New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-15
1uK CAPTURE ep PLYmoUTH.
onciai Rspsrss-Twenty-swe Csasen' TWO
Hsudrpd stauJ OF Arms aud thirty
srven Prisoners Tahen-Co"dfi'on %
she Ram AIbemnFie.
ADMIRAL PORTER TO SECRETARY wELLtS'
UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP AAtVfhN' Z
U.,iProy ROADS. VA. Nov. Il, 1854. y

SIR: | have the honor 20 lnciose you the re-
psrt OF commander ". II. Macomo IN relation TO the
s.p,ure OF the batteries and town OF Plymouth n c.
shjcb place with all its dseDses' was captured from
sur land force. some tine last sping.
This wa, a very sallqut affair, and refects great
s,edt on IRE Commander tie expedition and all con
~,ned. lisa handsome finishing stroke after The
blowing Up Of the ran
The fruits Of the capture are twenty-five cannon
thirty seven prisoners two hundred stand of arms and
more being picked up daily.
The flags Of the fort and Of the Albemare and large
amount Of amuuni were also taken.
lam, sir very respectfully your olelient servant
DAVID H. PORTER RearAdmiraL
Ron. GIDEON WILLIS, Secretary Of the Navy Wash
ington, D. c.
ConMAYDgR MACOMB TO ADMIRAL FoRTrR.
UyrFp STATES STE .sfsHr SHAMROCK,
Orr PLYMOUTH. y. C.. Nov. loO4
Sic. have the honor 70 report that on the 'isl MI
rapiurel tie eneny's batteries AT Plymouth, " w. ana
Abe ordnance and ordnance stores at that Place. ana
some prisoners, besides quantity o. po'islOhs' Inc
following Is o report OF the actloh; ., , -,
AFTER the return Of Lieut.. W. Is. CUSHING rom ms
sIpeAjan 10 blow up the Albemarle at Plymouth, de-
tsfmiped 10 maze an attack the batteries defending
,hat town. Accordingly on the 2th ult., the vessels
snder my command az that time IN Aloema5e Sound
got under way at about IA an and proceeded up the
koaI,oale River IN tho following order: Commodore
Hull Shamrocs, Chicopee, Otsego Nyausng and
1acoDy the Valley City being sent at me same1me up
She Middle River, which joined tie ROanoaEe above
Plypopth IN o,er 10 cut Of AIRY vessels supplies the
Rebels might attempt TO earIy ont IA that direction
AT about y O'Clock m We came Within range OF the
lower batteries protecting the town, upon which we
opened ire. which returned. We continued TO al
vance until within a mile Of the works. when we dls
covered that the channel DISTRACTED at point OPP
poste the batteries BY two schCODers sunk one on each
nde Of the wreck ~ the Southfeld. which together
formed barrier that could only have been passed win
great danger il az ALL therefore made signal 70 re
turn which was accordingly done, and the vessel: ran
cut Of the river at p H., with the exception OF INC
oil 30 Yes
,nence and cease and concluding that We had won ihe
day, down the Roanoke River to within short dis
sanee Of Plymouth where she fred on and then re-
turDed reaci ing the Sound at about 10 ?. N.
On the morning Of the 3Oth ut, having been informed
Mai there was sufficient water Ia The Middle river /
determined 10 blockade the enemy az Plymouth by go
ing up that and gaining the Roanoke above The
town knowing that The Rebels had no more vessels
10 In the Channe AMI therefore that should have
only thc batteries 10 contend against should advance
nom that direction. got under way IN the Sham
rock, following the tug Bailey Acting Ensign NJ II.
Ames commanding having Mr.. Alfred Everett me
plot Of the Wyausing board, aud followed by NC
otsego WyalDsug, Tacony and Commodore Hui, IA t"e
order in which their nanes are mentioned lie ChicO-
pee and Valley City not present me former having
been sent by tho night before TO NewOern Tor re-
pairs, and the latter being on Che way 10 Hampton
Roads Va. With Lieut. W b. Cushing and be DIS
catches both having started before had decided On
Ascending the Middle River. BY the good plotting OF
Mr. Everett the vessels got safely through INTO The 10
Anoke River at ont -four O'Clock T. left the Com
ncdore Hull in the Middle River 10 prevent the enemy
kOm laying torpedoes there.
