Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-22
OPERATIONS OF OUR NAVY ON THE

bLOChAUE.
The following reports received at the Navy
Department show the work Of our gallant
Navy, the past few weeks, in preventing
blockade running, and destroying Rebel prop.
erty and ships:
On the Goth Of December last the schooner
Fox, tender to the U. s. Flagship San. Jacinte,
East Gulf So uadron, destroyed, in the Law.
renee river, Florida, rebel steamer supposed
to be the Little Lila, formerly the Nan Nan, and
before that the Flushing. She was set fire to
by a boats crew belonging to the Fox.
On the oath December, the same vessel cap.
tured the British schooner Edward, from Ha-
vana, of the mouth Of the Lawrence river
The cargo consisted Of salt and lead.
On the same day, the u. S. S. Sunfower cap
tured, off Tampa Bay, the rebel sloop Hancock,
from Havana, loaded with salt, borax, &c.
On the 4th Of January, the U. S. S. Tioga cap
tured off the s. W. point Of Great Bahama
Island, schooner-name not given-loaded
with SALT liquor, coffee, arms, and segars
She claimed to be bour from Nassau to Ha.
vana, but when discovered was about eighty.
five miles north of the port of clearance, and
standing directly tor the blockaded coast, about
Indian river.
Comd J. H Strong, OF the u S. S.Mononga-
he1a, reports that, on the Doth of December, a.
the request of Gen. Washburne, he sent the u
SIS. Granite City and Sciota up the peninsula,
Off the entrance Of Matagorda Bay, Texas,
with Gen. Ransom and 100 troops, to cut off
rebel pickets. White the Scota was absent on
q Reconnaissance at the mouth Of Beazoo river,
the troops, which had been landed, were at
tackled by a force of 500 or LOCO cavalry, but
were defended by the Granite City, which fred
140 rounds before the enemy was driven off
On the return OF the Sciota, the Granite City
went down to Pass Caballo and brought up
the Monongahela and Penobsc cot, falling in with
the u. S. gunboat Estelle ON her way up I'D.
On their arrival, they found that the cavalry
had made several attacks during the night but
had been driven off by the Sciota, which an
chored close in to the breakers and shelled on
either side of the troops. During the day
rebel steamer on the inside came close and
shelled our troops out Of their position, forcing
them to retreat down the beach. The Sciota,
Granite City and Estella were sent in close to
the shore to protect the troops during the night,
and, norther coming on, the next morning the
rebel steamer was discovered ashore, probably
driven on by the gale The weather prevented
steaming in to destroy her during the day, but
in going in the next morning, she was found to
have been destroyed by fire. After throw a
200 pound rified shell at the wreck, to ascertain
If any persons remained about there, Oom.
Strong returned to Pass Oaballo and found that
the Sciota, Granite City and Estella, having
succeeded in getting the troops on board, had
brought them back there.
At daylight, Jan. 18th, steamer was seen
beached and burning near Lockwood's Folly
Inlet, (west Of Cape Fear river, N. o. On
being boarded, with the loss of one man, from
the fire Of sharp-shooters ON shore, her log
book was secured, from which it appeared she
was the Ranger, from New CASTLE, via Bermu-
da. On the 10th Of January, she made our
coast and landed her passengers, and the next
morning, at daylight, being intercepted by the
Flag ship Minnesota and three other blocka-
ders, in her approach to Matun Bar, she was
beached and fired by her crew. The attempt
to extinguish the fire and haul the vessel of
being frustrated by the enemy's sharp shooters,
the blockading vessels were brought as near as
possible to the shore, and q fire opened to dis.
lodge them. It being found impossible to save
the Ranger, she was also fred into, until she
was burnt completely out ,i sr5l
Meanwhile, q black smoke rising further
westward, the Aries proceeded there and soon
returned and reported hne hooking double,
propeller BLOCKADE runnsr, ascertained to be the
Vesta. beaehsd and ON fire, and that sharp
shooters on shore prevented boarding her. This
n supposed to be the one chased the previous
evening By the Quaker CITY, Tuscarora, and