Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-22


lIarpstrines touched by angel fingers,
Murmur in my raptured ear
Evermore their sweet tone fingers
We shall know each other there
NEWS FROM THE NORTH:
The New York Herald Of The 9th contains letters
from Washington, in this State giving full accounts
of the operations in that quarter The writer dates
his letter twelve miles below Washington. and says
thew. are surrounded on all sides BY rebels. tie
ssys: 81 :,
"On Saturday last, March 20, our pickets beyond
the bockheuse on the Washington side OF the Lar
river were driven in by large force of rebel cavalry
and. inhntry, as were those also upon the Opposite
shore and about noon Of the same day 1t was dls.
covered that the town was being invested upon all
sides. Gen. Foster, at Newbern was Immediately
informed of the aspect Of Affairs and the forces
placed in the best positions possible for defence
Both armies remained quiet until Tuesday morn
ing, each seeming to have no particular anxiety 10
expedite lUstilities On Monday den. hili sent 10
q tiag of truceto Gen. Foster, with communication
whese substance, rymor says, was to send all the
weInen and children out of town, as he (diil) had
determined to take and destroy it Gen. 'Fester
refused to receive the flag Of truce, and sent the
bearer back without an answer. This course is un-
derstood to be in retaliation for the course of Gen.
Hill in refusing to receive flags Of truce from New
bern. At Loon on Monday, Gen. Foster sent Capt.
Lyon, with one of his companies Of North Carolina
volunteers with one small field piece, over to Rod.
mans farm, on the south bank of the river, a mile
and q half below the town, to throw up an earth
work; but they were soon attacked and driven from
their position by the rebels. They fought despe-
ratey, however, but finally had to retreat to fiat
boat, which they had brought with them, on which
they escaped. The mex: morning they attempted
to land again; but when within about five rods of
the shore. they we're opened upon by the rebel mus.
kerry, and, though they saved their small piece,
were repulsed Capt Lyon was severely wounded
in three places and has been sent, With the other
wounded men, to Newbern. The fit Lieutenant
Of Capt Lyons company, VIM Il. King, is now
upon the farm. and the second Lieutenant Lafayette
Riggs is under arrest in Washington for deserving
his Company in thsmorning The captain and first
Lieutenant are from Massachusetts,, and the second
Lieutenant is native of North. Caro- ina
About daylight this morning, Lieutenant Cole re-
turned from Washington in safety, having passed
the three batteries twice during the night feat of
~sAast szss,al2 hasat to hia. succeeding gen.
country's history, and when he shall have been
blessed with descendants to boast to- He brings
cheering news from General Foster and the belea-
guered garrison; but most of 1t would be contra
DsHu 50 Shall OuH WF1El0g II.
At ten o'clock this morning. Lieut. Williams, of
General Spinoa's staff, not to be outdone by Lieut.
Cole, volunteered to lnakea perlous reconnaissance
OF the south shore below the Hills Point battery.
He left in company with boats crew Of picked men,
and made the landing at the mouth of Blount's
creek, three miles oelow the battery, when he was
fred upon by q squad of rebels. This satisfied him
that the woods were not unoccupied, and that his
"serring Southern brethren" would pay no regard
to the fact that his father was an immense demo-
Cratic politician Of Western New York: so he alb
brevated his visit and retired out of range of the
rebel rifles when he cooly adjusted his field glas,
tent lie, too, will have something to brag Of
Lieut. Williams reports that the woods back of the
shore and tort are alive with cavalry and infantry
story which is GOrroborated by the assertions of
contrabands who have come off to us in "dugouts :"
tfene1al Prince has arrived here, bnt brings no
aatiiuonai men or means. Oh for few more gun.
beats and few regiments of the infantry and a few
81 me transports which have Teen gouged out of
thss department by muiishness and the laundering
stupidity fthe Washington o. CO. "men of brains !"
81 washington and hewbem fall now we may thank
the war Department and the General in Chief. and
Gehefal Hunter for it, and no one else"
TIE NAVAL FIGHT AT CHARLESTON,
The Washington City CHRONICLES of the 18th, Lin.
coins Organ gives the following account of the fight
at Charleston:
"Iae gnnboat Flamheau arrived at Old Point
Saturday afternoon, with the officers of the iron.
clad Keokuk, which was disabled at Charleston and
sunk next day. The following are the particulars
81 the engagement, which were furnished the Bal.
uT0re Ameriea" by . participant:
Inc neet, after leaving Hilton Head, rendezvoused
In the mouth Of the Edisto. All,arranvamonts ~
ing completed, the. feet left in detschments and
assembled Oft Charleston on Sunday. the 9Th ;nst
ine IRON clad tieet crossed the bar and entered
charleston harbor en- Monday. The Keokuk draw.
ing less waer than any Of the others, was sent in
1reas 70 had.tbs channel and replace TIN h.,ovs
proceeding up the main ship channel the KaoLn Ill.,
found an easy and .unobstructea en,r.nca : O.
the I'll. '"e N'rh'ng OF
The commanders Of the various vessels were or.
as'sa 70 proceed up the channel to wtis one thou.
ystus On me iorts and then attack principally
we got well up in the harbor. The irons;dsa
.'9ppeo On Fort Moultrie and dropped her anchor
" oelhg dangerous to take her I'D farther a. th,,
uomsns there seemed to be Temporary ,,;s,,raa"
standing by oar commanders Some fonr ~ a..
h9pdred guns now opened upon u.s. sueh Az
was never, perhaps, equaled in the history Of ths
world n was met by the Keokuk with heroic for
"s "ne o"ils were striking her, one fer every
second, her guns were worked with precision e,35
vgor their weight and farce making their nsrk A"u
Fort Samter. 1t Soon became apparent that t i
heokuk was not impregnable as ErS;cson's No.,
itors; that as an ron.clad she was lailnye "r5.
rebel balls seemed to penetrate her as easy az :,
Wooden vessel The port holes or shutters If he,
tarrets became janme,, and her guns perfectly nm
manageable During the thirty minutes she Wa
under this fire one hundred shots struck her, n;net,
q 1Atc@ we're. line Shots or such as wouis
cause her to sink in leewsy. She was perfect,
msGsa ger nag was shot into tstters, and th
Whole of her sides badly bruised or pierced. Pc,
sse,sios the severe injury she had received, III
~oA sssnsiied her' to retire out Of action, which
i. Inc Monitors Nshsnt and Catskiil had moved Ut
- sae support Of the Ksokuk, and engaged For
guotef The dronsides and other yesseIs y 1eps o
ss.ssanees wee dividing their attentions betwes,
s Ssases ana hessria. Into and on the former
sassy. IRE sae Thus poured. and it is believed no