Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-09-07
something Rotten in Denmark.

The recent disaster at Hatteras is humliating.
The more we look at it, the more deeply are we
mortified, and the more fully are We convinced that
there must have been something rotten in the
state of Denmark"
The affair does not alarm u.s. We do not go into
spasms because the Yankees have taken Hatteras.
1t is sheer nonsense for people to take fright
and conclude that the Yankees, having got posses
sion of Hatteras control Eastern Carolina, and
that by consequence it is lost to us at least for
time. To talk of Hatteras being made the base OF
great strategic plan for the subugation of North
Carolina and of the South, betrays consummate iG-
norance both Of geography and strategy. Give the
Yankees control of Hatteras, Beacon Island, and
Oregon Inlet and then they can do nothing, except
to interfere with privateers and to harass our
people who live on the banks and on the sounds,
unless We stand still and do nothing.
Let Roanoke Island be we'll fortified and it can
be done even now-let Washington and Ncwbern
be we'll manned, with Notifications below and the
channels blockaded-lct the blight Of Cape Lookout
and Ienoxville and Swansboro' be properly pro-
vidcd for-let the detences around and near Will
mington be wisely arranged and fortified, and We
can keep the enemy at bay till doomsday. He can
not enter Eastern North Carolina, with anything
like ordinary energy and courage on the part OF our
people Now that the government has walked up
and our people are aroused, We have no fears.
But matters must not be managed as they were
at HatteraS. We are now convinced unless we are
! wholly ignorant of the facts, that HatterGs ought
not to hare been surrendered. Just look at it. Who
ever heard before of commander concentrating
or 500 men in and around two inconsiderable sand
batteries to be destroyed by the superior guns of
large fleet? Who ever heard before of keeping that
number Of armed men in such position, and al
lowing only 500 of the enemy to land within two
| miles of them without any resistance? Who ever
before heard of the surrender OF 700 men to such
force when they had lost only so in killed and
wounded? Our forces had a capital chance to re-
sist their landing. They could have killed the BOT
Yankees with the risk of a small loss to themselves
on the beach, before they could have reached ouI
Notifications Who ever heard of surrender be-
fore of all the private papers, correspondence and
charts in possession, to an invading foe? If Gen.
| Gwynn had been there, we are confident the sur
| render would not have been made. He would have
fought them with small arms, and, in the last re-
sort, would have repulSed them with the bayOnet.
We feel confident, alSo that if such men as Col.
Martin, Major Andrews, Lieut. Col. johnson, Major
Gillian, Capts Sparrow, Sharpe and others there,
haG. been left to their courage and the daring
of their brave men, little military knowledge as
they may be supposed to have, they would not have
surrendered.
We have no charges of corruption collision to
make We would not do injustice to any living
man. But we cannot resist the conclusion which
the facts published IN paper to day force upon
US, that Com. Barron yielded too much to his fears
or something else, when he proposed to surrender.
One fact arrests our attention. The name of Col
Bradford is not mentioned among the officers OIL
the wounded We are led to fear from this, that he
must have been killed