Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-15
The --latest and Most Reliable Account
of the Battle.

WASHINGTON, Feb. IA "A private letter
written on board the gunboat Stars and Stripes.
Feb. 10, says:
CATER the cannonading of the enemy's bat
teres by our naval force landing of the mil
itary commenced about a o'clock on Friday
evening at Ashley's harbor, about two and one
half miles below the rebel fort Burton of nine
32pounders. The landing was effected under
cover of the guns of two of our guboats, the
Delaware and Morse, which with the Sheperd,
drove away and dispersed the rebel regiments
that were Stationed there with three field
pieces to oppose their landing. Our men
were up to their middle in mud and water, in
landing. When on shore they found the
three rebel pieces in the morass. BY 9 o'clock
that night General Burnside had landed six
Thousand men, and he continued landing them
through the night at the rate of one thousand
per hour.
The land movement against the enemy Us
batteries was commenced early on Saturday
morning, the fleet meantime engaging and ST.
lencing the share battery opposite-our forces
advancing in the direction OF the battery in the
center OF the island. The rebels were soon
driven behind their entertainments, where
they resisted. Eight mortars were landed
from the fleet, to serve as our army's field
artillery.
About midday, Hawkins Zouaves and the
tenth Connecticut regiment, under Gen. Eos
ter, made a dashing bayonet charge upon the
battery commanded by young Wise, wading
knee deep through mud and water, to get at
the fort, and yelling like so many Indians.
Meanwhile, q detour was made on the right
by Gen. Reno, and ON the left by Gen. Foster.
This attack from three sides decided the faIe
of the day. The rebels fed before the array
of cold steel brought TO bear against them.
The Hawk ins Zouaves leaped the front de-
fences, bayonet in hand, as the rebels fed.
Young Wise was not wounded here, as
report has had it, but received his wound in
endeavoring to escape froM the island in
boat, from Shallow Bog Bay. The boat was
fired on and he received four wounds. lie
was made prisoner, and died on Sunday
morning of his wounds. After the reduction
OF the battery in the center of the island,
Generals Reno and Parkes took a force of
men and went down to Fort Barton, where
the rebel Colonel Hill was in command, and
took undisputed possession Of it. 1t had been
the principal point of two days bombardment
nv our navy. AT 45 p. NJ. of Saturday the
American flag was displayed from the battery.
Gen. Foster then pursued the rebels to the
north end OF the island, where there was, also
in camp or drawn up, Virginia regiment
that had been towed down in six schooners
from the main land early Saturday morning.
Gen. Foster approached, and had an interview
with the rebel commander, Col. Shaw of
North Carolina, who asked him what terms he
would exact Gen. Foster replied, ian UNI
conditional surrender" and consented to give
him time to return to his camp to decide or
not to accede to the demand. The rebel Off
Ger had hardly reached his men, when the
Massachusetts twenty.fourth, burning with
Impotence, sprang forward in the direction OF
the enemy, when Col. Shaw Immediately rails
ed Il white handkerchief as a signal that the
rebels had concluded to surrender.
The rebels had proposed to cut off our pas
sage up Croatan Sound by a chevaur de tfise
of stakes, extending from the mainland en-
tirely across to the head of Roanoke Island,
but our gunboats forced their way through
and commenced an impetuous pursuit of the
enemy's fleet which had been drawn up be-
hind this barrier"