Firing on the river.
In our Monday's issue, under the above heading, we gave an account of an affair on the river between a gunboat of the enemy and one of our field batteries, which, we have since learned, was inaccurate in some particulars.
The fight was between four pieces of
Capt. T. B. French's light battery, of
Brig-Gen. Walker's brigade, and a four gun vessel.
The enemy's vessels having been fired on whenever they passed this point by our sharpshooters, the officer commanding this boat took on board, at
City Point, a company of sharpshooters to return our fire from the banks; but when his vessel rounded the bend, and was met by the fire of our field pieces, not only sharpshooters, but gun's crews, sought safety below.
The artillery, supported by a detachment of the Third Arkansas, hammered Uncle Abe's gunboat to perfection, hitting her almost every shot; running their projectiles through and through her, in some instances, and, in others, bursting their shell inside.
The boat was so badly cut up that she had to be unloaded to keep her from sinking.
Having made her way slowly from under fire, she was towed off by the
Monitor.
The fellows on board were so frightened that they fired only one gun in reply, which was done by pulling the lanyard from below, the operator not showing himself.
One of
Captain F guns (a 10-pounder
Parrott, captured at
Mana ) bursted at the third discharge, whereby one of men lost his right arm, and
Lieut. Robertson was very slightly bruised in the mouth.
The brave fellow where arm was broken, (
Wm. D. Jackson, of
Stafford,) while the
Surgeon was amputating it, held up the other, remarking, ‘"Thank God I have one yet left to fight the
Yankees with"’
This battery is the same that harassed the enemy so much last winter on the lower Potomac, under its then
Captain (now
Colonel)
John R. Cook, completely blockading the river in the vicinity of Boy Hole, and in one instance, sinking a schooner transport at the distance of two miles from the guns.
The men are from the old county of
Stafford, are support fellows, know their business, and, with their house and families in possession of the foe, will lose no opportunity to lay a heavy hand upon him.