The New York herald., 1863-05-26
The correspondence Of Mr.. Charles IL.
ANg Farrell.


WEST rorSr, Va, May %, 1s63
The Richn,1nd Paprs Our Posiiion--ForaJnO Pary--
seir.ye of Sir Handled Bushels OF Corn-An Exciting
Z Affair ON the Fork Riu.r--OT Mall Boot Fired A.
Our C,,too,s Go 20 the 6escue-Tae Law Of Retaliation
Promptly Arpltel--An Affair IN Odmp-Adaps' Erpre
Company. DC, &c.
From late Richmond papers tho rebels seem much OK
ercised OF the occupation Of this point by
Union troops They also 10 qnandary as 70 the
number OF troops here and tho character or our fort
hcations They have made sevea attempts TO ascertain
tho ,nts and position, but a. yet al
have failed Certainly they have not the least idea
strength position from anything that your cor
respondent has written he has been careful in all hi,
letters In respect 70 giving indirect information 20 tho
enemy One rehel officer, with strong guard, was sent
down from Richmond 70 reconuoitre our position He
came down 70 the banks Of tho Matapony rivcr reconno
tered our positou returned TO Richmond and reported
that had fifteen thousand troops here Another officer
was subsequently sent, who reported that We had hve
thousand men, Which Of the two nearest the fact
your correspondent saith not. aa.Qt4 ..e off
Matters IN general bore looking quite brisk Our
fortncasous are nnshed and troops have resumed
their usual routine Of camp duties Our pcson hero 10
excellent the works superior and The troops sauguine
We can hold this position against half of Lees army,
or we can advance 10 the gates OF Richmond with safety
were General Hooker 70 move 70 attack Iee. We arc
ready. h.a ariftet 3
Today soragng party, consisting Of company O.
the Yortieth Massachusetts regiment crossed The Malta
pony river near this point the place Of Mrs. Robin
son. where they captured and carried away SIX hundred
bushels Of corn The were ferred over the river
by the gunboat MORSE Lieutenant Commanding Babcock
Lieutenant Johnson Division directed the
capture Of The corn Lieutenant Babcock ater he had
landed the troops rebel side OF the river proceed
ed with the party, and when the corn being put In
sacis active part In shovcnR the grain While the
seizure Was being made our guards were udicodsy pst
cd 10 prevent q surprise by the enemy. Tho gunboat
Morse lying In convenient position with guns shot
ted, ready 70 cover The REHABILITATION Of our
Another exciting Affair place bore day This af
ternoon while the mail boat swan, running between this
ana whom Al point tBrck House Pont four miles below
here she opened upon BY rebel light battery OF
red but one Of which struck her That tho
timber hard the forward part OF tho boat Tho captain
Of the boat DID not change ns course M sssr 90 va At
the firing heard here GcLeral Gordon ssnt TO
quest 70 Lieutenant Babcock, Of the ganboat More
place The request was promptly complies with, and IN
short time the Morse was under full Roadway for tho
ago Leutsnalt Babcock opened his heavy b.t,ery
OF PARROTS and pino inch guns, throwing shot
just before been located Tho rebels rsirealed
when they eur gunboat appfo .ch. The he
"m our was cSv ana s", General
Gordon followed the Morse in his special steamboa 70
be ready 70 direct affairs should bis services be neces
sary For this coward'y Attack On an unarmea mai
boat tne er tdsonn was summsr'y sprneo az twS % =.
.nree poats cIews wen. asnors , cs ns l. ss weao
tue repei nrne 70 place and spped .ne sorcn 'n,ee
large iarm houses ana e'gns OF nne s.er oos, a,sc
several oarne nne granarss. IN ev hsser ~as % s.o,ou
seve. a. nun1sca vusnvs kS =. ,n ~ 49, ~, %
Ieuenant mm. w.Ess, wns ~ - ' ~ su,o '.o M
nIcu upo "ss as s, "a ~ -, ..o.. VIZ ~. ~ snsr
snn pace, snpPca nes o.oc % % ~ ps.ov ,S ~ ~ ,ho s.,s
c"s nes 81 , s,ssS NJ Tbe r",ns os ,hs burn
-. s a. ssa,eS y, 80 r,,u r..r m,dr,,h, lin
sn s ,n hsavcrs ana rsbcb no doubt cond bc sean
Morse had reached shore near the point where
the rebel battery had been posted they pro
cecded TO IRE large brick mousse on the