The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-09-13
Hatteras Inlet Affair--Fuu Account
of the Attack and Defense.
Fortress Monroe, AUG. 3(

Fortress Monroe, Aug. 80.
The naval expedition which left Fort
Monroe on Monday last, On secret service,
ander command of Major General Butter
and Commodore Strjngham has achieved
splendid success. The rebel fortifca-
tons at Hatteras Inlet, which were of vast
importance in military point of view,
have fallen beneath the attack of our in
trepid navy, and the occupants of the
forts, among whom there were several dis
tinguished officers, have been taken pris
oners. The rebels, whe were command
ed by Commodore Samuel Barron, late of
the United States Navy, fought with much
spirit, but our navy carried too many guns
for them, and they were obliged to sur
render unconditionally. Forty-ive rebel
officers, six hundred and sixty>fve non,
commissioned officers and privates, one
thousand stand of arms, thirty five can
non, large amount of ammunition and
stores, and several small vessels, laden with
cotton and tobacco, were captured through
the bravery of our men. Our special cor
respondent, who has arrived from the scene
of the contest, which he left Friday after
noon, with General Butler and staff, in the
steamer Adelaide, under command of
Commander Ii. S. Stellwagen, U. s. NJ,
touching for a short time at Fortress Mon
roe, thence to Annapolis and Washington
gives the following account of the brilliant
affair:
The expedition, consisting of the frig-
ates, Minnesota, Commander StriDgham
Wabash, Capt. Mercer the gunboats Paw
nee, Captain Rowan; Monticello, Com
mander Gilis, and the Harriet Lane. Capt.
Faunce, with the transports Adelaide and
George Peabody, conveying troops to the
number of about thousand, left Fortress
Monroe last Monday, and reached the
rendezvous off Hatteras Inlet, fifteen miles
below Cape Hatteras, on Tuesday morn
ing, the Minnesota and Wabash coming
in the afternoon, and the Cumberland
joined the feet 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 the Monticello, Harriet Lane
and Pawnee, about three hundred men
were landed through a heavy surf, the
force consisting of Capt. Larned's cons
pany of regular artillery, Capt. Jardine's
company Ninth New York, two companies
of the Twentieth New York, with Col.
Weber, and Lieut.. Col. Weiss; a detach-
ment of marines from the frigates, under
command of Majors Doughty and Shuttle
worth, and detachment of sailors from
the Pawnee, under Lieuts. Crosby and
Blue, with Drs King and Jones.
The gunsboats swept the beach and
neighboring copse Of scrub oaks. All the
boats being swamped and bilged in the
surf, no more men could be thrown ashore,
Meanwhile the Minnesota and Wabash
the latter with the Cumberland in tow,
steamed up to the front of one of the rebel
batteries and took their position at long
range. . 49,. ,...
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 turf, and mounting five long
thirty two's instantly returned the fire, the
shot falling short The Minnesota and
Cumberland Immediately opened fire and
rained nine and eleven inch shells into and
about it. The FIRE was terrific, and soon
tie tattery's responses were few and far
between, save when the frigates suspended
fire for awhile to get a new position, when
the ensmys fire was most spirited.
No damage was sustained by our ships,
and when they took their position tie can,
nonading was intensely hot, the shells
dropping in TIE enemy's works, or falling
on the ramparts, exploding in death deal
ing fragments, and carrying death and de-
struction with them. The small wooden
structures about the fort wera torn and
perforated with Aging shells. 1T 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 Susqnehanna steamed
in, and, dropping her boats astern, opened
an effective fire. The esnnonading on our
part was incessant, aud the air was alive
with the hum and explosion of flying
shells; but the enemy did not return the
fire with any regularity. the battery being
too hot for them, from the explosion OF
shells that dropped in at the rate of about
half dozen a minute. The enemy ceased
Eripn Gttla rafora