The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-08-15
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WAR NEWS.
TIE James River Expedition.

A reconnaissance OF Fort Darling, on the
James river, was made on Tuesday, August
Attn, by the gunboafs CounUdOIe Barney, Eau
Canon, AID the armed sIeanItug CohaS-ct.-
MnJor-0et,eul Foster and several u;teT officers
accompanied tie expedition.
no iAc.oeEt OF very exciting nature tIaEs-
piled until tie fleet hst reached u point on the
river within six miles o: Fort Darling EcIe u
torpedo WAS oxp)edtd under the starbca,d bow
Of the Barney. The effect Vi this explosion was
terrific i'll appearance, bat, luckily, did not tu,n
ont So bud after all. The vessel as Tilted by
the shock upwards Of ten feet Out of water, and
Al immense jet OF water YVES hurled from her
bow htv feet il the ai IL: least, falling U, el and
completely deluging her, and washing over
board thirty men Notwithstanding tie DIES.
persfe condition Of etlairs. boats were ilnm.-
tiufciy manned, ana the uIi!oituna;es wee
rescued by their faithful brethren iron. u wa,ely
grave. Two of flee men only were drowned
The lest were all picked up, with The exception
% Two or three, who SWAN ashore.
further advance was now considered
useless, inasnuch as the men seen on shore
where there, doubtless, for the purpose Of
exploding the tor cdoes beneath our vessels
rs they attempted to pass. So the expedi,
ton returned to Dutch Gap, where anchors
we're dropped for the night. The Comn.u-
dore Barney WAS here repaired slightly. and
the next morning was taken in tow. The
Monitor and the fleet moved down the river
again. a mile below their anchorage the
enemy opened OH them with artillery and
muskentry, the latter firing being unremit-
ting and terribly severe. The Barney.
with her usual luck. was among the first to
fall under the terrible severity of the en-
gagement. Notwithstanding her disabled
condition, she calamity replied TO every
shot. Her armament consisted Of tve-inch
guns and one one hundred pound Parrot,
rihcd.
A running fight was now begun and kept
up along the bluis for some distance. The
banks on either hand were found to be SO
high that 1t was simply impossible to elevate
the guns so as to reply TO the rebels with
any degree of precision Or effectiveness.
The objects Of the reconnaissance were
fully attained. General Foster is one of
those men who place no reliance on the
Wild and exaggerated stories Of "in.eligent
contra5ands," and always prefers, if posi-
Bile, to 60 personally in search of important
information instead of relying on second or
third parties. This he has done in this last
case most successfully. The important
knowledge Of affairs he has gained by per
sona observation may benefit our cause in
future movements.
me NonHiouoTe barney, IL must De
known, is nothing more than an old ferry.
boat, which has been doctorcd up to the
shape and appearance of Il gunboat. The
torpedo. which simply tossed her few feet
out Of the water, am confident could not
have had the same effect on strong aud
regular built naval vessel AS il was, while
the Barney could not resist the impetus of
six pound solid shots, crashed through her
sides, she successfully held her own during
the terrific explosion Of the rebel internal
machines.