thu woods at Plymouth at distances vsry
ing from $40 10 20 yards and have slnce learned
that our fire y, that lime was very effective ~ wac
te in the after when arTn ed III the Roanoke
OIL account of the extreme naTIOwAcss and the cgrVc
sf the Middle River. but, prevent the enemy ron
bookad ing the river or putting toTpodoes III the cham
ssl dropped % within short range OF the lo0pounder
PARROTS and sheed him for an hour OF So Early on inc
morning ofthe 3lst ut, having dcterhnea on attack
ing the batteries, sent tag down the Middle RIVER
for the Commodore Hull and commenced preparations
fcr the action. ~, ., -, ,
stationed her the head OF the line. as before ON &C
count of her ability 10 fire directly ahead At about
a m the United States steamer Whitehead came up mo
Middle River having ON board stores for the vessels IN
ALTERNATE Sound. from the naval depot az Newborn.
her huno red Founder P1ro had been taken OUT
had her lasLel alongside the l3eony. the tux baley
Beng leshed the ShamrOcl and tie Belle to tho Otsc'
TO (al on the porn de) 10 keen the vessels IN mCilOD
h case their engines should e dlTsged. We also had
the steam blown off the sarbo1ru boilers Of 81 tho
lonble enders the fires banked yer! low beneath Them
and the stop valve between the two bocs OF each snip
nlosed; so that there steam IN thc starhoard
boilers, but the water IN them being warm II could be
got up in a short time.
AT pas; nine O'Clock a ID, the ships being in
line sig6alized 10 the Commodore lIun % run down
and reconnOiter and ascertain il the channel was clear
She reported all right and got under way. signal
hang the other vessels 10 follow in close order The
enemy opened on Ms as came in range, and
Kept up u constant and very heavy ire directed pfn-
cipally st the Commodore Hun aud the Shamrock. AS
j neared the batteries l gave the order, 90 ahead
fast and directly opposite tle eneinys
guns. when he driven from The rife pits and Held
poured in very heavily.
The batteries s held out though their FIRE began 10
BE- mild; but as the Shamrock passed them one Of her
shells exploded IN their magazine, which blow up Wth
great force Of the fragments falling on our decks.
This evidently caused panic among The Rebels Tor
from that tine their fire sackened and ct length ceased
siogether.
then made signal 80 cease firing and 70 land and
take possession Of the batteries which done with
resistance. parry from This ship. under Lieut..
Duer marched into the lower works NC having by this
tine passed the town aud arrived opposite hon) took
about dozen prisoners aud spiked the uns prevent
The enemy from firing on the vessels should iheS rcurn
20 their batteries
Jtgives me great qualification 10 have the honor TO
bring the notice OF the Department the gallant and
intelligent conduct Of all the sndng officers
gagged viz. Lieutenant Commander ". +. Arnold Of
One Otsegc: Lieutenant Commander Earl English, Of
The Wyalusing; Lieutenant Commanoer y. ) TruIton.
Of the Iaeoney; Acting Master Francis Josselyn, of
che Commodore Hull; Acting Master James @. Green,
OF the tug Bel Acting Master g. ". Barrett, ol the
Whitehead, and Acting Ensign Mark ID. Ames, OF the
tug Raxev wi worked and tonight their vessels sd-
miraby preserving the order Of battle under very
severe fire. and pouring into The Rebel bat cries and
rf,.pits and into tie town tremendous Lire VI all
kinds OF proiectiies.
think promotion would be ba; Justice TO these gallant
seers who certainly deserve the honorable notice OF
Che Government. wish particularly 20 bring before the
Department the conduc, o. Acting Mss'et tioeis os
sefyp, OF the Commodore Hull who worked his ship ard
battery the admiration of all who saw him and also
Acting. faster G.. W Barrett, of the Whitehead whom
sent on board Of the Commodore Hun to plloi u
through the distractions account OF his knowledge
of the river and who acquitted himself IN h usual nue.
style.
These two deserve particular notice from the fact
that the Commodore Hull was tho leading ship, ana 81
her the mrs: and heaves, hie Uf the enemy direct
ed. ! would also respectfully recommend for promotion
the pilots Of the ships engaged. especially MI Anreu
Everett
We captured thiriy-seren prisoners, twenty-five can
and large quantity Of anmunition the exact
amount I am unable TO give at present, nearly Two
hundred stand OF arms (more being picked up al
the time) the Abemarle sunk nj the wharf, with