Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-10-05
The STANDARD.
OF FORT HATrERAs.
oruc,At REPORTS OF THE orrIcERs.
COL. MARTINS REPORT.

u
This month and the surrender of all the officers and
troops then present the combined naval ana army
forces of the United States government conmanueu
BY Commodore Stringham and Maj Gen. Butter, as
prisoners of war.
On Tuesday afternoon, the 9th OF August ABOUT
o'clock, discovered large fleet in sight OF HAT
teras; after an hour or more, oy the ald OIL Ihe
glass made out what considered seven large
war steamers two transports, apparently CROWDED
with men, and two or three small tug steamers
Having at that post but about three hundred ana
fifty men, and learning from the officers IN charge
of Forts Clark and Hatteras that 1t would require
at least two hundred and twenty-five men to work
the guns properly and give the necessary relies,
and knowing that with the residue of the men,
could not successfully resist landing OF the enc
my's troops, determined to send to portsmouth
for aid There being no steamboat at Hatteras, al
ter some hour or more | succeeded IN getunS
pilot boat, and dispatched it with orders to Lieut.
Col. George W. Johnston. at Portsmouth, to bring
to nv aid, from Portsmouth, all the men that could
possibly be spared. This dispatch which L had
hoped and expected would have reached him IN
few hours he did not get until sometime In the
morning of the next day. immediately upon re-
ceiving my orders Lieut.. Col. Johnston made every
effort to come to my aid, and succeeded in reaching
Hatteras at dark on the 2Sth, with Maj. H. A. Gill
liam and portions of the following companies, to-
wit Company L, 7th Regiment N. c. Volunteers,
St. George w. Grimes commanding, and sixty men
and two End Lieuenants; Company u. 9TH Reg l.,
Lieut. NJ T. Move commanding, with seventy-threc
men and one I'd Lieutenant; Company h 7th rcgi-
ment n C. Volunteers, Capt. Thomas Ii. Sharpe,
commanding, with sixty-four men and two End
Lieutenants; Company Of State Troops, Capt IhoS
Sparrow, commanding, with fifty men and all his
officers At the time of the arrival of Lieutenant
Col. Johnston, Commodore Barron, of the Confed-
crate States Navy, and Maj W. S. G. Andrews,
commanding the Artillery defences at Forts Clark
and Hatteras also arrived.
On the arrival of Commodore Barron and Major
Andrews held consultation with the Major, aud
We agreed that it was advisable to surrender the
command Of our defences to the Commodore, having
entire confidence in his SKILL experience and brave
~. if he would accept the same The offer OF the
command was made to him, and he consented to
take charge. The reports Of Commodore Barron
and Maj Andrews, of the action of the 29th contain
all that is material and | Therefore deem tunneces-
sary say any thing in relation to the attack and
surrender on the 29th farther than to remark that
the officers and men behaved WELL exhibiting great
GOODNESS and bravery and regretting that we were
placed at such disadvantage, having neither sutti-
cient armament to compete at all with the enemy,
and having fertilization not sufficiently well con-
Structed to enable US 70 remain still and endure the
fire of the enemy.
Had our condition in either of these respects been
what it ought to have been Hatteras would still be
in our possession.
On the morning of the 2Sth, between eight and
nine o'clock, heavy fire was opened from the
steamers Minnesota, Wabash Susquehannah, and
other war vessels upon Fort Clark and upon almost
all parts of the Island, particularly at the point
where they intended landing troops. The fire was
continuous upon Fort Clark and upon all the little
skirts or woods where troops might possibly be con-
cealed for several hours being fire of shells only,
it might well be spoken Of a food of shells
The fire of the enemy was promptly returned by
Capt John c. Lamb, Comp. 7th Regt. n. c. VS..
who was in charge OF Fort Clark, and was regularly
kept up by him until every charge of powder and
every primer was exhausted. 1t was while gallant
ly directing of the guns at Fort Clark that 1t
Knight, of Comp. D. 7th regiment n. g. Vols,
ceived severe wound in the arm from fragment
of she'll Capt. Lamb and his Leutenants all of
whom were present, and the men under their COM
mand, displayed great GOODNESS and bravery. Their
fire was well directed, guns we'll managed and while
most of their shot fell short, yet some reached the
enemy. doing however but little damage as they
were all round shot that were fred.
Our ammunition being entirely exhausted at Fort
Clark, and the enemy having landed some forces, |
called the officers together who were at Fort Clark
and it was unanimously agreed that 1t was advlsa-
BILE to render useless the guns and fall back upon
Fort Hatteras This being agreed to, sent orders
to the various bodies of men whom had stationed
IN the skirts of wood to resist the advance of the
envy upon Fort Clark, that Fort Clark could not be
held and they must fall back upon Fort Hatteras.
The guns at Fort Clark were as effectnally spiked
as it was possible. to do with nails having no prop
or spikes every thing taken off that we could carry
and we fell back under most terrible fire Of shell
upon Fort Hatteras. We reached there | think
about one clock. should have stated before that
Lieut. A. w. Ezzell of Capt W. Suttons company
of State Troops, had charge of one of the guns at
Fort Clark, and can well say that he discharged
his duty as man and soldier.
regret to state that while some Of the men were
passing from Camp Gwynn which was on the SOUND
shore and about two miles from Fort Hatteras,
man and possibly two were killed by shells of the
enemy have not been able to learn their names.
Having collected all the troops at Fort Hatteras
I determined to make as good resistance as posi-
bic. Consulting with Capt. Cohoon, of Comp. B.,
7th regiment n. G. VS., who had charge of Fort
HatteraS with his company, we agreed that it
was useless to expend our shot on the enemy, as
we were beyond reach. so we must endure until
they care nearer. Fort Hatteras submitted to the
fire for some hours without returning a shot. At
about four O'Clock P. NJ. one of the enemys steam
ers undertook to go through the Inlet, when we
opened upon her, and drove her back putting sew
eraI round shot into her, but doing her suppose
material damage
The firing between Fort Hatteras and the enemy
continued until night fall rather the fire of the
enemy upon the Fort continued, for they kept so
well beyond the reach of our guns, that we only
wasted our ammunition in firing at them.
1t may be proper to state that no flag was raised
upon Fort Hatteras during the day of the 2Sth.-
This was fact, however, that did not attract nv
attention, and can suppose only be accounted for
from the flag having been torn to pieces by the
winds and no new ones procured for when on the
e9th tie flag was ordered TO be hoisted, we had to
use the one brought from Fort Clark not being able
to get the one belonging to Fort Hatteras
regret to report that IN addition to the officers
who had their companies with them, several other
officers are prisoners who were present in the en-
gagement and have shared the fate of the command
Of the post enclose list of all the officers not
in command who are prisoners of war; Among
these officers are CaptaD. j. Johnston and Lieut.
James T. Lassel: these officers were summoned
there from their commands to attend general
Court Martial ordered at that poptby Gen. Gwynn,
and in this way have fallen with the command at
Hatteras. While regrettng it much on their ac-