Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-02-18
HENRY A. WISE,
Brigadicr General.
The Fight ut Roanoke Island.

= lDl'ttl W liAlo Ilsy E1", Cill'Ai A'
with q few additional and interesting facts aAd
a;incidentS connected with the battle Of Roanoke
IsInnd. The contest despite the terrible odds
4 nsroyed against The gallant defenders Of the
8 Island, was WI sed with n aorcencss and with
& an heroic determine ton seldom equalled upon
q tho continent, ard which !or hours made the
IA Issue of tic COZ aict orc of doubtful terminR
q ton. Indeed, the defeat of or handful OF
3 heroes is attributed iuzs to The superior prov
81 ess OF the tnerny's hosts, than 10 the ALLEGED
IScoward !y detection Of Il North Carolina resi
g mun!, whom not even the knowledge that they
K fought Tor tbs defence Of their own fresidos
{; could, it appears, inspire With courage to dare
q tho worst A portion of the sam regiment i:
e. said. however, TO have stood their ground no
81 bly,, uud 10 have CALAMITY vindicated tho lame
q Of the old North Stale" sadly ieopardizet
ssby her less worthy sons.
.; IL= confusion occnsioncd in our ranks, suc
Athe encouragement infused Into those Of TIT
a. neluy by this rout Of u portion of our slender
a:lo,ce, proved disastrous, md rendered defeat
Zinc 7i.able. Tu continue the unequal condlc'
sw ould have been to doom to slaughter hull
81 dred3 Of bravo spirits, who stood prepared Il
eimake any sacrifice which honor could demand
2! aid a surrender Tss therefore The result
=; But even after ii had become evident that TIM
day waa lost 10 US, tho Gsh; VAS continued By
E portions OF our army With undaunted zeal ant
Il ~cnrraee. II was an exhibition Of moral heroisn
:; "ii:ii. lrl;n ;l.o issi Charge oi the Old Guare
q at Waterloo. G7orEAsd0gs With It's b~:iilihncJ
Col i,I.@ :;n slorS Of the viotors. Among
Z; .ao evr,p.i,ies thus giOriou5!y distinguished
.E.ijthe Richmond Blues, Capt Cole'a Company,
Essiihe Green Mountain Rangers and the Nc
I: Cuiloch Rangers, fnd special mention, The!
:: Tere sdVuatageously posted behind breast
4! uo:ks-.he left protected BY 81 extensive
z march and held tho position nth a trnues'
H:a' and !cnac;iy Of courage which long held tht
as.!oe in check, and made the Issue doubtful.
"a ]; Was during tue ha=l ri tie CONFLICT lha
#Capt. Wise was h.s; aoInGed. Wi.h charac
Z t.ris,i; c~eoln:=a snt irtrepit!tY he hat
j: m0unlt,! .lc rnTayet Of tic brsgstworbS, be-
4 uiad which nis company fought, III order t
I:obSe:sv Tie movements o! the Er", when
s;h;:ic; Of Il fragment Of "a Hhnli struck him II
Civ breast, and ne fell. He ~ss quickly
I raiseI and WAS very tonderly conveyed IT, TIL
l%::rcnr, w;cra thu znemy Inflicted upon hin
Agthrho innrc ~uunds of al equally iapgerou!
Ncharacte-. Hb was receiving careful attention
Efrcm DR.. Coles, when the Island vas sur
Erenderet, sn event ht learned, with sad, bu
Equiei resignation, and fingered until the sue
@ceod;ns morning, full tTeuty-fomr hours aftc
Gthe battle, when he fell away and died rs i
thinking into a peaceful slumber. He retained
TSIft9 inc last his consciousness, and spoke fire.
@ouya,Iy Ia T.. Cole. lIr said be suGers ed n
81 pain lrrtn hin wouu6a-em! nure, VIXEN tn
MDoctor urged hiEn 10 tai;o s1lne stimulating
ssiGIink, ne replied with hin old limo modes
gsmile, ~ wii!, Doctor. if gou insiat lp3o 1t, bu
y you'd rather hav. w.ttr."
.iEs just prior 10 lGu surrender Q! tho Island,
,.:Eas resolved up6n 10 bear the wounded her
Gto the mainland, and o call for volunteers 70
+ that purpose was mado Instantly, the III
ACull6ch Rangcrs responded, to a man, express
3. ng their willingness To encounter any peril j
O. such an attempt. Accordingly Il boat wa
a procured, and Captain Wise being careful
i. p!aca1 aboard, it vas mannpd by determine
-,.t,,, uol,o,o,r ,rer,uo chm p,,1Io
s glilantly for tho shore. Their purpose We:
ISEowever, devined by the Yankees, whose CUR
1: boats began E ahuver Of shells and ahot upo
sSEthe (ugiiires, which compelled thar return.
'E The rlitnor thh: Captain Wise US; brltali,
tt;and s~aTsgely sho. after tbs GuTlrnier OF III
abb while hc MAS & prisoner, III Teite
!: r.ty:i b. gentleman fr"G Norfolk with grea
). aarraa.".-a. tul e trust, &" The sake OF hi
:; NANNY, l!.at the rcp"T; is not o:sed upon tsc'
&Tlu cor.irrI u thr ianhcls in Ibis var, IN
y lett us little H. irt,: from thuir generosity. C
!: ovau humanity; butlhe murder Of an uuari
z Ell aud dying p~risoI"r. who had fallen VIII!
aW:nohly,an hertica!iy defending his e"un!ry'
+ dag, is al AL &c ;iexprezsioly base and atro
!. ci:us that cD;y upon the most CONCLUSIVE aVi
1? denec could we bring our minds to charge i;
= commission Upon mna whom so lately Vt hor
*: or.d rs brethren.
RI; Til: Yankees aTa said 10 have fought Iit
e: guest sprit and GOODNESS. Again and agai
:; wciu they r~spu'sed from the position held b,
I Capt. Wisr's command, and driven Up to thei
/. waists into the water. but ss frequently wo1l
{ they ranea ihe attack, until at last thoir per
s. severance ami The exhausted condition Of OIL
< gallant soldiers gave them the triumph.
Z Our entire loss is but ten killed, and som
: thirty wounded, while that confessed 10 By III
f,r, aud reported to Us by ono of the par
ETY., who accompanied Capt. Wisc's body home
:. ras So commissioned officers, including tss
:: ColoaelS, and l75 Yri7ate, Killed, and 5etifec;
300 and 400 rounded. This fact Atheists NOR
: strongly than language could do, the heroisr
Of the defence. Let tie battle of Roanck
!: Island be classed no longa1 among the disaster
o! the wal; rather let ua cherish the memory
. u l.iG ust-S ~ iii'sb l.l6 w. 'H"'l
'and shed fresh lustrr upon the brilliant his
tari: faul- Of ,he Southern soluEteer.
We appeni & list Of the killed ard WOUNDED
Of our lnco, kindly furnished Us by Lieut.
: Richard 5. Sanzsy, Vi the Blues, 1t is be
l,eSed 10 be eRtirely reliable:
!: RIcunoap LIeRT ISrAsrhr BLrEs.-killed-
: CAPTAIN @. Jennings Wise, private Bennett
Wouu6ed-Lieus Carter shoulder, slightly
Scret. jarvis (side.l ~prirntes Ruske!l (eg,)
Adler (icg,) Gamble Qeg,) Johnston Qcg.)
CAPT. CoLEs' Observation-Disclosures
Coles. Wounded-Privste Thomas meek,
!: Bishop (shou!der,) and thres others, names
/ unknown