Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-06-25
For The S'andard.
. SURRENDER OF FORT MACON.

Mr.. Eptrow Having had my attention directed
to article in the Petersburg Express, OF the 9TH
ult, taken from n North Carolina paper, giving
rnasn.ioouent account Of the engagement at Fort
Macon Oh the 25th Of April last, and having seen
something of the proceedings OF that day at the tor
as we'll as some OF their effects upon it, beg leave
with al! due Difference however, to state for myself
that was not aware before reading the article re-
ferred TO- that the destruction and demolition Of the
Fort was SO complete! IL is not my purpose to
deny any of the statements Set orth-for well do
know that in any little street "scrimmage, half
dozen witnesses give in testimony on trial, all vary
ing in statements Of what each saw. ! only state,
therefore, that dill no: that :" the walls Of
the Fort were preached at several points, nor that
they " were literally torn to pieces every where.
nor that all the guns pointing inland and fronting
the enemy, except three, We're dlsmonnted,' nor
was coguzant of the fact, at the Fort. that hall
dozen more shots, which could BE- fired IN rs many
minutes, would explode the magazine" although it
was Observation-Disclosures the fortunes OF a conflict at
that sort; indeed, it might have been done even
during the first hour Of the engagement thus blow.
ing the Fort and its garrison into mass cf ruins
and of destruction. All these, Mr.. Editor with the
"i!liny of the moat with debris" with the fright
full performance of dropping hundreds of shell and
solid sho. on the spot (where the magazine was To-
Gated y with the precision OF Il man png them by
hand" were unseen by, and unknown to me. But
do not deny any of them for the reason stated
above, with the additional, and most palpabe one,
that if they are made to stick, all heroes
unrvalled! Yet, in the very face of "a demolished
Fort" "moat full of debris" with "ohly three
guns" and "nlagaZne on the ere OF erptOsiOn,'
the intrepid Colonel the account states, was about
going again into the fight, and was only prevented
from so daring and rash act by the caving in OF
the Yankee officer.
Is it possible that under such circumstances, a
lol
sacrifice, where the result in any event. could have
benefited the garrison or the Confederacy so little
Or, was it but the prompngs Of one Of those patr-
otto impulses of which each age furnishes, at most,
| but one example, Of an unconquerable determine
ton to make the entire sacrifice of ones self and
! whole command, rather than yield an inch, COM
| promise hair, from an original propositions. The
| Colonel will, no doubt feel very much compliment
| ed in the perusal of the article we notice. Who
else saw things at the Fort stated, we have not
| heard, out Of the expressions of several others.
! am aware, Mr.. Editor, that the battle at the
! Fort was holly contested, hard fought one, of l
hours DURATION and believe that there have been
very few engagements during this war, Of the same
! duration, wherein there was harder and hotter
work-more cool and intrepid conduct and gallant
/ bearing among the men and officers, under heavy
cannonading from the enemy. WIthSeven or eight
improved Parrot and other rifle guns, throwing sc
pound elongated balls, mortars, projecting 8, 10,
and 1l-nch shells, without ntermssion except late
in the evening, when some of them evidently
disabled, and these projectiles aimed by the aid Of
signals from Beaufort, with almost mathematical
precision, whizzins, whistling, bursting, popping
and blowing near, over on either side, all around us
shatterng fragments splinters all over many Of US
all constitute sufficient excitement to dspel what
ever of ennui that may have been acquired But
was not aware OF the ertent of the damage done
or risk. ONE WHO SAW.
June II, 1852.