Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

[184] by water. He left General Palmer in command at New Berne, and sent to General Peck, at Suffolk, for aid. Hill soon invested the place, and on the 30th of March

1863.

demanded its surrender. Foster refused, and a siege was begun. Batteries were erected by Hill at commanding points, and in a day or two the little garrison of twelve hundred men was cut off from all communication outside by land or water, excepting through the precarious methods of small boats, with supplies, making their way in the night, or by some bold adventurer, like Captain McDermot, of the gun-boat Ceres, who, on the night of the 3d of April, volunteered to run the blockade of the Pamlico, with his vessel laden with ammunition. This was accomplished at great risk, for the besiegers had removed all stakes and buoys from the river. He felt his way cautiously, and restaked the channel as he went on. His vessel was under fire nearly all night, and was somewhat bruised; but, at six o'clock in the morning,

April 4.

she passed the obstructions within a short distance of the Confederate batteries, and reached Washington in safety.

On the 8th of April, General Spinola led an expedition for the relief of Little Washington, but failed, when the veteran Fifth Rhode Island (one of Spinola's fourteen regiments) asked permission of General Palmer to run the blockade, or land and capture Hill's batteries. Consent was given, and in the transport steamer Escort, Captain Wall, they left New Berne at midnight, accompanied by General Palmer, Lieutenant Hoffman, of Foster's staff, and Colonel McChesney, of the First Loyal North Carolinians. They reached the flotilla of National gun-boats, assembled below the Confederate batteries,¹ without difficulty, and on the night of the 13th of April--a still and beautiful night — the Escort, under cover of a heavy fire from the flotilla upon the land batteries, went boldly up the river with its load of supplies and troops. Guided by the stakes planted by McDermot, she pushed on, and gallantly ran the gauntlet of sharp-shooters, who swarmed the banks, and several light field-batteries, for about six miles. Before morning the little vessel, somewhat bruised, reached Washington

April 14.

with its precious freight. On her return the next night, with General Foster on board, she was more battered than in her upward trip, but passed the ordeal without very serious injury to the vessel.² Foster, on his arrival at New Berne, set about organizing an expedition competent to raise the siege of Washington, but before he could put the troops in motion, Hill abandoned the siege and fled, pursued by General Palmer, who struck him severely within eight miles of Kinston, and drove him into the interior of the State, when he marched to re-enforce Longstreet in front of Suffolk.³

Foster continued to send out raiding parties, who made many captures, broke railways, seized or destroyed a large amount of Confederate property, and quantities of arms, munitions of war, and animals. In May an expedition, under Colonel J. Richter Jones, of the Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania (acting