The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-15
HORSES AND MEANS OF TRASsPoRTATI

LAND OPERATION1 OF 1BE Potomac Flo
rILLA A correspondent furnishes the New
York Herald the following.
UNITED SrArEs STEAMER STEPPING STONES,
IPF tNDtAs HEAD, PoToM &C RIVER, Feb 3
have just returned from an ex pedition il
Virginia. 1t was planned yesterday, and II
was generally supposed that Il landing was
to he effected At Mr.. Otterback's farm, but Il
turned out otherwise.
At about half-past four We got into he
boats and started for the Virginia shore in
the following order Lieutenant Command
ing Eastman, of the Yankee, in command of
the expedition, In his gig with SIX men,
armed with Colts revolvIEE rifles the Yau =
kee's cutter, with twelve men, commanted ed
by Masters Mate Lawrence; the AnGcOs TIA
cutter, with fifteen men, commanded by Mas
ter's Mate John Williams; and the Wynn
dank cut er, with eig ghteen men, com IN anded
by Masters Mate Sheridan. We landed a
little below Holland Point, leaving the boats
In charge of Masters Mate Walters, of the
Reliance, and couple OF men belonging to
each boat.
After clambering upon a high a,d almost
perpendicular bank, we formed IN line q
march, and soon reached Il log house telong
ing to a man named Howard, who was sent
on board the Y Yankee to prevent HIM from
notifying the rebels of our arrival, with an
assurance 10 his wife that he would be sent
on shore rs soou as we had ftnished the bust
ness on hand. Leaving this house, We pro-
ceeded through innumerable quagmires, pi-
lOted by Il con traband to sno ther house IL 81 ut
a mile off, where we fonnd Il woman, but o
rebel soldiers 1t now began TO sGow pretty
hard, and through the storm, AFT r sticking
in the mud several times, We arrived ut the
farm OF Mr.. Thomas Chapman, who is IN the
re bel a. my, and whose father has IL coInfor-
table farm little above Indian Head, Mary
land This was the real ohJsct OF ths expedI-
ttou We surrounded the house rs We had
done the others, and made an examination Of
the interior but no obnoxious person "r thiu x
was found Ia 1t. except n pamphlet Wiih II
Richmond imprint. "Skirmish Drill :or
moun led troops, by authority of John
Floyd" the rebel Sc Cretary of War.
II was now daybreak, when Captain Fast
man detailed the AnacCstias men, AID some
OF the men belonging to the Wyandank, 10
keep watch by the farm house. while The
CAPTAIN, with the mata body n rched across
some fields and res'ed for q short rime In
the meantime, MT. Sheridan ard his party
saw hree men In gray uuiforms skuiklng ut
some distance of the other side OF the road
At first, not Gisting uishing the Uniforms, he
did not know but they might have BEEN some
of our men. To make sure, he FIR, d is re.
volver in the air. The men .hen crossed the
road and taking shelter beh Ind bush fired
on Mr.. Sheridans command The bullets
struck so close to Mr. Sheridan as to splash
the m nd in to his face. He the,- gave orders
to his men to fire, and voliey was poured
into the enemy, evidently part OF lhe rebel
picket. Mr.. Williams and bis command he tr-
ing the firing, Joined the other party,
AID they were about to give chase, when
a musket shot, the signal OF recall, was
heard from the main body, which the
Wyandanks and the Anacostia's soon
joined. Captain Eastman then ordered the
Anacostia's TO return TO the farm h ouse, and
to pin h i'm On the beach. He then led the
Yankees, followed by the Wyandapk's.
along a foo tA through the roads, piloted
by the con traband, to the beach. We sray-
eled along the beach for some di stance up n Z
river, NJ Getting several obs taCles in our way
At one place we had to cross Il narrow creek,
the water Ct which reached near by to the
middle. Some of the men waded through
and by the aid OF those on the other side I'm
pfoyised bridge formed by a single log. All
passed over, and little further mp we found
MIR. williams and his command the rebel
picket having Disappeared The Yankee and
the Re'ieuce now appeared, AID We SOON
embarked, covered, if not with glory, with 4
thick coating Of mud The distance we trav-
eled was about twelve miles. We did NO,
get on board our vessels till half past nine
this morning. The con,rab na who pilotef
US recognized one of the rebel pickets as Tom
Chapman himself.