The Portland daily press., 1863-01-01
,etter from ON board a U. s. Gunboat.

Letter from on board a U. $. Gunboat.
The following private letter from young
man belonging to neighborng town, to his
sister, has been handed us for publication, and
will be read with interest.
On BOARD U. S. GUNBoAT, MAHAsKA,
Yorktown, Dec. 5th, 1852.
suppose you would like to hear what /
have been doing for some time past. Very
well, after arriving in Yorktown and selecting
a secure and commanding anchorage in case
of attack, the Capt. WHO is so energetic and
Jealous that some of the crew think he is
crazy organized the crews in the boats and
commenced some of those expeditions which
II they have not startled the world have scared
some rebels.
Our first expedition was reconnaissance up
the river as far as West Point, to ascertain
whether any battery had been built or old
ones occupied; we found everything "all Sc
rene" however, and after placing spy in the
neighborhood returned to our anchorage with
out further researches for that day.
York river is indeed an excellent one for
navigation; its depth is enough to float the
largest ships for over 80 miles from its mouth,
and for 20 miles further it is navigable for
steamers aud schooncrs of moderate size, the
land on each side is the most fertile i'm this
part of the State and with all these advantages,
including an excellent climate, it has no navi-
CATION compared with that Of the Penobseot,
nor had 1t before the war. l can account for
this in no other way than by suggesting that
slavery has no interest in Improvement"
The next day after our first excursion we
returned. determined to accomplish something
ifpossible. So with couple of boats crews
well armed with picks and spades, guarded by
u few marines, we landed at West Point,
which is at the junction of the Pamunkey and
Mattapony rivers forming from that point to
the sea what is called York river.
The Pamunkey is the navgabe branch, the
Mattaponey being too full of bars to be used
for any great distance.
The rebels had fortified this point with a
small earthwork commanding the position,
which was evacuated before the advancing
forces Of Mcclellan after the battle of Williams
burg. The neighborhood is almost deserted
by the male portion of the inhabitants, the
most of them being in the rebel army We
conversed with some of the females, who ~said
that tea, coffee, sugar and other articles were
almost impossible TO buy, but all sorts of fowl,
pigs, cattle, and grain were to be had in
abundance
We also ascertained that company of cav
airy had been there since our other visit. AT
ter blowing up the old magazine and digging
down some OF the earthworks we returned.
A few days subsequently we sent force
ashore and loaded two canal boats with wood
from pile discovered Sor 10 miles from York
town, but that same evening the whole pile
containing from POO to 300 cords was set on
fire by the rebels. Another expedition cap
iured a notorious rebel named Peter Smith,
who was supposed to be implicated in the
burning oItheAllegbany in Chesapeake Bay.
Two or three boats loaded with calico, med
icines, and other articles quite necessary to
the rebels, have been taken, and hardly day
or night passes but some illegal offender is ar
rested, and his boat and cargo confscated to
oIr use.
The most important undertaking yet carried
out was our visit to East river in company
with our two consorts. May Queen and "Gen.
Putnam" together with several companies of
soldiers. The troops and sailors landed with
a force OF about 300 men without opposition,
and proceeded 10 small salt mandatory ca
pable of making ten bushels day. and de-
stroyed some thirty or more salt pens and ket-
ties belonging 10 the place and neighbors; for
every one who has got an old kettle goes into
the business, excepting darkies, who are not
allowed so TO do. In the meantime some of
the boats crews proceeded in different direc-
tions, and destroyed three schooners, and over
twenty small boats peculiar 10 this vicinity,
which were engaged in running the blockade
Several OF the crew, guided by contrabaud,
discovered barrel of whiskey and boat load
OF salt slowed away in a cellar; they demol-
iSHcu VIC sut3 anu tiit NHlsheN uemOllsntu
some of them, so much so that they had to be
carried or pushed back to the steamers by
their companions. One of them got lost alto
gether; we heard of him afterwards, in CON-
pany with two of our soldiers, also lost on the
road to Richmond, as prisoners.
Some how or other, despite the orders of
the captain. we managed to bag some 75 or so
geese and turkeys, OF which they seem to pos
sess untold numbers in this neighborhood.-
Two or three OF the arstocracy of the village
made us a visit. They demonstrated severely
with us about their losses, and the Captain
gave the owner OF the fowl five dollars, and Or
dered us to carry all of them ashore, (but %
or 80 of them didn't 20. know.)
There is a lire Yankee in the place who went
there some years ago. and built a steam saw
and grist mill. He is as big a rebel as any of
Them now. Quite a number of the inhabitants
are of Northern birth with Southern princi-
pies. l inquired the price of some articles.
Ducks, geese, turkeys, &C., are plenty at 81 |
each. Corn $3.50 bushel salt SIG a bushel; |
sugar 81 icents; coffee 81: tea $3.50 per pound; |
calico 30 cents TO Sl.50 a yard, in Confederate
money, one half that in silver. Many wagons
are engaged in carrying fowl &c. to Rich
nond. We staid in the place about SO hours |
Several other expeditions have followed this, |
in all of which we have succeeded in destroy |
ing schooners and boats; no doubt we have |
caused some uneasiness TO the rebels by the |
Figor and vigilance with which we drive busi- |
ness.
Even as ! write two schooners are coming |
down the river, a prize to our energetic off |
GERS and men. Yours,