Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-04-17
The News from gen. Foster.

The News from Gen Foster.
Our advices from North Carolina are dated
at Morehead City April 9th. The letter says
of Gen. Fosters situation
''The news from Newbern is on the whole
good. True, Gen. Foster is shut in; but he
sends word by a messenger, who ran the
gauntlet safely through the rebel lines, that
he can hold out as long as he can have provis-
ions, &c. A schooner, loaded with provisions,
has successfully run the blockade and reach.
ed him, and two more sChoOners, loaded with
provisions, left for Little Washington yester-
day. They expect to run the blockade"
The Boston Transcript publishes the fol-
lowing, written at Newbern, April II, by
member of the Massachusetts forty-third regi-
ment:-
yesterday, we returned from an expedi-
ton which failed of its object. The object
was to relieve Gen. Foster, now at Washing
ton, with the forty-fourth and other troops
We were met 10y rebels so numerous that it
was impossible TO go on. A short battle, and
we contaminated. To-day, half an hour
ago, orders came to try the thing over again,
going this time by water, not by land, as be-
fore. In fifteen minutes from the time this
letter is written, we shall be on our way to
the transports"
A letter from Little Washington, dated in
side the fort where Foster and his men are
entrenched, April 10, announces the death of
DR.. Ware, sur geon of the 44th, of fever.
The writer expresses the fullest confidence
that Gen. Foster was able to hold the
position until reinforccments should arrive.
The rebels were then firing at the fort, but
only two shots had taken any effect on the
inside. The rebels remained very carefully
at a safe distance.
The Boston Traveller prints the following
extract of a letter dated Newbern, April 10
'The overland expedition has returned
without accomplishing anything, Why it
was ordered back no one knows. | think
that they must have been told of reinforce
ments arriving at Plymouth from Suffolk,
Va. and returned to defend Newbern. We
heard a rapid artillery firing this morning be-
fore they returned; probably an attack upon
their rear guard Captain Belger, command
ing our best battery, was wounded by piece
of a shell on his left leg. The same shell kill
ed his horse from under him. General
Vessel has arrived from furlough home. |
would rather have this news than the arrival
of brigade of infantry. We get no
news from the boys at Washington, but know
that they are safe as yet Foster may have
to surrender himself and forces. By the re-
turn OF these troops some 10000 men must
be here; enough to hold the place against
10000 rcbels, without losing either for we
should all be in forts and entertainments.
The reports say that Gen. Foster had lost
no men with the defense of his position. His
men were all safe, and he was in excellent
spirits. Several attempts had been made to
reinforce him from Newbern, but they had
not succeeded. Gen. Vessel, who had been
absent on furlough, returned just previous to
the date of the last letters, to the great joy of
the troops, and Immediately prepared another
expedition, the result of which is not yet
known. Gen. Spinola seems not to have per-
formed his part very brilliantly, if the follow
ing report, which came by the Mary Sanford,
is true:
"On Sunday, the 9Th inst, eight thousand
troops, under +. b. Spinola, were sent from
Newbern to reinforce Gen. Foster, but were
driven back after marching but a few miles
from that place. 1t is reported that the rebels
who repulsed Gen. Spinola only numbered
three hundred, but were aided and protected
by battery, from which they poured their
deadly hail About fifty men of one of the
Rhode Island batteries, who were with him,
had volunteered to take the rebel battery, and
were about to- do it, when one of Gen. Spino-
las aids rode up with peremptory order to
retreat. The order was obeyed, the general
reaching Newborn three hours ahead of the
foremost of his troops.
ga dispatch from Gen. Foster was received
as the Mary Sanford left Morehead city, in
which he stated that he could hold his posi-
ton for two weeks longer. Over fifty horses
had persisted from want of forage, and con-
siderable distress existed among the soldiers.
The only manner in which they can commu-
nicate with the Union soldiers on the other
side is by running the blockade at night"
The Boston Traveller says:
another letter, written at Newbern on the
Aulh' says the expedition went out twenty-One
mlles, when the rebels were found posted on
tne opposite side of stream the bridge over
which they had DESTROYED. As thew nun.
bered 10000 men, it was deemed unsafe IN
attempt to cross the stream, and notbino ,ros
left but to return. We have seen e..
which was written at Newbern at half mast
eleven O'Clock, on Saturday night, 18th inst
The writer says that the night previous Gen
Palmer, with the 9TH Rhode Island and the "a
Massachusetts regiments, left by steamer, in
tending to run the blockade and relieve Gen
Foster. That evening the Add Massachusetts
regiment, had been despatched by steamer,
for the same purpose. All of the soldiers
at Newbern were ordered to be in readi-
ness to march at any hour, with three days
rations."
1t appears that Spinola's expedition went
within nine miles of Little Washington, and