The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-02-22
IDor Nous.
The Battle of Roanoke Island.

next morning they went to The entrance of
Croton Sound. Commodore Colds
borough leading the way. A reconnois-
sance was made on Friday morning, after
which the attack was commenced by
Commodore GoldsbCrough, who was on
board Of the Southfeld. She and the
gunboat Underwater opened fire upon
the rebel forts and batteries at eleven
O'Clock in the morning.
Our boats advanced to the attack in
three columns-the first being led by the
gunboat Stars and Stripes, under the
command of Captain Worden the second
by the Louisiana, in charge of Captain
Dummy; and the third by the He eel,
under charge of Captain Davenport
The gunboats that were nearest to the
forts and batteries, were the Ceres, Put
nam, Valley City, Commodore Perry,
Brinker and the Viii, ehead all the
others were in the immediate vicinity,
but the above named boats were the
closest in.
One OF the shos of the enemy took
effccs in the bow of the Louisiana, but
no one was in the least injured by it.
The Hetzel lost one man, she burst one
of her rifed Parrot guns. Some splcn-
did firing was made by the gunboat
llunchbuck, and the greatest praise was
showered upon all for the indomitable
courage diplaycd upon the occasion.
At six o'clock in the evening, afer a
hard days fighting, Commodore Colds
borough signalled our fleet from his
flagship to cease firing, and to withdraw
for the time being, which order was at
once complied with.
In the meantime the soldiers we're
being landed on Roanoke Island, and,
as the nigh, advanced, there was Union
force of nearly eleven thousand soldiers
landed on the island, the rebels having
fallen behind intrenchments on the CEN
ire of The sand, about four or five miles
from the shore.
The landing was effected under cover
Of the guns Of two of our gunboa.s, the
Delaware and Morse, which, with
shrapnel, drove away and dispersed two
rebel regiments that were stationed there
with three field pieces to oppose their
landing. Our men were up to their
middles in mud and wafer in landing
When on shore they found the three
rebel pieces in the morass. BY nine
O'Clock P. NJ. that nigh, General Burn
side had landed six thousand men, aud
continued landing them through the
night at the rate Of one thousand per
hour.
The land movcmcn, against the enc
my's bat cries was commenced early
Saturday morning, the feet meantime
engaging and silencing shore ba terry
opposite it.
Our forces advancing in the dircc ion
of the battery in the centre of The island,
the rebels were soon driven behind their
intrcuchmeuts. Here they resisted -
Eight mortars were landed from the
feet to serve as our army's field ar llery.
About midday the Hawkins Zouaves and
the Ten.h Connecticut regiment, under
the command of General Foster, made
dashing bayonet charge upon the battery
commanded by young Wise, wading knee
deep through mud and wafer, to get at
The for, and yelling like SO many Indians
Meanwhile dctour was made on the
right by General Reno, and on the left
by General Foster. This attack from
three sides decided the fate of the day.
The rebels fled from their intrenchments
before the array of cold steel brought to
bear against them The Hawkins AQUA
YES leapcd the front dcfcnccs, bayonet
in hand, as the rebels fed. Young Wise
was not wounded here, as reported, but
received his wound in endeavoring to
escape from the island in boat from
Shallowback Bay.
The boat was fred on, and he received
four wounds. lie was made prisoner,
and died on Sunday morning of his
wounds.
After the reduction of the ba terry in
the centre of the island, Generals Reno
and Parks took force of men, and
went down to Fort Barlow, General Hill
in command, and took undisputed pos
session of it. 1t had been the principal
point of two days bombardment by our
navy. At quarter to five p. NJ. of
Saturday the American flag was displayed
from the battery.
General Fosters men pursued the
rebels to the north end of the island,
where was also in camp, or drawn up, a
Virginia Regiment, that had been towed
in six schooners from the main land early
Saturday morning. General Eos err
approached, and had an interview with
the rebel commander, Colonel Shaw, of
Norh Carolina, who asked him what
terms he would exact.
General Foster replied, "An I'M
conditional surrender" and consencd
to give him time to return to his camp
to decide, or not to accede to the
demand
The rebel officer had hardly reached
his men arhen the massachusetts, Twenty
fourth, burning aciM ampatience, sprang
forward IN thu direction Of the enemy,
achcn Colonel Shaw Immediately raised
u ,chite hanksrchief as signal haf the
rebels had concluded TO Surrender.
The rebels had proposed to cut off our
passage up Croaton Sound by che0aur
de Jrise of stakes extending from the
main land entirely across to the head of
Roanoke Island; but our gunboats
forced their way through, and common
ced the impetuous pursuit of the enemy's
fleet. which had been drawn up behind