Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-13
THE SUCCESS COMPLETE.
$500 Prisoners Taken.

FORTRESS MONROE, Feb. 11.-By flag of
truce, today, we learn of the complete sue.
cess of the Burnside expedition at Roanoke
Island. The island has been taken possession
OF, and Commodore Lyncli's rebel fleet com.
pletely destroyed. The first news of the de.
feat arrived at Norfolk on Sunday afternoon,
and caused great excitement. The previous
news was very satisfactory, stating that the
Yankees had been allowed to advance for the
purpose of drawing them into trap.
The rebel force on the island is supposed to
have been only little over three thousand
efficient fighting men. Gen. Wise was i'll at
Nays Head and was not present during the
engagement When the situation became
dangerous he was removed to Norfolk. All
the gunbOats but one were taken and that es-
capped up creek, and was probably also de
stroyed. One report says that only seventy
aid another that only twenty five, OF the con
federates escaped from the island. General
Huger telegraphed 10 Richmond that only fifty
on the island escaped There appears to be
n bright side of tie story for the rebels.
Tine Richmond Examiner this morning, in Il
leading editorial, says -" rne loss Of an .u-
most painful event OF the war. The intelli
gence of yesterday by telegraph is fully con
firrned. Twenty-Five hundred brave troops
on an island In the sea, were exposed to all the
force of the Burnside fleet. They resisted
with most determined courage, bu. when fif
teen thousand federal troops were landed
against them, their retreat being cut off by the
surrounding element, they were forced to sur
render This is a REPETITION of the Hatteras
affair on large scale"
The latest news says Captain o. Jennings
Wise, son OF Gov. Wise, was shot through the
hip and disabled, though his wound was not
mortal. Major Lawson and Lieut.. Miller were
MORALLY wounded About 300 confederates
were killed. Our wounded numbers over
1000. The number of Yankees wounded is
about the same. Midshipman Cam had his
arm shot off The other casualties are as yet
unreported. A late arrival this morning says
Elizabeth City had been shelled and burned
by the Yankees and that the enemy was push
ing on to Edenton. The Union fleet went to
Elizabeth City from Roanoke Island 1t ap.
pears to have chased the rebel gunboats to
that place. Another account says, Elizabeth
City was set on fire by the rebels themselves
1t is reported that one regiment from Mas
sachusetts was badly cut up, but it is imposs
bic TO ascertain which of the five it was that
were attached to the expedition. All the
nous in admitting complete victory to our
troops, and in saying the loss of the island is a
very serious one. The news received to day
occasions great excitement at Old Point. A
steamer, with official dispatches from General
Burnside, is hourly expected. The prisoners
captured, numbering at least 1000, will be here
in Il few days.
NORFOLK, Feb 10.-A despatch was re.
celved at Richmond at midnight stating as
follows: "a courier arrived here this alter
t ernoon at o'clock, and brought intelligence
that Elizabeth city was burned this morning
by its inhabitants. During the conhagration
the tederas landed large force. All our
gunboats excepting one were captured by the
enemy"
The following ve,y latest we copy from TO-
day Norfolk Day Book:
ga courier arrived here yesterday afternoon
about 3 O'Clock from whom we gather the fol
lowing information: The enemy advanced in
full force upon Elizabeth City yesterday about
o'clock. and began an attack upon that
place. The citizens finding resistance vain,
evacuated the place; but before doing so set
fire to the town, and when our informant left
it was still in flames We have to record the
capture by the enemy of all our little fleet, ex.
cept the Fanny or Forest, our informant is
not certain which. This eluded the enemy
and made up Pasquatank river; she was pur-
eueu, however, anu learS are entertained Jllal
she was captured. 1t is said that before our
boats surrendered they were abandoned, and
that their crews succeeded in making their es
cape. If so, we are at loss to conjecture
why the boats were not fired before they were
abandoned.
The disaster to our little fleet is attributable
to the fact that, having exhausted their sup.
ply OF coal and ammunition, they proceeded to
Elizabeth City tor the purpose of obtaining a
supply. Every effort was made to obtain
coal, but without success, and the boats could
not therefore run 10 the island and lend any
assistance whatever to our forces. All the de-
tails, us published, with reference to the cap
ture of Roanoke Island, are confirmed by the
Courier, who, represents our loss at 300 killed
and wounded, and that of the enemy not less
than 1000 killed. Great havoc was made
among the enemy while coming up to the road
leading to the fort Our forces brought to
bear upon them two 32pounders, and at every
fire their ranks were terribly thinned. The
places of the fallen, however, were quickly
filled
The Park Point battery was manned by the
Richmond Blues, and most nobly did they
defend it during the conflict. They were at
tackled by whole regiment of Zouaves, and,
though completely overpowered, they stood
their ground. They did not yield foot until
all but seven of them had fallen bleeding to
the ground. There is good reason to believe
that had Col. Henningsen, with his artillery,
been ON the island, it would not have been
forced to surrender. The lack of field pieces
was sadly felt, and, had they been at hand,
perhaps the enemy would not have landed
their forces. Col. Henningsen had orders, we
understand, to report at Roanoke Island, but
by some misunderstanding he mistook Eliza