The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-11-30

the guards by freight By means of a
hawser she was brought over and Sc
cured. We found arich cargo of supplies,
consisting of hard bread, shoes, blankets,
axes, etc, etc, valued at two hundred
thousand dollars. She was the MA
zeppa," of Covington. This was her first
and last trip.
Our General Lyons's) brigade was at
| this point, and we commenced at once
unloading our prize. We had succeeded
in discharging the most valuable portion
OF the cargo, when gunboat, followed
by two others, came up; and anchoring
beyond the range of our guns, COM
menced shelling the transport and the
landing. They shot with great accu-
racy, and it was evident that they would
soon destroy the boat and prevent us
from saving the stores. Under these
| circumstances, General Buford deemed
itprudent to burn the boat, and thus en-.
deavor to deceive the gunboats and in
duce them to advance under our guns.
Soon after the Mazeppa was fired, the
| gunboats ceased shelling and moved
down the river. Our army thus finds
itself we'll supplied for the winter, be-
| sides rations of hard bread sufficient for
more than month. Ali night was spent
in hauling stores to the rear it is impo-
litic to say how many wagon loads
| On the morning of the 30th, the
steamer Anna, under pretence of land
ing, succeeded in passing down by our
guns. She was severely injured in pass
ing the upper battery; and when opened
on by our lower batteries, she whistled
| for the gunboat; shot or two more
brou sht her over to the shore, and she
rung her bell to land. She was ordered
| to land at once; her pilot replied he
would at the lower landing; as she made
every disposition to come in, our bate
ries ceased firing, as we were desiroHs to
obtain her uninjured. Getting close un-
der the bank, she ran by; in doing so,
however, her steam pipe was cut and
her hull completely riddled. She drifted
down till she met gunboat, and was
towed down the river. She played us
cute Yankee trick. 1t was evident that
steamer, though disabled and riddled
with shot, aided by the current, could
pass us, and General Buford Immediately
arranged measures to prevent like oc-
currence, and instructing his artillery in
future not to cease firing until the boat
should be completely in our power.
| Gunboat No. 55-reported the best on
the river-soon came steaming down to
| the assistance of the Anna, and having
under immediate convoy transport and
two barges Colonel Bell let her pass
| his battery before firing, as ordered, and
/ ho ha
hauling out of the way. But our artil-
| lerists proved themselves too successful
| in their aim for this dreaded monster"
and she moved down the river disabled
dnd crippled. When in range of our
| lower batteries, we opened fire on her
| but seeing it was impossible to pass the
battery. disabled as she was, she got into
bend of the river, beyond range, and
| landed on the far side of the river to re-
pair, intending, no doubt, to slip down
| the river under cover of the night She
| shelled the woods continually, to deceive
us in regard to her condition. As we
had other batteries coming, | am very
| credbly informed that General Buford
Immediately dispatched courier, stating
| the condition Of affairs, and directing
| that one be sent down the river to the
bend to force the gunboat either to drop
| down or surrender. This was done, and
she was deserted-a prize in the hands
| of Forests cavalry. The transport then
| surrendered.
After the gunboat Lad retired to the
bend, another transport came down the
river, her passengers indulging in no
| thought Of danger, nor dreaming OF the
| cry, "The foe, they come" The table
was spread for dinner, and the passen-
| gers were lounging abaft, trying TO pass
away that most tedious of all hours
| the hour Just before dinner-lttle
dreaming of the acquaintance they were
so soon to make with the rebels. Ac-
cording to instructions, she passed the
upper battery, and Colonel Bell imme-
diately sent shot through her stern
| She was soon disabled, rounding for the
| other side, but she was ordered to send
| a yawl and hawser ashore and land her
on this side. She was thus brought in
by Colonel Bell. She proved to have a
light cargo, mostly furniture.
The successful fight at Johnsonville,
by Fuckers brigade, is thus described :.
Since our fight at Paris landing, VIC
have been moving up the river in search
| of more prey, and on yesterday we sue
ceeded in coming up with two of the
| enemy's boats below Johnsonville, which
| gave us lew shots and retired. During
| the cover of darkness, last night, Colonel
Rucker put one of his regiments in po,
| sition on the river banks, near the town,
and also Captain Morton, with his splen-
did battery.
At early dawn this morning three gun
boats commenced throwing out " ieelers,"
and to their sorrow they found out where
the rebels were.
The bottom opposite Johnsonville is
almost impassable but the persevering
Rucker and the indomitable Morton made
their movement regardless Of mud and
water. About 8 o'clock this evening the
engagement became general. Colonel
Rucker succeeded in gaining the river
bank Immediately opposite the town, un-
der a heavy fire from the enemys boats
and land batteries, and for two hours
the hills and hollows for miles along the
Tennessee river resounded with the roar
of cannon and musketry. Morton's guns
set the transports (seven in alp on fire,
and pretty soon the entire wharf was in
flames. The enemy had four large siege
pieces on a hill just back Of the town,
which continued to shell the woods for
miles along the banks, but Rucker could
not be driven from his position. He had
come TO perform the work, and nobly