Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / Feb. 3, 1939, edition 1 / Page 2
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I '> :.i 1 f i ■ f*age Two THE DARE COUNTY TIMES Friday, February 3, 1939 AN EYEWITNESS STORY OF THE BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND 77 YEARS AGO THE BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND, FEBRUARY 7. 1862 Interesting History Revealed in a Copy of a Newspaper Printed in London, in 1862; the Correspondent For Illustrated News, Gives' First Hand Account of Struggle Of great interest to readers of Pamlieo Sound, North Carolina, on this newspaper is a reprint from ^^e eye of the departure of the ex- the London Illustrated News of the pedition to which I was attached battle of Roanoke Island on the attack Roanoke Island. The ru- 7th of February, 1862. This account mours of an impending advance of I was written on February 28th and army of the Potomac and the' published March 22, 1862, which distant sounds of victory from the shows the long time necessary for west reached us even there, and I news to travel from America to determined, immediately Roanoke England in those days. ' was taken, to hasten back to head- Washington, Feb. 28, 1862. , quarters, ready to witness what At last the tide of fortune hasl^’^ust be the most decisive and im- turned in favor of the North, and the success attending the formida ble preparations of the past six months is now recompensing the Federalists for the enormous ex penditure which has weighed heav ily upon them. In former letters I have had occasion to notice the improvement in the discipline of the Union Army, whi& has been gradually progressing towards a state of efficiency under the guid ance and supervision of the new Commander-in-Chief. To brigade regiments, form divisions, and ap point divisional generals, were among the first tasks which Mc Clellan set himself to accomplish; and, having succeeded in these, he published a series of general orders for the better regulation and con duct of military matters, and pro viding for a more thorough and perfect state of discipiftie through every branch of the service. The consequence is, that during all these apparently idle months the soldier’s taskmaster, the drill- sergeant, has been aboard, and now as the time approaches for action the Federal Government finds it has an army to rely on for support or vindication, astounding in its numbers as the growth of only nine months, and wonderfully efficient considering the short period it has been in the field. The combinations of the General-in-Chief are now being seen and understood, and those who have arraigned him in judgment before the court of their displeasure are now compelled to acknowledge their error, confuted by the successes that have inaugu rated the first part of a new cam paign. The victories in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee, have dealt a staggering blow at seces sion; while the Federal troops hitherto depressed by their early discomfiture, are now ^ated ahd confident, placing implicit reliance in their General, and being eager to carry the flag of the Union into the heart of Secessia. I am no ,^Sir Oracle,” so I will not attempt to prophesy a triumph for the Fed eralists; but seeing the improved condition in the morale of the Union forces, and feeling somewhat competent to give an opinion, I am inclined to believe that these first successes are not to be their last. I have watched the Northern army almost from its first appear ance in the field. I have seen it a stripling, and known it in its boyhood the prey of bullying poli ticians, who by their pernicious counsels are regponsible^for its ear liest defeats. I now see it arrived at man’s estate, and it should or ought to achieve for itself an hon orable future. On a Battle.ship in Pamlico Sound My last letter was dated from portant movement of the campaign —the attack, lon the Confederate centre at Manassas. And here I am, after a delay of some days, caused by the prevalence of fearful storms on the coast, heartily sick of combined naval and military ex peditions, and thoroughly deter mined to have nothing more to do with them, unless I can first of all make a satisfactory arrangement with the clerk of the weather. General Burnside Captured 'The Island The telegraphic accounts of the success of General Burnside reach ed New York, and thence were dis patched to England long before I coaid send you sketches in J- 4:.' 1-.^. -I?.