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whole inland water system of North Carolina . At this meeting the Secre-tary of War was represented by General McClellan , who had one end of thelong council-table to himself. After I had finished, he drew me into con-versation about operations in the Department of Virginia, and as I hadoften urged upon General Wool the importance of making Fort Monroea base for operations against Richmond, I was fully prepared to answerhis questions or to combat opposition. At his request I made a roughdrawing showing the old road up the peninsula, with a waterway on eachside for gun-boats and general transportation. He listened attentively toall I had to say, talked but little himself, and put my drawing in hispocket. I have always suspected that my animated advocacy of that routemay have had something to do with his change of base from Washing-ton, and the undertaking of his unfortunate Peninsular Campaign . Beforethe council dissolved it was decided to hold Hatteras Inlet and to erectsuitable quarters for the forces, and I was instructed to wait until neces-sary orders could be prepared before returning to General Wool and mycommand. ☆
LAND AND WATER FIGHTING AT ROANOKE ISLAND .
The Burnside expedition, the naval part being under command of Flag-Officer L. M. Goldsborough, J had concentrated in Pamlico Sound by the 4thof February, and on the 5th the welcome signal was hoisted for the wholecommand to move up toward the Confederate stronghold. About sundown,after a charming day’s sail, the fleet came to anchor for the night, and startedagain early the next morning, but in consequence of the inclemency of theweather was soon compelled to seek another anchorage. On the morningof the 7th the expedition got under way very early, the armed army boatsand naval part taking the lead several miles in advance. By 11 o’clock thefirst division of army gun-boats, under Commander Hazard, arrived oppositethe forts on the west side of Roanoke Island , and commenced the bombard-ment in earnest, and at the same time engaged the enemy’s fleet. As thenaval vessels arrived they went into action, and by half-past 11 the wholefleet of gun-boats was engaged. The engagement between the heavy gunslasted all day without much damage having been done to either side. At theclose the gunners answered each other with about the same spirit displayedat the commencement. The Confederate forts had, however, fared betterthan their fleet. The latter was protected from an assault on the part of ourvessels by a row of piles driven across the navigable part of the channel,and by sunken vessels; but, notwithstanding this protection, the accuratefire of the Union fleet soon compelled it to retire out of range, with the loss
Captain W. H. Parker, C. S. N., who com- gun-boats, “carrying one gun each. Two of the smallmanded the Beaufort in these waters, says in his steamers, under Flag-Officer Stringham, should have“Recollections of a Naval Officer” (N. Y. : Charles UaT a ^ lliW6 °° C
Scribner’s Sons): ‘
«™ /i . . , , . . . . J For details of the origin and composition of
“ The enemy made a great mistake m not taking pos- * , .. ~ r
session of the sounds immediately after capturing Hat - this expedition, see the article by (general Burn-teras. There was nothing to prevent it but two small side, p. 660.— Editors.