The New York herald., 1862-04-12

eots destsned or New York took place but before tbs
transports put 10 sas Lord CORVALLIS received orders
from Sir Henry Clinton which their sasl
ing, and at tho time directed CORVALLIS to On
tablish defensive post for the of ships of hs
line either at Old Point Comfort Hampton Roads "a
Yorktown. York river But the works constructed
ON Old Point Comfort according 10 tho report OF the
gnsers who surveyed the place, would neithor command
e entrance into Hampton Roads nor secure any ships
when lying at anchor within It, and the port Of Ports
mouth not being better calculated FOR the projection u
shipping. Lord Cornwais had no other option than 70
fortfy York and Gloucester, the only places that
mancd capable Of anording the requisite protection Ia
ships OF war lord CORVALLIS, without loss of tims.
evacuated Portsmouth, and the 22d of August
all his forces concentrated at York and Gloucester
After the arrival Of the Count do Giraffe in the ClesA
peaks he Immediately joined by officer from tAs
Marquis do Ifayotte's army 10 communicate him the
state Of things Virginia. and in consequence che
Information received from this ocer, dc Grae immedi
atey took measures for blocking York river and fos
conveying up James river tho French land force broxghe
from the West Indies that might form junction with
the trooss nder the Marquis do Lafayette Foar OF Dc
Graes line OF battle chips and several frigatos were ON
poyed blocking up York rvor and the rest he moorsA
ia Lynhayen bay, The troops brought fro@ the West
Iades. cooststingOf three thoassn1 two hundred en
under te command OF tbs Marquis DO st simoa. scsa
ths Marquis DO lafayette and the whole took post ss
Williamsburg. '
Sir George Rodney, who commanded the british fest
10 ths West Indies seems have persuaded that
was dc Graes intention 10 proceed the Bay Of Chesa
paake. Upon the approach OF tho hurricane season.
therefore, hs detached Sr Samuel Hood to North Ame
ca with fourteen sail Of line reinforce the 1eet
then at New York This reinforcement arrived Sandy
Hook eo the 28th OF August. Admiral Graves who had
succ ceeded Admiral Arbuhnot upon his departure for
England in the month OF July took the command Of the
whole, consisting OF twenty sail OF the ne and sailed
from the Hook the 3lss Of August. Before his do
parure Intelligence had been received that the Frcach
squadron under Barras Rhode Island had sailed
the 26th and not being known then that the Count
do Giraffe had already arrived theChcsapoako and hss
the Geet under hs immediate command was superior -
that Of Admiral Graves great expectations wereonter
tanned that The British Host would fall in with
other OF tho French squadroDs
According TO q preconcerted plan N. do Barras had
sailed from Rhode Island the Chesapeake about ths
time de Giraffe sailed from the West Indies for the
place. but order avoid tho British neet ho had takes
q circuit by Bermuda In the meantime Admiral Graves
proceeded to the Capes Of Virginia. whore no arrived
on 5th OF September and finding tho French nest
anchor within the capes. and tho wind being very
fair the British feet entered TO offer battle. But
soon the French commander perceived tho BritisA
feet, from apprehension for the Rhode Island squad
which he expected, and 70 gain moro room, ~
gave orders for his ships to slip their cables Both ees
were steering TO the eastward 10 q line nearly
parallel 10 each other and getting clear OF the capes as
four o'clock in the afternoon partial action commences
between the vannd part OF the esutrs Of the two nsc
which continued until night put end 70 IT, No ship
on either side taken. The two fleets continued
sight Of each other for nvs days. and sometimes
very near. But the French Admiral, although it
ssvsra. times hts option from having gained the wind.
for good declined renewing the action: 70 which
the British Admiral from the crippled state Of hrs neet
could not compel him. While the two fleets wofe name
uvring the mouth Of the Chesapeake, NJ do Barras
with his neet in the night, got unperceived, within the
capes and the Count de Giraffe the 10TH bearngaway
for the Chesapeake had the satisfaction 10 nd him there
in safety anchor with fourteen transports laden win
heavy artillery and all sorts OF military stores proper
for carrying SIEGE According the accounts Of The
French their in this action about hundred
aud twenty killed and wounded. including four on
cers killed eighteen wounded The loss Of board
the British feet amounted TO ninety killed and two
hundred and forty-six wounded Tho junction OF the
two French eets gave do Giraffe decided superiority:
aud Admiral Graves, after reconnoteng the position cf
the French eet and finding that they blocked up tho
trance Of the Chesapeake took his departure and
turned to New York.
whiie the American and French troops proceed
ing on their march to Virginia the British Commander In
Chief ut New York, with view Of making diversion In
Connecticut aud drawing General washugtons attsn-
ton ths, way detached General Arnold with consdera
BILE force to make attempt upon New London They
passed through the Sound In transports and landed
| the morning OF the 9th OF September about three
miles from New London in two divisions, one easA
side Of be harbor That the side of Groton
manded by Colonel Eyre, and that the side Of New
London by General Arnold. On the side Of Now London
no great opposition made rsdoub, from which the
Americans had begun a cannonade was abandoned BY
them upon the approach OF Arnolds division, and Fort
Trumbull which commanded the harbor. assaulted
and Immediately carried General Arnold took POSSES.
| sion OF New London after feeble resistance from =
small party Of Americans who were stationed there. But
on the roton side of the hsrbor regular work OF
siderable strength called Fort Griswod, erected IL
was assaulted by division under Colonel Eyre and
fepded by the Americans with tho utmost bravery.
Thsy entered the works through the embrasres and
considerable carnage eLsued until tho Americans wore
driven from the ramparts and had ceased from all fur
ther resistance The British had two officers and forty
six soldiers killed. and eight officers, with hundred
and thirty Eve soldiers wounded or the garrison
five were killed including Colonel Ledyard. their
mandor: sixty wounded and seventy made prison.
! ers Ten or twelve ships in the harbor were burned,
| which contained an immense quantity oi European and
West India goods They also contained some gunpowdor
by the explosion Of which the flames communicated
the dwelling houses in the town, and great part OF IL
was consumed. great quantity OF military stores
with fifty pieces of cannon found in the different works.
| we're also destroyed.
But the damage done TO the Americans by this exped
ton however great, not OF sufficient importance to
stop General Washington in his progress to Virginia
was of tho utmost moment to pursue the enterprise IN
which he was engaged and il not 10 be expect,
cd that would abandon for any partial consideration
| whatsoever.
The combined armies. after passing Phiadelphi,
marched TO the head OF Elk river which falls Unto the
Chesapeake at its interior extremity. The French troops
passed from Newport to the vicinity Of Yorktown dis
tacs OF about hundred miles; and what seldom hap
pens this army, led through foreign country at sc