, 1864-05-24
THB Y0RK 1RUFER BXRAD1.
TExN.
T1rpedocs and Booesh Womont

ports. Win troops. Were at length ready, snd
With our vessel MorseA tho s9aw.heen aud
Putnam, NC started for West Peins: cur 70
connoisaancea tho wesk- previous hsylng
shown thero were, apparently, no forReaoss
the Pamunkey and Mattapony. 30, With tho
Morse leading ind ths other two ganboats
bringing up the rear, away VIC went. i
Having reached West Point the transports
disembaIked about threo Thousand troops,
pickett having ekodaddled On onr approach),
fhroNlng ont plckets tor some distance and
encamped, the gunbo1ts xnchortng in d1dar- |
ent poaitioas to guard against n attack We
6na1ly csmeto anchor In the aIattapouY, about
one and half rnIles front tho Point, and Just
With noW rebel gnnho.t building, by u IN
About dark Of that sans dsy, i party Of
soldiers, wandering about, came up and Into
tho old shipyard, walking about. Suddenly
two stt[aSgs nan Jumped nP f97 s 'ne eenlad et1as
plunged In, swan of to small snE, aud
padded Across to tho opposite shore before
the surprised soldiers made any effort TO cap
ture then.; Thinking It vary snsp!c!ors
proceeding, they began searching about Qn
yard, tie mystery WAS explained BY finding
four new torpedoes, al ready for exploding
They were Ut once taken possession OF and
secured. The evident definition Ia, tho two
men we1e waiting until It should he dark,
then they meant to plant them In tho river,
directly between our vessel and Weat Point,
30 that the first time We moved ne should
! have been tolcrably certain to be blown up.
| But, thank fortune, the diaboltcal plan Was
! ftustfated.. 1t Wss determined to test one Of
! them, to SEQ Whist execution 1t Wonld do; 80
! It was fixed under the edge OF an Old wharf
and aetring led from its spring to shore. One
OF cur officers, on aignA from the Captain,
! pulled It. An instant more and Tho air Wac
full Of flying tiuhers, soule pieces going sixty
or seventy feet up in the air, accompanied oy
hcnvy rnuf11cd report.
/ Aflcr that sight we Were abundantly salts.
! fed es to the capacity for mischief Of these
I truly internal fnYcutiou1. vessel striking
one of them would stand an exceedingly good
chance OF being blown to pitcA aad I: would
no doubt be attended with considerable loss
Of life. After that you may be sure vlgitant
precaution taken to guard against a1ch =
disaster. Alter remaining four days ut the
point steamer came up with orders to
evac1ato the place Immediately, the whole
expedition being feint to divert the rebels
attention from the real ono in the James
River. AL that night, on receipt Of she
orders, the troops were striking tents and
embark1ng on transports, and early the nezt
morning nc all left the place. However, We
were not destined TO get back to Yorktown
| H1kA1Nt A4tAAc4 AA FEAtAACs 44ASAs SNAA AAAA*-*
down ths river We came up to the guabosii
Mystic Capt. Wright came on board and
| reported having sent boat into fleh-net neal
the shore, and when opposite large barr
the crew were fired on by two men IRON
behind corner Of said barn, killing one mar
instantly. The gucrrillas skedaddled for ths
woods, and the boat returned to the ship
On hearing OF the case. Capt. Babcock de-
termIned TO destroy the barn and contents
50, after trluR three or four shots from on,
1o0-rounder rifles, tho boats from both seipI
for the shore, burst open the building and
! hesan piling wood, saturated with turpen
i tine, against one side, In order to make anr'
,, work Of it. While these proceedings Wer'
: going on, four or five women CAM
> > claring that no ihots had been fired sbou
! the place at all Yet We we're all satisfied
: that the two men belonged to that }dentica
house, but none conld be found, although
! there lay the dead body Just at the water
.. . edge, Silent but eloquent testimony to th'
"Ob, good Mr. 0ffcers, good Mr. Sailors
, | don't burn our barn; please don't burn It ,
4 But when the hames began to rise the tun
! was changed. Such bowling, yelling an'
Il swinging Of aEms4 screeches In every key
= = near regular Indian pow-wow she coul
: come to, lnte1spersed with Calculations snc
a Oh ssOh, you thieves" "cowaftis," }" *tyi,sains,
: s'rascals," in fact, every eplthet In thu New
gate calendar being hurled at ~, all IN tone
). distinctly heard ut the nhlp, halt mile ffor
shore. s
! Finally, firing Of the performance, ons {
y ou1 officers (Wagstad) ordered come Of th
= men to take The women of to the houa
= spain. 4 minute moro and tho men We.
= aeen carting of both ecreeehing women.
+. short time only = pile q ashes shows
~ ~ to burn the house also but nrders forbsd
u 1t, as the stack did not como from there; I
Il the whole party embarked again, bringir
- ,a ! of ths dead body OF their comfads. IT
bs burning Of even the barn VIII, hope, pro-
so lesson to these river citizens that they e.:
.o 20 not Hru on boats from behind buildings wi
~ fmpurity, and second outrage Of the XII
y. win provoke devastation OF thu farm at
laSS ho1sting up our boats we proceeded dow
~ and came to anchor of Yorktown again
Fas teu s.olA - NAV "