Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-02-22


feet from his flagship to cease firing. and 70 With
draw for the time being. which order was 1t once
complied with =. a. - s.s.. =.
- Inthe Iaeantme The soldiers were being landed
on Roanoke Island aHdas the night advanced, there
was Union force Of nearly eLesen o,sdad soldiers
landed on the island the rebels having fallen back
behind entrenchments 90 the centre of the Island
about fonr or five miles from the shore
The FIRST points attacked were the forts, which
returned our fire with hearty good will, and with
conrage and determined perseverance, worthy of a
better cause but theywrre at last compelled to give
way from. the terrific force of our united fire, the
ground in the vicinity having the appearance Of
newly ploughed land from the thousands of shells
that had burst and scattered devastation
within their, reach.
r On Saturday morning seme Ave or six thousand
men were landed in addition TO those that were al
ready placed on the shore and skirmishers were at
deployed to reconnoitre and the result Of their
march was the discovery OF a masked battery noun
ting three guns. This was at once attacked by the
Hawkins .Zouaves, fanked by the 2lst and 25th
Massachusetts regiments. 1t was Carried at the
point of the bayonet, and more gallant and sue,
cessfnl charge was seldom witnessed The brave
fellows rushed at it, determined to do or de-
The regiments that suffered most were the 18th
Massachusetts and the 10th Connecticut who lost
several men during the charge. The conflict was
hot the possession of the battery being hotly
tested by the rebels, but after hour or two they
we're obliged to yield to the proves Of the Union
troops and the battery was abandoned.
Our men followed them closely, and surrounding
them, held them as prisoners. Among the others
who fell our side in this engagement was the Ia
mented Col Russell. of the Tenth Connecticut reg
imeHt, who was killed whileat the head Of his men,
cheering and leading them on to victory and Lieut..
Col. DeMonteil Of the DEpineuil ZouaFes, who had
nobly volunteered his services for this OCCASION
No other officer of rank was killed who held rank
above that of Lieutenant Gen. Wise's son COM
manded the rebels at the time of the attack by the
Zouayes and others, and resisted the storning por
ton Gravely until, owing to a wound that ne re-
ccived he had to be carried off the field his CON-
mand retiring short distance, when they laid down
their arms. --a. .--s-t
The total number supposed to be killed and
wounded on the part of the Union troops is about
200 of which number some fifty were killed. We
took some tYenty-eght hundred prisoners, together
with every thing belonging to them. Among them
several officers of very high standing in the reb
Ell army. 49,
After this glorious victory Saturday afternoon,
a feet of fifteen of our gun-boats dispatched
towards Elizabeth City, and, upon arriving within
range the city was shelled; but this was almost
unnecessary, the inhabitants, at least some of
them, upon hearing of the approach Of the Union
forces applied the tire-brand to different portions Of
the city, and in short time It was wrapped in
any attack could have been. 1t was evidently the
work of others than the residents of the place,
an appeal was made by some of the citizens to our
naval officers to send on shore force to assist them
in battling with the flames; but an order had been
issued to the effect that no person should be per-
United to land, so not to give the people Of the
place opportunity of saying that the torch of the
incendiary was applied by any hand but their own
The place was about halt burned at the time it
occupied by the Union troops. Shortly after, the
gunboats proceeded to Edenton, which was taken
possession ofby Commodore Goldsborough, without
the least opposition having been offered.
Edenton is the key to the road around the Dismal
Swamp, over which our troops can march to Suf-
folk Suffolk is the junction of the Seaboard and
Roanoke Railroad AMI the Norfolk and Petersburg
and Richmond Railroad. Suffolk, once occupied by
troops will isolate Norfolk from those places by
land and gives us possession of the junction of three
important railroads-the Seaboard and Roanoke
Railroad and the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad.
SECOND REPORT.
When abreast of Pork Point about middle way
between the Point and Roanoke Island a ten inch
gun battery opened on the feet.
reconnaissance by the Underwater showed that
the enemy had INSTRUCTED the passage by sinking
vessels and driving piles the entire width of Croa
tan Sound; that above this barricade were eight
gunboatS and that in addition to the battery on
Pork Point, named Fort Barlow, we're Fort Blaneh-
ard, Jour guns, ana f1uSer on " Gil IOiut,
four guns, and Fort Forrest, eight guns, on Red
Stone on the West side of the Sound, opposite
Wer's Point all of which bore so as to play on our
feet should it attempt to pass the barricade.
The feet Immediately advanced in three columns
to attack Pork Point battery and the rebel gun
boats. At half past eleven the engagement became
general and in less than hour the rebel feet re-
tired the Curew being so much disabled that she
was run aground under Fort Forest. Our fleet now
concentrated its fire on Fort Barlow. at range oil
three quarters to one mile which was as near as
the water would allow our boats to approach
At first, the fort opened vigorously, but gradual
" Slackened its fire. The resistance Was however,
stubborn. The flag was shot away, the quarters
set on fire, and the work plowed up by our Shells
About two, P NJ, Gen. Burnsde's forces COM
menced landing at Ashby'S Harbor, about 2 miles
below Pork Point rebel force of 1000, with 8
pieces was stationed in the woods to oppose them
Our gunboats shellcd the woods, and scattered the
rebels in all directions. Our men were taken IN
small steamers and launches as near the shore as
possible and had to wade sinking to the middle at
every step for upwards of quarter OF mile.
| Between three and four o'clock the rebel fleet re-
turned to the attack vigorously and an engagement
| ensued between it and several of our gunboats,
while the remainder kept up the fire on Fort Bar
| tow In an hour, the rebel gun-boa retired tie
second time, several of them disabled. Fort Bar
! tow fired but seldom now.
| At SIX o'clock, hag-ofcer Goidsoorougu siS"ar
lied our feet tC withdraw, after an action OF seven
or eight hours. Many of our gunboats were struck,
but none of them seriously damaged. The casual
ties were three killed and eight or ten wounded.
! Meanwhile the land forces continued the deoark-
alton, and by midnight had force of II, 6oo men,
on Roanoke Island. The enemy were entreneheo
on the centre of the Island, 4 or miles distant
| AT an early hour on Saturday morning General
| Foster commenced forward movement followed
I by the entire force under Gen. Reno and General
Parks. At about half past 8, Gen. Foster came up
with the enemy, defended by thEee-gun eartn,
work, Aanked on both sides by what was deemed
an impassable morass, the only approach to which
was narrow causeway, on which their guns bore
In the battery and vicinity were from two to three
| thousand men.
Our artillery, which consisted Of SIX pieces rom
the naval launches, was placed IN 'front.' oy zen
! Foster who had the immediate command, Gen.
Burnside being at the point Of landing Il
The Infantry and artillery opened on both sides