Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-06-06
The Outrage on a Flag of Truce.

4ne OuCTaSe Oh q ElaS OF Truce.
The following particulars of the re-
cent attack upon party bearing flag
of truce up the James River, are related
by the correspondent of the Baltimore
American, under date of the 21st:
1t appears that, on Saturday last,
when the feet, consisting Of the Wacbu
sett, Capt. Snith,. the Monitor, the
Ga}ena, the Bort Royal and Aroostook,
anchored OF City Poipt, sAs people
came down with flags OF trace, and.sus-
pended white flags at every prominent
point. Capt. Smith accordingly landed,
and found the inhabitants of the little
town to consist largely Of women and
children, who made the most earnest
protestations OF opposition to the war,
aud that they were suffering for many
of the necessaries of life. In fact, the
desire for peace among them was so
great, that many of them professed
Union sentiments, and Capt. Smith re-
turned to ths vessel highly pleased with
the people, and deeply commisserating
their condition. Arrangements were
made to. receive hens, them vegetables,
and some assistance was given to the
most destitute:
On Monday merning an application
was sent to the Wachusett to allow a
physician to come on shore to visit a
woman said to be dangerously i'll. Be-
lieying the application to be a genuine
appeal that humanity required should
be promptly attended. to, Capt. Smith
gave permission for the surgeon of the
ship to go on shore on a visit of mercy.
The Wachusett laid some distance below
City Point at the time, and the surgeon,
accompanied, by the chief. engineer, the
esgnal officer, and one Of the masters
mates and twelve men-the latter un-
armed, and the officers carrying only
their swords-proceeded up to the vi
cinity of the town. The party landed
without any1interruption, and proceeded
to the town, leaving six Of the unarmed
sailors in,the beat
The men left In the boat p Beard notffs
iRg more Of the party that landed, but
in about half hour sharp FIRE was
opened upon them from a party of rebels
in the woods AT the first fire two of
the six fell dead, when the balance,
being unarmed, cried out for ''quarter. !"
The answer Of the inhuman assailants
was, "We'll quarter yea," when a
second volley was, fired, aud thres more
fell into the bottom ofthe boat, wounded.
The only remaining man Immediately
pushed the boat off with his dead and
wounded comrades, and taking to the
water with the painter of the boat in his
mouth, swan out of. rauga Of the
Weapons of the cowardiy assasins. He
then took the ensign. and waving it
over his head, boat from the Wachu-
sets Immediately started to his assist
sna' towed the boat back to the ship
1t presented a most terrible sight, the
dead and the dying lying together
One of the wounded soon after died,
and the other two were brought to Old
Point this morning on the steamer Bali
timore.
The balance Of the p,rty who landed,
including the surgeon, chief engineer
Baker, and the.signal officer, with six of
the crew, and one petty officer, whose
names could not learn, were all sur
rounded on reaching the town and taken
prisoners by an armed guerrilla band.
A letter was received Saom them an
nouncing the fact, as we'll as that they
were about being sent ass prisoners to
Raleigh.
The Galena Immediately moved up to-
ward the settlement aud opened her
ports preparatory to. ahelling and de-
stroying the place. This, of course,
caused great CONSERVATION, and the wo-
men ran down toward the water, bearing
white flags and screaming for mercy,
protesting that they knew nothing OF
any rebel bands being in the vicinity,
and denouncing the perpetrators of the
outrage for their inhuman conduct
They also gave Information of a large
rebel force having returned to point
within three miles of sit9 Point, a'party
from which they declared had been the
perpetrators. When the Baltimore
started the shclling of the town had not
commenced, but negotiations were going
on between the people and CaptaimSmith
by way of investigating the matter.
It is evidently the impression o8 the
people in this vicinity that Federal
force is about being landed at City Poin4
to march on Petersburg, and they are all
abandoning their homes on the South
side of the creek that leads to Peters
burg. On Sunday, as far as the eye
could reach, boat loads of fugitives could
be seen crossing, consisting of men, wo-
men and children, in great numbers.