EARLY COAST OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
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FORT MACON AFTER ITS CAPTURE BY THE UNIONFORCES, SHOWING EFFECTS OF THE BOMBARD-MENT. FROM WAR -TIME SKETCHES.
Carolina City, a small settlementopposite Bogue Island, was occu-pied; the 22d, two companies ofthe 4th Rhode Island took pos-session of Morehead City; thenight of the 25th, a detachment ofthe same regiment, with a com-pany of the 8th Connecticut , occupied Beaufort; and the night of the 23d,Newport was garrisoned by the 5th Rhode Island . Thus all the importantpositions around or in the vicinity of Fort Macon had fallen into the posses-sion of the Union forces without contest or the loss of a man. General Parke,who had established his headquarters at Carolina City, demanded a surrenderof the fort, which was refused. The evidence of preparations completed andin hand left no doubt upon the mind of General Parke that Colonel Whiteintended to make a desperate defense. It was therefore decided to besiegethe fort, and as soon as possible to make a combined land and sea attack.
In this important work General Parke was most ably assisted by CaptainWilliamson and Lieutenant Flagler, of the Ordnance Corps . On the 29th apart of the Third Brigade was landed upon Bogue Island, and operations forbesieging the fort were immediately commenced. The configuration of thesand-hills was singularly well adapted to facilitate the operations of the Unionforces. These ridges or hills intervened between the working parties and thefort to such an extent in height as to permit the erection of besieging worksto go on by day as well as by night, without any serious inconvenience fromthe enemy’s fire. By April 23d, the fort was entirely cut off from communi-