, 1864-07-10
lMFDLeTA MT FROM NORTH
CAROLINA.


ls1PoRTA. MT FROm NORTH
CAROLINA.
Daring Reconnaissance By Cnpt- Cual.-
Ing United states NnVy-IIe Visited
turcd q Vaiuabia Esebei MailCfn-
tcns<ly Exciting Trip Down the kiv-
er-HosC 1he Rebels were OutH1tted d
athvery Point.
Correspondents N. T. Herald1
BEAUFORT, n. c., June q, 1854.
One OF the most daring reconno,ssaoces
boat Monticello. On the night Of the 3ath
inst the Captain took u first cutter, with if
teen men and two officers (Acttng Ensign
Jones and Acting Masters Mate Howard)
and succeeded in passing the forts Of she west
bar at Wilmington, and started up the Cape
Fear river. After a narrow escape OF being
run over bT one Of the rebel steamers plying
the river, he paesed the SECOND line OF bat.
tcrfes and continued his course uutn Old
BruneW1ck was reached, where the rebels
have heaay battery, when he WIS halted and
fired upon, but succeeded in passing un-
scathed, by fetsntng to pass down the river
and crossing to the friendly cover Of the OPP
posite bnnE. He then continued his course
up the river. By this artidce the rebels were
deceived, and signalizcd to the forts to inter
cept him as he came down the river, which
they supposed was the direction t,kcn.
At haifpaEt two the next morning the
CaptAln had reached a point seven miles dis.
tant from Wilmington, whtre be caused the
boat to be hauled on the banks and conceal
ed from view By bushes and marsh GRASS.
Day had now dawned, and 1t became neces-
say to select place Of concealment, which
Was found in the brush on the banks,
Soon after day1ight the rtbel steamers,
blockade runners and transports, could be
setn By the party plying up and down the
river, and, in fac1, tue dsgship Of the rcbol
Commodore Lynch passed by, pennant fly.
Ing, the distinguished gentleman entirely uf,-
conscious Of. the fact that rife in steady
sone, hare given him his quietus. Two
blockade steamers Of the drst class passed
up ssnd one down during the firsttwenty-four
hours: When night had fairly SGT In
the Captain prepared to launch bis boat,
when two boats rounded the point, mud,
they designed to attack him; but Ii proved
to be returned fishing party, The entire
party we're captured-elEht in number. Com.
pelling them to act In the capacity of guides.
he proceeded to examine ali the tortilca-
tions, river ubstructioDs aud other objects OF
interest withia tbreo miles OF Wilmington.
Here he was compelled to pass through q
creek running through cypress swamp, for
several hours, through grass eight tcet high
and Immense cypress trees on each side.
whose shadows cast dark gloom and only
exceeded by darkness.
By two o'clock that morning road was
REACHED, which proved to be branch to tie
main road to Wilmington. and joining it at o
paint two miles distant The party was hcrc
divided, TIN being left to hold this road: aud
the captain, tnkipg the remaining eight men,
took position ct the junction Of tue roads,
one OF which was the main. SeTcral prison.
At % aSoasp es9s 5as s9ne Of inpe,t
rebel courier, with the mails from Ft. Fisher
and lower batteries, en- rvu<f to WILMINGTON,
whose approach was awaited, came duly
s1ong, and he, with lis entire mail, was cap.
tured.
On examination this proved to be prize
Of value, there being upwards Of two hun-
orcd documents, private md official, and
many OF great importance. The party, Il .viug
Thus far labored successfully, experienced
the necessity for rcfreshment for The inner
man, and accordingly Masters Mate Howard
gatbed himself in The courier's clothes, and,
mounting the same warthY'E horse, proceed.
cd tWo miles IL store and purchased d sup
ply Of provisions with which he safely fe.
turned. The prices the mattel thought cxor
bitant, but did not feel disposed, Ii his lIbe
ral mood, to hagg1e or beat down.
Shortly nfler more prisoners were cap,
tured, and a11 that WIS now required to add
to the eclat Of the achievement was to cap.
tnrt the courier md mail from Wilmington,
whose advent was looked for at I've p: m.
The 5mpatiencc Of the purity may be imag
coutaln the dny's papers Issued at Whining.
Ton at one p. H., nud our nomadIc friends
were anxious to obtain the lntest news early.
The courier urriyed Slightly in advance ot
time, Qut one of tho Sailors having moved
,ncautious'y across the road, was seen By
at full speed. Capt. Gushing, like Paul Du,
val M. 2, awaited him on the road, with Dis.
to1 cooked, put spurs to Ills Lorsc and nur.
sued tor about three miles. But the coarlc,
speedcd on like whirlwiud, and the Cap.
tain, being rather farther from his base than
treat, and fell back IN rapid, but good order.
The telegraph wirc leading to Wilmington
was then cut for several hundred Yards. and
the party, with prisoners and spoils, rcioined
the sqnad Lett with the boat, and. proceeding
T" a1"n Iae eseek3 reached the riverasout dark.
boats, measures we're taken to dispose b
them, by depriving one of the fishing boatf
Of oars and sails and setting it adrltt in the
middle Of the river, thus rendering it irnpos
sible for thcm 10 give the alarm until the tide
1oatet them On some friendly bank. But
steamer approached rapidly, and detection
w<s onl5 avoided BY the party leaping into
the water aHd holding on to the rnnwa1c,
Of the boat Tie steamer passing,
the prisoners and boat we're sent adrjit
Nothlng OF interest occurred on the route
down the river, until point between the
batteries at Brunswick aud Fort Fisher, when
eoat was discovered making rapidly to.
Wart's the shore. After an exciting chase
she wus oyertAken, and her occupants, con-
slssine Of elk persons. four OF them were
aoldlefs, were taken on board, and the bout
cut adEn From them Information was oh.
tained thai the rebels were on tue qui ;.im.
having beats posted at the narrow cntrance
between the forts to intercept the return.
To understand the position Of the party. It
should be known that they were then hut
three hundred yarda distant from two forts.
aud this on moonlight night Capt. Cush.
Ing on learning the rebels designs. resolved
to take desperate chance Of lg6tIuc lis waT
through, supposing that in case there were
but one or two boats he might by giving a
broads'dc, ,efcape in the confusion. On arriving
at The mouth of the barbor he perceived, as
&c 1 IMAGINED. ono large boat, which, wonder
iGlly prolific, soon gave birth to three morr,
Whieh Hcrc Afterwards Increased In pumber
BY hyc from the opposite bank. This com.
pletely blocked up tic narrow entrance to the
harbor; The helm was put hard aport to
gan distance, and, seeiug large saliboat
at once decided that the only hope lay 10 out.
maneuyerlng them. Th: rebels. proyiden-
TALLY, did not during this interval are shot,
no doubt anticlpAting the ccrtain capture VI
all There being another means Of entrance
ilto the harbor (thc west bari, the only pos
the opinion TINT le would attempt that, tho
only remaining chance Of escape. Accord
ingiy, apparently making for tbls point, the
Tcoel boats were drawn together iu pur
s1it, when, rapidly changing his d.
.eetion, the Captain brought his boat
back to the other entrance {the cast
har), and, deeply loaded as she was twenty