Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-21
THE LATE OPERATIONS ON THE NANsEMoND

THE LATE OPERATIONS ON THE NANsEMONDs
Among other vessels at The Washington navy yard
undergoing repairs the gunOoat ceHr Dc Leo late from
the Nansemond river, which lie several othsr
Of its class that defeated the attempt of Gen Longsee
to cross below Suffolk The reader may judge what the
officers and had to sustain when the fact stated that
the vessel IN question has had to be provided with
pilot house notwithstanding it's old to certan
extent protected BY the of heavy plates of sheetro
10 all available POSITIONS Besides this other portions
the vessel have had TO receive the attention and labor
OF both the carpenters and workers in IRON in
quence of her damages by heavy shot and shells a
In connection with this subject il may not be amss toH
state few scts in relation to the operations of our gum
boats aud their commanders while engaging the enemy on
the line of the referred to above At time Msor$
Gen Pecks communication with the eunboats, by water
entirely stopped owing to the fact that under the
of night the enemy erected earhworks for battery
in battery adjacent to the bar the mouth of the
Western Branch thus, for the time being, eectuay stop
ping all water communication between Suffolk and NOR
folk and causing the detention Of hospital and transport
steamers under fire. al the wharf Of the besieged town
Until water communication opened, the Egunboats3
communicated direct with Admiral Lee. who, in turn
Geographically apprized Gen Peck Of the progress and
state of affairs below. Thus matters remained for tole
rably long period of time The gunboats, both army and
navy engaged the enemys batteries well in the night
rs the day. but still particularly earnestly and ac
lively at the breaking hours OF morn The gunboats fought
well, but SO too did the enemy the latter making many
pilohouse object of great curiosity effective was
his FIRE from smalarms while his heavy ordnance did not
hesitate to tear and penetrate without regard persons
and property. al3
One mornng the news official received at Suffolk
that all the gunboas had been withdrawn from the river
by order of Admiral Lee. This movement caused great
dea of Had Tho dr;p
ont Of the river had he not the important ques-
tons Gen. Peck in with Others could not see
the necessity tvr this of action He had supposed
that gunboats made for serviceto be fred at and
even destroyed occasion required it, and not merely
be chartered painted made formidable looking and to act
rs guard tosts; and he did not hesitate to make this
known to his immediate friends af
At this time when the gunboats out of the river
Gen Longteet had not only the best but fair chance to
lay dowu his pontoons and the river if such was his
design for the land forces were far above busy engaged
in fortifyng every useful point within reasonable dis
lance from suk and in preparing roads and bringing
down artillery, light and moderately heavy The enemy
always throw up his forticaons at night and finish.
ed or worked upon Them during the day. If the enemy
threw up earhwork at night at point on the river
thenext night perhaps the day. our forces threw
up another opposte and in than instance the
morning light revealed earthworks on each side of the
river almost opposite to each other while each party had
thought to take the other by SURPRISE and hence worked
with unusual caution and silence that their plans might
not, with their labors be discovered - }t
While this going before stated the punbosts
kept up that kind Of amusement which was hailed in
Portsmouthsand at Suffolk heavy firing on the river
At last the gunbosts, in conDexon with land battery
made simultaneous and bold attack on the battery mpe
ding progress up and down The firing was excellent
The guntoats would advance, fire. and receive and sus
tain heavy shocks from shot and shell while their pilot
houses were made to resemble number of good sized
sleeves, with holes all over, lot of boxes like those
used the transportation of wild and curious anma,
We were successful The enemy could not man his guns
Our sharpshoote from behind the bales of hay that lined
and protected the vessels in various parts picked of every
head above the earth-work The enemy did NOT retire
but merely ceased firing and allowed our gunboas to 90
up and down the river uDmolesed with the exception Of
an occasional small shot to remind that death s ever
-
When the gunboats got together they presented Curl
GUS hght, and as consequence rebels one side and
Federals on the ether crept out from their rifle pits or
stood up on the banks Of the river to them they
passed Strangely enough, while the opposing parties
looking at the gunboats passing they would not fire
at each other but had the boats passed than
each again became suddenly antagontc and set about in
earnest to look out for shot, just though they had met
together for days skootngthe game to be the game
Of fe."
In this it was sufficiently demonstrated that small
gunboas be Of the service in rivers like the Nan
semond To North Carolina, where Gen Foster was COM
PEELED TO put up with heavy draft vessels his operations
were not unfrequenty very materially impeded by the
grounding of these vessels and in instances his plans
actually defeated from the same cause In the Nam
semond the larger gunboats suffered most where they were
any length of time engaged because of the narrowness
and crookedness Of the river the sowness with which
they had to be maneuvered, while the lighter draft and
smaller could swing bow and stern in manner that
not only surprised the enemy but enabled their comman
ders to take the enemy at disadvantage and thus do
great injury The Ceur de Leon is Of this class Her
commander informed, has lately been promoted
for his gaantry while operating the Nansemond His
vessel will be in sailing trim 10 three or four DAYS from
date
BALTIMORE, MAY 10, 1893
To the Editors Of tbs National hteHigencer.
see by todsys Intellgencer that Friday last two
small steamers while running from Norfolk TO North Caro-.