WASHINGTON, April 17.
Intelligence was received to-day from the Potomac flotilla, which, on the 14th inst., visited the town of Serbana [sic]. A boat’s crew was sent ashore there, but when within a few yards of the beach, they were fired upon by the rifled pieces. No one was injured. The boat received several shots in her hull. The Jacob Bell being nearest immediately opened fire on the rebels, which scattered them in every direction.
After this, the flotilla proceeded on its voyage towards Fredericksburg. Arriving opposite Lowry’s Point battery they commenced from the whole fleet to shell the works and fortifications, driving out the pickets who have occupied it since its evacuation twelve days ago by a large body of the rebel army, after the shelling. The boat’s crews landed and proceeded to burn some 150 plank and log houses, used by the rebels as quarters, which were entirely consumed. After which the boats returned to their ships, loaded with blankets, medicines and muskets, left by the rebels in their flight.
The fleet then proceeded to the town of Tappahannock, about two miles above Fort Lowry, and arriving off which, a blank cartridge was fired and a flag of truce hoisted, which was responded to by the people of the town, by displaying a number of white flags. Our commander with his gigs and crew landed, when they were met at the beach by a large concourse of people of all colors, and it seemed with great demonstrations by the dark population. The American flag was run up over one of the largest houses in town, when it was hailed with enthusiastic cheering by the crews of our own gunboats. Subsequently, our commander was informed that some of the people of the place had said as soon as we left it would be torn down. Our commander then politely told them that if it was he would give them six hours to leave the town before he burnt it.
Information was given by the contrabands that four large schooners and other obstructions had been placed in a narrow channel of the river, five miles this side of Fredericksburg, to prevent our approach to that place, where lies the steamers St. Nicholas, Eureka and Logan – the former mounted with two guns.
As far as could be learned there were no rebel soldiers on the neck of land lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock, excepting a few picket cavalry, composed of Marylanders, to prevent the escape of negroes.
On the 15th inst. the fleet lay off Rappahannock.
About 50 miles below Fredericksburg our fleet captured the sloop Reindeer, loaded with oysters, shad, cedar posts and carpet bags containing a quantity of clothes for the rebels, with many letters; from which was ascertained the rebels were evacuating Fredericksburg, and talking of burning the town to keep it from falling into our hands. The fleet then proceeded down the river to Collin’s Creek, and there cut out two very fine schooners.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, April 19, 1862, p. 1
