The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-14
PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTACK.

FOR AN ATTAIN.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, ls62.-Com.
Goldsborough's dispatch, dated United
States flag steamer Philadelphia, Hatteras
Inlet, January 26, did not reach the Navy
Department until to.day. He says that he
arrived in the transport Spaulding on the
morning of the 18th inst, just at the CON-
mencement of strong northeast gale of
wind, which lasted until the morning of the
18th. He continues:
Then, for the first moment, we were ena~
bled to commence moving our naval vessels
to position in the Sound, over and beyond
the Bulkhead, where seventeen of them now
lie and have been lying for several days,
under immediate command of Commander
Rowan, in full readiness for operations OF
any sort. With the exception OF the
Whitehall and Com. Barney, all the vessels
intended to serve on the Expedition, have
safely arrived. The Whitehall, in trying
to get here, became so seriously disabled
that she was compelled to put back into
Hampton Roads, whence l ordered her to
Newport News.
Owing to very serious difficulties, it was
not in Gen. Burnsides power, before yes.
terday, to make any rapid progress in get
ting bis vessels under the bulkhead. Some
of the difficulties, fear, may prove insu.
perable, but many of them will be surmount.
ed in day or two. Then we shall at once
move together to our destined point of at
tack. The channel-way of this bulkhead is
shallow, narrow and tortu0us-under the
most favorable circumstances, scarcely an
inch more than seven and half feet of water
can be found in it. 1t was only by the
greatest exertions and perseverance on the
part of my officers and men, and by turning
every possible expedient to prompt account,
that our vessels of the heaviest draught-
some of them drawing eight feet-were
worked through this perplexing gut, and it
was in contendiDgIwith this difficult passage,
with our vessels struggling along unavoid-
ably one by one, that l first expected oppo-
sition from the enemy, but nothing of the
sort occurred. Unit! quite recently he was
in the habit of visiting this neighborhood
weekly, and amusing himself by keeping
just out OF harms way, and expending anu.
milton from rifed guns at the vessels in this
harbor. 10 no instance, however, did any
projectile of his ever reach any one of them
Flag Officer Goldsborough states that he
has got seventeen of his war vessels over
the Swosh.
DIFFICULTY OF GETTING PILOTS.
Much of the time of Flag Officer Colds
borough has been consumed in the exami-
nation of natives, with the view of obtain
ing pilots. The duty of obtaining pilots was
some time since committed to hands that
little less than neglected it altogether. Con.
sequently it had to be done almost wholly
after our arrival here. Scouts were sent to
Chicamacomico, 40 miles above, and to
Ocracoke, IL miles below, to bring in the
natives, nearly all of whom had the reputa-
ton of being more or less ia niliar with the
sounds and their estuaries. But few would
confess to any knowledge, particularly of
Gratan Sound, of which information was
most desired-a fact which they well under
stand. Most of them knew something of
almost every other locality, but of this lit
tie or nothing. The apprehension of being
required to 60 where there was danger ap-
peared to knock whatever they knew of the
Sound out of their heads. But the guises
of these people were easily penetrated, and
they stood objects of pity more than of
censure for the lies they told. Not so of
all, however, for there were some who pur.
sued the manly course, and were employed
by the flag officer.
THE BEST PILOT WAS NEGRO BEN.
Among those who presented themselves
to flag officer Goldsborough to give intelli-
gence and make themselves useful, was a
negro named Ben. He was no common
man, whether you consider him as white or
black but natively considerable above the
average in intelligence and straightforward
ness in communicating what he knew. By
all odds was he the best specimen of man
of the forty or fifty who that day were ques'
tened on the same subjects; and it was the
opinion of those who witnessed the scene
(which, by the way, would, in the hands of
an artist, make one of the liveliest pictures
imaginable), that Ben was in fact one of the
most considerable men yet found in this
part of North Carolina. When Hatteras
was taken, Ben was employed on the island
near ChicunacOmicO, but the slaves of bis
master, who lived on Roanoke Island, hav-
ing mostly decamped, he was taken home.
Subsequently, with dozen Others, he es-
capped to Fort Hatteras in an open boat.
He has made occasional secret visits to Ro>
anoke, and managed to bring away eighteen
of his immediate relatives. He and two
brothers will continue with Flag Officer
Goldsborough through the campaign.
They mount So guns, many of the heavi-
est Galore, and nearly all rifed.
EXTENT OF DAMAGE BY STORM.
With all our disasters and troubles of the
fortnight past, the actual loss is compare
lively small, certainly not serious enough to
prove any material injury to the Expedi
tion.
The public may depend upon it that when
the fleet is once safely over the Bulkhead
into Pamlico Southland this is merely
matter of time-Burnside's blows on the
enemy will be quick and sharp, and be will
not rest until he has swept every rebel craft
from the waters of both Sounds, and every
battery from the shores that be approaches.
General Burnside was full of hope, antic
ipating the most complete success. In con-
versation he remarked that be had seen
darker days than this" and that no disaster
which the feet had yet experienced dis