Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-09-06
THE BOMBARDMENT AND CAP
TURE OF FORTS UATTERss
AND CLARK.

the fanny the Ieht'''' "0
TRANSPORT the Peabody transport; the
sailing vessels Alvarado, Ellen G0ldsboro
and Mary and IIetty, under the charge Of
Lieut. MillWard, of the Union Coast Guard
Eiyc batteaux were in tow On tie Adcl-
,aide were 90 Of the 9th Regiment, Col.
sHawk ms; and 30 Of the Coast Guaid, Can't.
Nixon. On the Peabody 500 Of the Goth
Regiment, Capt. Weber and 80 Of the
Coast Guard, Capt johnson. On the Paw.
nee-Capt. Larned's company Of 18th Artllle
~ Of regulars.
The correspondent Of the Newlork Herd6
thus describes the bombardmcnt
we steamed slowly down towards The low
randy beach, dotted here and there on the
SEASIDE with dead trees, and thinly covered
on tie back side by scrub oaks, and present.
irg one Of the most desolate pictures one
could imagine. This beach, stretching from
Cale lIatteras in a { uthweStery direction,
TO Hatteras Inlet Is miles distant, was firing
cd with the white foam Of the surf that
beats etcTnaly and irrcssti5iy upon it. Here
miles distant from the inlet, marked by tho
wreck OF some huge vessel, was selected as
afording the safest point for debarkatien.
9he two dismasted schoOnerS We had brought
down were loaded with troops and lowed near
Che wreck and anchored, and the two iron
surf boats carrying each a company f men,
entered the surf and narrowly escaping a
capsize, were thrown up the beach, the surf
rolling in torrents over their sterns The men
were obliged to Jump into the water, waist
deep and wade ashore, many Of them being
weJ all over. 4 cutter from the Pawnee
landed safely, returned to the schooner, took
on board another load Of men, but on enter
ing the surf again, was swamped, and all on
board barely escaped drowning. 1t was found
to get tho iron surf boats out
Again, and every boat that went in was
swamped and crushed by the surf With the
above exception of the Pawnec's cutter, in
command of Lieut.. Blue, no boat that was
sent in returned After landing about go
mcn, consisting of Capt. J2rdinc' company,
from the 10th NewYork detachment from
the Goth New York, under command OF Col.
Weber, Lieut. Col. W esS and the Adiutant,
a portion Of the Naval Brigade, under Capt.
Nixon; company Of regulars under Capt.
Marines from the Minnesota with howitzer,
which was placed under the command of
Lieut.. Blue of the Pawnee, who had landed
with some sailors from the latter ship, ell
efforts to land more were given up, as it was
an utter imposslbility with such boats as we
had at eur command,
While the troops were landing and form
ing under command Of Colonel Weber, the
u \ II ! u
throwing shell into the woods to the right and
leit0f them and in their rear to drive cut any
of the enemy that might be there. Mean
while the Minnesota and W abash, the latter
having in tow the Cumberland, steamed
down towards the inlet, and took their posi-
tions at long range, off from a sand battery
at its mouth. At ten o'clock the Wabash
fired a shell from her eleven inch gun for
ward, which seemed to strike in or near the
battery, throwing up the sand IN clouds, and
afterwards bursting with terrific force, with
a detonation deeper and nearly as heavy as
the gun itself. This was quickly followed
ey IA second and third heavy gun, and the
shells could be seen bursting high above the
Battery, aying a white balloon-like cloud
.of smoke, and sending their fragments like
haIl upoH them below Immediately the
i
ously by the Cumberland, the reports OF the |
guns following in quick succession, and the |
shells exploding in, near and above the bat !
terry, till the atmosphere was dense with |
smoke, and the battery itself hidden from |
our view. With glass could plainly see |
the white pufiS Of smoke that denoted the |
bursting shell, at the battery, and as the /
wind would sometimes drift away the blue !
IL. l. 4 nj chi n
battery. we could see the shell tearing |
through the ramparts Of the battery, and |
bursting with terrific effect 10 it. The scene |
presented, while all the frigates were pour
lng q sCorching fire of shot and shell upon
toe battery, was such as is seldom witnessed. !
The lightning CLEAN of the guns, as they
hurled the death dealing shot the sharp,
heavy report of the explosion, the hum OF
the shell and The whiz Of the shot, followed
by clouds OF dust aud loud explosions, when
the shells scattered their deadly fragments
about them, and occasionally the sharp re-
port Of guns returning fire from the fort,
all this, heightened by the dense blue smoke
that drifted in clouds before US, made up
such a scene as was never before witnessed
on this coast. After the cannonading had
been going on about two hours, the frigate
came In from sea, dropped her
boats astern, and Joined in the fray. She
took a position on the left of the line, and
fired her heavy guns with great effect. The
Cumberland was next on the right, and de-
livered her nine and eleven inch shell with
rapidity and precision. The Wabash occu-
pying position between the flagship Min.
nesota and the Cumberland, kept up a hot |
FIRE, as did the flagship. For enc hour
eongcr the four ships, mounting seventy-slx
heavy guns in broadside, showered upon the
battery she'll, and the for ceased firing, and
was abandoned by the enemy.
About this time a party OF men, consist
ing, as | have since learned, of Lieut.. Col.
Weiss twentieth New York; and Lieut..
johnson, Of the Naval Brigade, entered the
Sort and raised the Stars and Strips but as
no attention was paid to it by the fleet, and
the shells came in 50 uncOmlortably hot, |
they were obliged to retire from 1t, leaving
the flag proudly waving. The Commodore,
thinking that the rebels had been driven out.
ordered the Monticello 10 follow up the ad-
vance OF our troops along the beach, and
protect them if fire should be opened upon
Sheu
i larger and much stronger fort, display
ing no flag, perfectly silent, and to all ap-
pearanCeS perfectly vacant sVOou 10 Ine rear
OF the first battery, which it covers. AMI not
until the Monticello had got well into the
inlet did it give any signs of being occupied
by the enemy. 1t then opened fire with
eight guns upon the ship, within range OF
eight hundred yards, the balls passing over
the vessel like a storm. At the same instant
the Monticello struck heavily on a reef, and
rem aimed fast The Monticello opened Ere
instantly, which was continued for the space
of fifty minutes, during which time she
threw scventy-ive shells into the battery,
toe enemy returning the fire sharply. Final
ly the Monticello get off, and steamed out,
firing few shells as parting COMPLIMENTS
She was badly damaged, though, in the I'M
equal conflict. Seven eight-inch shells,
beaded with SIND instead of powder, went
through and through her hull. One lodged
in the Monticello's coal bunkers, one enter
q the bows and stuck fast in a forward part
OF the she'll room; another struck abaft and
went through the berth deck, about five feet
fro p Mr.. Bartou's room, dashinG the splint-
ers all about MIN, smashed up the paint
room and went into the fire room, ripping
-. IL al, badlxr and dnInr other damapa