Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-09-25

and be assigned to the defence of the coast. DE-
sire not to be understood as expressing OF numa.
ting preference for any particular regiment gu.
seems TO me that the possible, not to say pfooa1le
exgences Of the service render it suitable that tne
9th regiment which is nearly IN readiness lcr te
field, should be assigned as suggested ana oesreu.
On thel28th Of June, addressed the ioho~ins
communication to Governor Ninslow:
81 have now examined the whole coast commit
ted to NV charge am proceeding to have oat-
teries erected at the Inlets But the coast cannot
be defended without mounted artillery and cavalry.
would very respectfully suggest the blending o.
the two corps to the extent Of giving 20 eacn co"
pany of cavalry battery OF TWO slx.pounoels anu
two 70 pound howitzers. The spare dragons can
act as yidettes At least six companies will be re-
oured. | beg most respectfully to refer you tony
report to His Excellency, Coy. Ellis bearing date
the s0th May, and inviting his attention to my for
mer report to him on the 26th May. =,
"There are scarcely men enough now assigned TO
the department to the batteries already erec
ted and none as reserve to defend them in case OF
an attack and success on the part OF the enemy /
in ctecting landing. Such force is necessary IN
any we'll arranged scheme Of shore batteries erected
to resist a superior naval force. beg only to add
that such force is indispensable for the batteries.
and that it is useless to keep up those erected and
much more useless to erect any more, without
further supply of troops assigned to my command.
The " Winslow" is doing good service, having al
ready in few days made two captures; and clearly
the better she does in taking prizes the more likely
it becomes that an attack will be made on some OF
our batteries by the enemy-and then it will be
SEEM if not sooner, that the forces | am asking
ought to have been supplied in time"
On the 2Sth of June submitted again to Gov.
Winslow, Secretary of the Military Board, another
estimate of the forces required, for the defence OF
the Northern department Of the coast dcfences pre-
faced as follows:
81 have carefully reviewed my estimate for the
defences of the coast committed to my charge and
now have the honor to submit what l conceive to
be the minimum force required for its protection.
then proceeded to enumerate the forces under six
teen heads. summing up $500 troops. Though
prepared in Newborn, thought it proper to repair
to Raleigh and submit it in person.
Colonel Bradford of the Military Board, issued an
order on the 2gth Of June prohibiting any further
expenditures account Of the coast defences, which
involved the discharge of all laborers engaged in the
construction Of the batteries, and would have left
the works at Ocracoke and Hstteras in an unfnish-
ed state fortunately we had ten or twelve days pro-
visions on hand and no expenditure other than the
pay of the aborcrs was required The hands were
therefore kept at work at the batteries until could
confer with the proper authorities in Raleigh, which
did at the earliest day possible; some delay how
ever, was caused by the absence Of Governor Wins
until the 9th of July, that brought the subject to
the attention of Governor Winslow, as will be seen
by the following communication addressed to him
as Secretary of the Military Board:
~ have the honor herewith to lay before you re
ports from Col. ". B. Thompson and Col. Elwood
Morris, respectively in charge Of the works for the
defence of datteras and Ocracoke In!ets. You will
see from them the disastrous results that may cnsue
| from suspension OF those works. The batteries
| .ol of In INN IN
tae defence of the coast and | apprchend serious
consequences from the completion of any one Of
| them. The vessels of the enemy are constantly
cruising along the coast stopping opposite the In
| lets ut distance OF from one and half to five miles
closely inspecting with glasses the operations fol-
their defence The prizes which have been made,
and those which doubtless will continue to be made
will attract his attention more and more to the coast
and lead perhaps to assaults in its present defence
less condition. probably to possess himself of the
navigation of the Sound, to the cutting off all com
muncatons between the coast and the interior, anG
all water connection between Virginia and North
Carolina, and open field for marauding and plum
dering, the most extensive that the enemy coult
possess himself Of, at such small cost for its accom-
plishment None could yield him richer harves
and at the same time occasion such disaster and dis
tress. The occupancy Of the Sounds by the enemy
may, indeed, be regarded as the sutjugation of tn
State.
"For the number of batteries it is proposed to cree
and the force required for the defence Of the coas
committed to my charge, l beg to refer you to IN.
report of the 2sth ulr"
also had an interview with Governor Clark ant
the result was a communication from Gov. Wins
low Secretary of the Military Board, as follows
1.-The Convention Of the people of North Carolina
has conceded to the Confederate Government all on
forts and Notifications and an officer has proccede
to the coast on a tour Of inspection. In the mea
time, all expenditures for material, and for mum
tons OF war must cease, nor must any adtltIona
force be employed. In other words expenditure
on the part Of the State must be confined strictly
the employment OF the present force Of laborers VI
on the progressing works"
On the 18th of July addressed communicate
to Governor Clark, from which the following is a
extract:
81 would here take occasion to observe that
have repeatedly made acquisitions for percusso
caps and musket cartridges and all that have Of
tanned Of one was a small box of caps, and of tt
other 4,6lO cartridges made by the ladies here an
5000 from the Ordnance department, making II
Clio, except that bought in addition to those 500
caps, which found in private hands,"
On the 22d July, wrote to Governor Clark, cal
ing his attention to the fact that there reg
e mental organization of the troops under my con
: inand-that the 7th regiment of twelve months We
Y unteerS which had been assigned 10 the NOrthel
n department coast defences. though the number
companies required had been recruited they we
# distributed to the various posts, and had not be'
Il mustered into SERVICE that in anticipation of tn
s being done within certain time, had ordered
n election Of officers. But that the regiment mig
. he broken up by the authority given to an officer
enlist three of the companies for the regular servie
Thus all the troops under my command would
C considered detached companies not under line
r. tai organization and by the terms (as understo
them) of the transfer Of the State troops to the Go
federate army, the coast would be stripped of troo
IS on the goth Of August-and called his "Excelle
l. Ocracoke Hatteras and Oregon Inlets, for which
e we'll for stores of every description l made II
IS acquisitions at an early day after entered the
vice of the State and several occasions SINCE ma
D. reported those acquisitions. That only 1850 ca
d, tridges had been sent to Oregon, and 5000 ca
o. which purchased on my own account, and that t
it irons for the barbette carriages had not arrived
re When took command it was not known wi
md vharef