Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-26
iNrxRrsrIys YRon TIE RApFAHANKocx
ISPeciai Correspondence Evening star

4 lSFttial OoFtetpon0ence EVENING star
W. SrIAMER "yAcop Ball.
RGPpakaHHook Rice, A phil 2I
EdiEOr ErsHing Star: Aftsr oaalIng up and e
ceiving our orders, we left the Navy YARD, M s
p. m. on the evening OF the 18th, for the Rama
hammock. On arriving opposite BiackiI,sae' q
Island, on the morning OF the i5th, 70 was foncd
some Of our machinery YVES out OF order, ami n
was necessary to stop for few hours 10 repair.
thereby enabling the rest OF the feet to &c; shsad
OF u.s. IL consisting this time Of the Yankee fag-
ship, Lieut.. Commanding r. n. wymsn, Ana
costa, Satellite, Occur de Leon, Resolute ana
lsano Belle AT II ?. m on toe nigh; Of the Is n
everything being once m1re In good order we
proceeded on our way down the bay, arriving
at the mouth OF the RappahAnnOck a. dayIight of
the morning OF the 18th, where we spoke the
Young Rover, on her station, and proceeded on.
corning up with portion OF the feet, tue Isla I'd
Belle and Resolute, about seven miles below the
old town Of Port Royal, having in tow a. priIe
the schooner sarah Ann, ~ Newbern, " O.,
loaded With corn. wecame up with the Yankes
Anscostia, Satellite and Occur de Leon, anchored
on OF Port Royal, which place seemed entirely
deserted nv I've white population, as well as tie
village opposite.
On our ~ay 4 wished much for an artIst'I pen-
Gil to tketch the besutlful scenery and incidents
OF the passage up. All the way up, st the differ
ent plantstions, we were greeted with bows,
cheers and all kinds OF antics by hundreds OF
negro men, women and children in the mist ex-
we passed one Of the most beautiful residences
Imaginable, belonging 20 George Pratt, Esq a
prominent southern lawyer. who, as I U Understand,
has losned large sum- OF money 10 the Southern
Confederacy.
Ato O'Clock D m we were under weigh once
more, bound up TO Fredericksburg, II that point
could be obtained; hut getting no few miles
above Port Royal, WHIT re the channel 10 very nAr-
row, IL raining and very dark, IL became neces-
sary to anchor until morning. In tue meantime
we took three schoonert aud pungy an pr.zeS
loaded with grain and contrsbsnd goods, to-
gether with their crews, who Informed Us that
our troops entered Frederlcksburg on last Friday,
the 18th, and that on Thu sd4y, toe 18th, the
rebels had sunk six large vessels with stone 10 ut
seven miles this side Of the town, in one OF the
narrow places Of the chsnnel, the river here not
being over $50 yards wide from bank 20 hank and
covered very thicklY with trees and bushes aud
noon arriving at the place on the morning OF the
10th we found II was true.
The small boats were lowered away 10 Inspect
the obstructions, and efter some delay we sue
ceeded In forcing passage, AID while thus de-
layed were fred upon 10y some pick-ts, one shot
striking the bows Of the Island Belle Our
steamer being under the cUfs, we had the ridge
pole OF the quarter deck awning completely shat
tered, throwing the spliats,s into some Of the.
officers faces, but luckily nobody was hart Sou q
I'VE hundred yards beyond the distractions, Ga.
the left bank, erected some earthworks Of con-
siderable extent, which, apparently, with few
guns, properly managed, might have prevented
the approach Of feet Of gunboats, Is the chan
The hnacostia, IN coming up, fired one OF her
nine inch shells when abreast Of the high cl,fs
below Port Royal, at some pickets, but re eived
no response. We were told that the pic kets all
left Port Royal 20 get reinforcements 10 attack us
on our return. Arriving at Fredericksburg We
were informed Of late military operations there
Returning down stream, on arriving AZ the mouth
Of creek below Port Royal, we cut out two
small steamers, with three pungys In convoy with
their masts gOne--I expect TO prevent them from
being seen from the river-sfter which we pro-
ceedrd down with the prizes In tow, consisting
Of the small steamer Elreka, Of Georgetown, d.
C, and another small side-wheel steamer, with
no name schooner Lookout, Of Baltimore, with
salpetre, copper, DC +; schooner Sabine, OF Tap
pahannock, with grain; schooner Sarah Ann, or
Newbern, N. C., with corn schooner MONTEREY,
Of Tappahannock, with grain sloop Georgiaas,
Of Tappahannock, light; together with the three
dismasted pungYs, which I understand viii be
turned over 70 the proper authorities for disposal
On last Thursday there was a large body Of the
rebel army stationed between Port Royal ana
Ffedefi cksburg, but they have hastily fallen
back towards Yorktown, IL 10 said. C.F.G.