New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-22
Who Raised the Siege OF Washington
North CnroIinns
r. Editorof tn, y. Y. Tribune.

Herald of tie 25lh inst, that the troops OF Gen.
Heckmsns Brigade were so anxious TO be returned
| to the Department Of North Carolina, that they
offered to reGnlst for the war if allowed to return
TO the Old North State and fight under their I'D ccm-
mander," think that Justice to Gen. Hunter de-
mands "A few word, OF comment on this statement
| and a full exposition Of the circumstances under
which Gen. Hroamtus Brigade was sent 30 the
! relief OF Malor-General Fosier. As 10 the anxiety
Of the Brigade 10 return 10 North Carolina: Many
Of tie l-d ard line oicerr o. three OF the four rci
msnts forming Gen. lleckmsns Brigade were open
in their expressions cf iegretst leaving what they
prom Cunced 10 be " The Dest-rcgU laed department
| in the United States" Understanding that Major
| Gen. Foster Gnd bis small command AZ Washington,
| n. c., were btsiegCd and in imminent danger Of
| being captured, all four regiments were ready and
eager 10 second the generous impulse which Dictated
TO Gen. Hunter that tis own small command should
be thus heavily reduced III order 10 tie Depart
ent Of North Carolina; but beyond this feeling OF
Joy ut TIE prospect If icing inn ediatey snd eiui-
neuty useful there vas only regret among three oi
| the regiments az leaving the Department Of the
South, and believe this feeling WAS fully thaica
| by tie fourth regiment ot the Brigade, though Oh
| tAis point nm wItAOut pCsitiNc information.
AZ io tie tiIc un.-! under ACh he rceU force
meuts were sent ty cen. Hunter to Gen. Fosters
| relief:
Gen. Foster with a handful Of men WAS hesieTed
aud ~ danger OF capture 81 Washingion,N. G.. The
I II
commanding at NewbcD, n. c., had proved entirely
uuayaiHg. The enemy were in great for,e be-
tween Newbern aud Washington; 90 that
unless powerful re.ouiOgceueDs Came from some
qutreT, OF unless he enemy cOaid or dcm0raA -td
~ an IN preston thai Atapy cHf0TGCfaelrs ,rfff
Rang s,g! apparent certainty Ol capture lay be-
fore Gen. Fos.eF aud he gaTi-oa OF " asbiuX on
the idea tEaI Il General should quit bis bessig,d aud
in, eried; command, under tue hope Of being able
aller his own escape 10 ofgauize force somewhere
mar IHfHa F.HaA
being inCideu. uni Re, edenied hnd 3!fL. Ii'
ualy taking al the facts into v.ew that no fore
Elk Il could have guos8ed It.
Under these circumstances. and on representa-
lions made by two officers from NeHbern, Cen. |
Hunter, though with bat snail command gAlfi- /
souiug Of the most important ;us,s Oh the |
Southern coast, al once decided send Gen. Heck
man 10 Gen. FOrt,rs relief. ana TINS decision was
acted upon IN Special Ordefs No. 100, OF which. from
the OtheFl Aew rpGpeI, send Won herewith co.y A
hAAbsr AEfass bErsLrsEsT 90 The SouTh,
- HiLtoA H+As, ret ROE. . G.. hFFl p. 10
SFEciAL Oz'ras Nc H.! .s'its bssu onioisl, rsps
s.uiee the sitJgt-Crvsi Commanding 81 B-is -d-n
H.csasu MAJOR o""mop Cte- - tssi oh Afii'ry end
;hsi La or0-O. o.sr eeunsnaus DrPsftH,nt Of hori
,len,. At Warrington. r. { .r,.+'.a. hssLEsn. T. =
Eprues - heIcas srdsf.t 20 li"-r-d WIN III tFsh4a
sS.sSs 81 81. .SSs ad s i .-
Der. y. c. where fs viii T,fsI; 10 SriosI fsns.. OF
s fsse :asi 9scf.,irs ,o.ter ss
BE Jsa !scEzeH Will forthwith Isiufs ~ith bi' cgu-l4
- command CT AlJor-oer- D. HUNTER
ThOse WHO fou.epiCsr the peculiar circumstance
Of tue Hunter Foster imorOgio, which bad it,
o,ig,n ia tie LiuBders Of N"s"iog'oh officials, and
10 natural Vui-crupirg IN me unaueceGsiul attempt
az Gen Foslef 20 Cepuve Gen. Hunter Of supreme
command in his own department, will not iail 10
uypreciate the and tpleLuid iuaCnaIimity Of
Gen Hunters cOurre IN this matter; Will their
innate of Tie Moth Carolina authorities be i'm
, proved ON witnessing tue attempt now made from
mel. l,y.
