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FORT HATTERAS. FLAG-SHIP “ MINNESOTA ." "SUSQUEHANNA.” “PAWNEE."
THE UNION FLEET BOMBARDING FORTS HATTERAS AND CLARK. FROM A WAR-TIME SKETCH.
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Colonel W. L. Brown, and one company of the 1st U. S. Artillery, underCaptain Lewis O. Morris.
In the latter days of September, information of the intended movement fromRoanoke Island made immediate action necessary. I had already apprisedGeneral Wool of my intention to establish a post near Chicamacomico for thepurpose of protecting the natives who had taken the oath, and also to pre-vent a surprise by the landing of a large force of the enemy to march downthe island. Accordingly, on the 29th of September, I embarked the 20thIndiana regiment upon the gun-boats Putnam and Ceres , and accompanied itto a point opposite Chicamacomico, saw the troops safely disembarked, andreturned with the gun-boats to the inlet. On the first day of October, theFanny was dispatched with supplies, and arrived at the point of disembarka-tion the same afternoon. After preparations for landing had commenced,a force of the enemy’s gun-boats was discovered. The P'anny tried toescape, but got aground and was captured, not, however, until after aspirited resistance by the men and officers with the two small guns whichwere mounted on her deck.
Flag-Officer W. F. Lynch, C. S. X. , in his report says:
“ Colonel Wright, of the ?d Georgia regiment, who commands the military forces of the island,had agreed with me to make an attempt to destroy Hatteras Light-house, and we only waitedthe return of an emissary I had sent to glean intelligence as to the force of the enemy in thatvicinity. But early in the forenoon of the 1st instant intelligence came that one of the Federalsteamers was at Chicamacomico, about forty miles distant on the eastern shore of Pamlico Sound ,and I determined to get after her. As Colonel Wright was anxious, however, to make the con-templated attempt, I would not, in courtesy, refuse to wait for the embarkation of troops,