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

One tcn-inch Columbiad, ready for
mounting.
Three brass G-pounder field piec cs.
One thousand stand of arms.
Twenty-Five rounds of cartridge
for heavy guns--exccllent for boys to
play with as they are not likely to
explode.
Quantity of shells filled with sand
the secessionists having no fuse--of
no particular value.
One Brig with cargo of SO bales
of cotton.
Two schooners with assorted car
goes--ono principally of coffee.
Two light ships practically taken
from the coast
Large quantity of provisions.
Four stand Of colors, one of which
had been presented within week by
the ladies of Newburn, North Caroli-
ma, to the "North Carolina Defend
ers."
And finally, richest prize of all, the
Key to the Albemarie."
The Minnesota left for New York
with the Confederate prisoners.
A new military department, it is
supposed, will be created for General
Butler. ...s.# p fsf
The official report of Gen. Butler
gives very minute particulars of the
expedition and engagement He says
Fort Hatteras mounted ten guns, four
unmounted, also one large ten inch
columbiad, ready for mounting. The
position Of the fort is an exceedingly
strong one, nearly surrounded on all
sides by water, and only to be APP
preached by march of 500 yards
circuituously over q long neck of
sand, within half musket range, and
over causeway few feet only i'm
width, which was commanded with
two 32-pounder guns, loaded with
grape and canister.
Fort Clark, which is about seven
hundred yards northerly, is a square
redoubt, mounting five guns and two
6-pounders. The enemy had spiked
these guns, but in very inefficient
manner, upon abandoning the fort the
day before.
Butler says On consultation with
flag officer Stringham and commander
Stcllwager, | determined to leave
troops and hold the fort because of
the strength of the Notifications and
its Importance, because, if again in the
possession Of the enemy with suffi-
cient armament, of the difficulty of
re-captuting. The Importance Of the
point cannot be over-rated. From
there the whole coast of Virginia and
North Carolina, from Norfolk to Cape
Lookout, is within reach by light
draft vessels, which cannot possibly
live at sea during the winter months.
From it offensive operations may be
made upon the whole coast of North
Carolina to Bogue Inlet, extending
many miles inland to Washington,
Newbern and Beaufort.
In the language of the Chief En-
gineer of the rebels in an official re-
port, " it is the Key of the Alba
marie" In my Judgment, it is a sta
ton second in Importance only to
Fortress Monroe. On this coast is
depot for coaling and supplies for the
blockading squadron. 1t is invalu.
able as harbor for our coasting
trade or as an inlet from the winter
storm or from pirates, it is of the first
Importance. BY holding it the Hat
teras light may again send forth q
cheering ray to the storm beaten
mariner.
BY the goodness of that Provi-
dence which watches over our nation,
no one of the fleet or army was in the
least degree injured.
"The enemy's loss was not official
ly reported to us, but was ascertain
cd to be twelve on fifteen killed and
thirty-iive wounded"