- RESCUE OF THE CREW OF STEAM SHIP VIRGINIA ON THE DIAMOND SHOALS OFF CAPE HATTERAS A Thrilling Tale of Aventure With the Coast Ciuards- men on the Diamond Shoals and How Some of the Seamen Were Drowned; Compiled From Records of the Coast Guard in Washington I Data Secured From Government by I CiMigressman Lindsay C. Warren ; The fourth disaster of the year , in the vicinity of Cape Hatteras, j within the scope of the operations of the Life Saving Service and at- I tended by loss of life, was the j wreck of the British steamship, ' Virginia, which stranded and broke j up at once on the Outer Diamond Shoals, Wednesday afternoon. May j2, 1900. j The Virginia was a steel vessel of 2314 tons burden, bound from Daiquiri, Cuba, to Baltimore, Md. She carried a cargo of iron ore, and was in charge of Capt. Charles Samuels, of London, England. Her crew—all told—comprised twenty- four men, and there was also on board one stowaway. About 2 o’clock p. m. on the day of the wreck, the captain, being aware that he was approaching the THESE pictures by the artist of the Illustrated London News in 1861, shqw scenes off Pork Point, Croatan Sound. The top pictures show the attack made on the Confederate Batteries of Forts, by the latitude of Cape Hatteras, caused Yankee gunboats. To the left is the mainland, off Fleetwood Point, the channel running up to Albe-1 marie Sound. The large vessel is General Burnside’s ship, the Spalding, and on the right is Fort Bartow ' ° om a a c ®^nge „ 1 T1 J * t U- T. ■ rp, u 4.4. • i. 1. ri i. r> i 4. ' his ooursB to northwost by wost and on Roanoke Island, traces of which remain. The bottom pictures show Fort Bartow after its capture , proceeded on his way For three an. la 111 by the Federalists, who went ashore and commandeered the old home we know as the John Berry Home, and other houses, for quarters for the officers. midnight upwards of 9,000 men .had been safely put on shore without accident. Went Through Deep Swamp The difficulties the troops had con-1 to contend against in landing were hours and a half after the lead was cast the steamer held .her course, having neither seen nor heard any- nection with the capture of Roan-i great, the place choseii being a per oke, so I will not attempt to give feet swamp, which extended in- any elaborate details, and will sim ply confine myself to a brief des cription of the incidents which from the subjects illustrated by my pen cil. On the morning of the 7th the fleet of transports and gun-boats which had laid off the entrance of land a distance of a quarter of a mile, and in which the men sank to their knees and waists. To make matters .more unconfortable, a thin cold rain fell throughout the night, the soldiers having no other shelter than what they stood in, and many of them were completely Croatan Sound during the previous j benumbed by daylight. Nothing night weighed anchor, the latter, disturbed the stillness of the dark forming into line of battle in three j hours save one solitary report of a divisions. The entrance into Croa-jgun which .heralded the death of tan Sound is by a narrow chaffhel a Massachusetts .soldier who was scarcely more than one hundred | thrown out in the forest as a pick- feet in width, the navigation of.et; this was the only collision that which is exceedingly difficult, as a; occurred during the night. There sandbar lies immediately off the;was something peculiarly impres- mouth. However, the entire fleet, j sive in gloom of the dark pine with one exception, were safely j woods with the knowledge that per- j mained to dispute its possession, through by 10 a. m., and at half-1.haps within a dozen yards lurked] in my sketch he is seen falling past the first gun was fired from! the enemy, and that at any mo- back from th parapet, dying as a hive had been overturned in the told, 1600 having got across Roan-' thing to indicate^ danger, when sud neighborhood. At midday the clearing was reached by the head of Reno’s col umn, and its appearance was sa luted by roundshot and grape from the field-work already mentioned. During this time Foster and Parke oke and retired to Currituck with' denly the cry of “breakers ahead” old General Wise, whose son was ®ame from the lookout on the bow. fight at their fieldwork the num- T’^® wheel was instantly thrown ber might have been quadrupled. I hard aport, and the ship promptly am inclined to think that the lat- responded, soon having the broken ter, with 4600 men and their strong water on her port beam, out a few natural positions, should have held irioments later she grounded heav. were each pushing on through im- at bay the Federal force brought Her location at this time, as mense obstacles to outflank the bat tery, the latter getting up two of his regiments first, the 9th New York, or Hawkins’ Zouaves, and the 21st Massachusetts. Confederates Were Routed