The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-02
,rs,,y MORNING. .. :. sEprFaiBER ., isss.
~, r,pruse Of euSeoa1s on THE RAp-
panAnsOCx.
correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch. |
PoRr ROYAL, Aug. %, 1863.

PoRr ROYAL, Aug. %, 1863.
Some two weeks ago q party Of sea.
mon armed to the teeth and accompanied
hr four splendid boats, left the city OF
p;chmond on the Mechanicsville road.
Their destination was a matter Of con-
;sr,ure. and more than one anxious guid
s..se puzzled his brain over the problem
The onckened imagination of curious
,oan soon works out troublesome Sc
cret and before half the day had elapsed
Twas regaled with dozen different ac-
coonls. each of them undoubtedly cor.
,sct 1t may seem singular that when
the Secretary Of the Navy gave me Or
ders to join the party he did not take me
;o,, his confidence, and was therefore
s. ignorant about the matter as about
,be plans Of Gen. Lee. lmust confess.
,hen. TO a certain amount Of interest in
che stories coniidentially whispered into
my buttonhole, and listened attentively
"a the recital Of disasters about to
heall me, and saw work marked out
that would occupy several months,
and finally consign me to Fort
Delaware or to-somewhere else
Il was cheerful prospect-but beyond
a doubt Ny orders came late in the day.
when was on liberty in the city, enjoy
ing the luxury Of leisure and white linen.
| vas to start at daylight in the morning,
but, owing to the difficulty of obtaining
spassport from the courteous officers Of
that delectable Office OH 9th st., was
delayed until meridian the following dav.
NJ command was then some eighteen
hours ahead Of me, and had to overtake
them upon as sorry a piece Of horsehesh
as one could well imagine. That animal
vas nearly the death of me- he was some
what rough and shook me until every
Joint in my body was loose and nv teeth
a,,led in their sockets. Complaining did
no good, and determined to let no trials
ruffe my good nature. BY careful in
qiiry along the road | was enabled to
trace the party across the Pamunkey, the
Mstaponi at Mantua, on through Essex,
halfway through the adjoining county.
Towards evening of the third day / was
fortunate enough to strike the trail, and
in three hours after reached the end of
ny equestrian journey.
That night We bivouaced on the Pian-
kalank, some twenty-five miles from it's
mouth. The boats were in the water in
readiness for sailing. while the men, Sc
ueted between two hills, lounged about
upon the grass, or cooked their rations
BY the bivouac fire. 1t. Wood, the COM
mander of the party, was off on recon
noissance, and did not return until the
following evening, at which time imme-
date preparations for departure were be-
gun We knew then, for the first time,
that our object was to capture one of the
Yankee blockaders by boarding her in
the night AT o'clock the men were
called to quarters, arms inspected, and
ammunition distributed, and, after prayer
by Mr. Wood, the boats were manned
The crews were in fine spirits, and with
muffled oars rowed rapidly and silently
down the stream, sending out no noise
save the ripping of the waves around
the cutters bows as shey ploughed their
way through the water.
About 10 o'clock the mouth of the |
river was reached, and the boats were
halted for an hour to rest the men and
issue instructions for the attack. To-
wards midnight we were again in motion,
pulling cautiously towards the spot
where the gunb0ats usually lay. 1t was |
warm, quiet, starlight evening, with
hardly breath Of wind afloat. Upon |
resching the mooring ground the steamer
was nowhere to be seen, and no trace of
her was visible. As we were searching
for her, however, signal light some mile |
or so away showed us her position, and
soon afterwards the sound of machinery
Told US she was in motion. This was
contrary to her usual custom, and seemed
evidence that our coming had been made
known by spies and traitors on the shore;
and as it was impossible to board her
While under way, nothing remained but
lor us to return and wait more favora- |
bic opportunity.
turning up the river, keeping out of |
sight under the wooded banks, we pulled
some fifteen miles and entered the mouth
e' creek with high shores ON either
Side Here the boats were secreted, and
men and officers, thoroughly exhausted,
',lrew themselves down on the ground to
.Ieep' Daylight soon came, and with it |
Tue sound Of an approaching steamer,
making her way directly towards US.
from this It. Wood naturally supposed
We had been seen, and that the steamer
was IN pursuit Of us. His plan Of battle
was quickly formed, and was an excel |
lent one. Sending the boats high up
t1le creek for protection, he ordered 1t.
hose with the main body of men, to fol-
,o~ Them on land, keeping about dozen
a ;ueh with him at the mouth of the creek.
Inc Yankees, if in pursuit of us, would
undoubtedly follow the boats, and we
could thus get them between two
nles m and possibly cut off their retreat
opon reaching the creek the steamer
.Anle 10 anchor and sent ashore five
ooa's, containing some eighty men. Our
men lay ambushed in a small coppice,
some five or six yards from the water;
"u', unfortunately, just as the first boat
l os'le abreast Of them, one of them in
aauoosly exposed himself and drew the
s.'entlon Of the Yankees. They imme-
hasaeiy hay fired upon him, shouting from
S G 70 boat sShoot him-kill him
Aa: a vt the d-drebel get away" firing