Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-23
The Rebel DEMONSTRATION asainst New


The Rebel Demonstration against New
bern.
From the correspondence of the New
York Times we quote the following report
of the rebel demonstration against New
bern and Fort Anderson on the 18th inst i:
"0n the 18th, the anniversary of the
opening of the battle Of Newbern, the en-
emy appeared in large force between the
Trent and Neuse rivers, and drove our
pickets in over Deep Gully. Colonel Lew
is, commanding the Third New York cav
airy, was Immediately thrown out with
Belger's battery, 10 hold the enemy in
check, which he successfully accomplish
ed, when General Palmer came up with a
portion Of his command, and the enemy
fell back.
"On the morning of the 14th, large
force of the enemy, with eighteen pieces
of artillery, appeared in front of Fort An
derson, on the north side of the Neuse,
and commenced its bombardment. Fort
Anderson is an unfinished earthwork,
without any cannon then mounted
"The enemy sent in, by flag of truce, q
summons to surrender, to which Colonel
Anderson, commanding the garrison with
the Ninety-Second New York Volunteers,
replied that it would be impossible for
him to entertain the proposition, and i'm
mediately sent word to General Foster, at
NeWbern, Of the force and description of
the enemy.
{" The enemy, under command of Gen.
ersl PettigreW, opened with their batteries
at short range with shot, shell and eanis-
ter; the men protected by the parapet
were untouched, but the tents in rear of
the fort were completely riddled.
"The oannonading at daylight aroused
the whole town. the troops were under
arms, and everything made ready for a
general attack on the city.
"General Foster sent word to the garri-
son to hold out till the last moment, and
never to surrender.
" The gunboats under command of Com
modore Murray were soon in position, and
the scene became one of intense excite
ment; everything centered on the little
band in the fort. The gunboats soon sent
their terrible missiles, and told upon the
enemy with good effect-one shell from
the Hunchback killing two men and
wounding thirteen.
"The enemy's fire slackened and then
entirely cease; another flag of truce, with
summons to surrender, giving Colonel
Anderson seven minutes to answer in be-
fore an assault Colonel Anderson replied
that he did not lVdEt seUeR seconds, and that
when they fired it suited his convenience,
as well as the assault
"During this time General Prince had
been placing in position some 2O-pound
hoWitzers belonging to RansOm's Battery,
and they opened upon the enemy in live
ly manner, and after three hours sharp
work, the enemy fell back repulsed in their
efforts 10 capture Colonel Anderson and
his command.
During the day the fort was reinforced
by the Eeighty-ffth New York.
"General Foster was present where the
danger was most imminent, and directed
in person much Of the artillery fire from
the NeWbern side OF the Neuse River.
"The casualties were very slight on our
side-Oas man killed and t1Co 1UOuRded.
'The intentions Of the enemy were not
fully ascertained when our informant left,
on Sunday at 2 o'clock. Gen. Prince, with
his division, was en- route to the front, and
would give the enemy battle, if they should
make a stand.
DuAAA5 thO OdAuOuduluB bilb UAukS OA
the Neuse were lined with men, women
and children, as we'll as the hOuse-tops.
"a deserter r ports that the enemy suf-
fered severely from the shells of the gun
boats and our twenty-pOunder howitzers.
The shots from the enemy's guns seldom
reached the NeWbern side Of the Neuse.
One gun Of the enemy burst during the
engagement killing and wounding sew
eral"