The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-02-22
ne CAPTURE OF ROANOKE
BLAND

CHE CAPTURE De hOANOABI
IDEAND@
a Xnssosusase s9shs Da6lns. Il.
t6Sssaa psrsspsa1sns6scoGs DGNlnsse AnadNE1
81 Fos1ns16 Mo1noh Feb q.
he aoamer Stefs A. 6tGlpss dame - q
noon to-day with : Gag Of hsr nainnast and
tern, bearing al the svidsncss Of bringing
glorious tidings. Her approach attracted
lhst she Sreueht tidinsp direct from The Burn
side expedition, and - the boat reached the
chart those who landed were so0a surTounded
With eseer inquiries Of the result q the exps-
dition, and the following questions were pro-
Dounded and quickly answered: IS
Q.-what's the result Of the sxpsdidtion!
Ave have cleaned the rebels out Of the
island and captursd and burnt most Of their
0eet-taking three thousand prisoners.
Q.-How many were killed on the Federal
A.-About forty.
o. How many wounded!
A.-The number wounded WAS not definitely |
ascertained whom No left, but one hundred and
6fty was considered = large sstimats.
Q.--How about Gen. Wise?
Ale is reported to have been carried on
from Nag's Head towards Norfolk, but Commo-
dore Goldsborough had started up Currituck
SQUAD towards Norfolk with gunboat and
several armed cutters in the endesvor TO over
take him. The anxiety to capture him was very
great.
Q.-What became Of his son Capt. o. Jen
nings Wise, of the Richmond Bluesf
Ale was slightly wounded on the field 1t
the head Of his battalion, and was endeayor-
ing to escape in q boat with some others, vixen
he was hailed to surrender, but, refusing to do
20 was fred upon and MORALLY wounded. They
then surrendered, and he was taken prisoner,
and died next morning from the effect OF three
bullet wounds.
Q-How many of the rebels we're killed and
wounded in the engagement?
A.-Their killed and wounded are not very
heavy, for the reason that they broke and ran
| Us soon as our men captured their main bat
terry at the point of the bayonot. This was
done by Hawkins Zousves and the Twenty
FIRST Massachusetts,, who made brilliant
charge directly in the face of their guns, driv'
| ing the whole garrison out Of the intrenohments
rebels killed was estimated ut about sixty, and
the wounded at two hundred.
Q.-How many prisoners were takenY
| Ave have taken nearly three thousand
prisoners, who will probably arrive ct New
York on Friday or Saturday, on the steamers
| Spaulding and George Peabody.
Q.-When did the 6ght commence!
/ Ave commenced with . reconnaissance
by the gunbosts on Friday afternoon. shslllng
the lower end Of the island, partly silsncinR the
guns at that point. Night closing in, We ce,s-
cd firing until Saturday morning, when the
bombardmsnt was recommended, and about
ten thousand troops landed on the southern
end Of the island.
Q.--Aftsr the landing was effected, what BE-
came Of the gunboatss
A.-They steamed up the channel alongside
Of the island, and drove the rebels from them
into their intrenched camp ut the upper end Of
the island. The army having landed, about
seven thousand of them marched in three di-
visions towards the centre Of the island to at
tack the main body. As they approached the
sarthworks Of the enemy, they were found to
have several guns in position to cover the ap-
proaches When within o mile Of their bate
ries the rebels opened FIRE and the Federal
pass over them. They continued thus to sp-
proach the batteries for mile with but slight
loss, and finally, when close enough, charged
the earthworks at q double quick, first firing
|a volley and then rushing with charged bayo-
nets over the the intrenchments. As the Fed
eral troops entered they abandoned their guns
and ran out at the other side, towards the up
per end of the, island They made but poor
fight, and ran at Bull Run speed as soon as
they were brought to close qusters.
Q.-Did any portion Of these troops exhibit
bravery
A battalion in charge of their principal
guns, the Richmond Blues, showed somebrave-
~; but the balance fed without scarcely firing
q gun, so soon as the intrenchments were
stormed
Q.-What became of the gunboatss
A.-As soon as the landing was safely effect
ed Com. Goldsborough steamed up the chan
mel firing at all the rebel troops that were in
sight, and driving them out of the earthworks
commanding the channel.
Odd the rebel gunboats make any fight?
i Avery little. When Com. Goldsborough s
feet appeared at the upper end Of the island
they turned and fec, and were hotly pursued
towards Elizabeth City. So soon as overtaken
armed cutters were sent to board them, and
some severe fighting is said to have taken place
on the rebel decks. They were nearly all of
them captured, and most Of them burned, the
victors continuing on their pursuit to prevent
any Of them escaping. Three or four were
captured and retained, and the balance burn
ed. The crews Of most Of them made their
escape to the shore by swimming, without even
an attempt at resistance.
Q.-Was Elizabeth City burneds
i A-There was an earthwork defending the
approach to Elizabeth City, which was fesbly
age. So soon IS the gunboats got the range
Of it and commenced dropping their shells in
and around it, the military abandoned it, and
soon after the flames burst out in the lower
part Of the city. A flag Of truce from the oiti-
Gems was then sent out to Commodore Goldsbo.
rough, asking him to send force on shore to
sxtinguish the fire, which they stated had
been kindlsd by the retreating soldiers! Their
request was respectfully declined as they had
Il - ,,.~
init any outrage on private rights, and must
hold those responsible who committed the out
rage. Not more than one third of the city was
burned
i Q.-How many troops were on the islsnds
A.-When We first commenced the attack on
Friday night the whole number did not exceed
three thousand, but during Friday night and
Saturday morning two thousand from Norfolk
were landed, making the whole force about
$500
Q.-How many of them escaped
Alt is supposed that nearly twelve hun
dred escaped to the mainland in schooners. -
They effected their escape by means Of an OBJ.
struction in the channel, which prevented our
gunboats from approaching the upper end Of
the island within range Of them. All their
energies seemed to be devoted to the effectine
OF an escape. If the gunbosts could have
passed the obstruction and have got within
range of the point from which they were EN-.
barking, not man would have escaped.
i Q.-Of the three thousand prisoners cap-
tured, are there many Carolinians and Virgin
isns -.
A.-Yes, nearly oil from these two States. -
There were several battalions from Richmond.
and parts Of regiments from North Csrolins
but the majority Of the troops were picked
men from the Virginia regiments. The McCul.
Tough Rangers are from Louisiana, under the
command Of Lieutenant Hazelett, supposed to
be Robert Hazlstt, Of Baltimore. A regiment
Of six hundred men from North Carolina reach
ed the island on Saturday morning, and had
scarcely got landed before they were run down
BY the stampede, and the boats ssised BY the
aeeing rebels from the entrenched camp, who