The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-02-06
Moro About The burnside Expedition,

ment till to-day. He saws that he arrived IN the
transport Spaulding on the morning OF the 18TH
inst, just at the commencement Of strong
northeast gale of wind which lasted until the
18Th. He continues
Then, for the first moment, we were enabled
to commence moving our naval vessels to Il po-
siton in the Sound, over and beyond the Bulk
head, where seventeen of them low lie, and
have been lying for several days, under the i'm
mediate command of Commander R0wanin full
readiness for operations of any sort. With the
exception of Whitehall and Com. Barney, all
the vessels intended to serve on the Expedition
have safely arrived. The Whitehall. in trying
10 get here, became seriously disabled that
she was compelled to put back into Hampton
Roads whence / ordered her to Newport News.
Owing to very serious difficulties, it was not
in Gen. Burnsdp's power, before yesterday, to
make any rapid progress i'll getting his vessels
over the mainland. Some of the dltfiuIties, |
fear, will prove insuperable, but many ofthem
will be surmounted i'll day of two. Then we
shall at once move together to our destined
point Of attack The channel way of this bulk
head is shallow, narrow and tortuous, scarcely
III inch more than seven and a halt feet OF wa
ter can be found Ill it. 1t was only by the great
est exertlOns and perseverance on the part OF
my officers and men, and by turning every pos
sibie eXpedlent to prompt account, that our YES
seiz Of the heaviest draught-sone of them
drawing eight feet--were worried through this
perpiexing gut and it was III contending with
this difficult passage, with our vessels struggling
along unavoidably one by one, that first ex'
pected opposition from the enemy but nothing
OF the sort occurred. Until quite recently, he
was in the habit of visiting this nelghborhood
weekly, and amusing himself by keeping just
out of harms way, and expendlnS ammunition
from rifled guns at the vessels Ill this haroor.-
In no instance, however, did any proJectlle OF
his ever reach any Que of them.
| had occasion TO send out steamer day be-
fore yesterday to ascertain if a certain buoy in
the sound n as still III its place, and while en-
gagged upon the service, she discovered two Reb-
ell steamers in the distance. On this being COM
mum Gated to Com. Rowan, he instantly put after
them with several of our steamers, but they at
once took to flight, and We're too tar OFT to be
over hauled. Any decided approach now to this
quarter by the enemy with all the force he could
muster would to moral certainty, result III his
speedy capture or destruction.
Flag Officer Godsborough states that he has
got seventeen of his war vessels over the
Swosh.
Much Of the time OF Flag Officer Goldsbor-
ough has been consumed III The examination %
natives with the view OF obtaining pilots. The
duty Of obtaining pilots was some time since
committed to hands that had little less than neg
ected it altogether. Consequently 1t had to be
done almost wholly after our arrival here. Scouts
were sent to ChicamIcUmico,4 Az miles above, and
to Ocracoke, II miles below to bring in the ma
lives, nearly all Of whom had the reputation of
being more or less familiar with the sounds and
their estuaries. But few would confess to any
knowledge, particularly OF Gratan Sound, OF
which information was most desired-a tact
which they very well understand. Most of them
knew something of almost every locality, but Of
.his little or nothing. The apprehension of be-
ing required to 60 where there was danger, ap-
peared TO knoc6 whatever they knew OF the
Sound cut of their heads. But the guises OF
these people were easily penetrated and they
stood of objects pity rather than vi censure for
the lies they told. Not so OF all, however, for
therewule some who pursued the manly course
aid we've employed by the flag officer.
|. Among those who presented themselves to
flag officer GoIdsborough to give intelligence
ana make themselves useful, was q negro nam
ed Ben. He WAS no common man. whether you
considered him as white OF black; but naturally
Considerable above the average III intelligence
aud straght-toGwardness in communicating
what ne knew. BY ii odds, he was the best
specimen OF a man OF the 4O or 50 who that day
were questioned on the same subjects and it
was Tie opinion Of those who witnessed it
(Which, by the way, would, in the hands OF an
artist, make one Of the hyeliest pictures imag
Unable that Ben was III fact one of the most
cons dtrable men yet found in this part Of North
Carolina. When Hatteras was taken, Ben was
employed on the island near ChicamcOmico, but
the slaves OF his master, who lived on Roanoke
Island, having mostly decamped, lie was taken
home. Subsequently, with il dozen others, he
escaped 70 Fort Hateias III ~! open boat. He
has made occasional secret visits TO Roanoke,
hYiyl nf
mediate relatives. He and two brothers viii
continue with Flag Officer Godsborough thro
the campaign.
They mount So guns, many OF the heaviest
caIibre and nearly all liAed.
With all our disasters and troubles of the
fortnight past, the actual loss is comparatively
small certainly not serious enough to prove any
material injury to the Expedition. The stores
Oh the City of New York were supernumerary,
and the vessel herself Of no value in the shallow
waters where Burnside is 10 operate. A few
ho ses were lost on the POcahontas, but there
will be but little chlnce to use horses or land
transportation for some time TO come The
floating battery Grapeshot was cut adrift off
Cape Hatteras. One schooner laden with coal
ind another with forage were sunk. The gun
boat Zouaye biged and sunk but we have plen-
ty more Of the same sort left. Taking every
thing into consideration, the large fleet, the
character of the vessels, the large force of men,
the strong gale encountered by the way, and
the abominabe harbOr in which the fleet has
been lying .the Government may congratulate
itself with the success which has thus far at
tended Gen Burnside's Expedition. The pub
lie may depend upon it, that when the leet is
once safely over the Bulkhead into Pamico
this is merely matter of time
Burnsdes blows on the enemy will be quick
and sharp, and he will not rest until he has
swept every Rebel craft from the waters of both
Sounds and every battery from the shores that
he approaches
Gen. Burnside was full of hope, anticipating
the most complete success. In conversation, he
that he had seen darker days than
this >" and that no disaster which the feet had
yet experienced disheartened him in the least.
The soldiers place the utmost confidence in his
Judgment and abilities as General and wherev-
or ne will lead they are ready and eager to fol-
Ow.
But little is known in regard to the enemy, |
'urtEer than that, according to rumor they are |
prepared to defend Roanoke Island vigorously. |
According to the best information possessed |
hey have $500 men, prin cipaily Georgans, and |
our batteries-one on the island, and two on
he main shore. The number of guns is not |
Known. Our forces will make a combined at |
acE, ard, if the plan is carried out, the more
Rebels there are Oh the island, the more we
hpll bag.
1t was the prevailing opinion at Hatteras that
he Clty,oi New York was lost through the treach-
ny of the pilot. Commodore Godsborough de-
Jared TO MIR Flanders that with the permits
ion of the Government, he would string him
lp that very day The crew of the City of
New York were also of the opinion that the pl-
OF played the part of traitor
The conduct Of the scoundrel is thus describ-
d
On reaching the mouth Of the Inlet the City
f New York anchored until the pilot tug Ceres
anne off The pilot inquired her draft of water,
nd being told 10 feet, sand she should follow
i'm in. In ten minutes after trying it, the
teamer struck and could not be got off. This
,ilot, finding that the steamer was aground,
made one attempt TO pull her off. but the line