The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-20
the PAMuNkEY RIVER EXPEDITION.
Our Army Correspondence.
r Wprrr Horsr Va Nav Tina,

/. Our Army correspondence.
WHITE Housr, Va, May l7-Midnight.
Captain Ayres Sseams 2tceny Miles up the Pamunkey-e
n Passes the Rebel Distractions Encounters Regiment Of
Complete Success Of the Espeditio,,-7Ae Rebels
Barn Tsoo Steamboats, and T,centy Schooners de- dc
Captain Romano Ayrss. Of the Fifth artillery who
fought shsrmans battery splenddiy at Bull rum now
attached to General Smiths division Chief Of Artillery
has been absent to-day gunboat expedition
He proceeded twenty miles up the stream
and forced the rebels to burn all the shppin
on the York river that they had not previously
destroyed placed Of his r1ed PARROT guns upon
the Alice Love- and also two companies OF the Eighth
regular infantry, armed with muskets Captain Murray
Of the Sebago and Captain Nicholson of the
accompanied Captain Ayres in another gunboat. They
left White House at eight O'Clock proceeded slowly
up the narrow river at times brushing the boughs
and often pressing close to the brink that one could
almost leap ashore.
The high bluffs thickiy wooded, and the advsn-
turers looked anxously into the of the leaves
scarcely persuadng themselves that concealed were
mot looking down upon them The negroes down by
couples and families to make grimaces gestures Of
welcome. The Captain says that they reminded him OF
the Mohave Indians, Iwho used to act in like apish
manner when he made his exploration Of the Colorado
river.
He saw few white people, and in two the in
approach
gunboats Twelve miles above they found the channel
obsructed by large trees that had been felled from
opposite sides Of the river that their bougnsd tops
met in the middle. Afor investigating the place while,
they concluded to down the distractions and put
ing on full head Of passed them in fine STYLE
crushing the boughs TO spliners and bending the plies
in such direction that they could not again impede
navigation. They met similar distinctions at divers
points but displaced them, and finally came to pas
sages or narrows, where the banks were 30 close
that the boot could not turn in the channel
The stream widened into pools however, and
at times they could stretches Of country
beautiful in waving grain gently sloping meadow,
fMmhouses and picturesque novels that Captain Ayrss
describes them as smakng man weep for very admI-
ration" Some Of the residences sumptuous, and
the country was like new world to the soldiers AT
three o'clock they reached point twenty miles from
White House, where "boom" OF sunken canal boats
eisctually stopped the channel In tho distance mum.
bsr Of rebel steamers and schooners could be sesn with
rebel soldiers drawn up line OF battle order on the
high blum. As the canal boats had been fIed with
stones IL was OF impossible TO raise or
remove them The Captain accordingly resolved 70 set
his infantry ashore and prepared their advance
with bis rined field pieces. %a
The men were dsembarked on the east side OF the
river while the rebel forces occaped the west side
The little party commenced their march, and matters
were beginning TO look interesting, when, with flash
OF blue smoke, a hollow explosion and burst of flame
the rebel craft gned and far enveloped in fire
and cloud that there evidently salvation for them
At time the rebel soldiers of without firing
shot Our counted two large steamboats, and about
twenty schooners, all Of which totally destroyed.
This ends the OF the rebel vessels upon the York
and Pamunkey rivers An expedition up the Matapony
river might result in q like advantageous manner.
The gunboats remained below the boom about one
hoar when their troops rcoinsd them and they prepared
10 return. small force Of cavalry about half
way down. but these not molssted they did not
trouble and only half visible in the woods. The
expedition reached White House at nine O'Clock, and
Captain Ayrss made the recipient Of much encomium
his friends In the grand army The expedition has
been much talked Of In camps to might.