The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-01
FROM NORTH CAROLINA.
How Gen. Foster was Reinforced.
The Exploit of the Escort.
of the New York Herald.


Con. Foster, Lieutenant Colonel Hoff-
man, Captain Gourand, and Lieut.. Edward
P. Peters, Aid-de-C Camp, arrived here at
nine o'clock last night, on the steamer Es-
cort, in safety, from Washington, having
successfully run the batteries at Rodman's
Point, and that at Hills Point.
On Saturday night last, some of the Off
GERS of the gallant 9th Rhode Island regi-
ment (his regiment was one of the four
teen under Spinola) waited upon General
Palmer, and stated that that body of vet
Grams had, en- masse, requested permits
sion to either run past the batteries
upon the river below Washington, or
land and capture them bodily. It is
unnecessary to state that the offer was
accepted, and the staunch transport Es-
cort, Captain Wall, was brought up to
the dock to receive them. They came
on board at midnight, so noiselessly
that not dozen people knew of it until
late the next day, when they had arrived
in the vicinity of operations. So COM
pletely exhausted were the men with their
four days hard marching and fighting,
that when they found themselves on board
the steamer they sank down to rest and
sleep upon the bare decks only as tired
warriors can rest under the dew sprink-
ling canopy of heaven. A run of seven
teen hours brought them to the feet of
gunboats, five miles below the battery at
Hills Point. General Palmer was with
them, as were also, Lieutenant Colonel
Hoffman, Acting Adjutant General on Cen
eral Fosters staff, and Colonel McChes-
ney, of 1st North Carolina Union volun-
teers. The brave Rhode Islanders were
clamorous to be put through the ordeal
that night; but the commandant felt it
his duty-as it was-to study we'll the po-
sition and weigh carefully the chances.
The cOmmandant of the naval feet was to
be consulted, and joint plans arranged, all
of which took time; so that when all was
ready it was so near morning, and the
moon was shining so brightly, it was wisely
concluded to defer the hazardous enter
prise until Monday night.
About ten o'clock on Monday night the
gunboats, which had taken position below
the Hills Point Battery, opened brisk
fire upon the rebel works, but were unable
AIDE, the Escort loaded with supplies and
troops, steamed up past the gunboats, and
before the rebels could realize the fact,
was abreast Of the batteries, and entering
the gap Of the blockade, which had been
buoyed OUT by Captain McDermot of the
Ceres, through which she passed in safety.
The Hills Point Battery did not modest
her in passing, owing to the fact that the
gunboats kept up such an incessant and
we'll directed fire upon the fort as to make
it impossible for the rebels to get their
guns into position. But after the steamer
had passed the blockade her trip was de :
cidedly an exciting one. The rebels had
posted sharpshooters onratts in the river
and in the bushes on the shore, and they
had also planted light field batteries along
the south bank OF the river, near which
the channel runs, from which they kept
up a continuous firing of volley after volley
OF musketry and roar upon roar of artillery
until the craft was lost in the distance.
For six miles she ran the fiery gauntlet, a
part OF the time being within three hun
dred yards of the shore, which swarmed
with gray backed ritlemen and butternut
colored artillerists, whose every word of
command and shout of defiance could be
distinctly heard by those on board
When she arrived opposite the battery
on Rodmanis farm, the guns which had SO
nearly demolished the gunboat Commo-
dore Hull belched forth their hostile well
come, and for twenty minutes the thunder
from the rebel guns was continued like one
prolonged peal from Jove's own artillery.
The night was as calm and still as ever
night was-not q breath of air, except the
gushing bursts set in motion by the rebel
guns and the steamers own advance,
stirred the smoke as it fell like pail upon
the water, and rendered the darkness
dOubly sornbre. Guided only by the firing
upon the shore, the brave pilot headed her
Oh until the last discharges of cannon and
musketry were heard far astern, and he
knew he was close upon Washington.
Then he espied the low, black hull of one
of our gunboats, and he heard the watch
bell upon the deck tolling out the hour of
the night; then he saw the dim lights in
the back windows of the houses in town,
and heard the half-suppressed voices of our
men on shore, and be doubly realized that
the immediate danger was over ..'.
81 wish l could write the scene of the
landing OF our troops in Washington, says
tlIc OSCuSOIdl vi juC IiCi(tiU. VIC
went through on the Escort, and who fur
nishes me these items. t..,y
It would be useless for he to attempt to
describe the appearance of the Escort, as
she lies at her wharf, back of W. G. Ham
ilton & Co.'S warehouses, an object of
wonder and curiosity to thousands. One
Of the shots of the enemy-a twelve
| FOUNDER Whitworth --passed directly thro'
the berth which had just been vacated by
General Foster, and another struck one of
the connecting rods above the cylinder
crosshead, indenting and bending it SO as
| to render it almost useless. a's .-e
NO less than eighteen solid shot az
shells struck and passed through the steam;
er, completely Kidding her upper works,
and partially disabling her machinery,
while the bullets of the enemy's sharp
shooters perforated her joiner work like a
sieve Notwithstanding this, only one life
was lost-tliaS OF the pilot, Pederich, kill
ed by rifle shot.
In is strange what high price horses