60 Nortu Caroiina Troops, 1861-’65.

7th, the enemy’s fleet passed by both of the landings and pro-
ceeded towards Fort Bartow, and the detachment of infantry
stationed at Pugh’s immediately fell back to the vicinity of
Ashby’s Landing and joined the detachments there, all un-
der the command of Colonel J. V. Jordan.

In the sound between Roanoke Island and the main land,
upon the Tyrrell side, Commodore Lynch with his squad-
ron of seven vessels had taken position, and at 11 o’clock the
enemy’s fleet consisting of about thirty-nine gun-boats and
schooners, advanced in ten divisions, the rear one having the
schooners and transports in tow. The advance and attacking
division again subdivided, one assailing the squadron and
the other firing upon the fort, with 9-inch, 10-inch and 11-
inch shell, spherical case, a few round shot and every variety
of rifled projectiles. The fort replied with but four guns,
which were all that could be brought to bear, and after strii-
ing the foremost vessels several times, the fleet fell back so
as to mask one of the guns of the fort, leaving but three to
reply to the fire of the whole fleet. The bombardment was
continued throughout the day and the enemy retired at dark.
The squadron under command of Commodore Lynch, sus-
tained their position most gallantly, retired only after ex-
hausting all their ammunition, and having lost the steamer
Curlew and the Forrest disabled. Fort Bartow sustained
considerable damage from the fire of the day, but the injuries
were partially repaired by the next morning, and the fort put
in a state of defence. About 3:30 o’clock on the evening of
the 7th, the enemy sent off from their transports about twenty-
five men in a launch, apparently to take soundings, who were
fired upon and retreated. Whereupon, two large steamers
having in tow, each thirty boats filled with troops, approached
the island under the protection of their gun-boats, at a point
north of Ashby’s Landing, known as Haymon’s, and did ef-
fect a landing. The point selected was out of the reach of
the field pieces at Ashby’s, and defended by a swamp from
the advance of our infantry, and protected by the shot and
shell thrown from their gun-boats. Our whole force there-
upon withdrew from Ashby’s and took position at the re-
doubt or breastwork, and placed in battery the three field

Loss or Roanoke IsLanp. 61

pieces with the necessary artillerymen, under the respective
commands of Captain Schermerhorn, Lieutenants Kinney
and Selden. Two companies of the Eighth and two of the
Thirty-first were placed at the redoubt to support the artil-
lery; three companies of the Wise Legion deployed to the
right and to the left as skirmishers—the remainder of the
infantry in position 300 yards in the rear of the redoubt as a
reserve. —

The enemy landed some 15,000 men with artillery, and at
7 o’clock a. m. of the 8th, opened fire upon the redoubt, which
was replied to immediately with great spirit and the action
soon became general and was continued without interrup-
tion for more than five hours, when the enemy succeeded in
deploying a large force on either side of our line, flanking
each wing. The order was then given by Colonel Shaw to
spike the guns in the battery and to retreat to the northern
end of the island. The guns were spiked and the whole force
fell back to the camps.

During the engagement at the redoubt, the enemy’s fleet
attempted to advance up Croatan Sound, which brought on
a desultory engagement between Fort Bartow and the fleet,
which continued up to 12:30 o’clock, when the commanding
officer was informed that the land defences had been forced
and the position of the fort turned. He thereupon ordered
the guns to be disabled and the ammunition destroyed, which
was done, and the fort abandoned. The same thing was done
at Forts Blanchard and Huger, and the forces from all the
forts were marched in good order to the camps. The enemy
took possession of the redoubts and forts immediately, and

- proceeded in pursuit, with great caution, towards the north-

ern end of the island, in force, deploying so as to surround
our forces at the camps. Colonel Shaw arrived with his
whole force at his camps in time to have saved his whole
command, if transports had have been furnished, but none
were there, and finding himself surrounded by a greatly supe-
rior foree upon the open island, with no field works to protect
him, and having lost his only three field pieces at the redoubt,
had either to make an idle display of courage in fighting the
foe at such immense disadvantage, to the sacrifice of his com-