Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-13

The officers and the remainder Of the crew escaped
| by swimming and were picked mp by boats. Gap
tain Ames stuck his vessel to the last minute and
upon returning to the flagship, thus aconicaiy re-
/ ported his loss to Commodore Macomb ;-"Sir' ule
| BaZeley has gone up"
The destruction of two of our.vessels so quickly
made things look blue but the grit and metal that
| heedad the expedition was sufficient to overcome
| such disasters.
| The OPERATIONS OF THE Army
| Itwas part of the programme that Col. Frankie
1 shoul, communicate with the fleet at GAINESVILLE;
but without waiting for the arrival OF the vessels, he
! pushed on his 10 Fosters Mills, wherea Skin
| iash ensued With the enemy who were repulsed.-
The mills we're burnt and Colonel Clark len TO bold
| the place while the main body proceeded onward,
| the rebels retreating RAINBOW Banks very
strong aud commanding position on the IiVer, twenty !.
/ miles above WILLIAMSON. The ieetl learned this
news hy one Of Colonel ClarkS scouts, aud the next
daV one of cur picket boats, wlaCh had lecp sent
back 10 amGsville. returned to the tleet, bringing
the additional intelligence that the army, getting ont
| OF provisions, had fallen back To GAINESVILLE The
| Commodore sent despatch Ia the Colonel com
1 handing stating that time was precious that the
fleet would proceed at all hazards, aud wonld turn
hack for nothing until REACHED the blum, and urged
that the troops should 60 igrward at once a prom
Use returned that the troops would again m9ye
| forward IN a short time
TiE FLEET APPROACHES POPLAR POINT.
The fleet kept on its way Ion several days more,
dragging the river at every step, exploding nfFe-
does lighting SharpshOuterS, and pressing forward
towards Rainbow until on the evening Of the .2Othi
wSturned a bend in the stream, exposing 10 view
Poplar Point, high blum. thoroughly commanding
the river.
THE MARINES ON SHORE prIY
On cur lett, afIcr doubling the bend was Il large,
mar>hy plain, protected 10y dyke, behind whbh
>harpShooter, We're thought 10 be lurking. Commo-
dure Mdcomh ordered the marines OF the squadron
g. land, and under command ot Acting Ensign Eos
set, 90 the NNalpsng, 10 move along the bank, be-
hind the ieNee, dndlook out for the enemy. They
soon found the rebel pic,cts and Skirmished with
them, the retslS being driven back towards; the
point. Soon a large body of rebel, WAS found t,da
bris, htlc action took place. prisoner, captured
bN Sergeant hauc, of the Shamrock, Belonged 10
MhtiordS rebel regiment aud reported thai his
Gnent IN the swamp As tile adv duce to sc Of the
rchclsi whose entire SueuSth was some six Thousand
men. The marines continued The skirmsling until
nighttall when theFwere recalled, having through,
out the day behaved admirably retaining the good
reputation which that branch OF the service has al
ways held.
THE Valley CITY ENCOUNTERS A REBEL BATTERY
No sooner had the NaNy City, which continued
to be the leading vessel, shown her head around the
point than she Sauted 10y battery which the
rebels had placed there 80 skuily as to give thep
accurate aud deadly range. She replied with greh
effect aud silencod the battery, but night fell aud
the firing ceased During the night all the vessels.
were annoyed 10y the rebels, who would sneak up
under OF the trees ere vollcy upon decks
and SEedadde, !helr retreat being often accelerated.
by wholesome dose OF CRAZE. Daring the day the
Valley CITY had suffered badly from the rebel bat
terry. Her pilot, Mr.. Lewis, was shot through the
head with a AinIe bali and Instant, Killed.. lie
buried The bank, the rebels with THEN accUston-
ell barharIty, firing on the bnrying taCty \ sheil
exploded IA heI pilot house badly woundmg her
other pilot. number Of her men were also badly
hurt
| FIEEI l. A TIGHT PLACE.
The 2lst and 22d were passed in Smelling the hat
tcres Poplar Point, and endeavoring TO drag the
river for tOTpedOc that were thicker than ever. As
fast as our boats would leave the Snaps to commence
dragging the rebclswould open on them, ~oUnding
| end Killing the men. new battery opened on the
Valley City iniiCtiug serious damage on her. :he.
other ships with Their l00-pouHder rides, drove the
rebels on repeatedly, but only 70 return whenever
| our fire slackcnei. Ii was plain that we could
longer do without land force to drive these fellows
oil and clearthe way for our dragging boaks Eve
/ rs moment the rebels 1hickened in the woods the
trees and bushes slve with sharpshOOters bat
teries were discovered in process of erection in
rear and, in werd, the position Of the squadron
1 was critical.
| THE FLEET WIThDRAwS To JANESvILLE.
| The Commodore again sent despatch 10 the Colo
mel commanding the dud forces, begging him to press
forward without delay. The reply was that the army
would advance when transportation permitted. The
position OF the feet unteIRble Tor twenty-four
OF another vessel to advance impossible without
/ army cooperation; So very reluctantly, the Com
modorc gave tie order L. fall back to GAINESVILLE
| there to await the action Of the army. The fleet
iougn lis way back for eight miles and the
rest OF The way was passed in quiet;
The Otscgo had not yet been put out of commits
| sion Commander Arnold and portion Of his crew
remaining on her Hurricane deck aud living a. treS-
| CO. Her heavy battery had been removed To- the
Shamrock and WyauSing, but her brass howitzers
sill remained ON her deck to defend her crew. \
survey now held upon her, and it being decided
that il was Impossible - raise either her or the
Bazcey. everything that ctld be removed was taken
/ away, andtwG tJrPedoes were placed in her hulk
aud exploded thus finishing tbs work Of tho rcIelS
Her remains were then set on fire, aud she was
| burned to the waters edge
The entire fleet. with the exception Of the Chico
| uee and MattJbessett are now at .JameSyilc, and
the United States steamer Lockwood to which Capt.
| Ames vas ordered after the loss Of the bazeley
Joined it last night having sailed from this place 10
L 40 so