Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-09-11
Official Report Of Gen. Butler.
UNITED STATES FLAG SHP MINNESOTA, |

August 81, 1861.
GENERAL.-Agreeable to your orders,
cmbal ked on the transport steamers Ade-
laide and George Peabody five hundred of
| the Twentieth regiment New York Vol.
unteers, Col. Weber commanding; Cap
tain Jardine's company, Ninth regiment
New York Volunteers with one hundred
OF the Union Coast Guard, Capt Nixon
commanding, and sixty of the Second L.
nited States artillery, Lieut.. Larned com.
manding, as a force to Operate in con.
Junction with the fleet under command Of
Flag of Officer Str,ngbam, against the reb-
el forts ut IIatteas Inlet.
We left Fortress Monroe on Monday at
one o'clock p. NJ, the last ship CT our
feet arriving off L!atteras Inlet about four
o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Such prep
arations as were possible for the landing
were made in the evening; and at day
light next morning dispositions were
made for an attack upon the forts by a
fleet and for the landing of the troops.
Owing to the previous prevalence Of south
west gales heavy surf was breaking on
the beach. Every effort was made to land
the troops, and alter about 3l5 men were
landed, including fifty five marines from
the feet, and the regulars, both the iron
boats upon which we depended were
swamped in TIE surf and both flat boats
were stove and brave attempt being
made by Lieutenant Crosby, [ UI.ted States
Navy, serving with the army rs post cap
tain, at Fortress Monroe who had volun>
teered to come down with the steamtug
Fanny, belonging 10 the army to land in
L.. 1 |, gtn
sulteL in leachu~ tie boat. so that she
could not be got oil.
1t was implaCticable to land mere
troops because Of the rising wind and sea,
Fortunately Twelve pound rilled boat
gun loaned us by the flag ship, and a
, twelve pound howitzer were landed, the
last slightly damaged. Our landing was
completely covered by the shells OF the
, Monticello and TIE Harriet Lane. was on
;, loard the Harriet Lane directing the dis
/ emLarkation of the troops by means o
signals, and was about landing with them
at the tlmo the boats we're stove.
', We were induced 10 desist any further
, attempts at landing troops by the rising
Of the wind, and because in the mean
time the fleet had opened fire upon the
nearest fort, which VS. finally silenceC
and its flag struck. No firing had beer
opened upon our troops from the Other
q fort, and It's flag was also Struck. Sup
: posing this to lie a signal Of surrender
Colonel Weber advanced his troops al
ready landed upon the beach.
The Harriet Lane Captain Faunce, 10y
my direction, tried to cross the bar to get
: in the smooth water of the. inlet, wher
/ ire was opened upon the MonticeI
10, which had proceeded in advance otu
- from the other fort. Several shots strucl
. her. but without causing any caSua.itie
y rs ! am informed. So well convinced
- were the officers of both ravy and arm.
;, that the forts had surrendered at thl
~ time ihlt the SusQuchanna had towed tn
~ rligate Cumberland to an oiling. Tn
fire was then reopened, as there was n
n signal from either, upon both forts, II
), the meantime few men from the COas
:. Guard had advanced up the beach, VIII
Mr.. Wicgel, who was acting as voluntce
;, aid and whose gallantry and services
.. wish to commeud, and took po esslon G
the smaller folt, which was found to hay
~ been abapdoncd by the enomy, and rals
. ed the American flag thereon.
, 1t had become necessary, owing to lh
~ threatening appearance Of the weather
!, that all the ships should make an oihni
which was done with reluctance, iroI
necessity thus leaving the troops upo
shore, a palt in possession of the sma
=, fort about seven hundred yards from ID
- large one. and the rest biyoupcked upo
:, the beach near the place of landing abou
two miles north Of the forts.
Early the next morning the HalrlC
Lane ran in shore for the purpose OF GOV
!. ering any attack upon the troops. A
the same time a large steamer was ohscl
=, we'd coming down the sound, inside tn
land, with re:nforcements for the enemy
!. but she was prevented from landing b
Il CAPTAIN Johnson, of the Coast Guard, ,wh
~ had placed the two gdns from the shi
and six .pounder captured from the en-
7 envy in small sand battery, and opcnc
=. fire upon the ebel steamer.
n At eight o'clock the fleet opened fiji
"a again, the flagship being anchored as nca
n as the water allowed, and tue other shiT
i coming gallantly into action. II was evI
10 dent, after few experiments, that ou
. shots fell short An increased len 9Th {
= fuse was telegraphed, and tireing commer
;s ced with shells of fifteen seconds fuse.
n had sent Mr.. Fiske, acting aid de CAM
on shore, for the purpose OF gaining inle
: ligence of the movements of the troops {
/, the enemy. then went with the Fam
Iv for the purpose Of effecting a landing
u the remainder of the troops, when whit
10 flag was run up from the fort.
then went with the Fanny over tn
. bar into the inlet. At the same time th
~ troops under Colonel Weber marched u
. the beach, signal was ma de from th
1t flagship to cease firing.
}. As the Fanny rounded in over the ba
ID the rebe! steamer Winslow went up tn
u channel having a large number of rcb'
is troops on board, which she had not lane
ed. we threw a shot at her from th