Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1911-10-14

GENERAL II. H. MIhROY, U. s.. A., LEADER
OF THE ATTACK AT GkEENBRIER RIVER
ted by Lee to capture western Virginia
aroused the warmeH praise at Rich
mond Yet it ended in little better
than a fiasco. The inevitable cOnclu-
sion is that either Lee was outgener.
aled by RosecranS or he was cOnStitu-
tionally unable to make winning
fight in Union territory. Perhaps the
last is the true explanation, as he lost
every time he ventured outside OF
Virginia. First he failed i'll western Vir
GINA, next in Maryland at the battle
of Antietam and finally in Pennsyl
vania at Gettysburg. AS great gen
eral as even bis enemies concede Lee
to have been. he was not great enough
to win a campaign in territory where
public sentiment was against him. On
the other hand. Grant gained practi
caIly all his victories in the enemy's
country. 1t Is a truiSm in war that
men fight better on their own soil.
when defending their homes. On the
defensive Lees generalship was mas
terly. When he invaded Union terri
tory he was undone. While his West
Virginia campaign is the least known
Of his entire military career. there is
none that more clearly brings out this
point. Even his own partisans admit
its weakness. Magnifcently planned.
its breakdown was almost pitiful.
Fight on Hatteras Island.
In the meantime things were hap
pening in the vicinity of Hatteras In
let. After the capture of the forts
there on Aug. % Colonel Hawkins
was left with part of the Ninth New
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 ChicomicomtcO for
the double purpose Of protecting the In
habitants of the island aud of Observ-
Ing the Confederates. who were gath
ering in some force on Roanoke island
to the north. Colonel Brown landed
on Sept. 80 with scant supplies. On
Oct the Fanny, United States pro
peller, was to land stores and intrench-
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 $150.0O0 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-
petition, but was not the worst of the
fate in store for him. The Confeder-
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 ano
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 ane