, 1862-11-24

Gen. Foster makes the following official re-
port OF his expedition against the rebel forces
in North Carolina, explaining the reasons fQs
suspending his march upon Tarboro:
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. NORTH EaE:1;rs..,
..... kEwEEI:N, Nov. Il, ,5s:.
Msj- Gen. Ta1leek. General-ia-Lh;tf e, s.A.:
GENERAL: sara the hcuor L. ren,7 that
agreeable 10 my letter Of the 30li ult., Inform
lLg you OF my intention to make III x,,2tjitio,i
through the eastern counties OF Ibis Safe, and
Stating the object OF the move, ls1t this post
on The 3lst ult., end have jnstnrriyed here on
my return.
am happy to iuferm you that although the
original PLAN for tie capture OF the three resi-
mensE forsging in that secti N WIS, owing to
the coz ai1!nn OF the roads, tIus' 'rate.i, the sS
peti1so,s will be Of great service TO our cause
in his Department.
The 1irEt brigade, under command Of Col,
T. j. c. An,ory, tog=ther win the arsilers,
cavalry sEd wagon tTain, we're marched from
1lia point acro6s tie country to Washington:
the ha!anes Of my forces, including the second
brigade, Col- Stevenson, and the third brigade,
Col Lee, were :embarsed On trans ports,
and landed at Washington, where they wer.:
joihed BY Col: Amor5 IS command on slturaly
evt mtg, the I'd int.
On Sunday, the Sd, ali the forces, izcluding
artillery, LETT Washington unde- my COM
maId, for Williamson. On het7aaiu:s OF tie
ht EuEQuHLGlEQ tHE tHtIt3G, DO5LE0
in 8 strong position at 4 small creek, called
Little Greek. I Immediately ordered Coloac.
Stevenson, commanding the second brigade.
Wbo was then in the advance, to make ali
haste In driving them ffoEa the OPT osi5e side
Of the creek, und push On at once. The en-
being driven from shsir rifle pits by the cfIse-
tire fire Of BElger's Rhode Island 6at'ery, re-
tired to R1w1e's Mills, one mile further on,
WEere 'bey made another stand iu recently
constructed held-Wor6. Bsiger's battery
ahd lti,tty Two batteries sf ths 81 New Yo!k
Position, snd af.er spirited engage
ment OF h2lf an hour eucceeGed in driving the
eLeny from their works, and across 4 bridge,
which they burned. That hight, white The
pioretre tuilt tie burat br,5g-, the forces
bisoaacked on the field and proceeded .he
rived alopt noan. We started 1ron there
alter short rest, in pursuit of the enemy,
biyouackfrg about five miles from that place
On the following day we reached aud otcu pied
the to1tiGcaaons at Ra,nbow Banks, 1nr7.
miles below Hamilton, aGd then pushed
oE to HaDilt1n. There wa exvtefe6
to 6rd scnle iron-clat1 boats, eaid to b. II :ae
prGcet5 OF construction at Hamilton, bus dis
covered nothing Of the kind On the 9Th We
Lett Hamlll on, In pursuit CT the euenlg to-
Tatds Iareora: and encsnped on the sae1a
light within ten miles OF that place. I: was
Tarboro, but the exhaueted condition Of my
lt.eD, most OF whom hel been sick during the
last two months and had not get rec ,Verad
their strength, and the provisions being en-
tiEely exhausted, so that had to su',sist the
command by toraging, as well as the fact tnat
tre enemy we're being largely feieEo.ced by
rai1, changed my plans, aud Oh the :o!so*iag
mernlng, the Tth instant, I count:rna rcaed
the column, making Hamilton the sane MI. it,
uhese We remained 1ill the next u,crni:.g,
when we marched for Williamson in the midst
OF severe SNOW storm. At Williamson ne
remained day, in order 10 giye the men a.
Opportunity to rest. At daylight the next
Gay, tie 1Gsh instant, we started for plymouth,
where nc arrived that night. The follouiag
day The troops we're &l rG-enbarled for MrT-
berr.
Dnriag The engage meut at Raw!e's Mills and
ct Hamilton we captured five prisoners, who
were Teroled at Williamson. The loss or
cpr tide consisted in six Killed and eighl
. wounded.
TIE expedition WAS Instrumental in sasina
the town and forces at Plymouth from des
t1pcticn and capture, as sound upon 1nY ar
while 1yi:g in tue vicinity, besides being en-.
gagged in foraging, had reconstructed bridge
over the creek, three miles outside the town
Tor tie transportation Of their artillery to the
opposite bark. I also learned, from infosma
t!on gathered On the spot, that an immediate
attack was to have been made on the place:
hut upon hearing Of my advance from Wash
ington, sud eeeiDg the danger vi their cai,
turs: TREY beat q precipitale and has:y rcsreas
Tle navy, ucder commsud OF Commodore
Davenport senior officer, co-operased heartily
with me during the whole time, by 6endiu.
five gunboats to Hamilton, and there placiue
four boa: howitzers, with their crews, at mi
Giiposal.
desire to mention particularly the edic;en'
conduct of Col. Stevenson, coniu,auding tbs
second brigade, and Col. Potter, vi the Is
North Carolns 3ion volunteers.
recommend that Col. Stevenson, for hi:
efficient services on this marah, aId in ttls
clair at Little Greek aud Rswle's Mills, as vel
IS previous services at TIE battles Of Ksanok.
ard Newnern, be promoted to the rank Q
BfiEadlef General, to date 1ronl Nov. ). 1852
Your 0bCGient Servant,