Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-02
BRILLIANT UNION VICTORY!
Capture of Fort Clark and Fort Hat
teras and $50 Prisoners!
FIFTEEN CoNFEDERATEs KILLED AND
THIRTY WOUNDED,
PRIZES, G UNs 4 AMMUNITION TAKEN.
Report Of General Rutler to General wssl
8. FLAG SHIP MINNESOTA, !


Report Of General Ru,ler to General wssI
s.. FLAG SHIP MINNESOTA, }
| August 30, 1851.
Major General John E. Wool
Commanding Department of Virginia
GENERAL: Agreeably to your orders, embark
Peabody 500 Of the Twentieth Regiment New
York volunteers, Col. Weber commanding; 22O
Of the Ninth Regiment New York volunteers,
Co" Ga nsld SSm%,ndng 100 Of the Union
Second United States Artillery, Lieut. Larned
commanding, as a force to operate in conjunction
with the feet, under command Of Flag Officer
StIingham, against ths rebel forts at Hatteras
| Inlet.
We left Fortress Monroe on Monday, at O'Clock
p. m. The last ship Of our feet arrived of Hat
seras Inlet about 4 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon.
Such preparations az were possible for the landing
were made In the evening, and at dayligh hit next
| morning dispositions were made for an attack
upon the forts by the feet and for the landing of
| the troops.
Owing to the previous prevalence Of southwest
gales, heavy surf was resking on the beach.
| Every effort was made to land the troops, and
| after about 3i5 were landed, including IS ma.
rines from the feet and the regulars both the iron
| boats upon which we depended were swamped I'm
| the surf, and both fiat boats stove; and brave
attempt made by Lieut.. Crosby, of the U 8. Army,
Serving with the rmv port captain at Fortress
| Monroe who had volunteered to come down
with the steam-tug Fanny, belonging to the Army,
| to land In boat from the war steamer Paw Nee
Il
| could not be got off. TWAS impracticabls to land
| more troops because Of the rising wind and sea
Fo,tunstely, H-pound rfed boat gun, loaned
| us by the flagship, and a II pound howitzer were
| landed, the last slightly damaged. Our landing
was completely covered by the shells Of the Mon.
ticelio and the Harriet Lane. | was on board the
Harriet Lane, directing the dsem barkation of the
| troops, by means Of signals, and was about land
| Ing with them at the time the boats were stove
We were induced to desist from further attempts
at landing troops b. the rising Of the wind, and
II q mi firna th1 Hat ta1 II
| IRE upon the nearest fort, which was finally 81
| fenced, and Its flag struck No firing had opened
| upon our troops from the1ther fort, and its flag
| was also struck Supposing this to be a signal Of
surrender, Col. Weber advanced his troops, al.
| ready landed, upon the beach. The Harriet Lane,
Capt Faunce, by my direction, tried to cross the
| IRE was opened uPon the Monticello (Which had
proceeded In advance Of us) from the other fort
Several shots struck her, but without causing any
| casualties, rs am informed So well convinced
We're the of1ces OF both navy and army that the
| forts had surrendered at this time that the Sus-
quehana had lowed the frigate Cumberland to an
| dining. The fire was then reopened-as there was
| no signal from either-upon the forts. In the
mean time few men from the Coast Guard had
| advanced up the beach, with Mr. Wiepel (who
| was acting as volunteer aid, and whose gallantry
and services ! wish to commend } and took pos
i session OF the smaller fort, which was found to
| have been abandoned by the enemy, and raised
| the American flag thereon. 1t had become neces-
saIy, owing to the threatening appearance Of the
Il u,
| which was done with reluctance. from necessity,
l mus leaving the troops upon sbore-a part in pos
session Of the small fort (about seven hundred
yards from the larger one) and the rest bivouacked
upon the beach, near the place Of landing, about
4 two miles north Of the forts Early the next
| morning the Harriet Lane ran In shore for the
1 purpose OF covering any attack upon the troops
At the same time large steamer was observed
/ coming down the Sound, inside the land with
achievements for the enemy, but she was pre-
l vented from landing by Captain Johnson Of the
L he fx<yo Fpo,
the ship and six-pounder captured from the en-
| envy In small sand battery, and opened fire upon
Il the rebel steamer.
