The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-02-19
From the Charleston Mercury
The Capture of Roanoke Island

after desperate and brilliant defence One
after another, three columns OF the enemy
consisting Of 5000 men each, assaled our
little band Of 2lO0 heroes and one after
another :he attacking columns were gal.
inntly driven back. |; was not until the
enemy's whole army Of $4,000 men was
concentrated against our force (Iess than
one sixth their nurnbe) that our jad.d
troops were overwhelmed We get the
following particulars of tho fight from the
! Norfolk Day Book
THE FIGHT on FRIDAY
! On Thursday So Of the ,nemy's vessels
/ steam and sal, hove in sight. and on Friday
! AT 10 O'Clock, II IN commenced the engnge
! ment in fnrcc. Their vessels camo within
two miles Of our batteries, where thew
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
t'o"ps, but having found the resistance
much greater than they apprehended, were
unable to land. They had their small boats
ready for that purpose. Our shore batteries
continued to pour their voIley. into them
with considerable success. Two of their
steamers h,ucd oil ut 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 reinforcemcn,s
arrived at the Island and every ono was
| s1ngulne OF success. Our gunners nr. said
to have acted with coolnes. and delibera.
tior in the management Of their guns, and
mnch execution is believed to have been
done the enemy, which impression wa. ma.
terily confirmed by the enemy's drawing of
towards two o'clock from all batteries ex
crrt 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.
THE LANDING OF THE ENEMY
During Friday night the enemy were per
mited t" land their forces, supposed to be
about FIVE thousand, at Widow Baum's
point, which is above our lover battery
We say they were permitted, because il 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 pushin. on up road
or causeway through the marshy land to
The mainland, and nt seven o'clock on Sat
urday morning battle commenced, which
continued until 10 O'Clock, when il ceased
f"r couple of hours, and comm enced again
aud was raging ut o'clock, when the cou
rier left.
During the bombardment our little fleet
rendered good assistance 10 the land bat.
teries.
Two OF our steamers were injured during
the river engagement or bombnrdment; one
Of them, the Curew, it is said being disa.
bled
THE SURRENDER OF ROANOKE ISLAND
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 a..
clock Saturday morning; and though, as
we learn, our ammunition was all carried
OIL the Island before it's surrender. vet all
our forces were thcn made prisoners Of
war
The enemy came up in their boats on the
south side If The Island, and b" means Of
their boat how itkers, effected a landing in
the rear OF Onr batteries, and that after
landing about fifteen thousand on all parts
OF the Island, they marched up and hlnked
the batteries. Ii i, also reported that not.
wiIhs'anding our small force Of twenty. one
hundred men against about fifteen thousand,
on some parts Of the Island the resistance
was Of the most desperate nature, and n
hand 10 hand contest lasted for consdera.
BILE time, showing the most desperate cour-
age. This is snid TO have been the case,
particularly. " ith the Richmond Blues. un.
der command Of Capt o. Jennings Wise.
THE cAsUALTIEs.
About 800 Of our men were killed and
wounded, and about fifty OF them made
their escape from the Island. IL is said The
slaughter OF the enemy was terrific, and
amounted, il is believed, to owe. one thou.
sand killed md wounded The sick on the
Island hid been removed prior to the en-.
gagrmrnt, and sent over to the mainland.
THE REGION IsvADED BY THE ExsMY-"THs
GRASARY OF THE SOUTH"
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. Tyr.
reIl, Washington, CuIriluck, Camden, Pas
quotank. Pcrquimans, Chowau, Gates,
| liertford, Berthe, MartaIn. md even North.