Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-09-21

1ec6 and that wascfhe last j. heard Tot IT. nor did
receive any answer or response 70 any Of my
called on his Excellency Governor Clark, and urged
the necessity Of an increase of force 6pthe coast
On the list of August laid before him report in
person. setting forth the number of troops required
at eachpent enforcing my views with such argu.
ments as may not be proper to state, but without
, avail
The naval officers all concurred With me- as / am
informed, in regard to the number of troops called
for. Capt Muse and Capt Duval addressed COM
muncations to me expressing their concurrence,
which sent to the Adjutant General, inviting at
tention thereto When in Norfolk on the 4th of
June, I ordered thirty barbette carriages After
having received ten and the remaining twenty were
ready for shipment as were also twenty three guns
three of eightinch cabre, received the following
from the navy agent at Norfolk
81 have your letter of the Sd of August, and had
made arrangements to ship the guns and gun car
riages agreeably to your directions. Orders how
ever from the Executive department at Raleigh have
suspended any further shipment of ordnance and
ordnance stores from here
As soon as this came to hand, wrote to Col. j.
G. Martini Adjutant General, enclosing him copy,
informing him that the gun-carriages were mitch
needed, &c. To which received no reply.
During my command, abored under the diff
Guilty of having field officers to aid me, unless it
may be that Col. Starke of the militia was in CON-
mand at Hatteras. The consequence was, that at
one of the posts, it was difficult to get the Captains
to recognize the authority of the Senior Captain,
and was compelled for time to take command of
the post myself drill the troops, and give instruc-
tons in all the details of mounting guard, dress
parades, garrison duty, &c. The 7th regiment
which had been assigned to the defence of the
Northern department of the coast was not fully
ganized on the Goth of August; for on the 2lst,
got the commissions for the Lieut. Colonel and Ma
jor from the Executive department, where they had
been laying some time, having been withheld owing
to the non payment of the Secretary's fees They
were placed in the hands of Major Andrews, and
were not delivered l presume, until his arrival at
Hatteras Inlet the 2Slh August the day that the
enemy commenced the attack upon the Fort
On the goth August, when the troops were trans
ferred to the Confederate Government, there were
eighteen companies OH the Northern portion Of the
coast In addition to the communications above
ferred to- on the subject of the coast defences had
frequent interviews with the Military Board and the
authorities in Raleigh. had frequent conferences
with the late Gov. Ellis, always made as brief as
possible in consideration Of his PROSTATE condition,
and the evident rapid ebbing away Of his valuable
life understood him concurring fully in all my
views and plans of the coast defence and do,ht not
had he lived, they would have been more fully car.
red out and that there would have been no occasion
for this writing.
1t will be seen from the above statement that l
lent my aid both to the engineer and ordnance de.
partments. What was done by the former depart
ment was well done; what was done by the latter
am unable to say. The batteries at Ocracoke, Hat
teras and Oregon ln!ets perfect of their kind.
They were certainly superior to any in Charleston
harbor, and 10 those constructed at Norfolk. The
most Of them at Charleston consisted Of nothing
but sand, with occasionally light covering Of sod,
to prevent the sand blowing about which was so
annoying that goggles were provided for the men
at the batteries. Yet they stood fire of SO hours
from Fort Sumter, without sustaining any damage,
and afforded such ample protection that not
wounded.
The works at 0cIacoke were built almost entirely
of compact alluvial. Those at Hatteras and Oregon
were built Of sand in the interior, with heavy
vehement of sods laid like masonry-each layer
firmly bound TO the other by pickets The best
evidence of the completeness Of the work at Fort
Hatteras is to be found in the fact that while it
designed only for the protection Of the men, not ex-
ceeding 200, required for working the guns, i:
crowded with upwards of 700, of which only were
killed, and some forty wounded, and several Of them
met their fate outside Of the fort, in their retreat
from Fort Clark to Fort Hatteras and inside of the
fort by the explosion of some cartridges As the
fort was not at all injured, as informed, it is
probable that no would have been injured had
there been no more exposed than the complement of
men required for working the guns.
Anticipating an attack on Fort Hatteras, | gave
particular orders on the 9th of August for the dis
position of the troops, which were not complied
with There were nearly as many troops surren-
dered as finally called for at Hatteras Four COM
panies arrived however, during the attack, and were
marched directly into the fort where all the other
troops at the garrison were assembled. Had those
companies arrived earlier, and all been encamped
where directed, and drawn up in the order of bat
tie which prescribed | have every reason to be-
lieve the enemy would have been repulsed-or, if
successful our troops could have made safe re-
treat Further than this, do not feel myself at
liberty to criticise battle all the participants OF
which, on our side are incarcerated
The ten inch columbad which was at the Fort
and was not mounted, was that was removed
from Fort Macon without my orders. On the con-
trary, had declined to order its removal.
My military correspondence, general and special
orders, all combined number 49, about two per day
during my command, and they spread l20
pages of manuscript
have omitted much that have considered i'm
proper to state, especially an enumeration of the
batteries which were not erected and which trust
it will not become necessary for me to unmask
lave shown that I have omitted to call for but
very little if any thing that required for the
defence Of the coast My acquisitions were not CON-
piled WITH and Of course could not accomplish all
that was necessary Cor its defence.
WALTERsGWYNN.