Smyrna times., 1863-01-01
co r ESPONDENCE
Letter from the 3!2cEai,sg sguadron.
T. ; GUSno,r G q" Wrss'arEax" Create
0rcrchee River, Cos,t orGa..
Monday, Dec. o.i,, 1862.
Friend I;msS :


Since my l>~,, the Vs;esql;c,o.
''as Dccn engaged in two ry,~tit tio,,s nm tI; i
ihe o"Jcct Of one was the bnrni,,,- f, Li.l
er' ""ch had been lying so,ne niles al,v, o,,.
boat, under the guns OF sinai! battery. a,d ,i;.,
ha" been An cye-sorc 10 our C,nt,in .,r ,, ,:,.,
InlS was success uly ACCOMPLISHED h.. r. ..,,o,,
-.ho rebvis themselves applying The torch and 20
treating cut Of range os o9r pms 4, ,.....,
line alter our first compliments were landed ,..,,,
''e"' lac other expedition consisting ol tic ru,
'ats hissaaietOn aud 1s,cn, with a mortar .,l -,
=, vs. : intended 10 " feel" n ,aIt, =, .,,,,.,f
= neS"c Point, in this river T!c bo,sl.1,,a:.
arc l"rIgc early "Wednesday nornin., the I,,, II,
'"d 500" reac':ed the rebel paSiticn-or to a main,
WITHIN two miles Of it. II r. IN. G, ,a.
commenced upon ru- ,u!... and i, , .,,.., .;
range was obtained, aud our shells n,.,.n t fan .,
~ ''' 'A'''fy Onr ire was coutn4r'i quite irS,,-v
''r'' i"r thr sPics ofthr~c Quarters Of an ham,
"itI'nt' howcvcr, ciiciiing ANY r,>,.use f,, ,,,o
rebel guns. Thinking or shell v,,ld L ,.... :
iccuVc at s'ortcr rang, our C4ptain orjc.cd ,,,
anchor mp ,and our boat steamed about :, o,r,o, = 3.
milc closer to the battery Orc Of 0 r cL,.ven.i,,c
s"clI was here fired, aud we re. upo, ,.. ,,,, >.
@"c"'r'"g' wien puff Of ,n,ohc from one o,, ,l,e
',."' guns followed III few seconds by the report
'l u" can"on, warn d US that the battery had 4,
last oFncd fire. Tie ball soon came. wl,,,,.,o
tir"ugh the air, and descending, struck tI. H-;s.
"Icko" upon tic side, a5,nt four feet bcIo,, ,,o
watcr-n", pcnctratlng the outer pllnking. and sI;v
eTlng The inner TO an extent that admitted the v,
so rapidly as To require the pumps to be man,cd
Our boat was Immediately got ont of 50 danpero,s
'''ua''o"' and the hole temporarily stepped. In the
"c1h''lhe hFc was continued by The DarM and NOR
I'r' tut hnoIng that nothing could be accomplishcd
tnAt day, the Captain ordered the return ortL bo,
10 Their old position, to await 4 more favorable oo
porunlty to again try the battery. The fire of tho
feoeiS was quite accurate, but at this we were mo,
surprised, for upon looking around we found ,ba f.,
cur boat had been stopped abreast of their arpet NJ,
which they had been practising for. prob,IJy Fan,
or hVe months. The engagement lasted abut Gu,
"Ours' ~" one was hurt on our Sde-the rebel loss
we nave heard was one killed and two wounded.
Ihls was the first time I was ever under fire mud
the sensation at first was not very avrecabl. and
indeed, cannot say that it improves ,n,ch -,
acquaintance. We could tell some seco,do Loc...
nearing the report OF the rebel guns that the en.
had fired; the smoke indicating it IonO hefo,o a.
report reached US. In the interval bet,,een soo;,
the smoke aud hearing the sound, there was eonsid
7rahie suspense among tho.e on board, Of Course.
aud must confess to u very stroIg inclination Il,
place something between me and the approacbino
ball. The pluck of true Blue Hens Cbick.,
WITHIN me, however, prevented il, aud stood il mn
without shrinking but must shy, with an outward
coolness that strangely eentrastcd with my inward
agitation. But notwithstanding, / have sufic;ep,
confidence in my courage TO think, that will never
do that which would cast stigma upon nv nam,
as DelawaTean. Ny quarters during action are in
the ward-roOm, with the surgeon, but my service.
not being required (no one being hurt) remained
on deck, and witnessed the whole firing. The hole
IN the WissahickOp's was attended 10 the day afe,
our return, aud we are ready to give the rsbei,
another chance at us. But little has transpire
since reaching our old aochodpg ground to reliev
the monotony incident TO blockadng-time cons.
quenlly hnpgs rather heavily To relieve this mi
noiony and also TO procure something Il eat in The
animal line, launch, had buut from the Damn
were sent on liltle expedition 10 Warsaw Islane