The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-05-19

WAen NOfCn CdfOllIld Seceu6u OH
May 20, 1861, the State had already
begun to raise troops and acquire
a navy This was later turned over
to the Confederacy. One of the
ships in it was the Winslow, side
wheel steamer armed with one 80
FOUNDER, which operated out of
Hatteras Inlet, and succeeded in
capturing at least 16 Union YES
sells. The other vessels, called the
mosquito fleet, were smaller and
confined to sounds and rivers.
Among the defenses built on the
Outer Banks were three forts: Fort
Oregon, on the south side of Ore
gon Inlet. and Forts Clark and
Hatteras, on the east side of Hat
teras Inlet. The sites of all three
fors have washed away.
At that time, Hatteras Inlet was
the only opening in the Outer
Banks that would admit sizeable
ships and so the main Notifications
were built there. Fort Hatteras was
about 1s mile from the inlet. 1t was
a rough square, $50 feet on side,
built of sand with the outside
sheathed by 2,inch planks driven
into the ground and covered with
turfs of marsh grass. It was armed
with twelve smooth-bore 32-pound-
ers, of short range. A 10-inch riff
ed gun was also mounted, but the
authorities failed to provide am
munition for this cannon.
Fort Clark was y mile east of
Fort Hatteras and nearer the
ocean. 1t was smaller, and mounted
32-pounders and two smaller guns.
Mosquitoes seriously hampered the
building of the two forts in the
summer of 1861.
A small detachment of North
Carolina troops was sent to Ore
gon Inlet; and about $50 men, also
mainly North Carolina troops,
were sent to Hatteras Inlet.
AS soon as Union commanders
learned that these forts were being
built, they began to plan an attack
on them. The Union leaders want
ed to stop the depredations on
shipping by Confederate vessels
that used Hatteras Inlet as a base
and also to cut off the Confederate
supply route from the sounds to
the interior. Their plans evolved
into a joint Army-Navy expedition
with General Benjamin F. Butler
commanding the troops and Com
modore Silas H. Stringham IN
charge of the naval forces. The
naval force consisted of seven war
ships with 143 guns, and the sS0
troops were on. three steamers.
The fleet arrived off Hatteras
Inlet late in the afternoon Of Au-
gust q. They had information on
the strength and location OF the
Confederate defenses from man
who had been shipwrecked near the
inlet earlier in the year. Reconnais-
sance showed their information to
be accurate in the main.
The troops and seaman were
reused long before dawn on Au-
gust %. About sunrise four landing
craft surfboats and fishing boats
were filled with troops and equip
ment, including field pieces. Later
in the morning some warships took
positions to cover the landing,
while others prepared to attack the
forts.
At 10 am. the bombardment OF
Fort Clark began at long range.
The defenders replied, but at first
their fire reached only half way
to the attacking ships. Each ship
void move in toward the fort, de-
liver a broadside, and then move
out again, thus presenting a mov-
ing target to the defenders.
The troops, in trying to Land,
were having more trouble. A
strong southwest wind was blow
ing. and the surf was high. The
boats were caught in the breakers
and thrown against the beach. The
two wooden boats went to pieces
and the iron-hulled ones sank. Even
so, 319 men got to shore without
loss of life or serious injury, to-
gether with the field pieces and
ammunition. The men were soaked
through, however, most OF then
powder was wet, and they lacked
enough food, water and other sup
plies. Wind and sea became worse
and the transports with the re-
manning troops moved out to sea
to wait until the weather became
better.
A stampede of terrified beacf
ponies was mistaken by gunner'
on the warships for a cavalry at
tack on the landed troops. Theil
slhot landed in the midst Of herr
of cattle, scattering both horses
and cattle. Meanwhile he troops OF