The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-04-18

peared to some of these soldiers
that there had been only fifty YAM
KEGS attacking them. While at
least one of them claim there were
five thousand.
Commodore Barron and his Off
GERS spent the night examining the
batteries at the fort and placing
them in readiness for the next
day, since it was expected the Yam
kee fleet would renew its attack
at daybreak. The soldiers slept
until nearly daybreak.
The Federal fleet steamed up to
their stations again at 8 am.
Thursday. They had evidently dis
covered that they possessed longer
range guns that did the Confed-
crates in Fort Hatteras. They lay
beyond the range of the forts bat
teries and bombarded the little
fort which, although it could not
reach the enemy ships, continued
to fire away CALAMITY. Some of
the men were wounded, among
them a 1t. Murdaugh, described
as "a worthy gentleman and a gal
liant officer"
Being outgunned and seeing
their numbers cut up by enemy
artillery, the fort hoisted white
flag and suspended firing at 1880.
The Steamer Winslow and the
schooners retired to Portsmouth
with orders to defend the fort
there to the last.
For a short time following the
fall of Fort Hatteras, the new
Commodore Barron was blamed
for the defeat. But in his defence
the witness states: Commodore
Barron might have stayed aboard
his ship and viewed the battle
from a safe distance; he knew the
men were not disciplined and that
his presence would give them con-
fidence; he, therefore went, choos-
ing death or captivity. or what, to
a sensitive mind is worse, the
abuse of his countryinen, if mat
ters did not turn out as their I'M
enlightened jugement might lead
them to expect"
An editorial in the same issue
of the Washington Dispatch, by
Richard Granger, Editor and Pro-
prietor, places the blame for the
loss of Hatteras upon Mr.. Wins
low. 1t says, GAS President of the
Military Board, knowing the range
and calibre of the enemy guns, he
should not have rested until some
guns of the same range and calibre
were in position at Hatteras. If
the Department at Richmond could
not furnish them, the Tredegar
Works, or Rome, Georgia, or the
Governor of South Carolina might
have done so. But we apprehend
that Mr.. Winslow was lulled into
a fatal security-believing the
enemy had more than he could do
in Virginia, and would not, could
not attack our forts"
Following the occupation of Hat
teras by the Federal troops, an
article appeared in a northern
newspaper described by the Dis
patch as Zone of tie meanest and
most unreliable of all Yankee
Journals" The writer mentions
the new commanders of Forts
Clark and Hatteras, and number
of letters belonging to the evacuat-
ed Confederate soldiers. One of
them was from lady in William
ston, who wrote to her soldier in
Hatteras, I'D send you something
nice, if it could be had, but there
is nothing to be had except bread
and meat, and meat and bread"
The writer promises to get copy
of two letters found there. zone is
written by the arbitrator Jeff
! Davis and the other by ex-senator
Biggs of North Carolina" He goes
on to say that Col. Hawkins had
been busy swearing in the inhabi-
tants of the village, and that out
of 240 of them all but seventeen
claim that they were always loyal
to the Federal Government. AS for
their newly captured territory he
writes: "This place is of much inn
portance to the Rebels, and in con-
sequence should be held by Uncle
Sam. If we had only one or two
light draught steamers, the entire
inland navigation of North Caro-
lima could be stopped, also the out
let for Norfolk. The capturing of
this place has struck terror into
the surrounding forts and batter
les, and all we want is some light
draught steamers for the inland
navigation. This has proved blow
in the right direction. On the night
Of the first the enemy burned
every thing in the battery at Ore.
gon Inlet that they could not take
away, and have gone to Roanoke
Island to strengthen that position,