November 5.—The United States transport Fulton captured the rebel blockade steamer Margaret and Jessie, this morning, at seven o’clock, when off Wilmington, N. C. The look-out at the foretop masthead made out a suspicious steamer painted entirely white, and burning soft coal, three points on the port-bow ; immediately gave chase, which resulted in her altering her course several times; following her, after a short time it was discovered that she was throwing cargo overboard, which confirmed our first suspicions that she was a blockade-runner. There was also in sight a fore-and-aft-rigged gunboat, five points on our port-bow. She remained in sight for a short time, when we lost sight of her astern. At ten A.M., made a side-wheel gunboat on the port-beam, (afterward ascertained to be the Keystone State.) About this time we fired three shots at the chase from a twenty-pound Parrott gun, falling short of the mark. At eleven A.M., made a side-wheel gunboat, (afterward ascertained to be the Nansemond,) three points on the port bow, also in pursuit. From this time until four P.M., continued in pursuit, gradually widening the space between us and the gunboats, and nearing the chase, when, after having fired fifteen shots, some of which passed entirely over the object, and others striking quite near, and after leaving our competitors far astern, the prize hove to. At this time the Keystone State was about ten miles astern, and the Nansemond about five miles. When the prize hove to, a prize crew, in charge of our first officer and the purser, was immediately sent on board, and a hawser from our stern attached to the prize— now ascertained to be the steamer Margaret and Jessie, of Charleston, from Nassau, N. P., for a confederate port The gunboat Nansemond arrived alongside the prize about half an hour, and the Keystone State about one hour after our hawser was made fast to the prize. This steamer is a valuable vessel, of about eight hundred tons burden, and has on board an unusually valuable cargo.—Official Report.
—The bombardment of Fort Sumter was kept up by slow firing from the monitors and land batteries.
—General Sanders, in command of a Union cavalry force, overtook a rebel regiment at Motley’s Ford, on the Little Tennessee River, charged and drove them across the river, capturing forty, including four commissioned officers. Between forty and fifty were killed or drowned, and the entire regiment lost their arms. Colonel Adams, who led the charge, lost no man or material.— Tbe ship Amanda was captured and burned, when about two hundred miles from Java Head,
by the confederate steamer Alabama.—Brownsville, Texas, was occupied by the National troops, under the command of Major-General Banks, the rebels having evacuated the place, after destroying the barracks and other buildings.—(Doc. 6.)
