New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-16
PASSAGE UP THE JAMES RIVER.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REBEL FORTS-FLIGHT

or THE REBEL GUNBOATS.
From The baltimore American.
We are indebted TO friend for the following ex-
tracts from a letter from a relative board the
iron clad gunboat Galena, engaged ia the movement
up the James River:
GrSBoAr 0ALRxa Sunday May II, 1862.
DEAR BROTHER: suppose by tits time you have
heard of The Gslena leaving Hampton h ads. was
glad Of it, for such fine ship as this ought not TO be
kept idle in such times as these, aud the boys were
all anxious for a fight.
We got under way and left the Roads at II o'clock
on the morning Of the Stb, and it not long till
we passed Sewalls Point, without one shot being
fired ST us. As We passed Newport News we were
hailed by loud and long cheers from the men Of the
fort who were glad 10 see us make q move to help
their brother soldiers. But we had only pass them
about - minutes when, 10 our great JOY battery
hove in sight.
1t was fret seen by the well-experienced eye Of
our gallant Captain. lie gave orders TO Lieut.:
Newman TO call all hands TO quarters, which he did
in his cool way, for he is always cool and brave.
ibis order was promptly obey,d by the crew. who
thought every moment hour to Try their skill on
the Rebels. They had a chance. for, fifteen
minutes to ten O'Clock, the ball was opened by our
pivot gun forward. The shot fell short
The second and third were fired, but there was no
reply. We ran in under their gun range, but al OF
the shot fell harmless against our iron sides.
hardly think they knew what was coming at them.
We let fly from our whole battery, and mace it
pretty warm for them. We sailed back and for
ward by the fort three four times and soOu lev
eled their flag and made 1t drag in the dust. Alter
an action OF 40 minutes they ran like "red sharks,
as they always do, from the weldirecied fire OF our
brave sailors Not one shot struck up 70 tho end
Of the engagement.
Fort No 2-The action commenced about
o'clock three-quarters of an hour after we had 81
fenced the frst battery. In this fort we found a
more formidable opponent than the first 1t mounted
twelve guns and after an hour and hfteen minutes
bombarGment eleven OF them we're eileDced. The
remaining one fought us for an hour afterward, aud
making this bombardment Of two hours and fifteen
minutes duration. The gunboats AroostoOk and
Port Royal were with US, but did not take active
part in tue engagement, though they did some exc
cution with their long guns.
FLIGHT OF REBEL GUNBOATS.
The Rebel eunboats jamestown and Patrick
Henry were lying under the guns Of the second fort,
but Instead Of asss Lg it's defense they got up steam
and ran away with sll speed toward Richmond.
Our damage in the engagement was small One
shot struck the Aroostook. and went through her
hammock netiings No one was injured One or
two shots struck u.s. but they only left their mark
our iron mail snd slided of.
After passing the second fort, we started up the
river but the buoys have been removed, and there
we .tuck hard and fact waiting for high tide. The
batteries senced were called the Upper and Lower
Shoal Batteries. Great praise is gwen TO Cslt.
Rodgers, Lieut.. Newman, and Ensineer-n-Cbief
1bonp psOn.
LATER.
Wa are Just getting of shore, and a boat has
come Oh board f.om Gen. Mcclellan, BY which l
send this. We wall be of for City Point this
morning. Yours, &C., a. 5.