Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-09-11
Something Rotten in Denmark.


The recent disaster at Hatteras is humiliating
The more we look at it. the more deeply are we
mort'hed and the more fully are we convinced that
there must have been something rotten in the
state of Denmark"
The affair does not alarm u.s. We do not 20 into |
spasms because the Yankees have taken Hatteras.
1t is sheer nonsense for our people to take fright
and conclude that the Yankees, having got posses
sion OF Hatteras can control Eastern Carolina and
that by consequence it is lost to us, at least for
time. 10 talk Of Hatteras being made the base of
great strategic plan for the subjugation of North
Carolina and of the South, betrays consummate ig-
horance both Of geography and strategy Give the
Yankees control of Hatteras, Beacon Island, and
Oregon Inlet, and then they can do nothing except
to interfere with our privateers and to harass our
people who live on the banks and on the sounds,
unless we stand still and do nothing.
Let Roanoke Island be we'll fortified, and it can
be done even now-let Washington and Newborn
be well manned with Notifications below and the
channels blockaded- the blight of Cape Lookout
and Lcnoxville and Swansboro be properly pro-
vided for-let the detences around and near Will
mington be wisely arranged and fortified, and We
can keep the enemy at bay till doomsday He can
not enter Eastern North-Carolina, with anything
like ordinary energy and courage on the part of our
people. Now that the government has walked up
and our people are aroused, We have no fears
But matters must not be managed as they were
at Hatteras We are now convinced, unless We are
wholly ignorant of the facts that Hatteras ought
tn hire E1pO T,,.k -
ever heard before of commander concentrating
or 500 men in and around two inconsiderable sand
batteries, to be destroyed by The superior guns of
large fleet? Who ever heard before of keeping that
number of armed men in such a position, and al
| lowing only 800 of the enemy to land within two
miles Of them without any rcsstance9 Who ever
before heard of the surrender Of 700 men to such
force when they had lost only so men in killed and
wounded? Our forces had a capital chance to re-
sist their landing. They could have killed the 500
Yankees with the risk of small loss to themselves
on the beach, before they could have reached our
fortfcations. Who ever heard of surrender be-
fore of all the private papers, correspondence and
charts in possession, to an invading foe? If Gen.
Gwynn had been there, We are confident the sur
| TcnOcr WOulu not nave Dceu llaue uc WOuu nave
fought them with small arms and in the last re-
sort, would have repulsed them with the bayonet.
We feel confident, also, that if such men as Col.
Martin, Major Andrews, Lieut.. Col. johnson, Major
Gillian, Capts. Sparrow, Sharpe and others there,
haG been left to their own courage and the daring
of their brave men, as little military knowledge as
they may be supposed to have, they would no: have
surrendered
We have no charges of corruption or collusion tc
make. We would not do injustice to any living
man. But we cannot resist the conclusion which
the facts published in our paper to-day force upor
u.s. that Com. Barron yielded too much to his fear.
or something else, when he proposed to surrender
One fact arrests attention. The name of Col
Bradford is not mentioned among the officers O.
the wounded We arc led to fear from this that h
must have been killed.