Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-11

bear f the enemy tOok up bis position Of the pre-
yiOus day. viz: No s, Z, and 5.
AT 7.40 o'clock A. NJ. Of the 29th, the enemy
opened fire on Us from the steam frigse Minnesota
t45 guns,l Wabssh as guns) SuEquehannah, Us
guns) Frigats Cumberland. GA gunsl Steamer
Pswnee, GO guns,) and Harriet Lane, (5 guns and
rifsa battery Of three guns erected in the sand
hills, half mile from Fort Clark. Thus you viii
see, they brought % guns Of the most approved
kind and the heaviest metal u bear on Us. The
shells thrown being 9 inch. 10 inch and IA inch.
Dahlgreen, Psixhan and Colambisd shells, while
from the position taken We were unable to reach
them with the greatest elevation.
The men of the Channel Battery were ordered to
leave their arms and guns and protect themselves
as well as possible. the council OF the eOmmsnding
officer having decided that it to BE- action Of
endurance tll our reinfOrcements came uo. After
q few shots had been fred and it was ascertained
that we could not reach them, our guns ceased fire
and only answered the fire of the enemy occasional.
ly to show we had not surrendered --a
The shower Of shell in half an hour became hte-
rally tremendous, a. we had falling into and imme-
dlatey around the work not less an average than
ten each minute and the being suoth, the firing
was remarkably accurate. One officer esunted
twenty-eight shells falling so as to damage US in
minute, and several others c0uLted twenty IN
minute.
AT a quarter to IL O'Clock a council Of the off
GERS was held, and II was decided to surrender; a
white flag was then raised and the firing ceased at
IL o'clock.
Thus for three hours and twenty minutes Fort
HAtteras resisted a stream Of she'll perhaps more
terrible than ever fell upon any other work.
At the time the council determined to surrender,
two Of our guns were dismOunted, four men were
reported killed, and between twenty-five snd thiltr
badly wounded; one shell had fallen into the room
adjoining the magazine, and the magazine was re-
ported on fire.
IL is useless 20 attempt further description. The
men generally behaved well, neaEly every commits
stoned cifcer from the Commodore dswn, was
mere or less wounded, and fifty or sixty Of the
non commissioned officers and men who would not
report 10 the surgeon. -.
Lieut. S. L. Johnston, Company Z, Tth Regiment,
fred the last gun at the enemy, and raised the flag
Of truce on the bomb proof - sf
The details of capitulatiou were arranged On the
Gag ship Minnesota, by which we laid down our
arms and marched out as prisoners Of war.
desire especially 90 speak Of the conduct Of the
officers and men ct the naval gun, who fired frc-
lueufy to try the range.
Lieutenant MurdAugh was badly wounded; Lieut..
Sharp was knocked down BY shot which passed
through the narapet near his head and brought the
blood froIa his right ear and cheek in considerable
1uantity. killing m n at his side. st the sarle time
shocking down and covering Col. ]. A. j. Bradford
sod and earth; and midshipman Stafford
;heered on the men, behaving in mott gallant nan
leF.
After the fall Of Lieutenant Murdaugh, his men
Hore him to the CommOdore's boat, and he escaped.
| am, very truly and respectfully yours,
W. S. q. ASBEEws, Major, &s., &c.