31. Two boats under Acting Masters A. Allen, and H. L. Sturges, from the U. S. steamer, Mount Vernon, destroyed a light ship off Wilmington, N.C., which the rebels had fitted up for a gunboat. The expedition was at night, and the boats were under fire from Fort Caswell, but escaped injury.
31. Capt. Shillinglaw and Mason, N. Y. 79th, and Lieutenants Dickinson, 3rd U. S. infantry, J. W. Hart, 20th Indiana, and other officers and men were released by the rebels from Richmond, Va.
31. Capture of the town of Biloxi, Miss, by U. S. gunboats Lewis, Water Witch, and New London, with national forces from Ship Island. The town and fort surrendered without a fight. The guns were removed by Commander Smith, and the Federals retired.
1862.
Jan. 1. The rebel Commissioners Mason and Slidell, with their Secretaries, left Boston for England, via Provincetown, Mass., where the British war steamer Rinaldo received them.
1. Col. H. Brown opened fire from Fort Pickens on the rebel vessels and fortifications within range of his guns, which was returned by the enemy.
1. The British bark Empress arrived at New York as a prize, with 6,500 bags of coffee, captured by the U. S. sloop-of-war Vincennes, off New Orleans bar.
1. Part of the Louisville and Nashville railway was destroyed by order of the rebel Gen. Buckner.
1. Skirmish at Port Royal Ferry, S. C. Federal troops under Gen. Stevens, with the assistance of five gunboats, crossed from Beaufort to the mainland and attacked batteries erected by the rebels, who retreated towards Grahamville. Federal loss, 3 killed, 11 wounded. Rebels, 6 killed, 12 wounded.
1. Jeff. Owens, Col. Jones, and 50 rebel bridge-burners were captured near Martinsburg, Adrian Co., Mo., by State militia under General Schofield.