The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-21
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LET THE EAGLE SCREAM!"
VICTORY! VICTORY !!

FORTRESS MONROE, Feb. ll.-By flag
of truce today we learn the complete sue
cess of the Burnside expedition at Roam.
oke Island. The Island was taken POSES,
sion OF, and Commodore Lynchs feet
completely destroyed.
Elizabeth City was destroyed on Sunday
and evacuated by the inhabitants. The
city was previously burned, but whether by
our shells or the Inhabitants is not certain.
The first news of the defeat arrived al
Norfolk 90 Sunday afternoon, and caused
great excitement. The previous news was
very satisfactory, stating, that the Yam
KEGS had been allowed to advance for the
purpose of drawing them into trap.
The rebel force on the Island is supposed
to have been little over three thousand
fighting men.
General Wise was i'll at Nag's Head
and was not present during the engage
ment. When the sit uation became dan.
gerous be was removed to Norfolk.
All the gunboats but one were taken,
and that escaped up creek and was prob
ably destroyed.
One report says that only 20, and another
that only 25 of the Confederates escaped
from the Island.
General Huger te 'egraphed to Richmond
that only SO on the Island escaped. There
appears to be no bright side OF the story
or the rebels.
The Richmond Examiner this morning
in leading editorial, says the loss of 40
entire army at Roanoke Island, is certainly
the most painful event of the war.
The intelligence of yesterday by telegraph
is fully confirmed. $500 brave troops, on
an Island 10 the sea, were exposed to all the
force of the Burnside feet. They respond
ed with most determined courage, bat when
$4,000 Federal troops wire la ded against
them. their retreat being ont of by the sur
rounding elements, they we're forced to sur
render.
This is repetition of the Hatteras affair
on a large scale.
The following dispatches on the subject
are taken from the Richmond papers oil
this morning.
NORFOLK, Feb. l0.-The latest advices
say Capt. D. Jennings Wise, son of Gov
Wise, was shot through the hip and disa.
bled, though bis wound is not mortal.
Major Dawson and Lieut.. Miller were
MORALLY wounded.
About 800 confederates were killed.
The wounded number over 1000.
The number of Yankees wounded is
about the same.
A late arrival this morning says that
Elizabeth City bad been shelled and burned
by the Yankees, and that the enemy Was
pushing on to EdentOn.
SECOND DISPATCH.
NORFOLK, Feb l0.-A rumor has pre-
vailed that Com. Lynch's feet of guuboats
had been captured. 1t is not regarded al
true, but it is believed that all were burned
by the confederates to prevent their cap
ture, with the exception OF one which wat
endeavorng to make its escape.
The fleet went to Elizabeth City, from
Roanoke Island, and waa probably burned
at the former point.
THIRD DISPATCH.
NORFOLK, Feb. 10 "A dispatch was re.
ceived at Richmond, at midnight, stating
as follows A courier arrived here this af.
ternoon, at 4 O'Clock, and brought the intel
ligence that Eiz ,beth City Was burned this
forenoon by its inhabitants.
During the coDfagration, the FederaIs
landed large force. All our gun boats
except one were captured by the enemy.
Gen. Wise has not yet arrived at Nor.
folk.
THE VERY LATEST.
The following is the very latest, we copy
from the Norfolk Day Book:
A courier arrived here yesterday after
noon about 3 O'Clock, from which we gath
er the following 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 tc
the town, and when our informant left, il
was still 10 flames.
We have also to record the capture by
The enemy OF all our little feet except The
Fanny or Forest, our informant is not Ger.
tain which. This eluded the enemy. She
was pursued, however, and fears are enter
tanned that she was captured.
1t is said that before our boats surren
dered they were abandoned, and that their
crews succeeded in making their escape
If SO we are at q loss to conjecture why
the boats were not fired before they were
abandoned.
The disaster to our little feet is attribu>
ted to the fact that having exhausted their
supplies Of coal and ammunition, they pro-
ceeded to Elizabeth City for the purpose oil
obtaining supply. Every effort was made
10 obtain coal, but without success, and the
boats could not, therefore, return to the
Island to lend any assistance whatever to
OCrt 0rces.