General Parke, immediately he reached the flank of the breast work, ordered the above two regi ments to charge, which they did in the most brilliant manner, dashing through the swa,mp and over the stumps of the pine-clearing, and into the battery which the Confed erates were hastily leaving. One officer alone. Lieutenant Sel- den, of the Richmond Blues, the Confederate battery, evidently as a signal of some kind or other. The mainland of North Carolina lay in our left, and this we had to hug closely for two miles or so, the deep water running there. Every moment I expected to see a puff of white smoke followed by a whiz come from among the tall ment the watcher might be sent to his last account. Day broke cold, damp, and mis erable; and, after a drink of water and a biscuit to each man, the Federal force prepared to advance into the interior, following a path which led to the main artery run ning through the island. About ten brakes on the bank, but for some] the first collision took place be reason or other the Confederates tween the opposing forces, at the had neglected placing a battery. point where the pathway alluded to here, which appears to me the more | above intersects, the main road, astonishing from the fact that at any time during this two miles I gallant soldier should, with his face to the enemy. All could see him to the very last proud and erect, wav ing his sword and encouraging the men to stand. But his example was lost upon them, their panic was complete, and Lieutenant Selden, whose gallantry had been unavail ing, I saw laid carefully in a shel tered spot ten minutes after he fell. The Confederates now retraced to the upper portion of the island. against them; but more “kidos,” j ^Herwards ascertained, was on the therefore, is to be allowed the vie-! southeast point of the dreaded I Outer Diamond Shoal, 9 nautical . !miles southeast by south from the Local Sentiment Divided Cape Hatteras Life Saving Station With regard to the kentiment of about the same distance east the people on the island, it appears southeast of station at Creed’s Hill, to me to be quite as much one way. Piaster quickly ordered both as the other. I think all they want anchors let go and himself ran for- is to be let alone by both pai'ties. ^,ard to superintend operations, but The following were more especially' before he could get back to the the sentiments of a Mr. Jarvis,, ijj.jjgg j^^jg yeggel broke in three farmer and fisherman, whose house. pieces and sank to the rail, giving .had been taken possession of by the barely time to leap for his Zouaves; he was a perfectly bewil- ijjg (.g ^.jjg amidship section. With- dered individual. His family was in lout furthgj. ado, he ordered the one of the negro shanties, and he boats out and all hands to aban- was outside, mourning over the, don ship. As the sequel proved, it events of the day. He had noth- have been better otherwise, mg agin the North,” and had sold, but the situation was alarming to a great many shad to them. But,. ^.bg last degree and speedy action the troops had killed one of his gf some sort must have seemed im- killed in the engagement at the I perative. fieldwork. Thus was Roanoke Is-j The crew hastily attempted to land captured by the Federalists,, launch the two starboard boats, but their success giving them the com-1 both were smashed to pieces. 'Then mand of all the inland waters of | the men rushed to the port life- North Carolina, and a capital basis boat, which was safely lowered for operations on the mainland, which will be commenced immedi ately. The entire loss of the Unionists does not exceed 260 kill ed, wounded, though had the Con hastily pursued by Reno, who had federates shown anything like a Alarm Clocks THE CIVIL WAR BATTLE OFF BURNSIDES, IN CROATAN SOUND A dependable Alarm Clock Clock is something you can’t afford to be without. It serves you all the time, waking and sleeping, and its dependability saves time and money for you. See our stock of Clocks in different colors and sizes. Garrett Hardware Company ELIZABETH CITY, N. C. could have almost thrown a biscuit on shore. ‘ After the above distance the channel made a curve to the r'ght towards Roanoke, passing under the guns of the first fort and con tinuing along the sands to the ex treme point of the island, with two other forts commanding it aU equal distances from the first, they being so arranged that a cross fire could be brought to bear on vessels at tempting to force their way through. Between the first and second forts lay the Confederate steamers, seven in number, and the action was commenced at long range between them and the Fed eral gun-boats as the latter ad vanced