New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-31
rrv,,s FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE ENEMY

SDNyTIIlNG AbOt4 if'i bN4Hil.
rr. l,tle is known 10 regard TO the enemy, further
Alan tbat according to rumor, they are prepared 10
de,,ni Roanoke Island vigo onsly. According To
Aa heat information Tossess d. they have 2'9Oo men
,-;orpau, Geoigians, and four Datteres-one on the
isl,nd ard two on the main e'o'e. The number oi
&c IA not Known. Our forces VIII make COM
9,e5 attack. and, if the plan is carried out, the more
poI.Is there are on The leland, tie more we shall
bag.
p;lo,. have been obtained FROM among the natives
% take onr feet through the most difficult passages,
tbouch +; ia somewhat noticeable how many there
are who While ago kew all about these waters
Mad ignorance now, and how many who DO Ano"
AZ afflicted with the rbeumat'sm,
Gen Thomas Williams WHO commands the forces
chat have SO long held possession Of this stormy
beach. will command brigade in tie expedition
but will not take part IN the operations against
Roanoke Probably not moIe than 0he-haii OF 0rh'
Rurasidee forces viii participate IN that eXpedon'
YESTERDAY morning Two r.hei steamers came about
6fteen miles below Roanoke Leland. The entire
fleet coulS lie seen from the Island, and IT Is not eX-
,o..d ,l,t,le rebels viii be kept in ignorance of
INV ,o,c,al movements TIE delly consequent on
.oniovi,o boats Of too deep drafi, may prove very
g. ,,. drawback il doubtless viii cost us good
,n.nv lives, sS the rebels having become in part ut
J.as;, POSSESSED OF tie knowledge Of the expeditions
destination, will be able to concentrate their forces
srd strengthen their 6eenscs.
THE NATIVES AS PILOTS.
Vu,h Of the time of Flag-Ohcer Godsborough has
beer consumed in tie examination OF natives, wiki
de view Of obtaining piols. TIE duty of obtaining
olots was some rme suce committed to hands that
Hcle les. than neglected it together. Consequently
!; had TO be done almost wholly after our er.1yal
hoe. Scouts were sent to Chicamacomico, 20 miles
shove, and 10 Ocracoke, Il miles below TO bring i'll
de natives nearly all Of whom Rad tie reputation Of
being more or less familiar with tue sounds and their
esuaies Probably NOT much, If sny, less than loo
answered. TO the summons. Those from Chicgma-
conico came in with apparent willingness, but Ocra-
eokiars bad 10 be brought as prisoners. ! have re-
marked elsewhere or the apparent iorgetiulness 10y
Aese men CT nearly all they ever knew as pilots.
b., iow would confess to any knowledge, particular
" Of era an Sound, OF which information WAS mUst
desned-a fact which they well understand. Most
Of ;8en knew something Of almost every OF er
isa.lity, but Of this l;ile nothing. The Gpprehen-
GDn 0. being Iequilej 10 30 Were there WAS danger
gIe.red to knock whatever they knew Of that Sound
or OF their beads. AT any rare, they were ex-
hemey prudent in their confessions. IL WAS ob-
rived however, that in some iustarces the offer of
Lbcrz pay somewhat quckened their recollection
au3 ade them think better Of it. Taking their own
Holes to he true, there were but few well men
suonc them, eckn IS beng the reason why they
sould nOt CO. and would infer that this cheerful
s0t on the iogtsool afforded q fine oreuiog for tie
L III. D., -.
peo7le easily penetrated and they stood otj-cts
Of pity more than Of c,nstre ior The lies taey Told.
eot so Of all, however, for tAere were some WHO
pg,sued tie manly coune, and were employed By
heG,g officer.
Among those who presented themselves 20 Flag
Oficsr GoicsbOroush 10 give Intelligence and make
Gomseves useful a negro paued Ben. He was
socommOn man. whcthery you considered Jim as white
VI blaoE but nsilyely considerable above The
ne 10 intelligence and etraigh-forwarluess il
l.uui,atirg what he knew. by ali odds wac he the
tcst specimen of nan Of the 20 or 20 who tist day
tcer, ouesioned 90 the same subjects; and il was
lie ouiuon Of those VITO witnessed the sceLe (Which,
by The wsy would, in the bands Of an atlst, make
pnc Of tie iyelest pictures iuaginablel, that Ben
rv?s in fact one OF the mcst considerable men yet
EuId ia ills part Of North Carolina. Wien Hat
teras was taken, Ben was employed on The island
pear ChcrmacocI but the SLAVES OF his master, who
lived OIL Roanoke Island, Laving norty deoamped
he taken home. Subsequently, with dozen
s3ers he escaped to Font latitras n open boat.
liz bas made occasional secret visits 10 Roanoke and
damaged TO bring away eighteen Of h.s immediate
/ sstves. lie and two brothers will continue with
fae-Oticer Gods5orough through tae campaign.
Fey sre indoed peculiar people, with strong and
1 ri provincial cbsracterisiiCs both in dacc, aud
nanncrs Il il not at all surprising hat regarding
items ives between two fires they should manifest
l some degree OF hesitation in Communicating even
wlai they do know. As general hing, however,
On being properly assured they communicate freely,
srd al tiues exbibi; good deal OF shrewdneSs with
/ III their simplicity.
TIE Loss or THE POCAH0STAs.
eoDe natives from toe Cape report that, Friday
niiht tie army steam transpoTt Pocabottas, when
| opposite Little Kline Reef eighteen miles above Hat
tsias Light parted her ui4er chain and subsequeui-
" burI Der boiler and went ashore 1T the iirst.uane3
pt,ce. She had 1913 hoises and 60 men aboard; all
To ilen and IS horses were saved, all Of whom
bsve arrived at Fort Hsileras. Tie Pocahonias
wont 70 pieces i'll very short time. She uas a side.
wheel steamer, owned IN Baltimore, aud quite old.
| The Rev. Mr.. Flanders, Chaplain ofthe Alb Rhode
islard Regiment attached 10 the Burn,ide Exre.
| e. ion furnishes The Pr0U,deuce Jonruoi with au
pocouDs Of the peris through which the vesse .
| passed. Re also s,ys:
| rong Of CT heroic acts TO which t'e hazardous /
sot tiion o. the feet gave ice, ~ connection
| vih tie lofs Of tie Cry OF Ne .-YOrk esre lily