a conflict in the morning. The morning came. | noke Island was rescued from the hands of traiAs the clouds broke, and the rays of the sun struggling through the rifts gave promise of a brilliant day, Nelson's famous order was run to the mast-head of the flag-ship, "America expects every man to do his duty!"

tors, and the star-spangled banner floated over all its captured ramparts. General Foster led the men in their impetuous attacks upon the redoubts, and inspired them with his own enthusiasm and intrepidity. The gallant Colonel Russell, of the The gun-boats immediately commenced throw- Connecticut Tenth-a man who knew not the ing 9-inch shot and shell into the woods near sense of fear-was struck by a bullet which the beach. Under protection of this fire a pierced his heart, and he fell dead without a large number of troops were landed. The in-groan. As the men were assailing one of the trenchments were bombarded, the batteries were most formidable redoubts their ammunition failed stormed, and the patriot troops swept the island them. Just then Major Kimball of the Hawfrom south to north in uninterrupted victory. Be-kins's Zouaves came up, and offered to charge fore five o'clock in the afternoon of the 8th Roa- the redoubt. "You are the very man," said

STORM AT HATTERAS INLET.

General Foster, "and this is the very moment. a body of eight hundred of the foe who were Zouaves, storm the battery!" There was an in- compelled to throw down their arms. The rebstantaneous rush, and with their ringing battle-els were now thoroughly vanquished. A flag cry, Zou, Zou, Zou! they ran across the intervening space, clambered the ramparts, and burst through the embrasures. The rebels fled in the utmost panic, not even stopping to spike their guns or to carry off their wounded.

General John G. Foster, with his brigade, followed in the track of the Zouaves and pursued the retreating rebels at the double quick. For nearly six miles the exciting chase was continned. General Reno took another path to cut off the rebel retreat, and on the way came across

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of truce was sent to General Foster, asking what terms of capitulation he would accept. Unconditional surrender," was the reply. It was impossible to dispute the terms, and before five o'clock in the afternoon the Stars and Stripes were floating over every battery on the island. Six forts, two thousand five hundred prisoners, forty-two heavy guns, with a large quantity of smaller arms and ammunition, fell into the hands of the victors. The patriots lost but forty killed and two hundred wounded. Among the pris

oners taken there were about two hundred slaves, all men in the prime of life, whom the rebels had brought upon the island to work upon the intrenchments. As the white prisoners were paroled, these slaves were called together and informed that they might remain upon the island as freemen, or return with their masters to the main land. Nearly every man chose to return with his master. This extraordinary decision led some one to exclaim in bewilderment, "What does this mean? We thought you all wanted to be free." An honest, earnest black man stepped forward, and, taking off his hat, said,

"We'se wives and chillern in slavery. We can't leave them. Bress de Lord, de day ob jubilee is come. We'se all to be free now. We must go back and get our wives and chillern."

No comment can add to the pathos of this incident.

sought protection, and in a conflict of fifteen minutes destroyed the whole rebel fleet, killing or capturing nearly every man of the crew. From all the region around the slaves flocked by hundreds to the national boats, entreating to be taken "to de Norf." This was impossible. Their grief was touching as they saw their hopes blighted, and that the long-prayed-for hour of deliverance had not yet come.

After a few unimportant excursions in this vicinity, every where indignantly striking down the flag of treason, General Burnside reassembled his fleet at Hatteras Inlet for a more important movement than he had yet attempted.

On the night of the 12th of March the fleet was again in motion. They steamed down Pamlico Sound about fifty miles, and entering the spacious River Neuse, anchored upon its western bank within about sixteen miles of the city of Newbern. This city, of about five thousand inhabitants, one of the finest in the State, The next day was the Sabbath. The rebel is situated at the confluence of the Neuse and gun-boats had escaped up the Sound to Eliza-Trent. It is important as a military post, being beth City. The patriot gun - boats pursued connected with Goldsborough and Raleigh on them; with full head of steam they rushed by the west, and Beaufort on the south. The the fort, under whose guns the rebel boats had rebels had strongly fortified it, employing thou

sands of slaves in throwing up intrenchments. | bern. The water was shallow. The overladen A line of water-batteries, with heavy guns, from boats sank deep and could not approach near every commanding point swept the river. Six miles from the city there was a long line of earth-works extending from the river to the swamps and tangled woods, effectually barring approach to any ordinary force or courage. From that point to the city the whole expanse was filled with redoubts, batteries, rifle-pits, treacherous torpedoes, and all the other appliances of honorable and dishonorable war.

Early in the morning of March 13 the patriot troops, five thousand in number, landed at Slocum's Creek, about a dozen miles below New

the shore. The landing seemed much like a frolic. With jokes and shouts and peals of laughter the men leaped overboard, up to the middle in water, and waded to the shore. Their path up toward Newbern led over an extended plain, marshy from recent rains, and covered with a dense growth of gloomy pines, draped with hoary Spanish moss. The heavy guncarriages sank deep in the mire, and a cold March wind swept over the drenched and shivering ranks, subduing the mirth of the most buoyant.