= irueudoes against the inuraseinen: Of Eis cepaT
len,, psllry ihsibuaehs ss ialse 10 ptlryl ibs
II tie Is unpopular lLh Il. uIen.
: Lei u lOvk al ID, ia,ts:
L The situation IN North Carolina hRs been relieved.
o BY whom
Not by Gen. Palmer and tie forces under HE COM
. maud, Tor iaimrr Iiei, tngu one occasion
l. and Vas driven tack before The superior forces o.
4 tie eLemy-Or at least before forces which lie be-
liz we'd 10 be superior AID therefore failed fight.
' Certainly not by Gen. Fosters course IN escaping
r from " asbiugiCD, leaving MS command behn..-s
step 90 Ear as Il went CO5.sng that he
tbs dc;cnSc OF tbs place from within hopeless
task, and thai The only hope iof ls reief hay Ia
8 corr iFo.i without.
Certainly not by anything that Brig Gen. Naglee
I did, or tiI-d TO OO-th0ugn lie is beyond doubt a
gallant aud Gsshing ofioeJ-Gen. hagiee only iay-
ing arrived, alter haEG and srid T!Gng" II Wash.
iBgton on the morning az the iJib Oi Aynl. hin
horse covered W.h foam gna EuG," as GC6ciibed b,
his enthusiastic journalistic ClaqGeuIs while as ~
now known, the enemy, under vIdrie from 3!aiof-
Cen Iii had abandoned the ,ic2s on The morning
o. tbs iitn insl. live ia! pteyioGsiyh Con Carmen
COMMANDING the Rebel betaSUcFiHH force, having
been, upon The day previous, ordered 70 iall back
without fuTibor conflict 10 ilan,ers.
10 word, may Cc soca iron, Gen. kostef's Or
der taking leave U! the bcs.egcd gTTisoD OF Wash.
irgton ON the OF tue lilu iisl Gen. Fos-
ters Personal escape made IRON Ii position
wrica The epcmy, .OiA- hours DafUie had gwen NJ
all attempts - take, aud, az Judg!Gg VI bea Eos
ter CONDUCT il We are - barn anything from our
eneIDes, ii 10 Ouy l-sl to ieilcmosr that Gen John
b. BVyd o. the Rebel reiAIc- Wns bitterly censurcG
10Y having feu from Eori DoLnelsou when assured
that u NUT be oapuTeG-.Ysn though carrying OIL
with bin The whole 900 h.en OF HE division. Had
he lois all these behind, aud only secured his
| ssoape he would nave received ahy very bill
iianl thanks IRON The able soldier WHO IL TAO chic;
| VI the Iie0oi Government.
| And row lct us ask, wnat impeIled Con. Hill 10
raise tie siege oi Washington without "a battio,
without n rcyorse--aay, whine all his experience
IA the aiiair showed bin that Ic troops u.der
msrd VI Gen. Palmer al krwLeIn were wholly in
Sufficient, no matter h0w or By whom handled, 20
tI,as through His lines OF lacquer Palmer fought
no bst,le nor offered any. Nagles had arrived
ON the scene Of operations. Fo6tor fought no bat
| tic but ran The gauntlet OF f0Ge batteries.
| The explanation L., that upon Tue l2h, IL had be
come known on the mainland (all movements Of
troops IN Port Royal HaIbor beng visible 20 the
| Rebel pckels OH DAVIS IslaBG), that ro-oDforco-
d.cnts werG icing shipped 10 North Carolina and II
sac wholly ana solely on out Of bis ieorniHg
| this fact, uud suypoaUg (os Ger. Hunter rushed
ann II suPpose/. mat 0H He arafiabe t0Toe5 a ne
| e%PeGnio" 10 C.ariestOH UcTe an motion 0g0inst
""", that GeD. IiH, tie RcJsl C0mmandsr, de-
c,aed promptly on The abandonment II The siege ~
| WasLtngion.
Ahis statement OF naked facts precludos any fur.
th6r argument. The relief OF Washing ton 9nd les
iinpieu J" 'ha') 'he safety Of the Department o;