Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-04-03

Flag Ship Waoasb,
on Musquito Inlet, Fla,
March "a, 1862.
s;r-I have 10 report to the Department
.ome casualties that have occurred 10 officers
and men belonging TO two of the vessels OF
nv tieet-casualities as painful as they were
unexpected
ated the error of Judgment which enthusl-
astic zeal had induced.
The Department was informed, after the
eapture of Fernandna, that so soon as
could take possession Of Jacksonville and 81.
Augustine, / would give my attention to
MOSQUITO Inlet, fifty-one miles south OF the
latter. which, according to my information,
was resorted to for the introduction Of arms
transhipped from English ships and steamers
at the British Colony Of Nassau into small
vessels, OF light draught.
accordingly ordered the Penguin, Acting
Lieut.. Commanding t. A. Budd and the
Henry Andrew, Acting Master S. N. Mather,
10 proceed to this place, the latter to cross
the bar. establish an inside blockade, capture
any rebel vessels there, and guard from in
cendiarism large quantities Of live oak tim
Der on the Government land, cut and ready
for shipment, to which the Department had
called my attention
On reaching here my self on the 22d, /
was DO arded by the executive officer OF the
Penguin, and informed that Lieut.. Command
inc Bud !, with Acting Master Matthew, have
organized an expedition from the two YES
sells, and had moved southwark through the
inland passage leading into Mosquito Lagoon
passing Saryena with four or i've light boats,
carving in all some AZ men.
Soon after this report, which heard with
anxiety, the results were developed 1t ap-
pears that after going some fifteen or eight
cen miles without any incident, and while
on their return. and within sight OF the Henry
Andrew, the order of the line being no longer
observed, the two commanding officers quite
in advance landed under certain earthworks
which had been abandoned or never armed,
near dense grove OF live oak with under
brush. A heavy and continuous fire was I'M
expectedly opened upon them from both
these covers. Lieutenant commanding Budd
and Acting Master Matthew, with three Of
the FIVE men composing the boats crew
were killed. The remaining two men were
wounded and taken prisoners. As the other
boats came up, they were also fired into, and
suffered more or less The rear boat Of al
had howitzer, which, however. could not be
properly secured or worked, the boat moi
being fitted for the purpose and could there
fore be Of little use.
The men had to seek cover on shore, bu
as soon as it was dark Acting mate Mcintosh
returned to the boats, brought away the body
of one Of the crew who had been killed, al
the arms ammunition and flags, threw th'
howitzer into the river, passed close to thu
rebel pickets who hailed but elected no re
ply, and arrived safely on board the Henry
Andrew On hearing of this untoward event
| directed Commander Rogers to send oil thu
launches and cutters of this ship to the sup
port of the Andrew. The boats crossed thu
bar at midnight, and the next morning the
vessel was hauled close up to the scene OF tn
late attack, but no enemy could be discover
ed. The bodies of Lieut.. Budd and Actin
Master Mathews we're recovered under ma
of truce, and the commanding officer Capt
Bird, who had como from camp at dis
lance, made some show Of courtesy by re
turning papers and watch, as if ashame
of this mode of warfare, for these were tn
very troops that with sufficient force, mean
and material for respectable defence, ha
ingloriously fed from st. Augustine on on
approach. Lieut.. Commanding Budd an
Acting Master Mathews were brave and de
voted officers. The former commanded tn
Penguinin in the action of the seventh OF M
-yember, and received my commentator
The latter, in the prime of life, was man {
uncommon energy and daring, and bad n
superior probably among the patriotic me
who have been appointed in the Navy frol
the Mercantile Marine.
Signed, ST. DUPONT,
Flag Officer.