New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-25
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FORT AT oCRA
COKE.

COKE.
From q letter in The Philade,phia Inquirer, dated
Steamer Pawpee, Sept. 90" we copy the following
account of the result Of the expedition alluded to in our
Fortress Monroe letters:
owe started ut O'Clock 90 Monday morning last,
and reached Fort OcTaeose, which IL snated on Bea-
con leland al IL O'Clock, l. Is about twenty miles be-
low Uatteras Inlet, and thirty miles from Beaufort l,
commands the - Oeracoke Inlet, Is octagond
in shape, and was built by Col. Morris, In the most
scientific aud substantial napner in fact, It was pro-
nouDced by the officers of the expedition as being far
superior to Pickens and, Considering the depth OF
water, almost impregnable. Why IL should ever baye
been eyacusted was matter Of surprise TO all VINO
looked upon this splendid monument Of engineering;
aud could only be solved by allowing for tie mited
sspply of water band, and the impossihy OF pro-
curing further supply there rs no well on the L.
land all the water was brought firm Washington and
Newbern.
AT equal distances nside the fort were the shell
rooms, four in number, and twenty-five feet iquare.
la tire center OF the fort large bOmbproof about
40 feet square, and capable Of uoding 1000 men, In
the center of the bombproofs tho magazine, protect
ed on each side with three large tanks ten feet deep,
filled with water, which were Intended for drowning
shell. There platforms for twenty guns, but In
burning the gun-osrrisges before they left they were
partially destroyed. There were four navy she'll guns
aud fourteen long 32pounders in the tort; two OF the
guns bad been carried on from the entrance OF the
fort by tue steamer AbemaTle, aud taken 10 Newborn
on the day before we arrived. All the guns except
one had been spiked by the Couedera'es before leav
ing the fort all of them bad been received from Nor
folk, and were MARI Y. D., lSi': Inc Tort was
commenced in May last ard ell the free negroes, and
as many OF the white men Of the State as could be
spared from military service, were empoyedi building
it. II cost 81 0,OOO
"Our work was now TO commence-takng sledges,
axes &C., shore, commenced break ng the trun.
ions of 90 as TO render them forever unit for service
but thi being such slow work, Lient. Maxwell d.
reeted the gun which bad no. been spiked to be loaded
with cold shot pointed at the trenton OF gum then
fired. BY this means the work was soon accomplished,
ard the guns forever rendered useless. After
Finishing this work all the lumber whee bsrrows end
about 80 barrss were placed under and around the
bomb-proofs, aud az night set fire, which made the
greatest cooGagralon witnessed since the burniDg Of
tho Norfolk Nsvy-lard.
"a lSht.boat which bad been used by the rebels for
store-ship aud upon the shore before evacuato9
the Fort, with the intention OF subsequently towing
her Of and aning her, also get fire 20 and destroyed
About O mile and half from Beacon Island j. the
village Of Portsmouth, which contained, before the
bombsrdment $50 inhabitants, but nearly all had fed
TO the main land 30 that scarcely hundred remained
ia the place. Here the camp, called Camp Washing
ton had been established, composed Of the Roanoke
Guards Tar River Boys, &C., in ali shout 800, who
could whip FIVE Yankees each, but who came 10 re-
enforce Fort HatteTss the morning of the lombard
ment and are now safe prisoners Of war in Yankee
land. Lying on the beach In Portsmouth were three
Navy the-kuns, and ooe mounted on a carriage near
by II was the intention Of the enemy to have erected
VI,
their mind, and the guns were subjected to the same
course Of destination as those at the fort.
"At Portsmouth expedition was well received
by the few people remaining Many Of them were
sirprised TO find that Yankees looked like other men,
AS they expected they somewhat resembled bears
man expressed surprise at me, and mentioned the above
In a conversation with me- among party Of twenty
persons.
"At this place we found lad, named William r..
Phillips Of Cape Cod, Massachusetts who in the
schooner Nathaniel Chase bound to New-York, and
was captured by the prvateer Mariner aud carried TO
Newbern last July; the captain and mate escaped in
AN open boat before reaching there aud the youth got
on schooner and reached this far on his way home;
he has been staying in this place ever since, aud we
brought him OIL 10 the Pawnee and will send him
houIe as soon as convenient.
Beaufort has been cased outside with railroad iron
90 as 70 render il impregna0le; 10000 troops have
been quarered in aud around it, and IL Is said to be
now one OF the strongest forts in the southern part Of
tie United States. Tonight another expedition is 10
start for Oregon Inlet and Roanoke Island, where
there are batteries. Il is about 90 miles above Hat
teras and il the key 10 Norfolk Once in posses
sion the whole coast Of Virgins and North Carolina
rendered useless 10 them for the present"
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