steadily in line to the at tack. This Was The Fort “At Head quarter” At half-past eleven Fort Bartow chimed in as the Federal squadron came within its range, and it was now that the Spalding, on board which ship I was, with the General and his staff, opened fire from her rifled parrott. In a few minutes the plan of action was somewhat changed, the Confederate steamers/ retiring behind some obstructions' placed in the channel, and moving up towards the entrance to Albe marle Sound, evidently with the purpose of drawing a portion of the Union vessels through the narrow opening left, and immedi ately under the guns of the second fort. This was seen and understood by Commodore Giouldsborough, who detached half a dozen of his boats to block their passage back again, and to engage them as nearly as the obstructions in the channel would admit. ’ This is the period of the action I have chosen for one of my sketches. About two p. m., the Confederate fleet retired out of range, the larg est vessel, the Curlew, being so damaged that they had to run her ashore under the shelter of a bat tery near the upper point of the main land to prevent her sinking. She was afterwards burnt by her crew, and the battery blown up to prevent it falling into the hands of the Federalists. At 3 p. m., the troops commenced landing, protected by the guns of the Picket and Delaware, who shelled from amongst the pines the force that had been drawn up to oppose the debarkation. At six the ^ K * miMW away and manned by fifteen per sons, Second Mate Moore in charge. Mr. Moore states that it was his purpose to return to the ship and stand by the master, but that it was impossible to do so, and there fore he ordered the oarsmen to pull away straight out for the open sea. The port long-boat was now put into the water with seven men in it, but before it could be cleared from the ship’s side it was rolled over and six of its occupants were quick ly drowned. Mate Wyness, who was in charge, was hauled back on board the steamer by means of a bowline thrown to him by one of the four men who still remained on deck, but had intended to go in the boat. There were now five on board, and, as then seemed to them, in far worse plight than the boat’s crew who had pushed out aimlessly and li unprovisioned into the qcean. about them was the impenefi^ haze of fog. The survivors turned their thoughts to means of making a signal of tress. Night was close at hand * they knew that they could not discovered from the shore bef morning. Therefore, throughout the etl night, they waited and shiv^’ with the cold. When daylight they could perceive no signs land. The master still had it is mind to make the first possibl® tempt to reach some oil and pentine stored in the forec®' head, and as the forenoon woffjaj, and the tide fell he concluded t*] as favorable an opportunity as should ever have had arrh' Therefore, at very great pers>' danger, he jumped from the br’1 and swam forward with all power, beset by a strong curt* and with the sea continually bff* f, ing across the forewaist. Hovvc' he reached the goal and, encoub ed by his success, the chief followed. By the aid of a , thrown by the master, he succe* also, and together the two men plored the dark repository of treasure upon which their seemed wholly dependent. Throt' out the entire day the haze ^ tinned, but when night came on two officers eagerly set a An®, their signal. In the meanti however, the tide had risen, a? ^ as the wind and sea, so that with the greatest difficulty the blaze be kept up. Dawn came again and appare||| ^ without any hope for the unfnn nate .men. But their forlorn sif * had been seen. Keeper Pat Et^ idge (who was the father of ^ ter G. Etheridge of Manteo) the Hatteras station had seen faint blaze and at daylight tu/^ his telescope toward the . p'] where the light had been obseri' The weather was still a little tW but at 7 a. m. it lighted up, and telescope then revealed the fu)'* and masts of the wreck. Etheri*^ quickly ordered out the Mono® surfboat, called up Keeper Styron of Creed’s Hill Station " requested him to start at once . the Outer Diamond, as the Hatt®'' M( crew was about to do. The b®* ^ lof both stations got away at av th, the same time, and as soon as " cleared the beach made sail- wind was how blowing a gale the northward, and the sea running high, but there was faint heart among the life-sa''’® although they all knew full wen*^' peril of their undertaking. It was a perilous trip, but b® the lifeboats reached the wreck ** after great difficulty, the men board were taken off. Sail ' then made and both boats st®’' for shore, where they arrived about five o’clock in the