The New York herald., 1862-04-21
Our Apalachicola Correspondence.

Union Expedition for AHGck the 2ocn-Orqan ;aon
ofhe F5rce--Swrendero of he P!acc--7sreGt ofne Nal
Rebels, and C1pture Of The Women aud Chitdya--A
Number Of Rebel Craft Taken in Atiiga.o Bayou
and Apalachicola Rirer--C0ton and Coffee Vesseli as
P,iscs--Fbm schoonrs Burned in Pace Of ne Eaemy-
Starving Effect NJ the Bloetade-Dtsodte Appearan.e
of the 7swn and Utter Generalization Of ae Dapis
rToops-Neoro Pilots and Their Good Work What Our
Men Accomplished in Th0ty-sir Hours, de-. dc.
An expedition formed on the night OF April 2 to
make an attack on the town of Apaachicola The expe
dtion formed Of from tho United States gun
boats Msrceda and Sycamore. It under command
OF Commander stellwagen, Of the Merced.a, and In
charge OF Lieutenant Abbot, acting two
masters mates from the Mercsiita also Lieutenant
Bigslow Acting Master Falss and Masters Mates slamm
and Babson Of tho Sycamore. Also six engineers from
the two gunboats, and two surgeons.
The town surrendered without making any Resistance,
1t being almost dosertsd by the male population but full
Of and children. The fort sand battery was
also dsmnntled the guns being hurriedly removed up
Apaschicola river.
Two schoonsrs captured in Alligator Bayou, noar
ihe town, and then the launch OF the Sycamore under
charge OF Lieutenant Biscow with the second cutter,
under charge Acting Master Faes proceeded up Apaa
-chcola river about miles. who're they found c'l
vssscsiyug a. anchor, aad captured thsm.
Orswas large schooner, partially ladsn with co ton,
sriver by the crow Of the agamores launch She had
forty bales of cotton on board.
A sloop was captured, which had recently arrived
from Havana with load Of cofoo running the block.
ads. She had also cleared again for Havana
Great efforts were mads by Lieutenant Bigelow, Act.
ing Master Fscs and Engineer Snyder get four other
captured scbooncrs down the river The officers and
che crews worked long and aborously during many
hours 10 get the schooners Free but without avail They
were finally obliged 70 apply the torch 10 them which
they did 10 efectualy TO make them mass OF namss
burning them the waters odgo In very short space
OF time
They afterwards succeeded In capturing two soops
and thinking they had ventursd far enough into the
enemy's country, thoy returned down the river.
Commander Stellwagen, Of the Msrcsdita, and Lieut.
Commanding A. j. Drake, Of 10 Sagamsrs, administered
she oath Of allegiance to few Of the inhabitants, and
preparations are being made to take formal possession
the town.
Tho greatest distress prevails Ut Apaachicoa. One Of
she enemy captured by represents that there
mot pound Of -four In the place In the country near
sugar scarcely provisions enough to keep the In
babtants from starvation. The blockade has been
ssotual to deprive the Inhabitants almost entirely ol
che Of subsistence with the exception OF what
food they got from the back country. Apalachbcoa
was the largest commercial in Florida but as pre-.
GENT with commerce. the town has desolsts appear.
snce. Tho stores and warehouses and dspots
tor receiving aud exporting cotton are all closed
and no business whatever has been don
apparently Cor the LAST six months The sxersons Of the
ooers and Of the boats ardpoas Should re.
distance have been made we men were eli prepared fol