St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-09-12
The Great Naval Victory.

army and navy did not reach us until
our edition of last week had been
printed. We now give some details
of the affair, as follows
The expedition sailed from Fortress
Monroe at noon on Monday, August
23d, under command of Gen. Butler
and Com. Stringham, and consisted of
the Minnesota, the Wabash, the Paw
nee, the Monticello and the Harriet
Lane, war vessels, the steamers Geo.
Peabody and Adelaide, transports,
and the steam tug Fanny. Two iron
boats and two fiat fishing boats, all
intended to be used as surf boats,
were taken along, and also dismast-
ed schooner, which it was proposed to
sink i'm the Bulk Head The frigate
Cumberland was expected to arrive
off Hatteras to join the attack, and the
Susquehanna, side wheel steam ship
of-war, then over due at Hampton
Roads, was also under orders to fol.
low as carly as possible. The trans
ports conveyed five hundred men of
the New York Twentieth Regiment,
German Turners,) with Col. Weber
and Lieut.. Col. Weiss, two hundred
and twenty men of the New York
Ninth under Col. Hawkins command,
two companies of the Union Coast
Guard, (the Naval Brigade, as it was
once called, under Capt. Nixon, and
a company from the Second U. S. Ar
tillery under Capt. Larncd.
The fleet arrived off Hatteras Inlet
on Tuesday afternoon. A reconnois-
sance at once commenced, and prepar.
ations for an attack the next morning
were promptly made. At little past
9 o'clock, firing commenced from the
Wabash, Cumberland and Minnesota.
Fort Clark responded promptly. The
fire was kept up very briskly for an
hour, when the Susquehanna hove in
sight, coming up in fine style and at
once taking hand in the engage
ment.
Meanwhile some three hundred
troops were landed under command of
Col. Weber, who succeeded in land
ing two cannon and capturing bat
terry Of two guns on the beach. With
these he afterwards drove off ap-
preaching reinforcements of the reb-
els.
Three hours cannonading, from
fifty-seven heavy guns belonging to
our men of war, produced their effect.
The rebel flag had been twice shot
away, the rebel firing now ceased,
and the fort was abandoned, the in
mates escaping in boats and bargcs.
Our troops on shore hurriedly enter
ed the fort and hoisted the stars and
stripes. The flag on the neighboring
fort, Hatteras, was hauled down about
this time, and it was supposed the
victory was won. But shortly after
wards fire was opened from the Hat
teras, which was returned by the
Monticello, Wabash. Susquehanna,
Minnesota, and, near the close, by the
Cumberland. After an hour or two
of cannonading, darkness set in and
the vessels retired to safe anchorage
for the night.
The troops on shore were in q very
critical situation, and great anxiety
was felt during the night for their
safety. Owing to the roughness of
the sea but small part-about 300
Of the forces could be landed all the
small boats having been disabled.
Morning dawncd, and the little band
of troops on shore were found to be
safe They had erected a sand bat
terry during the night, and mounted
their guns. Presently large white
steamer. the Winslow, belonging to
the rebel navy, approached, filled with
soldiers, under command of Arthur
Sinclair, late of the U. S. Navy.
The battery opened upon her, beat
them back, and the Winslow made
good speed in getting out of the way.
At little past s o'clock the war
vessels again took position off Fort
Hatteras. Firing continued for more
than an hour, and yet no response
from the fort, nor was any flag shown
therefrom. A Boston correspondent,
on board the Minnesota, ventured to
suggest to an old sailor that the rebels
had evacuated. He got for an an
swer--" Don't you be in a worry,
young man--you'll see enough of
them before you get out of this--they
aren't in hurry" And so it proved /;
for, after enduring the bombardment
an honr and half, the rebels respond
ed. The shells now flew thick and
fast, doing terrible execution upon the
fort. Gen. Butler counted twenty
eight shells falling into the fort in
eight minutes The rebels couldn't
stand this, and just after broadside
had been let of from the Minnesota
a white flag was run up. Firing ceas-
ed the sailors flew to the rigging,
and from ship to ship rang the cheers
of victory!
1t was now discovered that Samuel
Barron, late of the U. S. Navy, was in
command Of the fort He communi-
Gated to Gen. Butler that he would
evacuate the premises If he aud his
officers were allowed to march out
with side arms, aud the men (7OO)
were permitted to retire without arms.
Butler required an unconditional sur
render, which was finally acceded to,
and to arrange the terms, Barron and
his officers We're taken by the tug
I" Fannie" to the flag ship of Com.
Stringham. What must have been
the feelings Of Samuel Barron, as on
the way he passed under the guns of
the Wabash, which six months since
he commanded, and against which he
had just been directing his batteries !?
And what were his emotions as he
stepped on the deck of the Minnesota
to receive the greetings of devoted
loyal men, his comrades for SO many
years T? Gloomy enough, surely
The terms were soon arranged, and
the articles Of capitulation agreed on
between Commodore Stringham and
General Butler on the one hand, and
Barron, Commanding Naval
force G. S. N, Col. Martin and Major
Andrews commanding land forces at
Fort Hatteras, on the other, stipulate
that all the forces under said Barron,