Daily Journal.
OFFICIAL. REPORT
Of the Affair between the Steamer and the
SeweWt Point Battery.
Washington, May 23.
The following official report of the action
- between the U. 8. steamer Star and the
Sewell's Point Battery on the 19th inst.,
has just been received.
U. S. STEAMER STAR, May 10.
Flag- Officer S. H. Stringham, Commander
of the Home Squadron:
' From the time I reported to you yester
day I kept a strict watch on the move
ments of the enemy in and about the Sew
elPs Point Battery. Several noises were
heard during tbo night, but not distinct
' enough for me to trace them. At half-past
five p. m. I heard distinct blows, as if from
, so axe securing timber platforms for gun
carriages inside of the embrasures, and im
mediately I ordered a shot to be fired over
them. The rebels immediately hoisted a
, white flag, with some design on it, and fired
a shot that cut the fore spencer guys near
r the gaff. I immediately went to quarters,
. and returned their fire, which was continued
, by them. I expended fifteen round of
grape, twelve ten-inch shot, thirty-two ten
inch shell, ten shell for thirty-two pounders,
and forty-five thirty-two pound shot; ma
king a total of one hundred and fourteen
shots, which I think did some execution
among the rebels. -1 only desisted for
want of ammunition, having only five eight-
found charges remaining for the pivot gun.
regret that want of ammunition compelled
roe to retire, as I am satisfied I could have
silenced the buttery in a short time.
1 cannot too highly praise the courage
' and patriotism of tno officers and men un
der my command. They acted nobly, and
with great coolness, as the repeated firings
above will show. The action continued
from 0.80 to 8.85 p. m., a duration of ono
hour and fifteen minutes.
The battery is masked, thirteen embra
sures haviDg been erected behind a sand
bank. The rebels had three rifled cannons,
and fired several volleys of Minie balls,
which struck the ship. The ship was
struck five times by the rifled cannon shot,
in the hull and upper works. The damage
can be repaired by ourselves.
I herewith enclose the report of the med
ical officer of the ship, by which you will
perceive that two men were slightly wound
ed during the action.
I cannot close this communication with
out calling the attention of the Flag-Officer
' to the valuable services of Lieutenant Dan
nie! L. Brains, who bad chargo of our pivot
' gun, and who, during the whole aotion,
displayed great coolness and skill in the
management.
HENRY EAGLE, Commander.
' A Patriotic?' Tbnnbssbb Matron.
Tbe Washington correspondent of the Phil
adelphia Press, writes:
Mrs. Cooley, an old lady from East Ten
nessee, arrived here yesterday, traveling a
distance of 1,600 miles for the purpose of
seeing tbe President and his Cabinet in re
lation to our 'national troubles. She re
ports a terrible state of affairs in ber sec
tion of tbe State; nays there are but few
Union, men, and that they are daily in
dread of beiug murdered by tbe infuriated
JW'rfi f9timity,n'i4"& 'iflMr'J Mrs. C.
hopes (jp. Iff turn )mjW4UAely,t,and Vy Jell
ing tit irutb, , tO.osoviooa .jmaaji of er
neighbors of the errors of their ways. She
is delighted 'wirti1 her fish, 'and says Ihe
peopje of Es.it, Tennessee have no cqnoep
liop nflba great unanimity and oVtormina
tios, pf Ifartit? rn people. ' ' ' ' '
Yancey Heard From.
The Chicago Tribune publishes the fol
lowing letter, from which it appears that
Yancey "still lives."
"DECATUR, III., May 16. '61.
"At Effingham I heard an extract read
from a letter from Mr. Yancey to a citizen
of that county, in which this arch traitor
was rejoicing in tbe belief that the North is
full of men like himself. He said that tbe
South had for some time past been organ
izing in our prominent northern cities
'Golden Circles ; that these circles, to a
: man, wore sworn to tbe interest and de
signs of tbe Southern Confederacy; that in
New York city there were twelve thousand
enrolled, and like proportion in Philadel
phia, Boston, Albany, Buffalo, Cincinnati,
Detroit, Chicago, et. al. He also encour
aged his old friends in this state to believe
that these associations would rally to the
support of the Confederate army on call
that tbey were fully equipped and posted
in all that was doing and wanted.
"This to me looks much like a game of
brag, and I could not even believe that the
letter was genuine; but whether it is or, it
is in full accord with tbe designs of these
traitors and their efforts, and it would not
be amiss to keep an eye upon all such who
have hitherto been known to have been
connected with this secret treasonable compact."
Mr. Lincoln's Bbnbvolbncb. Tbe
President, while seated in his new barouche
with Mr. Cameron, awaiting Mr. Chase, at
the Treasury Department, to proceed to
the funeral of Col. Vosburg, espied, on tbe
steps of that building, a poor looking, de
formed young man, with crutohos, whom
he called to bis side and questioned as to
his condition. Tbe lad responded prompt
ly to the Presidential queries, . and, with
tears of joy, pocketed a gold pieeo which
Mr. Lincoln gave biin probably the first
he had ever possessed. Such acts of lib
erality and disinterested charity are fre
quently practised by our executive, who
can never look upon distress without at
tempting to relieve it. Wath. Cor. PhU.
