The New York herald., 1864-02-20
Lively Fighting at JohnsOn's Station,
the South Fork and Lake City.
ROUT AND PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY
VALUABLE SP0ILs TO THE vICToRs.
A Million and a Half Of Property
Captured or Destroyed. A
HIGHLY IMPORTANT REBEL CIRCULAR.
starvation the Confessed Master Of
the Situation,
&C.. &C.. &C.

the Situation,
&C.. &C.. &c.
Chareston by steamship Atlantic, Captain Eldrdge,
from Hilton Head South Carolina The from Flori-
| da very important.
General Gilmore and staff arrived at Port Royal from
| Florida the morning Of the 10th.
| The expedition to Florida was complete success.
Jacksonville several other points had been captured
and the pushing through the state OF Florida.
| No part OF the expedition had returned.
Colonel j. J. Elwel Quartermaster's Department, ar
rived in the Atlantic en- route Washington with i'm
portant dispatches Major General A. Gllmore to
the War Department.
The Atlantic brought the following detachments Of
| veterans
| us men Of the SD Pennsylvania Vols, Col Hoyt
275 men OF the 10th Counecti3ut Vols, Major Greey.
4o7 men OF the oath Vols Capt Redding
l25 men OF the S9th New York.
43 Of the 3D. artillery, Sergeant Richard JONES'
In all 96S men,
We are indebted to Mr.. J. B. Fordham the purser os
the Atlantic for prompt attention in delv BRING
packages.
Omcfal Despatch from Gen Gilmore.
BALDWIN, Fla. Feb. o, 1884
Major General II. W. HALLEck, General. in Chief
GENERAL have the honor to report that portion Of
my command, under Brig. Gen. Seymour conveyed by
the gunboat Norwich, Capt Merriam. assembled the ST.
Johns river 7th and landed at Jacksonville
/ the afternoon Of that day.
The advance under Col Guy " Henry, comprising the
Forteth Massachusetts, infantry; the independents battal
ion Of Massachusetts, cavalry, under Major Stevens and
Elders horse battery First artillery pushed forward
| into tho interior the night OF the 8h
| passed by the enemy drawn up in limo
| OF battle at Camp Vinegar miles from
Jacksonville, surprised and captured q battery
three miles the of the camp, about midnight and
| reached this place about sunrise this morning.
At our approach the enemy absconded sunk the steam
or St, Marys, and burned 27O bales Of few miles
| above Jacksonville.
We have taken without the loss Of a man, about
hundred pr,soners eight pieces artillery in servceabo
condition and well supplied with ammunition, and oshes
| valuable property to a large amount.
| O. A. GILMORE, Major General Commanding.
Mr.. Oscar G. sawycr's Dispatches.
BALDWIN, Daval County, Fla, Feb. 0, 1854
| AN IMPORTANT EXPEDITION.
The expedition which left Hilton Head on Saturday
last under command OF Brgadier General Seymour
to night bvouscked this city, twentsix miles
| Jacksonville. Although We have not yet had much
lighting, have accomplished great results aud
achieved grand success. What been done and how
| we have done IL will briefly recount.
| DEPARTURE THE FORCES.
The force left Hilton Head Saturday In steamers and
schooners, and crossed the st. Johns bar sunday
morning. The Ben Deford and Delaware getting ashore
on the bar, detained time; indeed
| the former had not got OF at latest ac-
| counts. The fleet Immediately steamed rapidly up
the river headed by the gunboat Norwich, and wiih
out anything occurring OF interest," reached Jacksonville
about three O'Clock when the transports Immediately
ran alongside the wharyes and proceeded land tho
| troops. There few rebel pckets in town, who
entirely by surprise by the appearance Of tho
steamers loaded with the troops They fred about ity
| shots only while the being made last,
| which resulted in the slight wounding OF man-Mr
Morris, the second mate OF the General Hunter who
engaged getting lines from tho tho dock
soon the George Houghton had touched the wharf
Capt websters company Of the First Massachusetts
talon Of cavalry, which ready sally FORTH rushed
down the pIanks the docks and up the like
arrows and speedily gobbled up nearly all the robe pick
cts town, who had scattered for the purpose
ryng inhabitants OF the arrival OF tho Yankees
| warning them to clear out if they wished. They
little surprised when the Massachusetts, boys on
horseback, upon them while they engaged in
their Efforts to spread the ALARM they did dream
that had cavalry with the expedition Consequently
they asy captured. Eleven Of the gray
soon Ia our hands, the balance escaping. While the,
troops debarking from Company First
Massachusetts, battalion cavalry, Under Lieut. Roy stars
town. and after sharp ride OF six miles reach
ed rebel signal station the railroad aud surprised
and captured sergeant and four men, Of tine Second
battalion OF Florida troops, in charge OF the station
They made resistance. With the men Lieutenant Roy
captured their arms two signal hags, two signal lights
aud lanterns and all the parapherpala Of the staton
and brought them into town before sundown.
soLDfERy.
on Monday, az three O'Clock, nearly ali the troops
started Of town the infantry ecampng the night
mile beyond the town. and the cavalry consisting
OF the First bat talon Of Massachusetts cavalry, Major
II. stevens the Fortieth Massachusetts, regiment Of
mounted infantry, Colonel Guy Y. Henry, and Elders
horse battery, Company b. First United States artl-
| lery, all under command Of Colonel Henry, gong
forward to Camp iinnegan The column moved rapidly
forward and at about eight O'Clock reached the vicinity
Of the camp, aud heard the alarm given In IT. but with
out making any demonstration the soldiers moved di-
rec,ly past tho camp leaving the rebel force, which
numbered about i've hundred men, who nad drawn
up IN line OF battle 10 offer light be attended tho
infantry at the proper time and pushed rapidly on to-
wards station the Jacksonville aud Tallahassee road.
called Ten Nile run where they we're to rcmaiu for tho
| night The night march was one of intense excite
ment and fruitful of novel spi peculiar sensa-
tons. The night was dark, and tho road
over which the cavalry passed wnded through .
dense forest OF pine trees whose lofty tops were dmy
traced against the blue above and whose huge trunks
looked like weird giants, s0ubre aud awful On several
occasions the guide lost the road pat twas soon re-
boys aud swamps, trunks fallen trees, across
shaky and rotten bridges and over deep bitches, cooy
aud determincuy. Al four different points tho column
was halted Massachusetts, cavalry sent forward
a charge capture the rebol pckes the road who
maintaining very easy and comfortable guard,
sitting by their camp ares chatting or sleepns theIr
watch hours away -Four posts successfully car
tured by tho cavalry without firing shot, anl
ten prisoners taken. AZ one picket p6st a number
OF men, women and children were captured toVethsa- .
with some negr es, all OF whom, being non-ccmbatants
eleven o'clock, camp lrcs were dscovered ami on ap.
preaching nearer hundred soldiers were seen
sitting around them, apparently unconscions OF
proaen quietly and silently drawing to the camp
until the First Massachusetts, cavalry had reached point
within an eighth Of mie from the rebels MAJOR
gave the command and at tho sound OF the bugle
lrh 0Wu N