JANUARY 28, 1865.-Attack on U. S. Steamer Octorara, Mobile Bay, Ala.

Report of Major General Dabney H. Maury, C. S. Army, commanding District of the Gulf.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE GULF,
Mobile, Ala., February 3, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the 24th ultimo Comodore, Farrand, C. S. Navy, transferred to me the torpedo boat Saint Patrick, built by a man named Halligan, under a contract with the Government. Halligan having shown himself deficient in nerve or capacity to attack the enemy, I removed him from command of the Saint Patrick and assigned to her Lieutenant Walker, C. S. Navy, a young officer of great gallantry and merit whom Commodore Farrand kindly placed at my disposal. Mr. Walker diligently applied himself to preparation for immediately action, and although Halligan had removed from the boat several essential parts of her machinery, he was enabled to recover them and get under way on the night of the 27th ultimo. At 1 a. m. he struck the enemy's flag-ship Octorara abaft the wheel-house. The torpedo missed fire. The greatest consternation and confusion was occasioned on the ship, so that the fire of artillery and musketry which was directed against the Saint Patrick failed too strike her and she returned with her crew to the protection of our batteries. Some portion of her machinery was damaged during the expedition, but Mr. Walker is confident that he will be ready to go our again by the next "dark moom." I take pleasure in reporting too the War Department the fine conduct of Lieutenant Walker and in recommending him through you to the favorable notice of the Navy Department.

I remain, very respectfully, general, your obedient servant,

DABNEY H. MAURY,

Major-General, Commanding.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.

JANUARY 28, 1865.-Action at Athens, Tenn.

REPORTS.

Numbers 1.-Lieutenant George W. Ross, Seventh Tennessee Mounted Infantry.

Numbers 2.-Captain Thomas A. Stevenson, Second Ohio Heavy Artillery.

Numbers 1. Report of Lieutenant George W. Ross, Seventh Tennessee Mounted Infantry.

ATHENS, January 29, 1865-3.30 p. m.

GENERAL: We were attacked yesterday by 300 rebels of Vaughn's, Wheeler's, and bushwhacker commands and repulsed them from town, but they captured some twenty or twenty-five our of men, including Major John McGaughey. They retreated from town in the evening and remained all night seven miles from here, and rumor says they are going to make another attack in connection with about the same force that came to Madisonville yesterday. We have not the horses to follow them, there and if we only had two pieces of artillery we could have killed or captured half of them, as they would not come in range of