Newbern weekly progress., 1862-10-25
THE WAR IN THE SOUTH.
Occpatioa Of Jaekyonvah, Fla.
capture Of the Rebel irmmcr Gov, Milton

0ccupatiea gE Jaeksonvilh, FiaD
csp,urc Of the K,bri r,rnmcr Gov Milton
NDw YoRK, Oca. ia letter from JAck
sonvie, Fla, states that on the arrival there
Of Gen. Brannan, On the 9th INST, the town
was found nearly de erted. 1t was occupied
by the Seventh Connecticut Regiment.
The Rebel steamer Gov. Milton was cap.
turcd by an expedition up the river.
The guns and ammunition captured at the
taking Of the river batteries, and also large
humber of contrabands, who fled 10 our lines,
had been SCI to Hi on Head. General
Brannan and his force had also returned, the
gunboa,s being depended en- 10 keep posses.
sion Of the river.
Jactsonoitye, Fiu,, Oct. -, 1862. On Sun.
day, Oct &, General Brannan and staff and
four companions OF the Seventh Connecticut
Volunteers went aboard the steamer Boston,
and steamed up to Jacksonville On arriving
al the wharf We found that the town bad been
deserted by nearly all The population. 1t was
also reported that the guerrAlas had just left
il, and were supposed to be lurking on the
outskirts ot the town. Pickcts were stationed
in prominent saeets and roads leading out Of
it. AT four O'Clock party of gncrrillas, about
thirty in number, made q dash across the road
near The railroad station, firing at TIE pickets
as they went along, and, then, making cir.
cut Of part Of the western portion Of ihe
town, returned, but doing no serious damage.
Two boats, with howltzers and marines
were sent ashore to the assistance Of the pick.
c $, one from the {ttal Jones and The oihcr
from the CimcrOHe. They remained on guard
all night aud next morning returned to their
respective vessels. r
The steamer Boston arrived on the 9Th, with
tue balance Of the Seventh Connecticut Vol
unteers, and the whole regiment was stationed
guarding the town. About ten o'clock that
day the htle steamer darlington, having ON
board one hundred men, under Captain Yard,
of the Forty seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers.
and Two "a poundyr howizers and detach
ment Of sailors kOm the Paul Jones, the whole
under the command ofsLfut. Williams, Of the
Faut Jones, asSistod by Lent Bacon, Of Gen.
Brannan's staff lett Jacksonville, and sailed on
an expedition up 81. Johns river. AT daylight
on Thursday, October ., they returned, con
veyng the li,tle steamer Gooernor Hilton
as prize. The Darlington visited every town
on her route, having sailed two hundred and
fifty miles up the river, and met with no resis
tsnce-N v halever.
Having heard from an intelligent contrabant
who was aboard the whereabouts of the Cor
erhOr Milton, Lieutenant Williams determined,
If possible, 10 capture lcr. Accordingly, OF
Tuesday night, about ten o'clock, q boats
crew ol ten men Of the Forty.seventh Penn.
sylyania, Lieut.. Wagner, Lieut. Bac and
Lieut.. Williams, pushed of from the Darling.
Ton and rowed up a by creek situated abou'
TWO miles above Hawkinsville, on the rish
sidc Of the st. J,hn's river and two hundred
and twenty five miles from its mouth. About
hIlf mile from the mouth Of the river, IN a
bend of the creek, the G0ceraor Milton was
found saugly moored. Lieut., Williams and
Lieut.. b .con were among thc first to jump on
tord. After SEARCHING her the capt,in and
engineer were iour asleep in their berths.
On beng walked up they were so astonished as
10 forget the use o their tongues for while
but ut last, comprehcnding their situations,
speech came to them, and they were enabled
tp give an accou of themselves and reasons
for hiding the Graf up among the pine trees.
Fires we've soon started and in short time
the Milton was steaming down the creek into 81
John's river. The rebels had not the slightes,
idea th.t the Union men intended coming mp the
river So far, and in losing this steamer they lose
valuable arm Of service, and which they can
not restore. 1t was this steamer that conveyed
all the guns from Pilalka to st. Johns bluff for
the rel el battery. The Govern Milton is a side
wheel steamer, draws but three feet when loaded
Is ITO feet long has thirty feet beam and fouI
feet hold She has double engines, is high pres
sure and is four years old
On the 7th of October the steamer Cosmopoli
tan had the misfortune TO ground on the bar, and
in getting oil she ran On her aDchur and cut o
hole in her bottom, near the bilge injection. lht
consequence was, the steamer began to leak very
bally; but by great exertons, keering the steam
pumps working steadily, the Cosmopolitan was
bronght iuSiie the bH, opposite MHyport Mills
Her holI soon became full Of Waier. Ate
working very hard for three days. the precs,
spot Of the leak could not be found aud the crew
became cShaused, On the l0h, through the ex
cltions of Captain Coryell, tSo fire engines wer,
received from Jacksonville, and a detachment o
the Forty seventh Pennsylvania were sent OF
board to work the fire engines and relieve lh'
exhausted crew.
On the night of tho 10Th the water had be- l
reduceu so low that Plugs were placeu over Tue
larger holes, and the vessel was put broalside tt
the beach. On the llth the working parties sue
ceeded in getting nearly all the water out Of III,
hold, and in stopping up the miuor leaks will
blankets, &c lts expected to float tho yesse
nto the river to night, A large quantity of sand
lies found It's way into the vessel: but this
annoyance can bo easily remtyel. So th
depart ment will still have the services of tlli
fine vessel, and the noble hearted CAP tain Crock
er still chance Of transporting the patrioti
sons of the North around these waters on III
grand mission Of the restoration Of the Union,
here 10 10 provisions in the town. and yer.
little means of getting any. The male inhab
tants are mostly drawn by conscriptun into til
Confederate army but some few have joined tn
guerillas. What few inhabitants remain suhsis
by fishing. This region is famous for its yello,
pines aud live oak
On October 9Th the steamer Neptune was sen
to Hilton Head, having aboard eight guns tina
were in the rebel b ttery, aud all the shot an
shell found there. The steamer Boston saile ] I
Hilton Head with the Seventh Connection
Volunteers, Colonel IlAwley, it not being tn
intention Of General Branuau to hold Jack ,"nyill
or the bluff bat 10 leave tbs river III the care {
tr,l rhhats ia IN. 9TH ila II, anacr R,u I1-ft,