Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-09-07
al ar 1t { ~ s.
THE NAVAL EXPEDITION TO
HATTERAS.
An ACCOUNT B1 AN EYE WITNESS.
WASHINGTON, Aegust 81

which surpssses in mpsftsuee anything yet
accomplished against tho enemy.
A. plratical uext, long The terror OF the
merchant. has been efiec.uslly broken up aud
destroyed Victory has crowned our hag.
Your special correspondent has this moment
arrived from the scene Of contest at Hatteras
Inlet North Carolina which he lett oD Fri.
day afternoon, with Genetal Butler and staff,
10 The steamer Adelaide, under command Of
Commander Ii. y Steliwagen, U. s. Navy.
touching for short time at Fortress Monroe,
thence to Annupols anj Washington.
The expedition, consisting of the frigates
Mipnesots, Commodore Stringbam 10 CON.
msnd OF the expedition; Wabash, Captain
Mercer; tue gun boats Pawnee, Captain
Rowan; Monticello. Commander Gillis, aud
the Harriet Lane, Captain Faunce; with the
transports Adelaide and George Peabody,
conveying troopsto the number Of about u
thousand, laft Fortress Monroe last Monday,
and reached the rendezvous OF Hatteras
lulet, fifteen miles below Cape Hatteras, OF
Tuesday morning, the NJ inuesota and Wa.
bash coming 10 10 the afternoon, and the
Cumberland joined the fleet the same day.
Preparations were Immediately made to
land the troops the following morning, at
which time the transports ran near the beach,
TWO miles north Of the Inlet, and covered by
About three hundred men were lansed
through heavy surf the force consisting of
Captain Larneds company Of regular artil.
,ery, Captain Jardi1e's company Ninth New
York, two companies of the Twentieth New
YORK. with Colonel Weber aud Lieutenant
Colonel Hess detachment of marines
from the frigates, under command Of Majors
Doughty aud Shuttleworth, aud a detach.
ment of sailors from the Pawnee, under
Lieutenants Crosby and Blue, with Doctors
King and Jones.
The gun boats swept the beach and neigh
boring copse Of scrub oaks AL the boats
being swawped and bged in the surf, no
more men could be thrown ashore. Mean.
while, the NJ nnesota and Wabasb-the latter
with the Cumberland 10 tow-steamed up to
the front of one OF the Rebel batteries and
took their position at long range.
AT ten o'clock the Wabash fred the first
gun the eleven. inch shell striking near the
battery and bursting with tremendous force.
The battery, which was Of sand, covered with
tart aud mounting five long thirty twos,
instantly returned the fire, the shot falling
short The Minnesota aud, Cumberland
Immediately opened fire, and raned nine and
eleven inch shell into and about it. The fire
was terrific, and soon the battery's responses
were few and far between, save when the
frigates suspended fire for a while to get
new positon when the enemy's fire was most
spirited.
No damage was sustained by our ships, and
when they again took their position the can
nOuadlng was intensely hot, the shells crop
ping in the enemy's works or falling on the
ramparts, exploding in desth'deallng irag'
ments aud carrying death aud destruction
with them. The small wooden structures
49,, r., e.. r;tb
flying shells At eleven o'clock the immense
flagstaff was shot away, and the Rebel flag
came down, but the fire was still continued
by them.
AT twelve o'clock the Susquehanna steam.
ed in, aud, dropping her Soats asteru, opened
an effective fire. The cannonsdng on our
part was incessunt aud the air was alive With
the hun aud explosion of flying shell but
the enemy did not return the fire with any
regularity, the battery being to hot for them,
from the explosion Of shells that dropped in
st the rate Of about a half dozen a minute
The enemy ceased firing little before two,
end after q few more SHELLS had been thrown
in the Commodore signalized to cease
firing.
The troops had meantime advanced to
with O short distance of the fort, and before
We ceased firing some Of our men got 10 and
raised the Stars aud Stripes. The place was
too hot for the men, bat the flag was left
waving Coxswain Benjamin Sweares, of the
Pawnee's first cutter, stood for some time on
the ramparts waving the flag amid fight Of
shells. When the firing ceased the fort was
occupied in force ard held afterwards.
The Monticello had proceeded ahead of the
land force TO protect them, and had reached
the inlet when large fort, Of an octagon
shape, to the rear and right OF the small bat.
terry. mounting ten thirty two's and four eight
inch guns, which had Til then been silent,
opened on her with eight gnns at short range.
At the same instant she got aground, aud
stuck fast, the enemy pouring in fire, hot
aud heavy. which the Monticello replied TO
with shell sharply. For fifty inmates she
held her own, and fually getting off the
ground she came out, having been shot
through aud through by seven eight inch
shell, one golag below the water line. She
fired fifty tive shell 10 fifty minutes, and
partially sIleuced the battery. She with
drew at dusk for repairs, with one or two
men slightly bruised, bat noUe killed or
wounded
The escape of the vessel and crew was
miraculous. untll this time we supposed
the day was ours bat the Uexpectpd open.
lug OF the large battery rather changed the
aspect Of affairs. Things did not look cheer
ful at dark. We had men ashore who were
probably in need OF provisions, aud in case Of
night attack no assistance could be sent
them from the Harriet Lane. AS We lay
close IN shore we saw the bright hivouac fires
ou the beech, with groups of men about
them. The night passed without an alarm,
The enemy as We have since learned, laying
on their arms all night, expecting an at
tack.
At early daybreak on Thursday, the men
went to quarters IN the feet, and at quarter
past eight, the vessels having Borne down
nearer than the previous days position, the
acton began, the Snsquehanna opening the
days wo:k by shell from one of the eleven
inch guns The Minnesota and Wabash
joined 10 Immediately, Aod again the hum of
shell and their explosion were heard. They
fired nearly half an hour before the battery
responded, when it answered brisky. Our
fire was more correct than on the previous
day. The range had been obtained. and
oearly every shot went into the battery
throwing up clouds OF sand, aud exploding
with terrific effect.
At twenty-five minutes past ten the Har.
riet Lane opened 6re, and soon after the