The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-05-24
A Daring Expfois by Contrabands.
UNITED SrArrs STEAMSHIP AuaUsrA

/ y
Sir: have the honor to inform you that the
Rebel armed steamer Planter was brought out to
US this morning and delivered up to the squad.
| ron, Five colored women and three children
are also on board She carried one sa.pOuadsi
| and one 24-pounder howitzer, and has also on
| board four large guns which she was engsgedin
| Transporting. l send her to Port Royal at once,
| in order to take advantage of the present good
weather. i send Charleston papers Of the 18th,
and the very intelligent contrsband who was 10
charge will give You the information which be
has brought off. have the honor to request
that you will send back as soon as convenient
the officer and crew sent on board.
Commander Dupont, in. forwarding this dis
patch, says, in relation to the Reb,I steamer
Planter: She was the armed dispatch and trans
portation steamer attached to the Engineer De-
partment at Charleston under Brigadier General
Ripley, whose bark short time since was bro't
to the blocksding feet by several contrabsnds
The bringing out Of this steamer, under all the
circumstances, would have done credit to any
one At in the morning, in the absence of the
Captain, who was on shore, she left her wharf,
close to the Government Office and headquarters,
with the Palmetto aud Confederate" flags flying,
passed the successive forts, sautlpg, as ususl,
BY blowing the steam-whistle After getting
beyond the range of the last gun, che hauled
down the Rebel flags, aud hoisted n white one.
The Onward was the inside ship of the block.
aiding squadron in the main channel, and va,
preparing to fire when the commander made out
the white flag.
The armament of the steamer is 32.pounder
or pivot, and 6ne "a FOUNDER howitzer. She
has besides, on her deck, four other guns ons
finch, ri1ed, which were to be taken on the
morning of the escape to the new fort on tbs
middle ground. One of the four belonged to
Fort Sumter, and had been struck Ia the Rebel
attack on the fort on the muyzle Robert Small,
the intelligent slave and pilot Of the boat, who
performed this bold feat so skilfully, informed
me of this fact, presuming it would be 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 Is many OF
them have been. His information has been
most interesting. and portions of il of the Ut
most Importance. .....
The steamer Is quite valuable acquisition TO
the Squadron, by her good machinery and very
light draft. The officer in charge brought her
through st. Helena Sound and by the inland
passage down Beaufort River, arriving here at
10 o'clock last night On board the steamer,
when 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.
do not know whether, in the views of the
Government, the vessel will be considered
prize; but if so. respectfully submit to the De.
pertinent the claims of the man Small and bis
associates.
Very respectfully, your obedlent servant,
8. +. DUPosT.
Flag Officer Commanding, 10