The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-21
Rirbmu1l1 4ispatcb.
FRIDAY MORNING.. FEB. Il, 1861.
THE D1sAsrHR AT ROANOKE ISLAND
Narrative from a Participant.

volunteers TO join the Wise Legion as an
amateur. Tom Dolan says that the light on
Roanoke Island was very respecta BILE one.
and from his scars and experience in Mica.
ragua he should be Judge Of such matters.
We know Of him, that tho last time be was
wounded at the battle CT st. George by
three shots at one time, 1.-TWO OF which were
supposed to be mortal, aud five having
stricken his horse,) he remarked pleasantly
to his commander, "General, suppose I am
what they call killed, but you will be nv
witness that was not scared -
aRxAr BEiDeB, Feb. JIG. lse2.
Those posted in military affairs fwho ara
not n large class whether West Pointers or
others, know that the dstences Of Roanoke
Island were wholly inadequate. Nothing
but strong batteries and heavy obstruc cuons
at the marshes, (Where there were none)
could have prevented the enemy, If in force.
from passing. Once past the marshes, If there
had been fifty thousand men on Roanoke
Island, the FederaIists, without wasting =
charge Of powder, could have starved them
into capitulattOn more easily than with the
force that was there. On the moraing of the
9TH. the signal being fired by Com Lynch,
between IL and +. ii the 18th Reg't Va.
Vols, (COl. dennInGssn'S reximent,) Lieut..
Dol. Anderson commanding, and two com.
panies OF the 49th kegt Va. Vols., Captains
y. Jennings Wise and Coles commanding,
crossed over from Nag's Head TO Roanoke
seven steamers, eng ged the enemy's flset. /
counted sixty vessels, there are said 10 have
been treble this numb ber,) Of which about
twenty steamers were in action. utter losing
one CT his steamers and firing away his last
charge, Com. Lynch retired.
We advanced about five miles to, and man.
ned the btrr1cade in the swamp, the enemy
having effected iaIding. There Were, be-
for we came on the island, two North Caro-.
lima regiments-the Sth, Col shaw, and the
3lst Col Jordan. They reported 200 men fer
duly. OF which 400 were IN the ba sleries The
pickets having oeen driven 10 by the enemy,
twenty men under Capt. - J WISE item Of
the Richmond Blues, 49th Virginia volun-
teers, and ten OF the NlcJuiioch Hangers, 59.h
Virginia voiunteers,y the writer aud Sump-
tor Williamson, OF ala joining them as vol
unteers. We met their plcKets Williamson
sno, one, and We maintained our ground ull
8 NJ, on the SJh, when the enemy began
skirmisnipg with US. l could then seq about
500 OF the enemy diminishing through the
swamp.
The McCulloch Rangers were then sent to
support US, under command of Lieut. Haz.
lett, whose former Captain, I'm ooaen, was u
volunteer IN our party. We KEEP. skirmish-
ing with them till s. O'Clock, railing back
from our first position, aDuut half Il mil. dis.
tlns, To within thres hundred yards Of the
barricace, being under fifty men, and pressed
1t last by ST least one Thousand VI the enemy
the whole or chief part OF tne 2lst M,ssa-
chusetts regiment, as we recognlz-d from
tEeir dead, eight or ten that We examined,
and some troops In red breeches and caps,
supposed to be he New York Zouav-s We
were the IL compelled 10 tall back to the irli-
cade. There were then at the barricade and
under the command OF Lieut. Col Frank
Anderson, eight companies OF the 18th resi-
ment Virginia vOlu GERS, two companies Of
49th reg iment Virginia vOlun teers, and two
companies of North Carolina regiment
They were supported by three pieces OF ar.
tiiiery-viz: one Is poundsr, commanded by
Nh n ~
"a pounder, by Lieutenant Kinney, and on.
