The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-02-20
Leacr from the ploeladins squadron.

. L. 5. DAReug " FERNANpINA."
Ar SEA, Feb. 4, lS62.l
Ep. JorRSAE As m, of the representatives Of
Wool county, in IN, L.. ;. Navy, It will undoubt.
cdly interest your readers to hear fm OF them,
Our ship went into commission at the New York
Navy Yard, November 10Th, at which time her
crew was put on board She is of about 400 tons
tonnage; carries guns 80 pouaders, and crSw
of sj mcu. On the 18th, we wcrc towcd from the
Yard aud anchored on the Battery. to receive pow
der stores, and water. Having received them, On
the 21ta November we started for Hampton Roads,
FOR further orlcrs. We met with gale, sosn aftcr
leaving Sandy Hook, which lasted for three days.
II being my first experience on the "briuy dcsp,
sea. sickness marked me as her victim, and was
thoroughly initiated; but had abundance of com
pany. We reached the Roads On the morning Of
December 2i anchoring alorasilc the stccmlrSgate
"Minneso;a," the flagship of the North Atlantic
BlccLading Squadron, c, mmonled by Comm. derc
Goldsborugh.
On the 9th. our Captain having rec lived his or
ders to cruise Off the Norhern Inlet 10 Wilmington
y. c., We set sail for that station. On the evening
Of the l4th, while running down the North Carolina
coast, quite number of lights were seen Oh the
shore. Allhanls wlrI cAllSi, anchors werl cleared
AMI signals wera mlds. Rsc,ivng M reply, we
called to quarters. The guns were loaded with shot
AMI SHE'LL and we fired our first shot at the land OF
"Seoessia." Several rounds were fired, scmc OF
the shots striking the shore, whicl, caused tie lights
to suddenly disappear. We were all expecting 10
reesv. som, shot in RETURN but not receiving any,
we stood of to sea again, quite rroul of our first
Skirmish. 1t was supposed that it was decoy of
some kind, but the next day cainad frum the L. :.
steamer Mt Vernon, that we had unknowingly at
tackled Stcesh" battery of IA guns. lI,roilicer<
were astonshpd that were not fired at. Our
crew concluded that darkness had saved 10 the
United Sthtes ons ship, as in daylight an attempt
OF the kind would be lo1harly. AMI hazardous in
the extreme.
On the lSh, W. reached our station, which was
held by the (. 5. steamer Monticso--we relieving
her. Our duty was to prevent vessels from running
into Wilmington. At the mouth of the Inlet are
two batteries, AMI from the accounts Of q contra
bands" ars well manned. We have not been very
effective as blockading vessel having to run out
to SEA every time it blew from the nothcas', east
southeast, leaving the way ulobstucttl for ships
TO get into the Inlet.
Christmas day wcr> sailing for an auchorase
as direct as the wind woull permit having been
driven Out to sea, by southeast wind, three days
before when we overlook small schooner, by the
nam, of "Wm. H. Northup," which provel a
priL,. She was loaded with drugs and coffee and
was attempting to reach Wilmington. Her cargo
WAS taken on at lIavAnna, Cuba. a priz, crsw Of
oa, M lstsr's mute AMI four suam.n were put on
board, AMI she sent To New lork The schooncr's
crew were put in double irons, and sent there also
Mos. of the supplies which the sec,ssionists r.
ctivc, are from SIN III vessels, which can creep in
under cover Of night, OF during storm, AMI moi be
caught. They get clearanccs fer Northern ports,
but run into S .uthern Un.s. Wehave boarded quite
Il number Of vessels, som. Of which evidently in
ten led to run the blockade but having no proof
their papers being correc and they not being caught
in the act had to let them 20 their way. Last
week W. were driven out to sea several tm.s en-
countering some very rough weather. We have
been driven in twelve hours far frciu cur station,
that it has taken us three days to Get back.
Whila at anchor, in pleasant weather, the crow
are kept busy at rl;ting the rigging, drilling at lie
guns, ami making mats. 1t would som almost an
imp ssbilty to find constant work for so large a
number of m,n, on 50 srail ship; Eu' our Ulcers
constantly fin ling som thing TO keep them busy
The weather is quite changcablr, butrot 50 much
so as in OHIO. We have had no snow or frost, but
consi lcrable rain and damp weather.
| We are now ON our way for Hampton Roads, 70:
fresh supply of provisions, and are expecting to
receive orders for anctlicr station. steamer vii;
undoubtedly stationed where we were, they being
b,t er adapted for that coast.
|. Anything of interest occurring in cur cruise i,
| |,,.;n L.. T.. 4.
y MIS-, &c, Henry Brown.