The Republican journal., 1906-05-03
of the light draught transports contain

of the light draught transports contain
ing troops entered the sound. While
the troops were being landed one d.
vision of gunboats had taken up posi-
ton near the beach on the right toward
Oregon Inlet and the other division on
the left at the entrance to Croatan
Sound. Each division firing diagonally
across the island, from right to left and
from left to right, made it possible for
the army to land its entire forces and
equipments in perfect safety, without
being in the least molested by the
enemy. Without the aid of the navy a
Judgment could not have been effected.
This battle of Roanoke Island continued
all day. but at its close the Union forces
were successful in every particular, cap
turing 1900 prisoners, together with all
the forts and their ornaments. But
the main body of the rebel army had
retreated to the north end of the island,
where they ferried across to Mays Head
and kept on up the beach toward Nor
folk. Their naval vessels retreated to
Carrituck Sound, where our gunboats
followed them the next day under the
command of Admiral Rowan, who cap
tured and destroyed every one of Them.
"A few days later the main body OF our
army, led by the gunbOats, left Roanoke
Island for the capture of the city OF
Newbern, which is situated on the
Neuse river about eight miles from its
mouth. This river empties into Pamlico
Sound, and is distant from Roanoke
Island about 100 miles. AT this place
there was not much fighting for the
army to do. The troops landed about
six miles below the city and the navy
proceeded up the river, driving the
enemy out of their works as they went.
All the troops had to do was to follow
and take possession as fast as the gun
boats caused them to be vacated. The
other places in the sounds, viz, Wash
ington, Edenton, Plymouth and Eliza
beth City, could not have been cap
tured or held fol twenty-four hours
after being captured had it not been
for the gunboatS; and in every case
during the two and half years that
we had possession of that country when
we found it necessary to remove our
protection the army vacated or were
driven out within a week.
The enemy were continually on the
alert and never abandoned their efforts
to drive us out of the sounds, and we
had to be continually on the lookout.
In February, 1864. they made night
attack on the U. S. gunboat Under
writer, which was doing guard duty up
the Neuse river not more than mile
above the city and below the army
breastworks. They came down the
river in boats and boarded and cap
tured the gunboat after as sharp an
engagement as could be put up with
the officers and crew caught mapping.
In this engagement the captain and two
of his officers We're killed. The rebels
blew her up and got away before the
men at the fort, located within 500
yards, knew what had happened.
Tie rebels built the ram Albemarle
for the purpose of clearing us out OF
the sound, and came very near doing it.
This ram was built at Halifax on the
Roanoke river, 120 miles from its
mouth, and to prevent our approach
while it was under construction they
filled the river with torpedoes which
later caused the destruction of two of
our ships, tie Otsego, a new ship and
one of the best in the service, and the
tug Paisley. This tug was commanded
by Acting Ensign Mark Ames of Lin
colnvlle, a brave and efficient officer,
who has since died.
T. O. JOHNSON