The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-07
r,ose IF the GumbOat Raid-Dcfeat Of
the Effort to Destroy the Steamers
Brisk CannOnadisg, &c.
trorres pondence Of Richmond Dispatch. I
BOWLING GREEN HOTEL"
Caroline county, Sept. s, 1863.

BOWLING GREEN HOTEL"
Caroline county, Sept. $, 1863.
For two days after dropping our anchors
a, Port Royal we were very busy in landing
,,e machinery of the Satellite and Reliance
and the eagsocs of the two priz.s On th,
latter we're many very fine anchors, of differ
ent sizes and shapes, from the small crap
mel and boat kedgc to the heavy ships an
cbor, weighing near eight thousand pounds
From the spars of the sehooners purchases
we're rugged, and with these the heav,
weights were swung out of the hold and
GJated ashore upon lighters. AT the eud o.
igO days very little was left upon any of the
,essels that would be of service to us i,
Eicbmond, the bare hnlls only remaining
From the troops on shore we had frequent
iutimstion OF an advance on the part Of the
Yankees, and fearing they might come upon
US before the work was completed. the guns
were hauled ashore and put in battery upon
the bluff, In position commanding both the
river and the opposite side. Only one
smooth bore thirtytwo was left upon the
decks. All this time our four Wagons had
been busny engaged in transporting the
things 10 Milford Station, on the Fredericks-
burg r. L., and Mr. Wood had gone to Rich
nOnd to procure further transportation
Lieut.. iIudgins was left in command.
Monday was a hot day, but towards even
ing il became cool and pleasant, and deter
mined 10 90 ashore to enjoy q twilight walk
through the desolated town of Port ROYAL
After over forty eight hours confinement to
the hard and heated decks the turf felt un,l-
slally pleasant, and sauntered up to the
village, feeling Very comfortable and good
nnh "a,
when he contelnplates his work well done at
night Hardly had reached the precincts of
the town before the sound of musketry on
the opposite shore attracted my attention.
and soon after heard the cry of yankees" ="
fastening down 10 the river banks | saw
that, sure enough, the Yankees had come
two regiments OF cavalry being there visible.
All our troops had been withdrawn from
Port Royal but one regiment--the 49ih Ala
lama From this about one hundred men
lad been sent across the river TO protect
c0mm,ssary trains foraging in King George.
With this small force Col Hardwicke iinAe
diately engaged the enemy, holding him in
ehcck auth ihe wagons could be crossed and
tie boats free to receive his men. Protected
by small patch Of woods aud firing rapidly,
Col liariwicke probably deceived the Yam
kees as 20 his numbers, for he kept them
hack until nearly dark, and then safely en-
barked his men at the ferry. While in the
bos. they received yolley from a squadron
0fcayalry; but, strange to say, not man
was injured. Our loss amounted to one pri-
yate andtwo quartermastcrs captured. The
Yankees had some three or four killed.
One ol the dead was captain in the Michi-
gan cavalry, our men getting his sword,
watch, aud several letters from his wife. One
private lay dead beside him.
AT dark the firing ceased, but we could
hear the rumble Of artillery as a battery ran
down the shore and took a position opposite
our steamers. We knew then that fight
was certain in the morning. During the
night everything that then remained ON the
gunboats was taken on shcre, and the bate
ry OIL the bluff prepared for action, which we
itlt confident would begin at 1.-The crack of
day After the ammunition and arms were
put i'll place of safety and the personal bag
cage sent TO the rear" the men lay down
BY their guns to catch few hours sleep. It
was singularly beautiful night. / had work
Cd hard all day, with the rest, and through
halt the night; but about II o'clock nearly
all were III the land Of dreams, and l sat down
10 have comfortable pipe before retiring to
,he SOFT spot of ground picked out for bed.
Wewere upon a small bluff some fifty feet
nigh Below the river flowed smoothly on,
shimmering in the light OF the gibbous
moon while above it, just resting upon the
tops OF the trees hung thin white veil Of
luist' Stretching along the stream, curving
gracefully southwark, was a dark line of
woods, throwing black shadow upon the
wafer and sending out from every tree the
hlsht cry of the katy.did and sawyer. Dis
luroed watch-dogs in the neighboring farm
yards bafked to each other or the moon, and
vows lowed in the meadows. But above all
snc sounds oi the night was single hoot-
owl III tha lonely branches crying, who
shouted "murder"to the Yankee foe beyond
ane flver. An hour of reyery aud then to
aest-'he bivouac fires smouldered in their
ashes and only the guard lent ears TO the
"aaeiui sentinel Of the woods.
hay Wednesday morning, before the first
pne p VI daylight was visible, went over to
ao1 Royal to procure some necessaries In
sase OF an action. The place was entirely
u.eser'ea, Col. Hardwieke, with commend
.a .o'e industry, having removed every family
,ue night previous. There was nothing to
~ ~ NAG, ana turned back again to our boats.
tias ine hfing commenced, however, before the
ois'ahee was made, the Yankees having
up,ned with two guns .. the distance Of u
mne This challenge was promptly respond
ny 40 ny Lieut.. liudgins, who returned two
1no's quo with admirable aim, the shells explod
exactly at the enemy's guns. These
,ts ,hots are said to have done more damage
.t .lah all the rest during the days firing. If
n me ',pvrt OF citizen be true, staff officer
~ A'heu, man wounded, a gun injured,
sa, snu. one horse disabled Afterwards the
~ wing became general, the Yankees openisg
sal. I'LL lour other pieces. Unfortunately, our
AT .. gun, splendid Parrott, was thrown
Nv nonn after the first shot, aud could be used
noa; nv amore; for il was Impossible to remount ii
s suaer The heavy fire Of rifle shell and spheri-
a,4. Se poured in upon .us. The two smaller
sa.s sass remained, and these replied ieisurely
" sne rapid shots Of the enemy
s.a. ..rooably perceiyiug their fire had no ef.
nv =, the Yankees moved down abreast of
Ss,ss ~ distance Of about twelve hundred
m;a snas. Here they fred at least two shcll
h.n haa.e ior hour, Lieut.. Hudgins firing
Thu dozen, perhaps, during the time
vas hea There Was lull for few moments,
nutIi NTH our our guns were opened, firing rapidly
fos fn, tney began axaln. This wAS keit up
s.n -, over four hours. The steamers wers an
H. tl1ssa s;s tarEet, and they wete freQusntiy hit,
anna .ns ains balls going completely through the
s% pvr works, and shell occasionally ex-
~ shg 10 them. Al near ~ We could esti-
49,. over ays hundred shot and shell had
tivsd 'nfown at ~, when the ensny becamc
s.s. ea o. the fun and esasaA AE1nG We