Preet.
Thi Southern Loan in Eukopb.
A good story is current in Wall street, rest
ing on the authority of a passenger who re
turned by the Persia. The commissioners
of tbe Southern Confederacy had an inter
view with a partner of the principal Amer
ican banking bouse in London, on tbe con
templated loan. After bearing all they
had to say on the matter, ha quietly asked :
"What States do you represent P The
seven were enumerated. "Well, gentle
men," says be, "when you are prepared to
pay tbo honest debts already incurred, and
repudiated by Florida, Mississippi, and Ar
kansas, you may have my assistance in in
curring new obligations."
Troops Sent to Assist the Settlers.
From the Davenport (Iowa) Gazette.
' people Page coun
ties, on tbe borders are in great alarm. Tbe
Missouriuns close by are fully organizing,
have their blue Lodges in ovory neighbor
hood, are well armed, and making threat
ening; demonstrations. Citizens of Page
and Fremont counties have appealed to the
Governor for aid. He has sent to their as
sistance Captain G. M. Dodge, of Council
Bluffs, with a company of forty men, and
will at once forwaid arms. Mr. W, 11.
Kinman, of Council Blutfs, , whs last night
in Davenport, and will go to Iowa City ibis
morning to get lb piece of artillery there,
and at once forward it and the cavalry ac
coutrements at Iowa City to Do Moines,
lo be sent thence to the borders.
Circular to Express Agents.
Orrioi of thb Ambrioan Exfrbss Co- )
Buffalo, May 21, 1881. J
To Aobntb. You are hereby requested
not to receive for transportation by this
company, express matter of any description,
destinied for any point, or person, in either
of the Stales which claim lo have seceded
from tbe Union ; you are not to receive any
arms, warlike equipments, military stores,
or supplies, for transportation out of the
State in which your office is located, with
out the written consent of some officor of
such State, or the United Stales. In case
any such property, or any goods contraband
of war, come into your possession, as agent
of this oompany, you will at once give no
tice thereof, by telegraph and by letter, to
the Superintendent of tbe division in which
your office is located, and retain such prop
erty subject to bis instruction.
Attempts have been made to smuggle
goods contraband of war, over the lines of
this Company, to points in or near to the
border of some of the rebel States. It is
our duty and our determination, as loyal
citizens, to detect and expose all such dis
loyal acta; the Managers of this Company,
therefore, request all of its superintendents,
agents, messengers and other employees, to
be dilligenl in detecting, and faithful iu re
porting every attempt made to render aid
and comfort to the enemy, through the
agency of this Company. Any known de
linquency in any of these respects, on tbo
part of an employee of this Company,' will
be cause of immediate dismissal from its
employment. Yours, respectfully,
LIVINGSTON, FARGO & Co.
Tbe Hartford Couraot thus speaks of the
sanguinary and canibalistio character which
the Southern press is wont to give to tbe
present war.
"Such is to be the character of the war
fare. The Tribunecorps, if they are caught,
will probably be substituted for Virginia oys
ters.. Henry A. Wise will probably invite
his friends to a barbaeuo of Wendell Phil
lips. Jeff. Davis, as he is now reported to
be 111, will have to be contented with a lit
tle weak Garrison soup. Roger 'A. Pryor
will ose a bowie-knife to carve np some
roasted Potter; and the whole will be fol
lowed by a desert of such delicate food as
some young and tender abolitionists will
afford. Ob such jolly feasts these rebels
will have 1 ' The ambrosia and nectar of tbe
Gods will be but dry bread and dish-water
to the symposium for which the Southern
mouth now waters, and which tbe Southern
palate craves. And unless the North im
mediately decide by a unanimous vole that
it is the duty of nineteen millions of people
to adopt a course of living which shall put
our bodies in tbe most superior condition
for being eaten, unless each man regards it
as a religious obligation to make himself as
fat as possible within thirty days, we shall
hear ono universal complaint South of Ma
son and Dixon's line that we are depriving
them of their rights.
Thb "Floating Battbrt." Tbe Char
leston correspondent of the Philadelphia
American says of tbe famous floating bat
tery: About a certain "floating battery"
the machine we built to take Sumter.
It leaked. It was placed on a mud bar
near Sullivan's Island; Major Auderaon
fired a few shots al it. After the "gloriou
victory," it was found to be nearly knocked
to pieces. Tho guns were hastily removed,
and the thing towed around (by moans of
the "navy") to the Ashly river. The tide
has filled it with mud and sand, and that is
the end of the poor old floating battery. I
have endeavored to find out how much it
cokL, but that it one of the items carefully
concealed from the inquisitive public