everij having performed one of the n''’|h noteworthy rescues ever effect^ the vicinity of stormy Cape b teras. Had the entire ship’s coniE remained on board none would b* perished. Happily the fifteen who put to sea in the port lifeb* were sighted and picked up twc'' four hours after they went an'* n. by the steamer El Paso, boC from New York to New Orlc>' where they were landed and P' erly cared for by the British con GIVE YOUR HOME AN EYE WITNESS drew the above picture and it was sent to England and published in the London Illus trated News in March 1862. Roanoke Island people well remember the little hill that stood on the Battleground, and was known as he breast works. When the highway was cut through the island, the irrevelant men with scoops and mules, dragged the hill down to make a roadbed. The picture shows the 99th New York (Hawkins’ Zouaves), and the 21st Massachusetts taking the Confederate Fieldwork, on Roanoke Island at the point lOf the bayonet. This part of the battle was fought at the intersection of the road to Nags Head with the north and south road on Roanoke Island. Full details of this battle are published in The Times. NEW BEAUTY AND EYE COMFORT Equip your home with modern, improved lights an^ Mi’ll V\es KAVA/a rrlciH \A#i-fL ^.J 14.1..%..^.... you’ll be rewarded with better sight and lower elec trical costs. Use better lights and labor-saving ap pliances. The cost is nothing compared with the many advantages. ROANOKE UTILITIES COMPANY MANTEO, N. C. Foster’s brigade was the first to move forward, and he deployed his men to the right of the road in the woods, engaging the enemy’s skirmishers as he felt his way step by step through the breast-high swamp. I followed this force. Gen eral Reno, then occupied the road with his brigade, forming the cen ter, while General Parke forced an opening through the roads and swamps on the left, contending against the same difficulties that Foster and his men were encount-ij ering on the right. • General Bum- side directed the whole of the mov((jiiients. From the cross road to the clear- ingUin which the Confederates had three guns in a fieldwork, there was a continuous rattle of musketry, the fire from the concealed Seces sionist skirmishers cutting up the Union men severely; in fact, even with him but a small portion of his force. Foster also passed on with his men towards the rear of the water battery that had engaged the gun-boats throughout the previous day, and, coming up an intersecting path that led to it, he ordered the 4th Rhode Islanders to advance at at double and take it, which they proceeded to do with a deafening cheer. On rushing into the works they found, to their astonishment, the place deserted and ^uns spiked. I, who you may be sure kept in a firing ceased between the Federal ■ pretty safe place, heard the bullets gun-boats and Fort Bartow, and by humming 'around as thcrugli a bee- The garrison, hearing of the defeat pigs, and his wife had lost her tem per and her flat irons. “Do you lown any negroes, Mr. Jarvis” quer ied I, “Well, I did, but three of ’em went to Hatteras last week, two more have run away, I don’t know where, and there’s one in the kitch en I’ll give away if anybody wants him.^’ It was a clear case of un mistakable collapse. He was as sured by one of the Staff who was present, that his remaining proper ty should be protected, and that all of their force in the centre of the island, and foreseeing an attack in the rear, had evacuated the place and retired in the same direction as their beaten comrades. Three Thousand Surrendered At Camp Georgia the entire Con federate force that had not suc ceeded in making its escape by way of Nags Head was come up with by General Reno, and, after firing a few s.hots, they surrendered in a mass^ numbering nearly 3,000 all deficiencies should be made good if he was loyal. I shall now send you some inter esting subjects of the difficulties of transport, and the cause of the de lay in the advance of the army of the Potomac, owing, as it is, en tirely to the dreadful state of the Virginia roads. The first sign oi dry weather will be hailed with de light by the men, who know they' are to move from the camps where they have passed six months ol monotonous existence MAKE YOUR Winter DRIVING SAFER Shorten your trip to downtown Norfolk and lessen the hazards of winter driving by taking Route ■Va-21 direct to the ----- - NORFOLK- BERKLEY BRIDGE The “Connecting Link” on the Ocean Highway North and South
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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Feb. 3, 1939, edition 1
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