Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-11
The capture Of Fort Hatferns---OfRicIal
AepOrt OF our Captured Officers.

The capture Of Fort Haiferas-.-OGgiciai
Report Of Our Captured Officers.
II From the Raleigh N. c. State Journal, Oct ..
We stop the press to lay before cur readers thu
official report of the officers in command at For
Hatterss at the time Of ITS capture whichfhaye JUS
been received by th z Adjutant General this morn
] ing. We do so, knnTlDg the great anxiety in Oul
people 20 see how tie matter really was. from the
! pens Of our own oiiicers. We have not read the
document yet, and therefore can. refer no more in
detail to their ceRtenis.
| - s, rs C-L0SEI MAFIISs ELFoKr. l
] s = Flag SUR MIsNrsgrA, !
| at Sea, Aug. 3lst, 1861. (
/ To the Adjrtant General Of North Carolina,
p ID r1a -4 ~ Raleigh Nc.
Sir: herewith report the fall of Forts Clark
and Hatteras at Hatteras Inlet the 28Ih and 29h
of this month, and the surrender of all the officers
and troops then present 20 the combined naval and
| army forces of the United Statss Government com
manded By Commodore Stringham and MajS Gen.
| Batter, as prisoners of war. - .-s E
On Tuesday afternoon, the z7th of August about
4 O'Clock, I discovered large feet in sight Of
Hatteras, after an hour more. BY the aid Of the
glass, | made out what considered seven large
war steamers, two transport, apparently crowded
with men, and two or three small tug steamers.
Having at that post but about three hundred and
fifty men and learning from the officers IN charge
Of Forts Clark and Hatteras that it would require
at least two hundred and twenty five men to work
the guns properly, and give the necessary reiefs
and knowing that with the residue Of the men
could not successfully resist landing Of the ene-
my's troops determined to send 70 Portsmouth for
aid. There being,no steamboat at Hatteras, after
some hour or mere. succeeded in getting 3 pilot
blat and dispatehedit il with orders 10 Lieut. Co. Geo
w. Johnston, at Portsmouth, 10 bring tony aid from
Portsmouth, al toe men that could possibly be
spared. This dispatsh, which had hoped and ex-
pected would have reached him in 9 few hours be
did not getGatl some time in the morning the next
day. Immediately upon receiving my orders
Lieutenant Col. Jshuston made every effort to come
TO my aid, and succeeded in reaching Hatteras at
dark on the 2Sth with Mxlor H. A. Gillian and pof-
tons of the following companies. to wit Con5pazY
E, 9TH Regiment N. C. Volunteers, st. Georee W.
Grimes, commanding, and sixty men and two 2nd
Lieutehants, Company G, 1th Regiment, Lieut.. d.
7. Moye. commanding, with seventyetlrree men and
one I'd Lent.; Company K..T n Regiment n. G. Vol
unteers, Capt. Thomas III. Sharpe, eommandiEs,
with sixty -four men and two I'd Lieutenants; Com
pzny Of State troops, Captain Thomas Sparrow.
commanding, with fifty men and an his oficers.-
At The time of the arrivsl Of LIeutensRt Colonel
Johnston, Commodore Ba rlD, Of the @. IS. Navy,
and Major w. S. G.. Andrews, Commanding the Ar
tllery defences at Forts Clark and Hstteras, also
arrived. a.Ft ' 10
On the arrival of Commodore Barren and Major
Andrews. l held consultation with the Msi5r and
we agreed that it was sdvsatls 70 SURRENDER the
C G1mand of our defences to the commodore having
entire confidence in his skill experience and brav
cry, he wOuld accept the same. The cier of the
command was made 70 him. ard he consented to
take chsrge. The report Of c, mmcd re Barron and
Maj. Andrews Of the action Of the 27ih, contain ali
that is material and therefore deem IL unuecessG
ry to say anything in relation TO the attack and
surrender on the 29th, farther than 10 remark that
the tffeers snl men behaved vel, exhibi i ig
great cOoness and bravery and iregretting that we
placed at sucl lisadvantsle having neither suf
fcent armsmsnt to compete a: all with the enemy,
and having fOrtifcatiOn not Efficiently well con
structed to enatls Us to remain sill and endure |
the fire of the enemy.
