The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1911-09-08

and bold tactics 10 avoid direct shots
from the fort. The vessels moved
steadily on. passing and requesting the
guns at varying distances 80 that the
southerners could not FIX the range.
Their guns had moving targets and
seldom landed a shot. while shells
from the ships speedily made the fort
too hot for the Confederate gunners.
Soon past noon a shot carried away
the nag on the fort. and aftcrwnrd the
garrison left the works, some taking
flight In boats and others running
along shore toward Fort Iiattcrns.
Seeing the flight Of the Confederates
from Fort Clark, the detachment OF
Buffers soldiers on the beach moved
down and took possession, but 'hc
shells OF the feet aimed at Fort Hat.
teras passed over that work into Fort
Clark. Driven from shelter by their
own 6re. the troops returned TO the
beach and passed the night In rain
on the wet beach. with no food but
what they picked mp on their march
to the fort. During the night Con.
fcdcrnte regiment from Newborn came
70 the beach to help the garrison beat
OF the enemy. but they were too
busy repairing the parapeis and cham.
bcrs injured by the bombardment TO
/ look for outside trouble.
Barron Takes Command.
Seeing great confusion on land after
the Confederate lag fell from Fort
Clark. Flag Officer S,rinrham suppos.
cd that both forts had given up the
fight Fort lIattcrns ceased firing.
The former commander OF Fort Clark.
Colonel " 4. Martin Of III. Seventh
North Carolina. went into Fort Hat
tcras. reporting his little garrison OF
100 men worn out by fighting About
that time Flag Officer Barron Of the
Confederate navy entered the fort
and NJ the request Of the commandment
took charge ~ the defense. Al the
guns In the fort were Of naval pattern.
and II was thought that a naval officer
| could handle the force with hest cS'
ecution. There were three guns In
Fort llnttcras bearing upon Fort
Clark. aud another was put In posi-
ton 10 keep the enemy out ~ the
abandoned work.
| Meanwhile the steamer Monticello
had an exciting time trying 10 run
| through the inlet. when II seemed evi
, dent that the Confei"ratcs had abnn
| doncd both forts the Monticello made
her way with difficulty IN the shallow
, water TO the mouth Of the inlet. She
often grounded, and Hatteras guns
paid no attention. but finally when sh"
, was caught In shallow water the guns
' opened. landing Ave shells IN her with
| IN few minutes. One shot went com.
pletcly through the ship from s,arboard
10 port and landed In n coal bunker.
Under cover ~ the fleet the steamer
got out from under the Confederate
guns. and the ships soon anchored for
the night During this days fight the
! Confederate war steamers lay idle In
| the sound After the abandonment Of
Fort Clark the Ellis carried troops and
ammunition To Fort lIa,icras, passing
aud requesting under fire. She took
Flag officer Inrron and others into
the fort during the afternoon. II was
| SNlu tnut sumo VI 'hc hlu''Ts VI 'nc
little notiila wished Ia put troops
ashore to recover Fort Clark and hold
II nt the point IL the bayonct II need
be-. but their counsel was ovcrrucd
Twenty.eisht Shells a Minute.
| Very early on the 10Th the large
ships Of Strinehams ticct moved up
and were snlutcd by the stars aud
stripes on Fort Clark. About \ o'clock
a. m. the Wabash opened tire. accord
ing To the Confederate narrative. and
immediately n rain Of shells began
dropping In and around the fort The
combined armament OF the fleet was
seyenty'thrce guns. 4 Confederate
counted twenty eight shells falling In
one minute. 4 rifle battery In the sand
on the shore as well rs the guns Of
Fort Morgan added 10 the fire. The
guns OF IInttcras started In bravcly to
respond. but soon found that It was
useless. Their shots could not reach
the ships.
The Confederates on the warships
were amazed ut seeing the shots from
Hatteras fall short OF the Yankee
ships. Sometimes the fort would cease
firing and then open with round or
two simply to show fight. The guns OF
the feet sometimes dropped shot
among the Confederate ships. but none
of them was struck.
Finally the Confederate gunncrs
! abandoned their stations and took
refuge In the bOmbproof, When this
was packed with about 800 men a
Yankee shell went In through the
ventilator and landed In the crowd.
Fortunately the shell didn't explode,
but It resulted In a terrible panic.
which fastened the fall Of the fort.
The men rushed from the place and
found cover elsewhere. The magazine
lay next to the bombproOf, and the
thought Of what might have happened
had the shell Travelled through the thin
partition separating the compartments
i a., a