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

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would write to Head quarters at Raleigh the sub
iect, and that was the last heard Of it nor did
ever receive any answer Or response to any Of my
acquisitions. came to Raleigh. on the Both July,
called on his Exeellency Governor Clark and urged
the necessity Of an increase of force on thecoast
On the LIST Of August laid before him a report in
person. setting forth the number Of troops required
at each point, enforcing my views with such argyll
mcnts as may not be proper to state, but without
avail.
The naval officers all concurred with me, as am
informed in regard to the number Of troops called
for. Capt Muse and Capt. Duval addressed COM
munications to me expressing their concurrence,
which, sent to the Adjutant General, inviting at
tention thereto When in Norfolk on the 4th Of
June, I ordered thirty barbette carriages After
having received ten and the remaining twenty were
ready for shipment as were alsotweEty.three guns,
three of eightinch caibre. received the following
from the navy agent at Norfolk:
81 have your letter of the Sd Of August, and had
made arrangements to ship the guns and gun car.
riages agreeably to your directions. Orders how
ever from the Executive department at Raleigh have
suspended any further shipment of ordnance and
ordnance stores from here"
As soon as this came to hand wrote to Col. j.
G. Martin, Adjutant General enclosing him copy.
informing him that the gun-carriages were much
needed, &c. To which received no reply.
During my command labored under the diff
Guilty of having no field officers to aid me, unless it
may be that COL Starke of the militia was in CON-
mand at Hatteras The consequence was, that at
one Of the posts it was difficult to get the Captains
to recognize the authority of the Senior Captain,
! and was compelled for time to take command OF
the post myself drill the troops, and give instruc
tons in all the details Of mounting guard, dress
parades garrison duty &C. The 7th regiment
which had been assigned to the defence of the
Northern department of the coast not fully or.
| lad fho0 of Amor for on tho LET /
got the commissions for the Lieut.. Colonel and Ma
jor from the Executive department. where they had
been laying some time having been withheld owing
to the non.payment of the Secretarys fees. They
were placed in the hands of Major Andrews, and
were not delivered, l presume, until his arrival at
Hatteras Inlet on the 2sh August the day that the
enemy commenced the attack upon the Fort.
On the Goth August, when the troops were trans
ferred to the Confederate Government, there were
eighteen companies on the Northern portion of the
coast In addition to the communications above re-
ferred to- on the subject of the coast deences had
frequent interviews with the Military Board and the
authorities in Raleigh had frequent conferences
with the late Gov. Ellis, always made as brief as
possible in consideration Of his PROSTATE condition,
and the evident rapid ebbing away Of his valuable
life. understood him cOncurring fully in all my
views and plans of the coast defence and doubt not
had he llved they would have been more fully car
ried out and that there would have been no occasion
for this writing.
1t will he seen from the above statement that
lent my aid both to the engineer and ordnance dc.
partments What vas done by the former depart
ment was well done; what was done by the latter
am unable to say. The batteries at Ocracoke, Hat.
teras and Oregon lnlets were perfect of their kind
They were certainly superior to any in Charleston
harbor, and to those constructed at Norfolk. The
most of them at Charleston consisted of nothing
but sand. with occasionally light covering Of sod
} to prevent the sand blowing about, which was SC
annoying that goggles were provided for the mer
at the batteries. Yet they stood fire of 81 hours
from Fort Sumter, without sustaining any damage
and afforded such ample protection that not man
was wounded
The works at OcIacoke were built almost entirely
Of compact alluvial. Those at Hatteras and Oregon
built of sand in the interior, with heavy re
vehement Of sods laid like masonry-each layer
firmly bound TO the other by pckets. The bcs
. evidence Of the completeness of the work at For
Hatteras is to be found in the fact that while it
designed only for the protection of the men, not ex
ceeding 200 required for working the guns, i. was
crowded with upwards of 100 of which only were
killed and some forty wounded and several of then
met their fate outside of the fort, in their retreat
from Fort Clark to Fort lIattcras and inside of the
fort by the explosion of some cartridges. As ths
fort not at all injured informed, it is
probable that no one would have been injured hat
there been more exposed than the complement o
t men required for working the guns.
t Anticipating an attack on Fort Hatteras, gav'
particular orders on the 9th of August for the dis
position of the troops, which were not compiled
d with There were nearly many troops surren
tlered as finally called for At Iatteras. Four com
panes arrived, however, during the attack and wer
, marched directly into the fort where all the othe
r troops at the garrison were assembled. Had thos
d companies arrived earlier. and all been encampe,
n where directed, and drawn up in the order of bat
j. tie which prescribed, have every reason to be
Il lcve the enemy would have been repulsed-or,
IS successful, our troops could have made safe re
o treat Further than this, l do not feel myself a
j. liberty to critcise battle, all the partlci pants
which, on our side are incarcerated.
n The ten inch columbiaj which was at the Fort
n and was not mounted, was that was removes
from Fort Macon without my orders. On the con
l trary, had declined to order its removal.
III Ny military correspondence, general and specia
b. orders all combined number ISL, about two per da
lie during my command, and they spread over II
I'd pages of manuscript
- have omitted much that | have considered in
10 proper to state especially an enumeration of tn
batteries which were not erected, and which trus
L. it will not become necessary for me to unmask.
j. lave shown that have omitted to call for br
very little if any thing that was required for tn
u defence Of the coast My acquisitions not con
piled with, and of course could not accomplish
Of that was necessary Cor its defence.
re WALTER GWYNN.