April 7, 1863, The New York Herald
The reports of the capture of Charleston are somewhat premature. That hostile demonstrations have commenced, and that a portion of our troops were landed at John’s Island, at which point the pickets of the enemy were driven in, cannot be doubted. The despatches from Charleston to Richmond confirm these statements, but they say that there are, so far, no signs of the expected attack upon the city.
Official information received at Washington yesterday, would imply that the forces of General Foster have been engaged in a conflict with the rebels at Washington, N.C., within a few days past, as the enemy were known to have concentrated a large force there.
Everything is reported quiet in General Rosecran’s department in Tennessee. The rebels under General Van Dorn fired into and rendered for a time unmanageable, the gunboat St. Clair, near Palmyra, five miles above Fort Donelson, while convoying transports. She was towed back to Cairo by the steamer Luminous.
There is no news of importance from Vicksburg today.
The British steamship Aries, which was captured on the 28th ult. in Bull’s Bay, thirty miles north of Charleston, by the United States steamer Stettin, while attempting to run the blockade on her voyage from St. Thomas, arrived at this port yesterday from Port Royal, short of coal. She is bound for Boston with merchandise.