Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-06-06
WAR MOVEMENTS.

strengthen CielT respective pOSltioS, anu uettnei
party appears to be in haste to take the next
step that must lead to serious conflict. AT
Fortress Monroe the same state of affairs pre-
walls. From Harper's Ferry we have nothing
new. The United States forces continue to COLI
centrate at Chambersburg, but no forward move
ment into Maryland has yet been made.
Battle in Western Virginia.
The first serious encounter of the war. has
taken place in Western Virginia. Two columns
of United States troops, under command Of
Colonel Kelly, Virginia volunteers, and Colonel
Crlttenden, of the Indiana volunteers, made a
| forced night march from Grafton to Phillippi
the county seat of Barbour county, near which
they surprised a camp of Confederate troops re-
ported to be two thousand strong. The sur
prise was complete The camp of the Confed-
crate was captured, and they fled leaving fifteen
dead bodies on the field. The United States
forces seized large amounts of arms, ammuni-
ton, provisions and some horses. The pursuit
was continued and it was expected that num-
Der of prisoners would be captured. Colonel
Kelly, of the Wheeling regiment, was MORALLY
wounded in the attack,sand soon after died.
Several Of the Federal troops were also wounded
On Wednesday evening of last week an
engagement, between the Federal and Confe-
derate forces, commenced at Aqua Creek. Tive
small steamers against the land batteries o.
Virginia, kept up great noise for about two
hours, as we learn, with no damage to the bat
teries. the steamers sustaining some injury
On Friday, several other steamers having beer
sent down, the contest re-opened and continued
through the day and Saturday. We learn that
the Pawnee received some dozen or more shots
but no serious damage done. AS yet the land
batteries are unhurt and no lives lost save that Of
devoted rooster. which was killed by shot
from one of the ships, on Saturday.
Among the incidents Of the engagement il
mentioned the falling of a cannon ball in the
midst of twenty or more men working Vir-
ginia gun, and strange to say not one was struck
A clerk or secretary, on the Pawnee, while ir
the rigging taking notes of the battle involun.
tarly bowed his head at the very moment when
his hat was carried away by a cannon ball from
the battery. But for this involuntary bow hi.
head would have shared the fate of his hat.
Many Of our citizens went down to the Poto.
mac on Monday, to witness the fight from thu
Maryland side, but much to their disappoint
ment not gun was fired.
The following dispatch, dated at Washington
on Sunday refers to the engagement on Satur
day. It ys:-From messenger direct this
morning at ten o'clock from Aqua Creek by tn,
steamer Anacostia, the following facts are OBJ
tanned relative to the contest yesterday at Aqni;
| The engagements commenced on Fridaf, a.
sssTdsy twas renewed, and continued twice fha
length Of time. The lower, or beach battery
which had bean so essentially damaged the da,
previous, had meantime been repaired by tn
Confederates, in force, it is supposed, two thou
sand strong. The Freedom yesterday, approach
ing about two miles from shore, early in tn
afternoon, fired four OF five. shots, when tn
Pawnee entered into conflict, taking position
nearer to land.
For the first two hours the fire from the shor
batteries was very brisk, but was returned will
more expedition by the Pawnee. During TIL
engagement she fired one hundred and sixt,
shells, one Of which was seen to explode ilnme
dately over the heads of the Confederates wht
/
telescope, saw number Of the bodies of then
carried away in wagons. During that time tn
shore movements were exceedingly brisk, an,
the Freeborn lodged three shells in successio,
in the beach battery, perceptibly damaging tn
works, which had the effect of greatly diminish
ing the fire.
The Freeborn received two Shots one of whicl
passed through the cabin, damaging some crock
cry but not the vessel, except making a passag
through the bulWarks of slight consequence.
The Pawnee received eight or nine shots, bu
all too high to inhct much damage. One strucl
her maintopsail yard, which was thereby I'm
slung; another grazed the mizzenmast head
and one passed through the hammock MEETINGS
1t is the opinion of the officers on board tina
had the Confederates been provided with goo,
gunners, the vessels might probably have beer
sunk. Some Confederate shots passed over tn
masthead to the Maryland shore The Anacos
tia returned here this morning, the Pawnee an,
Freedom hauling off beyond the range of. th
enemys fire.
The Yankee, which went down on Frda,
with dispatches fired few shots only, not be
ing prepared for a long contest. The railroad
depot buildings on shore at Aqua Greek ar
destroyed.
The damage to the beach battery is not con
repair it. 1t is safe to say that at least ten O
twelve were killed on the part Of the Confeder
ates. 1t is not known how many were wound
ed. All the officers engaged in the fight cohcu
in the opinion that the Confederates have riff
cannon, perhaps several, and in all it is sup
posed about eight guns.
The Virginia Account of the Affair.
The Richmond Examiner says of the first bat
tie at Aqua Creek:
4 We understand that two United States steam
ers, on their way down the river, opposite Aqui
creek, Wednesday evening, between 81 and
o'clock, fred three shells at the battery station
ed at that place, before the battery returned tn
fire. Our battery fired two solid shots (sxty
four pounders) and ten shells. The shots tool
effect in the foremost steamers hull, and shell
burst upon her deck. The gun on our batter
was under the direction of one of the best gun
ners in the world, Mr. Cunningham, formerl,
of the Washington Navy Yard. A gentleman
= from the Maryland side, after the she'll explod
ed, saw with glass the crew pick up from tn
deck of the steamer some TWENTY-FIVE or thirt