The New York herald., 1862-05-08

the enemy, IL tell you OF the doings OF our small
beet here, in which the Marblshead has been BY no
means the least useful This is because what we have
thus far done Is quite we'll known by the rebels and
better than ourselves What may be done hereafter s
Of course quite another thing We the nrst vessel
that came here month ago, followed by the Wachusett
and others, until have or eight in all,
| screw and side. wheel gunboats.
| imagine that the whole country has been quite AZ
much surprised at finding Yorktown serious an obsa
Gle to victorious arms were when on opening
fire for the first tms found ourselves obliged to fall
back out Of OF remarkably long rilsd guns
with which they opened on We were completely at
stand STILL and, although the very exuberant imasina
tion Of letter writer board the Yankee would
make appear tina. great things had been accomplished
nothing had really been done offensive en- our part in the
until the side wheel gunboas arrived and triad
tho OF their long range guns safe distance The
exploit referred to- in which said TO have partc
paled under the Of "Marble Heart was nothing
than the throwing ashore, in the woods opposite
OF some twenty i've thirty shells, under the mis-
taken idea that somebody might be building battery
1 There though. No boats went ashore and no
houses burned, and after having foued our pro.
psier with hawser tho Yankee left and we have seen
! nothing Of her since
SMELLING THE RERrIs At YIoHr
But though thu elaborate Notifications and
guns at Yorktown forbid our approach IN broad
day, we have than made the account square by
| frequent night attacks.
Ha dly night passes without the other of the
runboats gong up TO within short range and throwing
sleveninch and ried shell the mds. OF their cau,p.
and all this the Marblehead has borne distrn
guished part We have gone nearer and much oftensr
than any Of the others and have the singular honor
Of being the only whom they have complimented by
| answering tho fire on these occasions.
| There Is something unusually exciting in these mid.
nigh. excursions. However delightful moont evenings
been under other circumstances ashore,
the pale goddess OF night is not welcomed here.
The anchor is got NJ quietly AS POSSIBLE for there
are spies ashore watching 70 sgnale cur every move
ment; al lights not absolutely necessary are extn-
gushed hatches covered and thanks to our machinery
which moves so smoothly and still that we can hardly
perceive IT, we glide along in tao dark silently and sure
az death ITSELF The shores hardy to be aud nothing
but the compass and soundngs in the hands of our in
fahlo pilot led US within striking distance OF tho
a few nights ago we did some most excellent work.
Getting up TO within about mile Of the batteries We
| opened fire, slowly stsamng along aad deliberately
firing, as IL was SO dark nothing could be seen
with any certainty; AZ our nth shot the
suddenly opened with rined shell. Only two of
them passed ovor our deck without, however, doing
damage; but the natural consequence that tho
Mxrbchead nstinctively got closer and the last shot
fired dark as it we could sec them working their
We were not than three ships length from their
water battery and directly between and the Gouces
They had not ragnsd such bold push on our part and
before they could deprcss their guns sufficiently our
eleven inch shell a. point blank tore into their midst,
| making a large break plainly visible next morning
The Chocura which LETT Boston tho same time as our
selves lies not having yet exchanged shots with
one OF tho instnutcns' OF our vessel is our pilot
Captain Dave Corson from Staten Island He is the best
pilot on York river, and verify believe could take
safely anywhere with his eyes shut He the lie Of
the ship from quarter deck TO forecaste and not The
least Of his Accomplishments . he knows the sxac,
locality Of the best York river oyster beds. His last
: | achievements was ths capture Of dessrtsr from
our camp . few evenings ago, who :. was q,
nnttn ha river tn tIS a
dug He returned, ana has been probably sho
by this time The rebels kept up continuous can.
Point intervals Of two or three minutes, al last night
l and day.
. Ar ANCHOR OFF YoRK TowS. May 4, 1892.
The rebels evacuated YORKTOWN in hurry. We just
weigh The Marblehead fred tho last shot from the gur
boats yesterday morning, under the impression that
something Of this kind was going on but no one supposed
UNnxp SrArEs SrrAMER STEPPING STONES,
BACK CREEK, Va, May 2, 1862. :
Last evening the Stepping Stones this place
with load of hay for suca and smilas useful Il
very exalted purposes is she being put. Her light
draught OF water and ample deck adapt her admi
raby carrying military stores fodder snd ordnance
through the shoa OF the crces ana in
lets with which this part Of the country lntersectet
Back creek lies between the Paquosin and Tho Yorl
rivers and the head Of Il approaches close 20 Womsey
creek. From where we lay at present the mast Of ou
eunboats would plainly visible but for the intervening
! trees The smoke OF their cannonade which is new
going on may be occasionally curling upwardsron
among the branches and foliage.
MIDNIGHT cASYoNADiYG.
Last night was awakened, about midnight. by fu
rous cannonade Some Of the guns sounded very loud
and tho whistle Of shot and shell could be distinctly
heard. These sounds were ntsrmnglcd by the more
subdued reports OF distant guns, which seemed 4
indicate that the affair." whatever was extended for
considerable distance along the line. Two guns, frini
very rapidly in particular made so loud noise that th
steamer vibraed from the concussion and the sash win
dows in her actually ratified in their frames The shrek
ing OF the Shells they hurted through the air, was
correspoDdingly loud. was informed BY an army officer
terry very far from this place. and that they are our
hundred FOUNDER rined PARROTS. was also Informed
/. ter Point. 1t apparent that our gunboa,s
% were taking part ,. in the an,,, from s 'ns ,;
sme before the repor, from the gun and the explosion
Of the Shells indicating that the latter were being pro
n. psled from the direction Of where we y
The firing continued AZ intervals during the .aet ~ thu
10 night and Is going the present writing (midday)
ID Occasionally rebel shell bursting high in thu
air York above and beyond tho trees which
l intercept our view Of that stream.
ID prsoLATY APpEARAxcK TIE COUNTRY
The entrance tho is somewhat intricate,
IL abounds In flats. The shores though partakng o
the general level appearance Of this part OF Virginia.
scsnty richards Of apples peaches
&c. in full blossom. In regard to grain and greer
crops however, the whole distrc. presents universe
scene OF desoaion Not quarter Of OF land ha
a. been turned up by the plough, tncre any ohe
indications Of husbandry to be zen On all sides thu
ground irodden down by the hoof OF and tn
feet OF men, rendering II nearly sard $ II I. wsr
" frozen Numbers Of young peach srecs have bcen de
:. | stroyed In this manner.
Nor 10 the total annhaton Of tho crops Tor the cur
year the only calamity that has befaen the owner
Of the soil All their poultry 3as been swept away b,
the rebels and you scarcely pig on any Of th
farms. few meagre cows and half starved calves ar
all that exist OF the bueoic species Nearly all th
g houses have been emptied OF the nhabitanisthe mel
having either joined the rebel army dnore or beer
impressed into IT, and the women and children havin
fed terror melted thereto by the bugnboo stories toll
them by tho rebels about the srocy Of the Yankees
- who seom to no regarded by the ignorant profit
. much in the same manner as the Waldenses o
. tho fourteenth century were BY the crsdu
a lous Italians Of the "orthodox' faith, who wer
led to acquesce in their persecution for the very oppo
ste reason that they covered all ther bode