The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-05-30
A Bold Achievement of a
Party Of Contrabands.
4 REBEL VESSEL RUN OUT OF CHARLES.
TON HARBOR AND DELIVERED
TO COM. DUPONT.

TO COM. DUPONT.
The following interesting report from
Commander PARROT has been received at
the Navy Department, having been forwar-
ded by Com. Dupont
~. S. STEAMSHIP Augusta. OFF eMARLEsroN,}
MAY H. 1862.
"SIR: have the honor to inform you
| that the rebel armed steamer Planter was
| brought out to US this morning from
Charleston by eight contrabands, and dellv.
cred up to the squadron. Five colore1 wO
men and three children were also on board.
She carried one thirty two FOUNDER and one
twenty four FOUNDER howitzer, and has also
on board four large guns which she was en-
| gagged in transporting. send her to Port
Royal at once, 10 order to take advantage
of the present good weather. send
Charleston papers of the 18th, and the very
intelligent contraband who was in charge
will give you the information which he has
| brought of. l have the honor to request
that you will send back as soon as convent.
ent, the officers and crew sent on board"
Commodore Dupont, in forwarding this
dispatch, says in relation to the rebel steam.
er Planter:
"She was the armed dispatch and trans.
| portation war steamer attached to the
Engineer Department at Charleston, under
Brigadier General Ripley, whose bark a
short time since was brought to the block
aiding feet by several contrabands. The
bringing out this steamer, under all the Cir
cumstances, would have done credit to any
one. At four in the morning, 10 the ab
sence of the Captain, who was en- shore, she
left her wharf, close to the government Of
fee and headquarters, with the Palmetto
and Confederate flags fying-passed the
successive forts, saluted as usual by blowing
the steam whistle. After getting beyond
the range OF the last gun she hauled down
the rebel flag and hoisted white one. The
Onward was the inside ship of the blockad-
ing squadron in the main channel, aud was
preparing to fire, when her commanders
made out the white flag. The armament of
the steamer is 81 FOUNDER on pivot, and
fine "a FOUNDER howitzer. She has beside
on her deck four other guns--one inch ri.
fed--which were to be taken on the morn.
ing of the escape to the new fort on the
middle ground. One of the four belonged
to Fort Sumpter and had been struck in
| the rebel attack on the fort in the muzzle.
Robert Small, the intelligent slave and pi.
lot of the boat, who performed the bold feat
so skifully, informed me of this fact, pre-
suming it would be a matter of interest to
US to have possession of this gun. This
man, Robert Small, is superior to any who
have come into our lines, intelligent as
many of them have been. His information
has been most interesting and portions of it
of the utmost Importance.
"The steamer is quite valuable acquisi.
ticp to the squadron, by her good machine
ry and very light draught. The officer in
charge brought her through st. Helena
Sound, and by the inland passage down
| Beaufort River, arriving here at 10 last
night. On board the steamer wien she left
Charleston were eight men, five women and
three children. shall continue to employ
Small as pilot on board the Planter, for
inland waters, with which he appears to be
very familiar.
II do not know whether, in the views of
the government, the vessel will be consid-
cred prize, but if so, respectfully submit
to the department the claims of the man
Small and his associates.
every respectfully,
| "YOur Obedient servant.
! IS. F. DUPONT,
alag Oficer Commanding, &C."
A correspondent, writing from Port
Royal on the l4th, gives the following
additional particulars of this achievement:
/" Vine black men. named Robert Small,
| pilot; John Small and Alfred Gradine,
engineers; Abraham jackson, Gabriel Tur-
no, William Morrison, Samuel Gorbolm,
oraham Aston, and David Jones, have
lately escaped from Charleston, and deliver
ed q rebel gunboaI to the blockading feet.
A coDtraband named Smal--who was long
acknowledged to be the o!everest pilot in
Charleston harbOr--had in his charge a
secession gunboat called The Planter. This
steamer had been formerly tug, and was
subsequently fitted up as gunboat, with q
rife gun forward and siege gun att. Be-
ing swift saIer, with a pilot well acauaint.
ed with every part of the harbor, she was
generally engaged in proceeding nearly
within the reach oil cur biockading feet, and
had often gone out to sea to reconnoiter,
and 'take stock of the Yankee ships
After returning from one of these cruising
expeditions On the l1th inst, the Planter
was moored to the wharf at Charleston. and
her officers landed, and were subsequently,
scattered throughout the city. Small had
no especial love for the chivaIry' or their
cause, and be resolved to steam out to the
offipg, past the rebel batteries, to the block
aiding fleet, and present his craft prize to
the officers. In order to make the hazard
Gus enterprise successful, be had consulta.
ton with the fremen--alI of whom were
slaves--and they seconded his proposition
with alacrity, in order to obtain freedom
On sailed the vessel with her contraband
crew uninterruptedIy till she passed the
harbor guard, but the pilot gave the coun.
tersign, and no impeachment was offered to
her passage.
"The Planter was then moored to an ad.
jacent dock where the families of the crew
came on board. Subsequently she got out
of the reach of the gus of Fort Sumter,
those in the fort recognizing her as in the
rebel service. A few minutes afterward