The New York herald., 1862-03-17
MuJy@ Nlg.
the snare and no countoracted by sending oh board
the Anacosta for pair Of shears with which to cut the

the snare and he countoracted II by sending Oh board
the Anacosta for pair Of shears with which TO cut tho
strings he thought that the arrng Of even
knife might have had the effect that the rebels contem
plated. Perhaps they relied on the uncaculatng i'm
potuosity of ecamen. II so, they reckoned this time
without their host.
While those things wore going at Cockpit Point,
res were Quantco creek and all along the line
of batteries to Chapawamsic creek. The rebos were
evidently destroying all they could not carry away in,
cndng the burning of the steamer George Page, ana
other vessels in Qantco creek Accordingly, the Ana
costa got weigh and stood down the river 10
Shipping Point Arrived there, landing was about to
boat putting or from Budds Ferry loaded with
company OF ono OF the Massachusetts, rcgimen's that
without orders from tire General, were willing 10 do u
little fighting ton their own hook" Captain Badger
towcd tem TO Shrping Point and on tho way lent the
gallant boys Tag belonging TO one OF his boats On
nearing tho shore, however the tars were determined to
be ahead Of the >'sogors-nota hard matter with sea-
men, in ther peculiar element Influenced by this sen,
timent, they made dash on shore, and
soon Mr.. Williams came up to the Iagstan which,
like that at Cockpit Point was still standing, and
hosted the pennant, substitute for the stars aud
stripes had been lent to the soldiers The military
too, landed when the American ensign was hoised
amidst tho most dcafening choers from the vessels
from both banks OF the river Here Cockpit Point
great caution Observed to avoid falling into snares
and TO steer cosr Of the probable explosion Of mnes
But by tho exercise Of that prudence which always
allied to true bravery under the protection CT Providence,
whstever Of danger there did not reach bravo
boys. AS at Cockpit Point, too, tho gun carriages had
boon set tire, and ascncs and whatever could burn,
placed underneath, rendering II both difficult and
dangerous 10 approach TO ascertain whether any OF the
guns had been left unspked. The guns had been loaded
newly to their muzzles, into which bags OF sand had
been rammed to the guns TO burst Three of them
did explode but, happily, of by
at the time Lato in the evening the increased heat
caused two guns TO be discharged. Ono Of the shots
passed between the Yankee and the Anacosia, which
woro lying close together
The rebel fortncations are perfect gems Of ong.
neering Skill and had they been constructed to repcl
who planned and supencndcd their construction. But
designed thoy were to aid unhoy rebellion against
bencncent government, they psrtako Of the nature
of those fabloi contrivanccs which Milton. in
his lofty language, ascribcs TO Satan and his
revolted lcsons Of fallen angels when they made
| expresses himself because he has been Of
those who could admire ingenuity and SKILL however
| great, when they we're enlisted IN bad cause
which Parrott found TO be In fragments. The
magazines arc most ngeniously contrived On entering
of them you descend inclined plane, and after adj
vancng about four feet you find yourself in passage
barely wide eAy1gh to admit man. You turn within tC
the right or tho tit, still going underground, TO the dis
tancc Of from afeen TO twenty feet when you come tc
the magazine itsqf which cd with shelves Of cedar
plank, on which shot aud sh, and other ammunition arc
slowed Tho passage way is lined with cedar panks tt
prevent the earth from caving in.
Back Of the guns number OF excavations, running
under ground into which the rebel soldiers could run
whenever they the flash from tho Union guns either
on the river or on the Maryland shore or course these
ratholes" are bombproof, and, provided man car
get Into one IN tno ho is safe from hostile shot shell
Like the entrances 10 the magazines these ratholcs
are lined with ccdar planks Still further back and
divergent angles are number of rife PITS where in this
event Of the cannon being taken tho rebel sodery cout
keep the Union troops at bay and about half mile fur
ther in the alargc steel gun rather was
cd. This surrounded by other rifle pits BY moan
of which 1t was hoped that seven though tho ntrench
mens In part might be carried, the rebels might max,
their last stand and either repe tho Unionsts or n
the worst came to the worst, secure their own nna
retreat.
The batteries extending from Chapawamsic creek Il
Quantico creek, embracing shipping Point and Evans
port provided with, defences In tho rear somewhat
| similar TO those at Cockpit Point Shipping Point mar
bo considered island for the only way to make IN,
mainland from that place is by means Of narrow
wooden bridge, thrown across deep and dangerous
swamp. It was shrewdly calculated that this narrow
passage wou1 be point of strength TO themselves N
case u rctrca vith the Unonisls in pursuits for moth