The New York herald., 1865-03-13
KEY WE ST.
Our Key west Correspondence.

hkf WEST rEa, FeD Il, lSOo
The Empire City All Sae-Atack by Reoets Fort Mey
ers-7Aey Rcpulsed- -Diustrous Raid Of Mcjor
Weeks-Tpops Sent Up the Coast-Gaianl Ac. Of a Nd-
val OEcer Up the Chaaahooches-Sv verat Prizes Cup-
tured-P1xs MISUNDERSTANDING MS Birhdty, dc.
LOn the 18th inst that the Empire City
had gone ashore Cfysfort Reef the night Of the
16h and that the United States steamer Abaross had
gone to her assistance without effect On the 10th the
Empire City arrived here, having succeeded in getting
of, while the Abatross In sight She has since
left for New Orleans with the troops she had board
She will thence leave for New York. where she will bo
overhauled for repairs No damage has apparently been
sustained from her having the reef sht
increase TO her loak although confidently asserted
here that she would be total wreck.
Some alarm caused here the night OF tho 2lst
instant In consequence Of report brought by the quar-
tcrmasters Alliance from up the Western coast
that Fort Meyers had been captured by the rebels The
Alliance in coming through the Northeast Pass went
Shore whence shc was not got of till yesterday.
Preparations were being made to send of troops that
very night when the United States steamer Honduras
arrived and II shortly after known that Fort Meyers
was safe in the hands Of the Union troops although an
attack had been made on t. The information respecting
the affair IL very meagrc but the pith Of It Is as fol-
lows: - ~.
On tho 20th instant a force Of rebels estimated At
about hvc hundred in number with several pieces Of
cannon, appeared before the fort and an officer ap-
preached and summoned the garrison TO surrender in
twenty minute Captaa Doyle OF the One Hundred and
Nineteenth New York Volunteers, who LETT hs-right
arm. at Port Hudson, had no intention OF com
plying however, so he told tho officer 10 inform his
pcrior IN polite language that he would him damned
rst As the rebel officer had fallen back TO the
attacking force fire was opened the fort and
the 1rst discharge made shell from the for; burst
in the midst Of the rebels scattering them In all direc
tons. The nre now became brisk both sides and
kept up I'LL dark being killed and few wound
cd on the part Of the garrison II impossible esti
matc the casualties the part Of the rebels they fell
back at dark At daylight scouts we're sent out when
ahputt tvvely votte
from the fort The garrison Of Fort Meyers consisted OF
two companies Of the Second United States colored reg
ment and two companies OF the Second Florida cavalry
On the 22d inst the United States steamer Magnolia
left with detachment OF troops and she followed
Intelligence has also been received that Major Weeks,
commanding the Second Florida cavalry, hay ing made
raid on the rebel cattle the main land, Cedar
Keys, In which he succeeded In capturing four hundred
head on his return, attacked by Overwhelming
force OF rebels and forced TO abandon his bccves with
loss Of six Of his killed. and twenty wound d.
Major Weeks IL may be remembered was the officer who
recently tried here for shooting sentry such
circ INSTANCES as led TO his acqutal and reinstatement
In his command await particulars Of this and the be-
aforementioned affair.
verbal report has reached here of gallant act on the
part Of an officer under Acting Master Wells 10 command
Of the United States bark Midnight am sorry have
not yet been able to learn the officers name.
II seems thaI captain wells sent him up the Chatta-
AT some distance up he learned that there rebel
camp further up, upon which he returned down the
ming into port OF ST. Andrews called East hay One
hundred and thirty miles from the mouth Of the creek
he fell In with an OK wagon, which he confscaed and
placing his boat and working tools thereon crossed
land TO the dsianfc OF nineteen miles
where, having launched his boat, he again embarked
with his men, and proceeding down the rivcr succeeded
In surprising tho rebel camp, and in captgring rebel
lieutenant and sixteen men, IN spite Of the brag of tue
rebel officer that he would not be taken alive. Tho
prisoners were brought here the Alliance, aud
enjoying comfortable quarters in Fort Taylor.
The schooner John Hale was captured of Deadmans
bay on the 10th inst, by the United States schooner
Matthew Bascom one hundred and twenty tons burden
She loaded with lead and blankets She has arrived
here
To-day the schooner Della brought in a przc by
the United States steamer Mahaska She IN the three
hundred and thirty ninth case on the docket of the
United States Marshal OF Key West She cGp.urcd
OH Bayport the 18th inst she set lire when
capture was found TO be inevitable, and when she
boarded not soul folnd board, neither any
papers discovered She loaded with lead and few
cases OF sabrea. Her tonnage about eighty tons
A small boat (name unknown) has been brought In
here recently picked up OF Manatee No person
board at the time She had board about Ave hundred
pounds OF cotton, some sugar and coffee covered over
with raw hides Length about twenty feet The cargo
Is said 70 be worth about one thousand dollars.
Two other vessels which have yet been brought in
are reported captured mp the coast-one with hundred
and ten and the othar with thirty bales Of cotton on
board.
The following the list of dccrccs Of distribution
by the District Court OF the United States for the South
ern District OF Florida, In January, 1885,: