Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-07
rnE Fonr HArTEnAs AFrAIa.

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General ButIerss OFficIsI report OF nj
al Expiotts
As part of the history Of the times, we prin
Gen. BurLxR's official report Of lis wonderful cap
ture of a fort whose forces had no ammunition Wit
which to defend themselves. The account of th
affair is in Gen. BCTLER's peculiar vein. c. s-uia
OFFICIAL REPORT OF GENERAL BurIKR
UNITED STATES FLAG SHIP MINNESOTA,
! August 81 1861.
| GgNER4fs Agreeably to your orders, / embarked
on the transport steamers Adelaide and George Pea
body, five hundred Of the Twentieth regiment New
York Volunteers, Col. Weber commanding; Captain
JGrdine's company, Ninth regiment New York Vol
untPers, with one hundred of the Union Coast Guard
/ Captain Nixon commander and sixty of the Second
United States Artillery, Lieut.. LRrned commanding
as force 10 operate IN conjunction with the feet
| under command of Flag Officer Stringham against
the rebel forts at Hstterss Inlet.
We left Fortress Monroe on Monday at one o'clock
p. NJ the last ship of our feet arriving OF Hatteras
Inlet about four o'clock On Tuesday afternoon. Such
preparations were possible for the landing were
made in the evening and at daylight next morning
dispositions made for attack upon the forts
by the feet and for the landing Of the tFoOps Owing
| to the previous prevalence Of southwest gales a
/ heavy surf was Greshng on the beach, Every ef-
fort was made to land the troops, and after about
3l5 men were landed, including iity-fYe marines
from the feet and the regulars both the iron boats
upoa which we depended were sWamped in the surf,
and both fiat boats were stove, and brave attempt
being made by Lieutenant Crosby United States
Navy, serving with the army IS post captain az Fort
ress Monroe, who had volunteered TO come down
with the steamtug Fanny, belonging to the army, to
land in boat from the war steamer Pawnee, re-
suited in beaching the boat so that ecoud net be
got of -.-.-
It was impracdcable to land more troops because
Of the rising wind and sea. Fortunately q tWelVe~
pound rifed gun boat loaned us by the flag ship and
q twelve pound hoWitzer were landed the last
slightly damaged. Our landing was completely Gov
cred by the shells of the Monticello and the Harriet
Lane. was on board the Harriet Lane directing
the Decentralization of the troops by means Of sig
nails. and was about landing with them at the time
the boats were stove. We were induced to deslst
from further attempts at landing troops by the rising
of the wind, and because 10 the meantime the fleet
had opened fire upon the nearest fort, which was
sileneed and its flag struck. No firing nad been
opened upon our troops from the other fort, and
It's flag was also struck Supposing this to be
signal Of surrender, Colonel Weber advanced his
troops already landed upon the beach.
The Harriet Lane, Capt France. BY my direction,
tried to the bar to get in the smooth of
the inlet, when FIRE opened upon the Monticello
which had proceeded in advance of US, from the
other fort Several shots struck her, but without
causing any eausalities, as l am informed So weil
convinced were the officers OF both navy and army
that the forts had endered at this time that the
Susquehanns had gow ed the frigate Cumberland to
an ofiug. the FIRE was then reopened, as there Was
10 signal from either, upon both forts In The
meantime few men from the Coast Guard had sd-
vanced I'D the beach. with Mr. Wiegel. who was
acting as volunteer aid, and whose galllntry and
services l wish to commend, took possession of
the smaller fort, which was found to have boen
abandoned by the enemy, and raised the American
flag thereon.
IL had become necessary, owing to the threaten
ing appearance of the weather, that all the ships
should make an ofing, which was done with relue-
tance from necessity thus leaving the TROOPS upon
shore, part in possession of the small fort about
seven hundred yards from the large one, and the
rest bivOuacked upon the beach near the place OF
landing, about two miles north of the tort.
Early the next marning the Harriet Lane ran in
shore for The purpose of covering any attack upon
the troops At the same time large steamer was
observed coming down the sound, inside the land.
with reinforce nents for the enemy; but she was
prevented from landing by Captain johnson of the
Coast Guard, who hRd placed the two guns from
the ship and six.pJnEdGr captured from the enc
my in a small sand battery, and opened fire upon
the rebel steamer E.F- ~.
At eight O'Clock the fleet opened fire again. the
flagship being anchored as near as the water al
lowed, and the other ships coming galandy into
action. II was evident, after few experiments,
that our shots fell short. An increased length of
fuse was telegrsphed, and firing commenced with
shells of fifteen seconds fuse. had sent Mr.. FIske,
acting aid deeamp, on shore, for the purpose of
gaining intelligence of the movements Of the troops
of the enemy. then went with the Fanny for the
purpose Of efsctiDg landing of the remainder Of
the troops, when white flag was run up from the
fort
then went with the Fanny over the bar into the
inlet At the same time the troops under Colonel
Weber marched up the beach, and signal was made
from the flagship to cease firing.
As the Fanny rounded IN over the bar the rebel
steamer Wnsl0W went up the channel, having 3
large number of rebel troops on board, which she
had not landed We threw s shot at her from the
Fanny, but she proved to be out Of range. then
sent Lieutenant Crosby on shore, to dsmand the
meaning of the whitefiag. The boat soon returned,
bringing Mr. Wiegel, with the following written
communication from Samuel Barron, late captain
in the United States Navy:
--...s IS lCEroRKsDUH. z--.s.rI
EFIag Samuel Barren oOnfsderss States Navy, offers
the officers all wed to 80 out vita side arms and ths With
omnan ing Naval Defense Virginia and North CaOli5a
FoRT HLTTERIs, August 60, 1851
Also verbal communication stating that he had
in the fort six hundred and fifteen men and thou
sand more within ar hours call, but that he was
anxious to spare the efIsion Of blood.
To both the written and verbal communicatonsI
made the reply which follows, aud sent it BY Lieut..
Crosby: ls --
WEMoRNDUN.
benjamin Butler, Major General United States Army
mAnding in reply 70 the Of ssEGsl saron
proposed. Ths terms offered these: Z |
RuIl capitulation.
No other terra admissible. a-a. --
Commanding officers to meet board gshp Minnesota to
arrange details.
August 29th, 1861.
After waiting three quarters of an hour, Lieut. |
Crosby returned, bringing with him Capt Barron, /
Maior Andrews and Col Martin of the rebel forces,
who on being received on board the tug Fanny, in
formed me that they had accepted the terms pro- |
posed in my memorandum, and had come 10 sur |
render themselves and their command as prisoners !
of war. -s
/ informed them that as the expedition was |
combined one from the army and navy, the surren-
der must be made on board the flagship toFlag Of
feer Stringham, as well as to myself We went on
board the Minnesota for that purpose. On arriving
there the following articles Of eapituatlon were
signed, which hope will meet your approval:
UuTEs STATKI FbaesuIP MrsSrsoTA,l
Or HAsTER.s IuET, Aug % lo61
Lrtilss Of capitalization 6efaoesn flag officer ia01a COM
Eaandiag de A2dHtc b0ckGding squadron and Bsni1-
min BHaer Agj General United Sstes G0reTzsaest,
and 1nsHsl BGT0n commanding The nG0dt foTess Tor t6S
defeRse Of North CarolfRa and frgiRia and oz Aar,
commando the forces and Major AEdFers Commanding
a04ne forees AZ HJttSrds.