NEW YORK COMMERCIAL
ADVERTISER
THE
STEAMER PLANTER.
The following report from
Commander Parrott has been received at the Navy Department:
SIR: - I have
the honor to inform you that the rebel armed steamer Planter was brought out to
us this morning from Charleston, by eight contrabands, and delivered up to the
squadron. Five colored women and three children were also on board. She carried
one 32-pounder and one 24-pounder howitzer, and has also on board four large
guns, which she was engaged in transporting. I send her to Port Royal at once, in order to take advantage of the
present good weather. I send Charleston papers of
the 12th, and the very intelligent contraband who was in charge will
give you the information which he has brought off.
Commodore
Du Pont, in forwarding this despatch, says in
relation to the steamer Planter:
She was the armed despatch and transportation steamer attached to the
Engineer Department at Charleston, under Brig.-Gen. Ripley, whose barque a short time since was brought to the blockading
fleet by several contrabands. The bringing out
of this steamer, under all the circumstances, would have done credit to any
one. At four in the morning, in the absence of
the captain, who was on shore, she left her wharf, close to the government
office and headquarters, with the Palmetto and Confederate flags flying –
passed the successive forts, saluted as usual by blowing the steam whistle.
After getting beyond the range of the last gun she hauled down the rebel flag
and hoisted a white one. The Onward was the inside ship of the blockading
squadron in the main channel, and was preparing to fire when her commander made
out the white flag.
The
armament of the steamer is a 32-pounder or pivot, and a fine 24-pounder
howitzer. She has, beside, on her deck four other guns – one 7-inch rifled –
which were to be taken on the morning of the escape to the new fort on the
middle ground. One of the four belonged to Fort Sumter, and had been struck on
the muzzle. Robert Small, the intelligent slave and pilot of the boat who
performed this bold feat so skillfully, informed me of this fact, presuming it
would be a matter of interest to us to have possession of this gun. This man, Robert Small, is superior to any who have come into
our lines, intelligent as many of them have been. His information has been most
interesting and portions of it of the utmost importance.
The steamer is
quite a valuable acquisition to the squadron, by her good machinery and very
light draught. The officer in charge brought her through St.
Helena Sound, and by the inland passage down Beaufort River, arriving here at
ten last night.
On board the
steamer when she left Charleston were eight men, five women and three children.
I shall continue to employ Small as a pilot on board
the Planter, for inland waters, with which he
appears to be very familiar.
I do
not know whether, in the views of the government, the vessel will be considered
a prize, but if so, I respectfully submit to the department the claims of the
man Small and his associates.
Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
S.F. Du Pont, Flag-Officer, Commanding,
&c.