Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-30
THE JAMES RIVER EXPEDITION.

Highly Important from City Point-Rscon.
nOtSSGnce to tbs Vicinity of Pstersburg-
The City DefencelesS-The Rebels Shelled
at Port WaithaH - Importance of Mt
Points RecoDnottered-Impo More
ulent by Geu Burnside.
Especial Despatch to the Philadelphia Press
FoRrRKss MONROE, May 2s-4 p m, (via B al.
timore, May % )-Our feet in the James river has
been increased by the addition Of the gunboats
Occur de Lion, Capt. Alex. Hamilton; Stepping
Stones and Island Belle, 20 that we may expect
lively news from that quarter at any moment
These gunboats passed up the James river with.
out meeting any obstacle, the shores being lined
with numerous white Gags to show that no enemy
was near. Yesterday, the Occur de Lion and
Stepping Stones were ordered to proceed I'D the
Appomattox river towards the city Of Petersburg
which In built on Its banks. They proceeded up
this stream for distance Of ten miles above It's
mouth without molestation, but Just at this point
there Is what is called the " Seven Mile Reach -
On one side the ground was low and marshy, but
on the other (northern bank side there was sort
Of BLUFF upon which there appeared TO be an earth
work; but, on close examination, IL was observed
that no guns were mounted upon Its parapet
Moving up little further, the eneny's troops
were discovered, composed Of infantry and caval-
under cover Of houses and clumps Of trees. Our
gunboats moved up close under shore, when
they were saluted with a heavy volIey Of mus
kerry
Capt. Hamilton, of the Occur de Lion, ordered
his crew to man the broadside howitzer and rihed
guns, and sent dozen more loads of shrapnel
and she'll Into the body Of the enemy, accompanied
by steady volley from his relief black crew,
armed with rides A shell from the Stepping
Stones burst In large house, about a mile from
shore, creating great havoc among a company of
rebel infantry In the house, setting fire to the
latter.
The Are from the gunboats was kept up for
about thirty minutes, but was not returned by the
rebels, who, having no artillery, got out Of the
way as fast az they could.
The gunbosts then proceeded up little further,
until within sight OF Port w althall, meeting no
batteries, or signs Of any being constructed.
There was plenty Of water In the Appomat tox
for light draught vessels, and the reconnaissance
was one Of the most successful and important that
have been made during the war.
Port walthall may be called the port Of Peters
burg and Richmond for large vessels, and Is con-
nected by railroad 70 both cities II IL therefore
an important strategic point, and is directly in
the rear OF the rebel army before Richmond.
Petersburg, ave miles above Port Walthall, Is
one Of the most important commercial and manu-
featuring cities In the South, and i've important
Southern railroads radiate from IL to different
points north and South. IL contains population
OF over 20 600 souls, and Is built mostly Of brick
and stone.
Deserters taken up by our gunboats report
strong under current Of Union feeling In the city
OF Petersburg, and they also report that there Is
great suffering from the scarcity OF food. Flour
went mp last week from SO per barrel to sl7, and
10 very scarce and rising. There are only about
three thousand troops In and around Petersburg,
and these are encamped on the New Market Race
Course, two miles east Of the city, On Prince
George county mail-road.
Ali remains quiet throughout this department.
scit6 Hs forces Of Gsn Burnside, but at trhat
polafS am psTD1IEIgd 10