The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-02-22
The Burnside ExpeaitIon.

exaggerated on both sides. The only truth
about it, indeed, was the main statement
that Roanoake Island had been taken
with the whole rebel army of 1900, their
guns, ammunition, &c. The killed on our
side, instead of being 1000, was less than
fifty, and on the rebels side instead of
being 800, was not over a dozen; And the
fighting. instead of lasting three days, was
all done in a few hours The official re-
ports of Commodore Goldsborough and
Gen. Burnside prick this rebel bubble of
boasting remorselessly aud take all the
poetry out of it.
The expedition left Hatteras on We'd
nesday morning the 5th, and steamed for
Roanoke Island, arriving within sight by
evening That night aud next day were
consumed in preparations, accommodating,
and finally on Friday morning, the gun
boat feet having arrived opposite the bat
teries guarding Croatan sound, the fight
commenced. at 10 o clock, A. NJ, continuing
with more or less severity until night
During the night some 1900 of our forces
we're landed on the island, who, as soon
as morning came, charged the rebel bat
teries, and in few minutes took them
Instead of the rebels losing "whole heca-
tombs of their best and bravest, who gladly
offered up their lives upon their countrys
altar" and the Richmond Blues stand.
ing to their guns, fighting with the united
incentives Of patriotism and despair, they
meekly laid down their arms about as soon
as Lincoln's minions" asked them, after
not more than a dozen had lost their
precious lives.
The rebel fleet of gunboats, abou. which
there had been so much Boosting, was
scattered in FIVE minutes, and fled to Eli
zebeth city. whittier it was followed, after
the surrender Of the island, by feet of
IA boats, under Capt. Rowan, overiiauled,
and destroyed As this achievement was
one of the only really brilliant affairs of
the whole expedition We surjoln full ac-
count of it by an eyewitness
We came in sight OF Elizabeth City Oh
Monday morning about clock and as
we approached, we discovered the enemys
steamers-seven in number-in line Of
battle in front OF the city ready to receive
US A fort was also discovered on point
which projected ont some considerable dis
tance-one fourth of a mile perhaps-in
front OF the rebel line of steamers and
directly opposite of this fort was a schoon-
er anchord, on which were two heavy .itie
guns; the distance between the fort and
this schooner being about half a mile
Four large guns were mounted on the fort
and it was thought by the rebels that no
feet of ours could pass this narrow channel;
consequently they considered themselves
safe, with the assistance Of their navy,
drawn up between the city and fort
AT the sight of the enemy everything
was in readiness for battle To describe
the wild delight OF our brave blue jacket
when they first discovered the enemy, Is
more tnan the pen can do.
The charge was short and desperate, and
without any exception, was one OF the
most brilliant ever made by the American
navy All eyes were on the commander.
Rowan, TO see W hat the first order would be,
as We were rapidly approaching the foe.
In due time he ran up the signal TO en-
gage the enemy in close action, hand TO
hand We were then about two miles
from the enemy. This was a signal for
test of speed as we'll as the signal for
a deadly encounter with a desperate foe,
whose ali was staked upon this final en-
yagement For a distance of two miles it
was a race between our steamers in their
eagerness to outstrip each other and TO be
first to meet the enemy OF the Republic
face to face.
The river began to narrow as we ap
preached the city. The point where the |
fort was situated necessarily brought our |
steamers nearer together, making them |
surer marks for the enemys guns; indeed |
it would be miracle if q shot iron, one Of
the enemy guns did not strike some one |
of our steamers. Under the circumstances, |
most any commander would have thought |
it advisable to first attack the fort and |
silence the guns on both sides of that |
narrow point, and then attack the rebel /
steamers but mot so with the brave and /
intrepid Rowan, whose motto is to charge |
bayonets on the enemy whenever and |
wherever he may be found. In action the |
position of the commanders ship is in the |
centre of the squadron. The Delaware,
Capt Rowan's flag ship, was at the head OF
the advancing column, and led the van.
No attention W bs paid to the fort or armed
schooners, as they dashed by them through |
q perfect torrent Of shells and grape,
boarded the rebel steamers, and engaged /
them at the point OF the bayonet, the
panic stricken rebels leaping into the
water in every direction. Many were
killed by the bayonet and revolver in this
ha nd-to hand fight. and sank below the |
water Their real loss will doubtless never
be known to US; the slaughter, however,
was fearful, and the struggle short and /
more than fifteen minutes
in duration.
The fort and armed schooners were
deserted quite as soon as were the rebel
steamers. for il was made quite as hot
work for those behind the guns as it was
for their confederates on the gunboats.
Our loss is two killed and about dozen
seamen. The death strus
gle was brief In less time than II would
victory was ours.
The Commodore Perry was in the adj
vance, aud made for the rebel steamer Sea
Bird, the flagship of the rebel navy, on
" hich was Commodore Lynch, and ran
her down, cutting her through. The
Ceres ran straight into the rebel steamer
Ellis, and ran her down in like manner,
her at the same time The I'M
derwriter took the Forrest in the same
style, while the Delaware took the Fanny
in fine shape, she having received ten
shots from our squadron, which made
daylight through her IN as many places
The Morse, Shawsheen, Lockwood, Hetzel,
Valley City, Putnam, Whitehead, Blinker,
and Seymour also covered themselves
with glory. Every officer and man in our
entire squadron behaved like hero one
Is brave as the other, all through this
desperate charge The terrified rebels, as
hey forsook their gunboats, fired them,
and thus all but the Ellis were burned,
new one on the stocks Four
we're burned, one captured, and two made
heir escape-the Raleigh and Beaufort
rhav orc in tho canal which loads 70 |