Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-09-03
grllli-4peekIg 5tallaara,
For the Standard.
FORT MACoN-ITs DEFENCE, &C.

fOhl MANON-l1O
Mr.. EDITOR 1T is due to the State of North
Carolina, whose soldiers constituted the garrison,
that authentic account Of the investment siege
defence and surrender of Fort Macon should oe
given to the public. Statements prejudlcial to the
conduct of the garrison, have been made, and the
impression sought to be created that no necessity
existed for the capitulation but that the Fort could
easily have been held, and the besiegers repulsed;
while Mr. Pollard, in his history of the first Year
of the War;" thus CURLY disposes of the whole SUBJ
ject:
Another Confederate disaster on the coast short
ly ensued in the surrender of Fort Macon. This
Fort on the North Carolina coast was surrendered
on the 25th of April, this should be the 26thl
after a bombardment from the enemy's land bate
ries of less than twelve hours. 1t commanded the
entrance to Beaufort harbor and said to be the
most formidable fertilization on the North Carolina
coast"
have thought it my duty to give PLAIN state.
ment of the facts, because the brave CommanGan'
(Cel. White of Mississppi) is too TAR removed lo
hear the reflections upon his command, and because
Capt Guon, the second in command, IS prevented
by disease.
Newbern was entered by the Federals under Gen.
Burnside the 14th of March, and immediate ste.'s
were taken to prevent any communication between
Fort Macon and the Confederate authorities. A
formal demand for the surrender of the Fort was
made by Brig General Parke, and refused by Col
White on the 23rd; but it was not until the nlghI
of the 26th that the investment was completed, anc
the siege fairly begun. Watchful eyes upon the
parapets that night beheld signal lights upon Bogue
Banks on board steamers in BOgue Sound, at Caro-
lima City, Morehead and Beaufort on steamer in
Core Sound on Shacklefords Banks, and in the rig.
cling of blockading squadron upon the bosom oil
the Atlantic telling, in unmistakabe language that
the folds of the Federal anaconda had enclrcled Fort
Macon, and its small, but determined garrison
From this time till the 18th of April, our pIckets
were in close proximity to the enemy, but no hos
tile demonstration was made
On the 9th of April, Col. White determined to
make an effort to communicate with Confederate
authorities, and the night being dark Lieut. Prlm-
rose, of Company F, was sent with detachment
six men in open boat to sea. The night proved
stormy and the sea exceedingly rough; bu'
the boat succeeding in evading the enemys fleet,
reached the Confederate lines in safety. (IhS we
learned after surrender Of the Fort) Lieut. Prim-
rose found it impossible to reach the Fort on his
return, and the Commandant was left without the
adviceS and instruction so much desired.
To show the perfdy of the enemy the following
fact is adduced: On the morning of the 10th Of
April, the writer, to whose company the entire
picket duty of the garrison had been entrusted,
found note sticking in plank in the vicinity of
the most distant of our picket stations. Its Orthog
raphy and punctuation are given precisely as writ
ten.
1--WE Merly Came To Sea Do not afraid of US
ifyou if you Do hot Kill we shant on Picket But be
good Friends
1t o. S. REMINGTON, 9TH Reg R. I. v"
Notwithstanding this positive assurance, the very
next morning two companies came down the beach,
and advancing to pickets as they thought
prudent signallei to one Of the blockaders about
half mile off The ship Immediately opened fire
upon our pickets with grape shot The FederalS
on the beach advanced double quick, and my men,
four in number, as soon as they were within range
fired upon them and fell back to our next station.
a., IL, &C hon, ho-r
were driven in and the enemy proceeded to make
reconnaissance of the positions ultimately chosen
for the erection of their batteries During the af-
ternoon of the same day, acting under orders of
Col. White, thirty men of company II, 10th Reg.
n. c. T., in command of aptain,-Occupied their
old picket statiOn-the enemy falling back as our
pickets advanced. During the night all was quiet
About o'clock, A. II. of the 18th April, the enc
my adVaced in force five companies) to take pos
session of points selected for their batteries Their
advance was resisted by our pckets, then under
command of Lieut.. Jos. P. Robertson, of company H.
A skirmish of four hours duration ensued, our men
stubbornly cOnteSting every inch of ground and
only rereating when orders from the Fort to do so
were received. Our loss was one man wounded
Theirs was fifteen killed and twenty five wounded.
(This we learned from one of the Northern journals
after fall of the Fort) During the afternoon of this
day, Capt Manney, of company G, was ordered to
take fifty men of his company, reconnoitre the pO-
st!on of the enemy and if possible occupy the old
picket stations. This was impossible. The enemy
were found in force behind the sand hills fourteen
hundred yards from the Fort. After skirmish Of
time in which every advantage of position and
numbers was with the enemy, Capt. Manney and 1t.
Cogdell of company +, who had been dispatched
with reinforcements to his assistance were ordered
to return. Capt Guion, with a detachment of men
from company B, performed picket duty during the
night, within short distance of the enemy's lines
No further hostile demonstration was made how
ever, on this occasion by the enemy.
Each day of the succeeding twelve was passed in
closely watching the movements of the enemy:
firing upon their ships; dispensing with shot and
shell from time to time, detachments of their forces
who showed themselves out of cover of the sand
hills, and in strengthening as far as the means at
our command would permit, our defences The
nights were passed in guarding against surprise
The labor OF the garrison was in2essant; and the
night alarms, being very frequent it was impossible
to obtain the needful rest
Wednesday afternoon the 23rd of April Cen
Burnside sent flag of truce with a second demand
for surrender, informing the Commandant that all
MS preparations for attack were completed This
demand was promptly refused, as was third made
the subsequent morning in personal interview
between Col White and Gen. Burnside
Having brought down the events of the siege to
the morning OF the commandment it will not be i'm
proper to examine the extent of the enemys forces
and the means at our command to repel the impend-
ing attack. The Federals were commanded by Brig
Gen. j. G. Parke and consisted of Jour regiments
one battalion of five companies one company of II
s. Reg. Artillery, and detachment of n Y. Artil
iery: About $500 of these troops were on Bogue
Banks, and others at Carolina City, Morehead and
Beaufort In the Sound were four gunboats; out
side the bar were three steamers and one sail ship.
oh the oeacn, twelve huadred yards from the Fort
was battery of four in. mortars. fourteen bmn''
dred yards from batteries of five riled mar
rot guns sixteen hundred yards another battery
OF four ~ IN: portars. To oppose this force we
had two hundred and sixty effective men, and fifv
one guns OF ca6re, varying from the "a FOUNDER to
the 10 in. columbiad. 1t must be remembered
however, that the Fort had been prepared princi,
paly to resist attack from sea. The defences or,
the land side inefficient and the fall of New