red caps filling the road-an exciting scene. They mounted the parapet and scattered the garrison. The two victorious columns met in the centre of the work and congratulated each other on the happy result. At the same time, the head of the column that had passed through the swamp upon our right appeared on the left of the enemy's position, and was received with hearty and exultant shouts. The 24th Massachusetts also came up the road to share in the general joy.

A halt of half an hour was allowed to refresh the men and to replenish the partially exhausted cartridge-boxes, and then the troops were once more put in motion to pursue the retreating enemy. General Reno with his brigade marched up the central road, and then down to the right upon the eastern shore of the island. General Foster pursued over the central road, and General Parke went to the left. As the troops advanced in pursuit, the evidences of the total rout of the enemy were observed on every side. The way was strewn with guns, bowie knives, blankets, canteens, knapsacks, and everything that could have impeded the flight of the defeated foe. The 21st Massachusetts was in advance, and as the troops, after marching about three miles, came out upon the beach, they descried a few boats filled with the enemy's wounded and other fugitives, attempting to cross the narrow channel to Nag's Head. A few well-directed shots brought to the rearmost boat, which returned to land. It had on board Captain O. Jennings Wise and another wounded officer, who had been among the bravest defenders of the enemy's battery. In a large farm house upon the beach, other wounded officers and soldiers were found. The troops scoured the beach right and left, and picked up numerous scattered parties of prisoners. General Foster had pushed on to the northern end of the island, and, after a march of four or five miles, the advanced companies of skirmishers were fired upon from a belt of woods. The line was immediately formed, and the men prepared for a charge. The enemy then sent forward a flag of truce. The officer bearing it, on being received and led to General Foster,

asked what terms of capitulation would be allowed. General Foster replied that the surrender must be unconditional. There was no escape, and the officer, upon a further conference with his superior, returned with Colonel Henry M. Shaw, of the 8th North Carolina Volunteers, the commandant of the post, who surrendered all the forces on the island. The number of prisoners was two thousand six hundred and seventy-seven, fifty of whom were wounded. These were tenderly cared for, and with our own wounded, received every attention. Captain Wise was mortally wounded, but was defiant to the very last. He died on the next morning after the battle, expressing with his latest breath, his deep regret that he could not live longer to fight against the Union. The surrender to General Foster included all the defences and material of war on the island. General Parke, with the 4th Rhode Island and the 10th Connecticut, marched down to the Pork Point battery, found it abandoned, and at once occupied the work. The navy had engaged the attention of the garrison during the day by occasional firing. As soon as the central battery had fallen, the enemy had given up the contest, and sought only the means of escape.

The fruits of this splendid achievement, besides the prisoners captured, were "five forts, mounting thirty-two guns, winter quarters for some four thousand troops, three thousand stand of small arms, large hospital buildings, with a large amount of lumber, wheelbarrows, scows, pile drivers, a mud dredge, ladders, and various other appurtenances for military service."* The enemy had received a severe chastisement. Among the prisoners was a battalion of North Carolina Militia that had come over from Elizabeth City that morning to take part in the fight, but had been obliged to surrender without firing a gun. The names of the captured forts were changed, and received the names of the successful generals. Fort Bartow was called Fort Foster, Fort Blanchard received the name of Fort Parke,

* Burnside's Report.

and Fort Huger that of Fort Reno. Our losses amounted to forty-one killed and one hundred and eighty-one wounded. The enemy's loss was considerably less, as he fought behind defences.

Among our killed were several valuable officers. Captain Joseph J. Henry, of the 9th New Jersey, was a good officer、 and brave man, and fell gallantly fighting in front of the enemy. Second Lieutenants Stillman and John H. Goodwin, Jr., of the 10th Connecticut, were both steady and unflinching in the discharge of their duty, and willingly yielded their lives for its sake. The 10th Connecticut suffered a severe loss in the death of its Colonel, Charles L. Russell, who fell a short time before the final charge, while watching the progress of our men upon the left. Colonel Russell was a native of Northfield, Connecticut, and was thirty-three years of age at the time of his death. He left a wife and family of small children to mourn his death. He had long been associated with the militia of his native State, and had taken great interest in its welfare. Upon the breaking out of the war, he was commissioned as Adjutant in the 2d Connecticut regiment, and fought bravely at the battle of Bull Run. He was appointed Captain in the 8th, and afterwards to the command of the 10th, and marched with the latter to the seat of war in November, 1861. His regiment was distinguished for its soldierly bearing and discipline, and reflected great credit upon its brave and faithful commander. He died in the performance of his duty, and as a brave officer should, at the head of his troops. Lieutenant Colonel De Montiel remained, after his regiment had been ordered back to Fortress Monroe, and was permitted to join the Hawkins Zouaves as a volunteer. He was killed while charging with the regiment upon the enemy's battery. General Parke had offered him a position upon his staff for the day, but this he declined, preferring to take a rifle and fight by himself. He displayed conspicuous courage until picked off by one of the enemy's sharpshooters. General Burnside paid handsome tributes to the memory of these brave men in General Orders. In their honor,

