Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-02-20

~ Walking aiOng MoutSoluery'sI!eeC'
do not know, but l believe the sleeping has.
band owoke aoithin the vault, and has bones
are there to day! The wife is still resi-
dent of San Francisco.
The Capture Of Roanoke Island.
Private accounts which have reached US
show that Roanoke Island was yielded on
ly after desperate and brilliant defence.
One after another, three columns of the
enemy, consisting of 5000 men each, as
sailed our little band of 2, 100 heroes, and
one after another the attacking columns
were gallantly driven back. 1t was not
until the enemy's whole army of $4,000
men. was concentrated against our force
(less than one.sixth their number) that our
iaded troops werer overwhelmed. We get
the following particulars of the fight from
the Norfolk Day Book:
On Thursday, So of the euemy's vessels,
steam and sail, hove in sight, and on Fri
day, at 10 o'clock a. M, commenced the
engagement in force. Their vessels came
within two miles of our batteries, where
they opened fire. The engagement lasted
from that time until night, and was terrific
They had perfected their arrangements
early in the engagement for landing their
troops, but having found the resistance
much greater than they apprebended, were
unable to land. They had their small
boats ready for that purpose, Our shore
batteries continued to POUR their volleys
into them with considerable success. Two
of their steamers hauled off at one time from
the engagement, and from the smoke that
was seen to arise from them it was thought
that they were on fire.
Early in the engagement reinforcements
arrived at the island, and every one was
sanguine of success. Our gunners are said
to have acted with cooluess and delibera-
tion in the management of their guns, aud
much execution is believed to have been
done the enemy, which impression was ma
terially confirmed by the enemy's drawing
off towards two o'clock from all batteries
except two. The enemy fired into several
of the private residences on the island, and
set them on fire. This was all the damage
done US on Friday.
During Friday night the enemy were
permitted to land their forces, supposed to
be about FIVE thousand, at Widow Baum's s
point, which is above our lower battery
We say they were permitted, because it is
the opinion of those acquainted with the
localities, that they could have been easily
prevented from landing. From this place
of landing they were pushing on up a road
or causeway through the marshy land to
the mainland, aud at seven o'clock on Sat-
urday morning battle commenced, which
continued until 10 o'clock, when it ceased
for couple of hours, and commenced a.
gain, and was raging at o'clock, when
the courier left.
During the bombardment our little feet
rendered good assistance to the land bat
teries.
Two of our steamers were injured during
the river engagement or bombardment; one
of them, the Curlew, it is said being disa-
bled.
Since the above was written, intelligence
has been brought US that Roanoke Island
has fallen into the hands of the enemy
The surrender was made about eleven o.
clock Saturday morning and though, as
we learn, our ammunition was all carried
off the island before its surrender, yet all
our forces were then made prisoners of war.
The enemy came up in their boats on
the South side of the island, and by means
Of their boat howitzers, effected landing
in the rear of our batteries, and that after
landing about fifteen thousand on all parts
of the island, they marched up and fanked
the batteries. 1t is also reported that not
withstandng our small force of twenty-one
hundred men against about fifteen thou
sand, on some parts of the island the re-
sistance was of the most desperate nature,
and hand to hand contest lasted for a
considerable time, showing the most des'
perate courage This is said to have been
the case, particularly, with the Richmond
Blues, under command of Capt. 0. Jen.
nings Wise.
About three hundred of our men were
killed and wounded, and about fifty of them
made their escape from the island. 1t is
said the slaughter of the enemy was ter
rife, and amounted, it is believed, to over
one thousand killed and wounded. The
sick on the island had been removed prior
to the engagement, and sent over to the
mainland.
The capture of Roanoke Island by the
enemy places at the mercy of the invader
that rich region of the North Carolina coast,
which has been called the granary OF the
South. Craven, Beaufort, Hyde, Yyrreli,
Wooh;nofo N,rrit,ok Gamdan. PasnuO.