpose Of having them up as soon as poesiole,
and to send the Huntsville TO guard Pass al Outre
and the South Carolina to assist In towing this
| ship and the vincennes over the bar, to prevent
her being fred and sunk.
have this morning succeeded In getlng this
| ship over the bar The Mcclellan ana so9th
:.
cennes of The Nightingale Ia hard and fast
| ashore, to the northward Of the bar. have sue
ceeded In reducing the bulk OF the ship, so that
our small engines keep the ship free. This 10
only temporary, and the shi p will have 70 20 10
some place and have three planks put In nave
received the rife guns-placed the 32-Pounder on
the forecasle and the 12-pounder on the poop
The coal schooner Joseph II. Toone fell into the
hands Of the enemy, having about Is tuns OF coal
on board
Could have possibly managed this ship Ia any
other way than keeeping her head up and down
the river. | would have stopped at Pilot Town 20
give battle; but this was found too hazardous,
owing to her extensive length The attempt was
made but the broadside could not be brought TO
bear without running the ship ashore ! then
concluded as advised by the pilot, to run TOT the
bar and trust to chance Of fading water enough
to cross
In narratng the affair OF the river, omitted TO
state that the ram sunk one of our large cutters.
and shot from the enemy stove the gig. am
pleased to say that the Vincennes Is onoat ana al
anchor outside on our starboaTd quarter.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant:
}Sipnedl john PoPE, Captain.
To Flag Officer WIN. w. McKKAN, commanding
blockading squadron.