April 21, 1863, The New York Herald
There is nothing new from General Hooker’s army. Some general orders have been issued relative to the disposition of regiments whose term of enlistment is about to expire.
Our troops at Suffolk have had a brisk time of it of late. The enemy have been pressing them closely, and an attack upon our lines was looked for, from hour to hour, for some days past. On Saturday we made a demonstration which had a successful issue. General Peck telegraphs to Washington to General Getty, in conjunction with the gunboats under Lieutenant Lamson, has just stormed the heavy battery at the West Branch and captured six guns and two hundred of the Forty-fourth Alabama regiment. They crossed in boats. The Eighty-ninth New York and the Eighth Connecticut were the storming party.
Our correspondence from Suffolk and the Nansemond river gives a highly interesting description of the state of affairs in that vicinity.
Our correspondence from North Carolina contains a very interesting account of the starting of General Heckman brigade from Port Royal to the relief of General Foster.
The rebels made a determined attack on Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday morning with a force of three thousand men, but they were gallantly repulsed by our troops, who only numbered two thousand in all, and many of them were unarmed. The fight lasted four hours, and although our men were mostly Arkansas recruits, and the enemy had four pieces of artillery, the latter were driven back towards Ozark in disorder. They were commanded by Gen. Cobell. Our forces were in charge of Col. Harrison.
Our extracts from the Southern journals today are more than usually interesting. An editorial from the Richmond Enquirer, in particular, is most significant. It predicts a continuance of the war for two years’ more, and makes earnest call on the people to make every sacrifice for patriotism. It is particularly hard upon the ladies for wearing fine dresses of foreign manufacture, and reminds them that while they are patronizing “Yankee” goods the soldiers are half starving upon short rations of bacon. The Richmond papers of the 18th have been received, but they contain nothing of any importance relative of war.
The Anglo-rebel steamers appear to be most active in their endeavors to run the blockade of Southern ports. The prize schooner Antelope, which arrived here from Charleston via Port Royal on Sunday, reports that she passed two Anglo-rebel steamers bound in; one steering towards Charleston, and the other taking a more southerly course.
There arrived at this port on the 19th instant the schooner Antelope (prize), Captain Childs, from Charleston, via Port Royal. She is a prize to the United States steamer Memphis, taken off Charleston. The cargo is supposed to be salt or saltpetre. On April 12, Port Royal bearing seventy miles, saw a large Anglo-rebel paddle-wheel steamer steering south, painted lead color, with white smokestack, without masts. Ten miles farther north saw another Anglo-rebel steamer steering west northwest, towards Charleston. The Antelope had heavy northeast gales during the passage. She was from London, bound to Charleston, and was captured April 1.