Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-11-07


posed news assume far larger proportions in passing
from mouth to mouth, than they do otherwise Public
business called US Raleigh on Friday, and the
connection of the Friday evening train from Raleigh
with the train to arrive in Wilmington on Saturday
morning prevented getting home until Saturday
night, and having not got much sleep, waiting at the
depot in Raleigh numbering half the night before
down the North Carolina abroad we did not gel up
very early on Sunday morning, but when we did, we
learned that the feet was in the river So sundry peo
pie told positively but modified it by saying that they
were eff the bar. Going few steps farther learned
that IRE he'd received dispatch giving the most start
ling intelligence On getting to the Journal Office we
Jund the dispatch which the reader will find in another
column, and copies OF which issued yesterday in
al extra form.
Now the fact is, the feet not in the river, al
though some vessels off the bar, most Of which
has since left. Whether they may or may not return
with other forces IS more than say. That re-
mains in statu quo
There was small steamer off Fort Caswel on Sat
urday with white flag What she had to commune
cate we do not know, Perhaps she wanted to send in
proclamation.
As for the reported escape of the private Secretary to
Commodore Dupont, the commander OF the naval expe-
dition recently in Hampton Roads, but now scattered
along the Southern coast this news comes crcultouSy
through correspondent Vi IL" New York Tribune and
is no doubt another vcrSo OF the affair of a person
calling himself Lieut.. Hall, who ashore some time
since near Pigs Point, stating that he had deserted
from the lncolnes, but who and rather suspect
3D. being treated with respect but carefully guarded
He may have made revelations which, as things
stand, and while doubts exist about his standing
must be taken with many grains of allowance, if not
distrust.
About the feet. That sailed on Tuesday fcrenoon-
We have two gentlemen, one from the batteries
West of Elizabeth River, and the other from the bat
teries East of the River, and they both state that
there were over one hundred sail of vessels OF all szs
of which some steamers some transport steam
ers some former trading steamers, armed block
aders sundry gun beats and small tugs, and a large
number of sailing transports, among them the Great
Republic said to be full of horses
The number of vessels is large, but there is hardly
any probability that the land forces taken on beard could
exceed twenty thousand men, The steamers could
not take many men in addition to their own full COM
pment OF men. SuDdry of the little tugs could not
take many, if they had nothing else to do Sundry
of the larger transports filled with horses artillery
and forth, that average it is barely possible
that there regiment to every FIVE vessels If the
report from Fortress Monroe true, that only one hun
dred Thousand ratons distributed among the feet
it would indicate either small military force or short
prospective voyage, not extending the Gulf of
I Mexico
The feet all sailed about the same time Next day
there left only two three vessels at Newport
News one between Fortress Monroe and the Rip Raps
two perhaps at other points in the Roads, and
perhaps at the Horseshoe in the Chesapeake
Bay, outside of what is known as Hampton Roads.
Now about its destination, Ole or two facts may be
mentioned First 1t is said to be under the com
mand of Commodore Dupont. Commodore Dupont
commands the feet on the Southern division extending
> South from Charleston, we believe Commodore
Godsborough command the squadrons on the sections
of the Confederate coast North OF Charleston including
North Carolina Commodore Godsborough is the
senior officer, and it hardly probable that Com
modore Dupont would be sent at the head of an expe
dton to operate within the limits of the command as
uigned to Commodore Goldsborough thus superseding
bis senior officer. fit be fact there appears to be
little doubt, that the feet is under the command of Com
modore Dupont and ifdt be also fact that bis assigned
=. limits do not extend North of Charleston, which il
generally asserted then the inference would be that the
expedition is intended for Charleston or point at least
South of the Southern boundary of North Carolina
4 Reasonable surmises have been made placing its de
- stination at Ship Island some other point on the
Mississippi Sound, with view to operate against either
Mobile or New Orleans, turning the Notifications
the mouth of the Mobile Bay at the passes of Lakes
a Borgne and Ponchartran. here is only one circum
stance that would to US to materially negative Thu
surmise calculation and it is this. About sunset O.
the evening Of Thursday the 3lst ut three large
steamers were from Cape Lookout Lighthouse
going South but far out as to render it impossible
to tell whether or not there any men on board ant
10 about the same time a steamer apparently crowde,
with passed in shore that her designation
ne could be distinctly read North Street Ferry Boat
of fshe had any distinctive name was not SEEN Sh
ID was New York ferry boat how she cot down t
ia Norfolk and then how she contrved to roll aroun
at Hateras is puzzle, but it is evident that she cou
not be expected to carry load of men round to tb
Gull, and the presumption arises that any expedition
o. which she attached or of which she formed mart
must have less distant destination Indeed it woul
indicate point not farther South than some point o.
j.; the seaboard of South Carolina or Georgia,
1t is said that the ships rolled heavily at their anchor
s. in the Roads, causing much suffering to the men am
horses on board. 1t certain that if that New Yor
* ferry boat was out on Friday night, and where els
could she be she must have gone under with all o.
board We saw gentlemen who came up about mid-da
ut on Saturday from Newberne, as also from Beaufort
of aud they say that the bio Friday night and Satur
day was tremendous the tide rising so high that tn
train could not get down to Morehead CITY, No doub
the beet wherever it was, got scattered each vesse
taking care OF itself the best it could This will proba
bly, delay operations, and render the Lincon;ts s+,