Ats O'Clock the feet opened fire again, the Gag
| snip being anchored as near as the water allowed
| ana the other ships coming galantly into action
IL was evident, after few experiments, that our
l shot fell short. An increased length of fuse was
l teiegraphed, and firing commenced with shells OF
| fifteen seconds fuse. | had sent Mr.. Fiske acting
ald-de camp, on shore, for the purpose Of gaining
Intelligence Of the movements OF the troops and Of
Il the enemy. then went with the Fanny, for the
| purpose OF efecting landing of the remainder OF
the troops, when a white flag was ruh up from the
l TORT then went with the Fanny over the bar
Into the inlet. At the same time the troops under
| Col. Weber, marched up the beach, and signal
was made from the flag ship to cease firing AZ
| the Fanny rounded In over the bar, the rebel
| steamer WfnslOw went up the channel having a
| large number Of secession troops on board which
she had not landed. We threw a shot at her from
| tue Fanny, but she proved to be out Of range
| then sent Lieut. Crosby on shore to demand the
| meaning Of the white flag. The boat soon returned
bringing Mr. Weigel, with the following written
communication from Samuel Barron, late captain
| In 'ne Onlteo states Navy:
| "Memorandun1
FORT HATrERAs, Aug. 90, 1861.
"Flag Officer Samuel Barron. C. 8 NAVY of
iers to surrender Fort Hatteras, with all the arm.
ana munitions Of war. The officers allowed 10
| 90 out with side arms, and the men without arms
| to retire. BARRON.
Commanding Naval Defence
ava. and N Carolina
And also verbal communication stating tina,
ne had In the fort 6l5 men, and a thousan nd more
within an hours call, but that he was anxious to
sPate Ihs enusion OF blood. To both the written
| ana verbal communications 1 made the reply
which follows, and sent 1t by Lieut.. Crosby:
| "Mtmorandun.
benjamin +. Butler, Major General United
Sm nis army, commanding, In reply to the COM
| munlcation Of Sam1 Barron, commanding forces
| al Fort Hatteras, cannot admit the terms pro
posed The terms offered are these: full capitlla.
uon, the officers and men to be treated as prison.
| ers OF war. No other terms admissible
Commanding officers to meet on board fac.
| snip Minnesota to arrange details.
august 20, 1861"
After waiting 'hree-quarters Of hour Lieut.
| Crosoy returned, bringing with him Capt Bar
ron, Major Andrews, and Col Martin, of the
| rebel forces, who, on being received aboa I'd the
tug Fanny, informed me that they had accepted
| the terms proposed in my memorandum, and
l had come to surrender themselves and their com
| mand az prisoners Of war. Informed them that.
as the expedition was a combined one from the
L navy, tuc SURRENDER must be made
board the flag ship to Flag Officer Stringham, An
4 well az to myself. We went on board the Min
nesota for that purpose. On arriving there the
following articles OF captulation were signed,
| which hope will meet your approval. fThis
document will be found among the naval reports 4
1 then landed, and took formal surrender al
,ne ioIe, with all the men and munitions Of war,
Inspected the troops to that the arms had been
properly surrendered, marched them out. and
embarked them on board the Adelaide, and
| marched my own troops into the fort, and raised
OUT nag upon 1t, amid the cheers of our men and
| saiute OF thirteen guns which had been shotted
| oy the enemy. The embarkation of the wounded.
which was conducted with great care and tender,
ness from temporary wharf, erected for the pur-
pose took SO long that night came on and 90 dark
that II was impossible for the pilots to take the
Adelaide over the bar, thereby causing delav.
may mention In this connection thai the Adelaide
In carrying In the troops, at the moment that INV
tefms OF capitulation were under consideration bv
Inc enemy, had grounded upon the bar, but by
the active and judicious exertions Of Commando
s'eiiwagen, after some delay, was got off AT the
| same time, the Harriet Lane, In attempting to
enter The bar, bad grounded, and remained fa.t
both Were under the guns Of the fort This To
these accidents, valuable ship Of war and
| transport steamer, with large portion Of INV