Had our eonditi n in either Of these respects been
what it ought to have been, Hatteras would still be
in cur possession. -
On the morning Of the 2S:h, between eight and /
nine O'Clock, heavy fire was opened from the
steapers Minnesota, Wabash. SusquehanDah and |
OtheF>wsr vessels upon Fort Clark and upon almost
all parts Of the Island particularly at the point
where they intended lEnding their troops. The fire
was continuous upon Fort Clark and upon all the 1
little skirts Of woods where troops might pos
sibly be concealed, for several hCurs being Ere
Of shells only, it might well be spoken of flood
Of shells. The fire of the enemy was promptly re
turned by Capt. John G Lamb, Comp. d. 9TH Reg't |
c. Vols, who was in charge of Fort Clark, and |
was regularly kept By him until every charge of
powder and every primer exhausted. 1t was |
while gallantiy directing one Of the guns at Fort
jlark that Lieut. knight, of Comp. D., Sth Regiment
" G. Volunteers. received severe wound in the
lrm from fragment of q she'll. Capt Lamb and
MS Lieutenant all OF whom were present. and the
men under their command. displayed great cool
less and bravery. Their fire was well directed
runs well managed and whilst most Of their shot
ell short, yet some reached the enemy doing how
,ver but little damage as they were sh round shot
hat were fired.
Our ammunition being entirely exhausted at Fort
lark, and the enemy having landed some forces. 1
alled the officers together who were st Fort Cla k
md 1t was unanimously agreed that it was advisa,
,le to render useless the guns and fall back upon
H. 4
o the various bodies of men whom had stationed |
a the skirts Of the woods to resist the advance of
he enemy upon Fort Clark, that Fort Clark could /
lot be held, and they must fall back upon Fort Hat
eras. The guns at Fort Clark were as effectualIy |
piked as it possible to do with nails having no
roper spikes, everything being taken off thai we
ould carry, and we fell back under most terrible
ire of shell upon Fort Hstteras. We reached there
think, about one o'clock. / should have stated |
efore that Lieut. A W. EzzeLl, of Capt. W. Sutlon's
ompany of State troops had charge of one of tie |
Uns at Fort Clark ard can well say that he dis
hsrged his duty as man and soldier.
regret to say that while some of the men were |
assing from Camp Gwynn, which was on the Sound
bore, and about two miles from Fort Hatteras one
lan and possibly two, were killed by shells of the
neiny. have not been able to learn their names
Having collected all the troops aqFort Hatteras
etermned to make as coed resistance as possible
onsulting with Capt. Cahoon, Of company b. 7th |
eglment N y. VS.. who had charge of Fort I
seless to expend our shot on the enemy as we
lere beyond reach, 50 we must endure until they
ONE nearer. Fort Hatterss submitted TO the fire :
lr some hours without returning a shot. At about
O'Clock P. NJ, one of the euemy's steamers un- !
ertook TO 90 through the Inlet, when we opened
pon her, and drove her back but doing her sun :
ose, 10 material damage. -. J
The firing between Fort Hat'eras and the enemy
sntinued until nightfsl, or rather the fire of The
lemy upon the Fort continued, for they kept so
ell beyCn1 the reach Of our guns. that we only il
asted on. ammunition in firing at them.
1t may be proper to state that 40 flag was raised
pOn Fort Hatteras during the day of the 2Sth This
as fact, however, that did not attract my atten
on and can, suppose, only be accounted for from
le flag having been torn 70 pieces by the Winds q
I'd no new ones procured; for when on the 29th = =
e flag ordered to be hOIsted. we had to use Al
e one brr hit from Fort Clark not being able TO =
t the one belonging TO Fort Hatteras. Is sa-.r 4
regret to report that in addition to the ofFcerz
no hsd their companies with them several ofbs, e
hcers are prisoners who we're present in the en- :
cement and have shared the fate Of the CT nand c.
the post I enclose list Of all the officers not -
command who are prisoners Of war Among -