, 1863-04-29
The Situation 1T Suffolk.

The Situation ut Suffolk.
Correspondence oTthe Baltimore American.1
SUFFOLK, Va, April 19, 1868.
By The fires Of their camps, and the picket
southwest, and west of us from east of Eden
ton road ,ncar the verge Of the Dismal Swamps,
to about thirteen Or fourteen miles down the
west bank IF the Nansemond River, I should
judge that the force Of the enemy cannot be
less than from twenty-five to thirty Thousand
nearly, OF quite, twenty miles, and in points
where approaches from our side would be
eahy, they are evidently strong and well sup
piled with artillery. Every movement OF
theirs, SO far, convince8 me that they intend,
If possible, to cross the Nasemond below our
road lines from Norfolk, which now furnish
us supplies and reinforcements, and having
thus cut off our means Of gettingto food OF men,
and Of retreat-1 such prepostcrous thing
as retreat could possibly be thought Of on our
eide-and then, with heavy force, to attack
in rear and front.
So fa1 the Eal1antry Of our noble navy in the
gunboats, and the vigilance of the artillery
under Gen. Getty, and our cavalry ysdcttcs on
every approachable point Of the river, has
heavy torce Of cavalry, infantry and artillery
all along the river to within few miles Of its
mouth. I have witnrssedtw two engagements Of
the gunboats under command Of Lieutenant
Commanding Lamson, late Of the United
States ftigate Minnesota, and the batteries Of
y send you from official sources. In the first
the Mount Washington, commanded BY Lieut..
Lamson, after being disabled By receiyin.
round shot through her boiler
grounded under seven gun bat
q Fpr1 half 1,- vrf+h !,
dred yards, fighting gallantly a1l the time, She
was literally cut to pieces above water, her
machinery store to atoms, her flagstaff shot
away, and twenty-one men Of the crew killed
and wounded. When the fng vas down, the
Lieutenant commanding, aided BY Quarter
master, nailed it to the stump OF the broken
staff under hot lrc from the enemy's artiI-
lery and 6harpslooters. The Washington was
50 close to the enemy that they could not de-
press their guns to strike her at the water
line and sink her. She was ut last towed off
By the gunboat Stepping s'oncs, commanded
| by Lieut. Harris, heroic and skilfui officer.
| The Commodore Barney, Lieut.. Gushing COM
| manding, and the West End, Lieut.. Roc COM
manding, nobly aided the Washington i'll her
distress, and finally forced the enemy to move
| the guns from his battery, four Of them hay
| Ing been disabled.
On the succeeding day, the Wcst.End hay
ing been sent below for ammunition, the
| commanding officer, Lieut.. Latnson, went On
board the Stepping Stones, and with the Bar
ncy resumed the attack on the enemy, raking
their rifle pits with grape, aud evidently mak.
| ing great havoc with the rebels. To-day five
| g1nboat6 are engaged with two rebel bat.
| teries, four miles below town, but I have not
yet heard the result.
The gunboat Smith Briggs, Capt. Lee, Of
the 99th New York volunteers, commanding,
has held 4 command Of great importance N
| the Nanse1nond front Of the town, 6hel1lne
1tr1C G7Ta h,,,,
selves, ND preventing the enemy from plant
ing batteries to reach us on that side. Her
brave commander has urgently pleaded fo1
| permission to 60 further down tho river
where the enemy show bolder front, but the
commanding General, knowing the impor
sent. On Friday Cap ain Lee was allowed tt
60 two miles du#n the river, to shell somt
earthworks which thu enemy were throwing
ur, and had the honor to accompany hin
on that brief pleasure trip. The enemy dir
not reply to US with artillery, but their sharp
shooters attempted to do little work in thei
E!sulkirg way. But not fAucying the juice O
our grape, their attempts were feeble. anl
the, did lie no harm.
On tho eyering before was gratiacd wit
ness-especially after it was once over, and
found my bones wholc-of very gallan
skirmish on the Somcrton road, between ou
extended piekets and a large force Of th
enrnly's intaAtry and artillery.
The enemy commenced by sheling por
tion Of the line in the woods, held by Lieut.
Tyler and company Of the 9Th AIassachusctt
to fall back full halt o mile, followed, q
soon as the shelling ceased, by force q
rebel infantry, one Of whom advanced s.
eagerly that lie fell into our hands us prig
oncr. The falling back Of the 9Th pickcts O
New York volunteers, exposed in the frou
centre to 4 very heavy fire, aud also to 4 fianl
ing fire on his left. The enemy also ran
field piece up in his front within three hui
drcd yards Of him, and he was forced to 4,
back, though g:1lantly contc5ting every stel
| thc enemy over his forces. He, too, was G.
posed on his left, by the filling back Of
, Pennsylvania infantry regiment, whose nu1,
+ bcr 10 not care to remember. The eneul
began to retire rs soon as our shells began I
drop among them, and our pickets under con
mand Of Major Scott, Of the 9th Massach1
sets, officer Of the day-whom was bapE
10 serve as volunteer aid-imnlcdiatcly (
Q euEscd the advance, supported by conpat
j. Of the 18th Indiana, and in less than an hon
u held possession Of every former point Of Of
l. picket lines. Major Scott, with gallant Wig
r ance, visited every point in person, and
' direction Of Acting Brigadier General Foste
:? doubled the pickGts with rcinforccmcl
i under Captain Matthews, Of the 1l2th Ne
| York, and other officers.
lQE CHILLY 1C1k 1DuT IGtiu1 QlE Ill Lit To.
; and three In the woods, and must have CT
- ricd back moro, as they were close to the
{: own advanced earthworEs. We1ost one &c
It moral Of the 112th killed, and I, few We
Is slightly wounded. 4 small squad OF tho II
+ Pcnnsy ylvania cavalry, Captain Ackley, G;
:" lantlx formed in the open ground in the re
!: Of our infantry, ready to support them BY
u charge, If the enemy came out into the ope
e ing to give him chance. which unfortunate
te they did not. One Of his men vas slight
"a wounded.
On the South Quay road the enemy la
dug very long line Of rifle pits within ran
Of our fortifcations, and every day we hs
NJ ! lost come men In attempting to dislodge th
~ ~ eharpshooters there. Bnt the enemy ha
a lost at least five to one SO far, owing to Q
a superiority in artillery and the gallantry
~ our advanced pickets. Our loss In total,
my and navy, 50 fur, in killed and woundt
>. cannot amount to over 150, if SO many.
1B have taken good many rebel prisoners, recc
ed many deserters, and killed at least three
four hundred. While am now writing {ef9
H. o'clock Sunday cvening,l there is hcavy fri
a. down the Nansemond River, heavier thai
re have heard there before. I hear TINT d fo
side ha5 1een 95asfed over TO
- him back, and hope 1t is SO. The 18th In
~ ana, eth Mainc and 10th Massachusetts are
to downthat way, and we know they will do y
OF wherever they are, for they have been tt
be often and never were known to fail. 4 boz
be crew fIom the gunboat Barney captured
.st Chief Engineer OF Major General FFenc
artillery division on Friday morning, with
ID his plans, as be was locating Confeder
he battery On the banks Of the Nansemo
Gen. Peck is evidently getting tired Of act
}th | solcly on tho defensive, and seems inclined
~ give the enemy trouble beyond onr lines
1st
r0t ,nt CUK ELASTIC STOCKING