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by the troops. An examination proved that the only food-materials werefruits from the West Indies , which were fast decaying. For the next ten daysthe diet of the stranded soldiers consisted of black coffee, fresh fish, and a“ sheet-iron pancake ” made of flour and salt-water. This diet was neitherluxurious nor nutritious, and it produced unpleasant scorbutic results. On the10th of September relief arrived, and with it, under Lieut.-Colonel George
F. Betts, six more companiesof the 9th New York.
Until September 16th, noth-ing occurred to disturb theuneventful routine work in-cident to military occupationof an enemy’s territory. Onthat day a mixed expedition ofland and sea forces under com-
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mand of LieutenantJames G. Maxwell,of the United States navy, was sent todestroy the fortsof Beacon Islandand Portsmouth,near Ocracoke Inlet.
They were found tohave been desertedby the Confeder-ates, but twenty-two grins of heavy caliber, that were left intact, were made useless by theUnion forces.
Soon after the capture of the forts the “intelligent contraband” beganto arrive, often bringing news of important military activity in severaldirections.
Before the first week of our occupation had expired I became convincedthat the enemy was fortifying Roanoke Island , with the intention of makingit a base for immediate operations, and that his first offensive work wouldbe against the forces stationed at Hatteras Inlet, with the further purpose ofdestroying the Hatteras light; and that they would land a considerable forceat the upper end of the island, at a point near Chicamacomico, and march down.
Seeing the necessity of counter-action on the part of the Union forces, onthe 6tli of September I wrote a full account of the situation to General John