6.pounder, by Lieut.. Sslden. But these
pieces had only twenty rounds between them,
and the large pieces used l2-pounder canister
The total force ut the D,rricade, (the only
force engaged,J was about 500 men o. less. at
about 2, the enemy having increased in
numbers, opened fire from Il 2i-pounu how
itzer and l2-pound howizer, with shell and
spherical case, aud at about 10 O'Clock ad-
vanced some one tho usand men to charge
this battery. They came in column, hanked
by skirmishers, in good order, ana up 10
within fifty yards of the sarricade, yelling
and cheering.
or regiments. Our men waited in silence.
and when our guns opened the enemy broke
and scattered. At this time the Richmond
Blues, Captain Wise, and the McCulioch Ran
gers, were deployed on the left and right
wings, respectively, as skirmisners, and stood
their ground, though entirely unprotected by
the barricades. The enemy then again piled
f.
ter (as near as can be recoilected in a fight)
made a second charge. 1 should Judge this
charge to have been made by two regiments
They came up III tine OF der, but no:.s close as
at first, and were met in the same manner and
worse broken than before Lieutenant Sci.
ien at this moment was shot dead py a bu / ct
through the head. Again they Piled us with
she'll canister, and spherical case Atabout
ii o'cIock, the third charge took place. MAJOR
SchermerhOrn, the ammunition having a. the
end OF the second charge given out had st ATT.
ed a driver with d cart To try to obtain fres b
supply. He beng shot through tha head
jumped into the cart, drove him to the us.
pitni, and went after the ammuuitiOn-
At tins charge the enemy were again driven
back, beliese entirely by musketry; but the
guns may sull have b nd TWO or three rounds
This charge, however, did not see Abou,
500 yards of / found Col. ShaW's and Col
Jordan's regiments; about three and half
miles off met Major Fry, with tour COM
pauies Of the 10th Virginia yoluu to, re- hay
ing Just landed an 1 advancing, and Colonel
9i cen, with North Carolina regimen. of the
Wise Legion, also JUS landed, and waiting
for the landiE & OF his AMMUNITION and bag
gage I then obtained Il little ammunition
IA rounds of6 and II FOUNDER } and re turned,
aud after proceeding about two miles found
some fugitives, Col. Green's regiment, and
Major Fry's companies, who hac halted here,
ana was informed that the barricade hau
been carried This W, 8 about l2S r. NJ 1
heard that two more charges were made by
the enemy. shortly after, met Lisuts. Boil
ton anu Bag we'll, who had received orders to
spike the guns and throw into the water the
powder of the ncrth rmnst battery. Lieut.
Bolton proceeded thither for that purpose
1 then get into my boat with Lieutenant
Bagwell. and we moved round to the
other end of the island and picked up
Lieutenant Bolton, who had faithfully exc
Gu ted his ORDERS. This is what saw.
should Judge that the enemy landed not
less than from 8 900 &c 5000 men; but reliable
accounts since state the number as Ii 600
heard that Col Snaw. after the capture Of
the barrlcade, decided to capitulate, together
with Coils Jordan aud Green and Major Fry,
and their regiments and companies. saw
Lieut. Col. Anderson before leaving, and
offered to rake him Oft. Heseemed much dis
trssssd, but said he could not desert his
men. heard that Captains Wise and Coles
were killed. or the SEQ men engaged, Capt.
Wise's company and the McCulIoch Rangers
bore the palm for bravery, where all beh wed
with RalIantry, especially the two North Ga.
rolina companies, one OF which was from
Ourrituak county. This saw. also heard
that the Ncrth Carolinians behaved with
great gallantry in the Pork Point battery.
With regard tn the surrender OF Col. Sha W,
ian of1cer OF acknowledged bravery,) l at.
tribute 1t to the fact Of his having many In
mis- own and Col Jordan's regiment 90 we'll
acquainted with the locality that they knew
surrender was only u question OF time, as
soon as the enemys feet passed the marshes.
AS far as the 900 who fought are concerned,
In the battle Of the S b their loss In killed IL
reported fifteen but the killed do not include
the NOR tally wounded. The proportion OF
wounded to killed Is rarely less than three, and
often i've to one. This Is. therefore, at least
50 killed and wounded, and fear nearer one
hundred AS regards the enemy, our infor.
nation, derived from a fiag OF trdce, places
their killed and wounded variously between
500 and 500 , aud should j1dge exceeding the
latter number. Exciuslve OF this fighting,
the only f1ght ting done ON land was that at
Pork Point battery. The men Of the Wise
Legion made this gallant stand rather be.
cause they felt that they had a reputation to
lose than from any eventual hope OF success
against an overwhelming force, which, to do
iasttce 70 an enemy, displayed great bravery.
They were, besides. sappOyted BY handful
Of Nicaragua veterans, who. am proud TO
saw. showed thsir accustomed gallantry.
Major Schsrmsrhorn. reported wounded. and