the enemy's captured work in the centre of the island was called Battery Russell, and one of those taken on the eastern shore Battery Monteil. One of the victims of the battle, though not shot in action, was Dr. Meinis, of the 48th Pennsylvania regiment. He was detached from his own regiment, and appointed to accompany the 9th New Jersey, then going into action. He lost his life by disease brought on by his untiring devotion to the wounded during and after the action of the 8th, and ending fatally on the 10th. "To his forgetfulness of self," says the commanding general in an order issued at the time," which kept him at his post at the hospital, regardless of rest or sleep, the Department owes a debt of gratitude."

The casualties in the navy proper, during the engagement of the 7th, amounted to three killed and eleven wounded. One of the latter was a private of the 4th Rhode Island, who was serving temporarily on the Commodore Perry. In Midshipman Porter's battery, three men were killed, six wounded, and two were missing. They belonged to the Union Coast Guard and the 9th New Jersey infantry. On the 8th, the navy was engaged at intervals with the shore batteries, the Flag Officer governing his action according to the condition of things on shore. During the afternoon of the 8th, the barricade across Croatan Sound was removed sufficiently to allow a free access to our naval forces into the waters where the enemy's fleet had sought escape. Of this fleet, one vessel, the Curlew, had been disabled on the previous day, had been reduced to an almost sinking condition, had retreated under the guns of Fort Forrest, and was now set on fire and blown up to prevent her falling into our hands. The fort itself also shared her fate. Captain Lynch, with his seven remaining vessels, steamed away for Elizabeth City. Thither the Flag Officer directed Commander Rowan to proceed, and capture or destroy the enemy's vessels. A flotilla of fourteen vessels, mounting thirty-four guns, was placed under his command. With this force, Commander Rowan left the anchorage off Roanoke Island on the afternoon of the 9th, and making directly for the mouth of

the Pasquotank river, entered and steamed slowly up to a point about fourteen miles below Elizabeth City, where, at eight o'clock in the evening, the flotilla came to anchor. Ten miles above, was Cobb's Point, where the enemy had a four gun battery. Opposite to this was anchored a schooner-the Black Warrior-armed with two heavy guns. At daylight the next morning, the vesels moved up in order, the Underwriter in advance, and at half past eight o'clock, the enemy's fleet was descried drawn up in the rear of the batteries, in line of battle, "diagonally across and up the river."* As our vessels came within long range, the enemy commenced firing. Our own vessels did not reply, but continued silently and steadily to advance. When within three-fourths of a mile of the rebel fleet, Commander Rowan signalled "Dash at the enemy!" The order was enthusiastically received and eagerly obeyed. The vessels were at once put to the top of their speed, pressed up the river, ran past the batteries, and immediately engaged the enemy. The onset was daring and desperate. The fight was short and decisive. The Commodore Perry made for the enemy's flag ship, the Sea Bird, ran her down and sank her. The Ceres lay alongside the Ellis and captured her. The Underwriter and Shawsheen chased the Beaufort and another steamer up the river and canal, but could not overtake them. The Lockwood made for the Black Warrior, which the enemy soon deserted, first setting her on fire. The Shawsheen attacked the Fanny, which the enemy also set on fire and abandoned. The Forrest, which was lying near the wharf of the city, repairing injuries suffered in the fight at Roanoke, and a new gunboat not quite completed, were destroyed. The battery was deserted, and the guns captured. In fifteen minutes, the entire action was finished, and in half an hour, the fleet was

lying quietly at anchor off Elizabeth Ćity. The garrison and crews that escaped, in flying through the town, set it on fire in several places. In this engagement a notable incident took

* Commander Rowan's Report.