The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-10-17

YORK and several gunboats to hold
them. Later he was reinforced by
] Colonel Brown with the Twentieth
Indiana. He first dispatched an expe
dition to disable the abandoned forts
at Ocracoke inlet, few miles down
the shore, and later sent Colonel
Brown and the Twentieth Indiana up
Hatteras island to Chicomicomico for
the double purpose of protecting the in
habitants of the island and of observ-
ing the Confederates. who We're gath
ering in some force on Roanoke island
| to the north. Colonel Brown landed
on Sept. 30 with scant supplies. On
Oct. the Fanny, United States pro-
peller was to land stores and intrencb
| ing tools. No sooner had the Fanny
anchored, however, than three Con
federate vessels appeared, surrounded
and captured her. 1t was estimated
that she had 100000 worth of supplies
on board, all of which fell into the
enemy's hands. This of itself defeat
ed the purpose Of Colonel Browns ex-
pedition, but was not the worst of the
fate in store for him. The ConfcGer-
ates on Roanoke island now attempted
to surround and capture his entire
command and for this purpose landed
two large forces, one above and one
below him on the narrow island. The
only thing that saved him was that
the boats below were delayed in land
ing, and as night was coming on Colo
mel Brown managed to retreat past
them in the darkness. Now began
weary march of twenty-eight miles to
Hatteras light. To add to the miseries
of the retreat. the inhabitants aban-
doned their homes and fed with the
troops, who had been their protectors.
| among them being old men. women
and children. When the sun arose and
beat down on the hot sands both sol
diers and natives began falling out,
overcome by the heat and by hunger
and thirst. The supply of food and
water was almost exhausted. In this
way almost fifty Of Colonel Browns
men dropped In their tracks in the
blistering sands and were captured by
the enemy.
Turning the Tables.
At Hatteras light Colonel Hawkins
was happily encountered with about
600 men, who had marched to the re-
lief of their distressed comrades.
With these came the Monticello and
Susquehanna. The odds were now
suddenly turned. Waiting for the adj
vancing Confederates, who approached
with flying flags and bands playing,
| the Monticello steamed close in and
began Smelling and scattering them.
Following them as they attempted to
retreat, driving them out Of a copse
| in which they tried to take refuge,
bombarding them as they fed across
the hot sands, she kept up the attack
for more than three hours, firing $50
shots. 1t was impossible to tell how
| much execution was done, but guns
and supplies were left scattered along
the beach, and the Union officers esti-
mated that the number Of killed and
| wounded must have been considerable.
| The New York Tribune said that hard
~ In any action up to that time had
such execution been done Neyerthe-
| less the southerners afterward report
/ ed that they had lost but one man.
The one sided battle continued until
darkness fell, when the Confederate
boats managed to get the remainder
of their men off and with them put
back to Roanoke island. During this
operation the Monticello continued her
bombardment, injuring some of the
enemy's vessels.
After this fight the Confederates re-
turned to Roanoke island and did not
again disturb the Federals in their
control of Hatteras inlet and Hatteras
island. General Mansfield was soon
sent down from Washington with re-
endorsements and was eventually re-
placed by General Thomas s. Williams.
Colonel Hawkins issued an address
to the people Of North Carolina, as
surfing them that the northern troops
had not come to modest them, but to
re-establish law and order In re-
Spouse to this the citizens of Hyde
county, in the vicinity Of Hatteras,
held a public meeting and adopted res
0lutions expressing loyalty to the
Union and declaring their independ-
ence from Confederate rule.
Blockade Becoming Effective.
The strategic Importance Of con-
trolling Hatteras inlet lay in the fact
that it closed an important harbor to
blockade runners and Confederate pri-
vateers. By their position on Roanoke
island the Confederates still had an
entrance at an upper inlet, but were
shut out of the lower and more i'm
portant gateway to Pamlico sound.
The inlet at Ocracoke. still lower down.
was still open, but the Union forces
had put the forts guarding 1t out Of
commission, as already noted. Colo
mel Hawkins crush G. Hawkins, aft
erward brevet brigadier general rec