Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-04-23
From the mississippi Squadron-OGicial
Epes patches.

WASHINGTON, April 22.-The navy depart
ment has received the following official des
PATCH dated U. S. sloop Pensacola, off New
Orleans, April l3: On the morning of the
27th ult. at about daybreal admiral Farragut
in the Hartford, engaged the batteries at War
renton, three miles below Vicksburg, and
passed below it on the morning of the 29th
ut. before dayl. ght, the Albatross having tax
en- in full supply Of provisions from barge
which had been fioated down the previous
morning by admiral Porter; also passed the
Warrenton battery and anchored near the
flagship. 1t was blowing quite heavily from
the north. On the morning of the 10Th at
about A. NJ the wharf boat Vicksburg, hav-
ing broken adrift from her moorings at the
city, floated down and ran ashore opposite to
where the Hartford and Albatross were an
chored. During the day an officer was sent
on board of the Vicksburg who found that all
her machinery had been removed. She had
nothing on board save four muskets and accou-
trements, which probably belonged to the guard
While the admiral was hesitating as to the
propriety of retaining her as wharf boat or
rather depot, the rebels came down, and on
the night of the Both burned her. The Swift
zerland, Hartford, and Albatross, being all
filled up with coal and provisions which had
been floated down by Gen. Grant and Admiral
Porter in barges, and the damages to the
Switzerland being fully repaired, the vessels
PASSED Warrenton on the morning of the 3lst
ult.. and at daylight the little squadron got
under way, and proceeded down the river to
Mr.. Turner's plantation, where on our pas
sage we had seen the wreck of the IndianOla.
We found no traces of the wreck, but found
it had slid off into deep water during the late
gale We anchore,i at this place and remain
ed until about $50 P. NJ, when we got under
way, proceeded down, and engaged the battery
at Grand Gulf This battery consisted of some
two or three heavy guns sent down from Vicks-
burg. One of these guns was mounted upon
a steamer which had been concealed up the
Big Black river. The enemy had also light
field battery. They struck the Switzerland
twice, doing no damage, however. The AL
batross was not struck at all. Inc Hartford
was struck only once, but this shot struck an
iron hammock stanchion, and threw rag
ment of it forward nearly half the length of
the shin. and killed a man named Jones,
landsman. This was the only casualty.
WVe,8.s7ssg5ps5jsis battery in about fifteen MN
utes. Ys.95l355aj I'LL 85i below Grand Gulf for the
night Y23s.l2.sslsss$lk on the LIST inst. we got
underway, and proceeded to the mouth OF Red
river, where we anchored about shutdown, de-
stroyng in our passage down large number
of fatboats. We remained blockading Red
river at its mouth until the morning OF the 9th
inst, when we got underway about 4.4O A NJ,
and proceeded down to bayou Sara, where we
stopped, seized upon and threw into the river
about 1O, 900 sacks of corn, and then proceed
ed on our way to Port Hudson, where we an
chored about five miles above the batteries at
three p. NJ. on the 9th inst.
On the evening of the 18th inst, at quarter
past eight o'clock, the writer of this commune
cation, the secretary of the rear admiral, left
the Hartford, and boarded the Richmond of
Baton Rouge about two A. NJ, on the 9Th inst.
The health of the squadron above is good.