Litchfield enquirer., 1861-09-05
EIGHT OF THE REBEL TROOPS KILLED
 AND THIRTY-FIVE WOUNDED.
FOrsy-five Officers and 665 NOn- Commissioned Officers and
 Privates Captured
.000 STAND OF ARMS, THIRTY-FIvE GAN NON, AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF AM
 MUNITION AND STORES TAKEN.
CAPTURE OF VESSELS LADEN WITH COT
 TON AND TOBACCO.
THE CUTTER HARRIET LANE AGROUND.

WdShangton, August 3l.-A splendid and de cisive blow has been struck on the coast of North Carolina by the combined naval and land forces of the Union, which surpasses in importance any thing yet accomplished against the enemy
 A piratieal nest, long the terror of the mer- chant, has been effectually broksnup and destroy ed. Victory has crowned our flag. The special correspondent of the N. Y Herald says :-1 have this moment arrived from the scene of con- test at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, which he left Friday afternoon, with General Butler and staff, in the steamer Adelaide, under command of Commander H. s. Stillwagen U. S. N. touch ing for short time at Fortress Monroe thence to Annapolis and Washington.
 The expedition consisting of the frigates Min nesota, Commodore stringham in command of the expedition; Wabash Capt. Mercer; the gum boats Pawnee, Capt. Rowan; Monticello Com mander Gills, and the Harriet Lane, Capt. Fa- unce; with the transports Adelaide and George Peabody, conveying troops to the number of about thousand, left Fortress Monroe last Monday, and reached the rendezvous off Hatter- as Inlet, fifteen miles below Cape Hatteras, on Tuesday morning, the Minnesota and Wabash coming in in the afternoon, and the Cumberland joined the fleet the same day
 Preparations were immediately made to land the troops the following morning, at which time the transports ran near the beach, two miles north of the Inlet, and covered by the Monticel- To, Harriet Lane and Pawnee. About three hun | Grnd 1oD doJ bo,, force consisting of Capt. Larned's company of regular artillery, Capt. Jardine's company Ninth New York, two companies of the Twentieth New York, with Colonel Weber and Lieut. Col Heiss: Q detachment of marines from the frigates under command of Majors Doughty anl shuttleworth and detachment of sailors from the Pawnee under Lieuts. Crosby and Blue with Drs. King and Jones
 The gunboats swept the beach and neighbor- ing copse of scrub oaks. All the boats being swamped and bilged in the surf no more men could be thrown ashore. Meanwhile, the Mir nesota and Wabash-the latter with the Cumber land in tow-steamed up to the front batteries and took their position at long range.
 At 10 o'clock the Wabash fired the first 2, n, the eleven-inch shell striking near the battery and bursting with tremendous force The bat tery, which was of sand, covered with turf and mounting five long thirty-two's, instantly return od the fire, the shot falling short. The Minnes- eta aud Cumberland Immediately opened fire about it. The fro was terrific, and soon the battery's responses were few, and far between, save when the frigatcs suspended fire for a while to get a new position, when the enemy's fire.was most spirited.
 1 No damage was sustained by our ships, and when they again took their position the cannon ading was intensely hot, the shells dropping in the enemy's works falling on the ramparts exploding in death dealing fragments, and carrying death and destruction with them. The small wooden structures about the fort were torn and perforated with flying shells.
 At eleven o'clock the immense flagstaff was shot away and the rebel flag came down, but the fire was still continued by them.
 At twelve o'clock the Susquehanna steamed in, and, dropping her boats astern, opened an effective fire The cannonading on our part was incessant, and the air was alive with the hum and explosion of flying shell ; but the enemy did not return the fire with any regularity, the bat tery being too hot for them, from the explosion of shells that dropped in at the rate of above a half dozen a minute.
 The enemy ceased firing little before two, nh 0f faY ol,o o11, lcI the Commodore signalized to cease firing.
 The troops had meantime advanced to within short distance of the fort, and before we ceas- ed firing some of our men got in and raised the Stars and Stripes. The place was too hot fol the men, but the flag was left waving Cox. swains Benjamin Swcares, of the Pawnee's first cutter, stood for some time on the ramparts way. ing the flag amid flight of shells
 When the firing ceased the fort was occupied in force and held afterwards
 | The Monticello had proceeded ahead of the land force to protect them, and reached the inlet when large fort, of an octagon shape, to the rear and right of the small battery. mounting ten thirty-two's and four eight-inch guns, which had till then been silent, opened on her with eight guns, at short range At the same instant she got aground, and stuck fast, the enemy pour ing in fire, hot and heavy, which tho Monti- cello replied to with shell sharply. For fifty minutes she held her own, and finally getting off the ground she came out having been shot through and through by seven eight-inch shell, one going below the water line, She fired fifty five shell in fifty minutes, and partially silenced the battery. The withdrew at dusk for repairs. with one or two men slightly bruised, but none killed or wounded.
 The escape of the vessel and crew was miracul- ous. Until this time we supposed the day was ours: but the unexpected opening of the large battery rather changed the aspect of affairs- Things do not look cheerful as dark. We had men ashore who were probably in need of provi- sions, and in case of night attack no assistance could be sent then from the Harriet Lane As we lay close in shore we saw the bright bivouac fires on the beach, with groupes of men aboutthem. The night passed without an aiarm' the enemy, as we have since learned' lyins on their arms all night, expecting an attack At early daybreak on Friday the men went to rorters in the fleet, and at quarter-past eight, the vessels having borne down nearer than the nreyious days position, the action began the e,.,,,ohonna opening the days work by a shell