The following is transcribed from the New York Times, dated April 25, 1862: 

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BEAUFORT, N.C., Saturday, April 19, 1862.

 

          Since my last letter steady progress has been made in the preliminary work for the capture of the fort. The Rhode Island and Connecticut troops alternate in picket duty, covering the engineers and their party while they are engaged, night and day, perfecting their batteries. Not a day has passed without their being fired upon by Col. WHITE. Solid shot and fragments of exploded shells lie all over the grounds near which they are at work. I have just returned from an inspection of the batteries, and am now enabled to report affairs in a very advanced state for commencing operations. Thus far, Lieut. FLAGLER and Capt. MORRIS have refrained from replying to the guns from the fort, as to do so would reveal their exact position and expose them to consiant interruption. I took my sailboat at Beaufort, and passing westward through the winding marshes which separate it from Morehead City, out of range of the guns of the fort, reported to Capt. WOOD, of the Eighth Connecticut, now in charge of the latter place, and in about one hour from the time of starting, was set down upon the "Spit," about three miles west of the fort, from this point, in company with Mr. ASHLEY, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Mr. MITCHELL, of New Hampshire, I took my way down the beach, keeping under cover of the stunted trees which skirt the marsh, or winding among the small sand hills which compose the surface of the beach along its whole extent, we traveled unobserved, even by the look-out who hangs in the cross-trees on the fort flagstaff, until we came up with two gentlemen of the Signal Corps, who had one of their flags flying on the top of a prominent hillock. Passing across to the south beach, we found large quantities of shell and ammunition, with lumber and other materials which had been hauled there during the previous night. Half a mile further we came up with a portion of the Fourth Rhode Island, in command of Col. RODMAN. They were lying along the slopes of the sand hills, some of them covered with branches of the pine and cedar to protect them from the rays of the sun, while others were burrowing in small holes which they had dug in the sand. Here, in case e shell burst near them, they could hide from the flying fragments. Seated here, some of the soldiers were quietly writing letters, using a shingle or the crown of their caps for writing desks. Lying prone upon the sand, with only their eyes just peering above the sand, were here and there sentinels who kept watch of the movements on the fort, and as soon as they saw the smoke of the rebel gun would cry "shell!" when down would drop the whole regiment under cover of the hill, or coil themselves in their sand-holes to escape the fragments of the bursting missile. Finding that their line shots were of no avail, the gunners, for the past two days, have used their ten-inch columbiads as a mortar, firing shell with short fuses at an angle of 45 degrees, so that the fragments would drop at the same angle, and thus reach our men behind their covers. This last expediedt has somewhat annoyed us, and renders some kind of bomb-proof necessary to protect the men. The chief mortar battery, which contains 10-inch mortars, and which has been constructed under the immediate supervision of Lieut. FLAGLER, is within fourteen hundred yards of the fort. It is located behind a considerable sand-hill, the western side of which was cut away, and sand-bags filled and packed against the bank, one above the other, only inclined a little backward to hold them securely in position; rounterscarps of the same project, at right angles from the right and left extremes, to hold the loose sand. The work covers an extent lengthwise of some sixty feet, and is about twenty feet wide. Along this pace are laid wide platforms of plank, underlaid by transverse pieces of timber, to which the planks are spiked. Directly behind the workmen is a marshy pot of two or three acres, in which shells might bury themselves and explode with little danger to those behind the battery. Two hundred yards in advance of this battery, and lightly to the left out of range, is Capt. MORRIS' Batery for the 30-pound Parrot guns. This work is bout the same in extent as the mortar battery, except that there were embrazures partially opened through the top sand, and cut down to within about 4 1/2 feet of the platform. At one side was also a magazine, securely constructed under an immense superincumbent mass of sand, with a covered way leading to it. Capt. MORRIS was quietly occupied at this battery, measuring distances, driving stakes, applying the level or stretching his lines, as unconcerned as if he were engaged in kitchen gardening. In addition to these, there will be a battery of eight-inch mortars, much nearer to the fort, besides rifle-pits, in which our sharpshooters can annoy the rebel gunners. By the time this reaches the TIMES the object of this siege and all this [???] labor will no doubt, have been accomplished. In describing it, I have purposely refrained from mentioning the number of the mortars and guns to be employed. Capt. WILLIAMSON, of the Engineers, under Gen. PARKE, has located the batteries and planned the mode of attack. Two companies of the artillery force, recently arrived, are on hand, and will cooperate with the infantry of Rhode Island and Connecticut in conducting the siege. Gen. BURNSIDE, on Friday, went down to inspect the works, and will visit the scene of operations again on Monday, when, or by Tuesday, the ball will probably open. As we were retiring from the batteries, three shells were exploded over our heads, the second and third coming unpleasantly near, so that we could distinctly hear "so'thin drap" in the sand not far off. We continued to travel away from that neighborhood. A chief incident which has occupied attention within a few days past, is the capture of a body of rebel cavalry, near Newport Station, by the soldiers of the Ninth New-Jersey. They learned of the hiding-place of the rebels, and going out at night, surrounded and captured nearly the whole company. Some seventy horses and twenty prisoners were brought in. A portion of them fought their way through and escaped. An equally successful affair occurred on Thursday last, when a Company of the One Hundred and Third New-York Regiment, under Col. EGLOFFSTEIN, went out to within a mile of Trent, and after a sharp skirmish captured two officers, one Col. ROBINSON himself, a graduate of West Point, and six other prisoners. They lost one First Sergeant, who was killed. The affairs of this town are progressing as quietly as usual. For some interesting orders of the Military Department, I must refer to copies of the Progress, which I send herewith. The death of Dr. D.W.C. LATHROP, Assistant Surgeon of the Eighth Connecticut Volunteers, on the 8th inst., has been one of the sad events of the week. His untiring devotion to the wounded and sick in the Craven-street Hospital, following so closely upon the labor and exhaustion of the battle-field of Newborn, with his constant confinement and anxiety for his patients, exposed him to the disease, typhoid fever, to which he fell a victim, after some two weeks sickness. He consecrated his whole energies to the duties of his profession, and has nobly fallen in the servce of humanity and his country. His funeral, which took place on tho 19th, from the headquarters of the Sanitary Commission, was attended by the whole Medical Staff of his corps d'armee and by many of his friends. The usual military escort of his rank was detailed by Gen. FOSTER, Military Governor of Newborn, and the funeral was most impressive and solemn. Rev. Mr. CLARK, Chaplain of the Twenty-third Massachusetts, officiated, and several medical gentlemen made brief addresses, during which they paid the highest honors to the skill and disinterested devotion of the deceased to the sick under his charge. The ceremonies were concluded by three rounds, fired under the direction of Col. UPTON, of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, as the body was placed on board of the steamtug Cossack, to be conveyed to his friends at Windham, Conn. On the first attack of his disease, he was taken to the headquarters of the Sanitary Commission by Dr. PAGE, and there furnished with every convenience and comfort. The best nursing and medical attendance were given him. Among these friendly and sympathizing brethren he breathed his last. The fears which have been indulged as to the effect of the warm weather upon the health of the troops in this department, have not been realized in any considerable increase of disease. On the contrary, the coming pleasant weather enables the convalescents to enjoy the fresh air out of doors, which is found beneficial, and they are improving. The General Hospital of the town, embracing four hospitals, contains one hundred and eighty cases of sick and wounded. One of these is devoted exclusively to convalescents, and the number upon the sick lists is daily decreasing. Those who able to travel, of the wounded, are sent home as fast as possible. Good Cooks are said to be, now, of more importance than most other things. There is too much bread, too much salt food, and too great sameness for the health, and for the rapid improvement of the sick. Fish, oysters, and eggs are plentiful, but are held at exorbitant prices. Eggs bring 30 to 40 cents per dozen; oysters, $1 50 per bushel, yielding about one galion; milk is 25 to 30 cents per quart; Irish potatoes are retailed at 50 cents per peck, and sweet potatoes at $1 per bushel. These matters are to be corrected by the Provost-Marshal. The streets are last becoming shady, from the umbrageous elms which are nearly leaved out. Apple blossoms and those of other fruit trees have already fallen, and promise an abundant harvest of fruit. The yellow jesamine grows abundantly in the vicinity, filling the air with its aroma; and flowers of the choicest and most beautiful varieties abound. The dogwood, magnolia, rose, snowball, lilac and other shrubs lend particular attraction to the grounds of the better class of residences, while the poorest people have a modest little yard or garden filled with these graceful shrubs and flowers. The birds here "sing love on every spray;" the mocking bird, our American nightingale, always occupying the topmost twig, and filling the air with its mellifluous notes. The music of these charming songsters, which is seldom heard North of Pennsylvania, take the lead of the bird choir in the early morning, (I always rise early,) and they sing beautifully during our glorious moonlight evenings. For the satisfaction of the friends of the soldier, as well as the generous public at home, who have so munificently provided comforts for the wounded and sick in the army, I will state that about twenty hospitals have been organized in this town, since the occupation of Newbern, which are located in the best sanitary positions in the place. In the fitting up of these temporary homes for the sick, the Sanitary Commission have furnished from the abundant supplies sent from the various States, a large proportion of the articles needed, and probably no army in the world have been so generously cared for by the public. The presence of the officers of the Sanitary Commission at this most needful crisis, through whom the donations of the benevolent public could be judiciously appropriated, has been one of the most fortunate circumstances of the war. Without this aid, there would nave been more or less suffering, while now they are as well provided for, and have as many comforts as they could possess in a well-provided home. But one regiment, the Twenty-first Massachusetts, could possibly have dispensed with those resources. This regiment has, by its own means, brought from home sufficient for the present, and for many mouths to come. Dr. CUTLER, the Acting Brigade-Surgeon of the Second Division, has been most indefatigable in looking after the health and sanitary condition of his Division. A heavy affliction has recently fallen upon him in the loss of his daughter, who joined the regiment at Annapolis, and has remained with it up to the time of her death. The regiment was indebted in no small degree to her benevolent exertions for the gathering together these comforts. Beautiful and devotedly loved in life, she has ended her career of philanthropy where she most desired to fall -- in the service of love and charity, among the soldiers of the Union from her native Massachusetts. Her remains were conveyed to Roanoke Island, and were interred by the side of a young officer to whom she was much attached, but not engaged to be married, as has been reported. She regarded CHARLES PLUMMER TIDD as the noblest soldier of the Twenty-first. He was one of the heroes of Kansas in 1856, and was one of the men who assisted JOHN BROWN in the capture of Harper's Ferry. Capt. H.G.O. GARDNER, who was delegated for the purpose, has succeeded in recovering the remains of Capt. CHAB. F. TILLINGHAST, Lieut. H.R. PIERCE, First Sergeant ---- CHURCH, and privates BAKER and MILLER, who fell at the battle of Newbern, and proceeds North with them to-morrow, on board the Cossack. He acknowledges deep indebtedness to Messrs. TALLMAN and WILLIAM DEAN, in the laborious duty of preparing them for sending home. E.S. On Thursday afternoon a strange and mysterious steamer made her appearance off Beaufort, and attempted to run the blockade or to communicate with the fort. She was a screw vessel, apparently of 800 or 1,000 tons burden, immediately two of our gunboats started in pursuit of her, and she made off with rapid speed to the Southwest. At sunset the State of Georgia was still after her. The result I have not learned.