From The Greensborough Patriot
Feb. 20, 1862 – Pg. 3
From
the Wilmington
Journal, Feb. 12
From Roanoke Island.
This
morning we had the pleasure of meeting Lieut. Smith of Wise’s Legion, who has
kindly given us some details of the affair at Roanoke
Island. The most pleasing
part of his information is that the number of the killed on our side has been
greatly exaggerated. Some one or two
from nearly every company engaged, and nearly every one of our companies was
engaged, succeeded in making their escape, after the battle had closed. From them, Lt. Smith, obtained details of the
killed and wounded and from all he could learn he could not find that our loss
in killed could much, if at all exceed fifty.
The number of ounded would no doubt exceed that of the killed.
The
forces at the post, at the commencement of the fight or before its close were,
8th
N. C. Troops, Col. Shaw, 700
31
N. C. Troops, Col. Jordan, 600
1st
Reg., Wise Legion, Col.
Anderson, 500
2d
Reg., Wise Legion, Col.
Richardson, 300
Battalion,
Wise Legion, Col.
Green, 500
-----
2600
This
is not the full strength of any of the commands named, but many were sick and
had been sent off or were at Nag’s Head in Hospital. Some were in a battery on a flat near the
main land, three small companies were at Nag’s Head.
The
number that escaped, including the sick at Nag’s Head, might be incorrectly
stated about 450, or at the utmost, 500.
Of these, 250 or 300 retreated along the beach from Nag’s Head, on
Saturday night after having set fire to the buildings. Some got over in a boat to the main land;
nearly or quite all of those on the floating battery also got off to the main
land.
Of
the loss of the enemy, it is almost impossible to speak. They were mowed down in their attempt to
land, and most have suffered terribly.
Had we possessed a field battery or had proper breastworks been thrown
up, the result might have been different; or had we had sufficient force, or in
face had there not been grievous mismanagement somewhere. General Wise had remonstrated in vain with
Secretary of War. He had asked more
forces from General Huger, in whose immediate department he was placed. He had been refused in both cases, save that
Gen. Huger had finally consented to let him have the two artillery companies of
his Legion under the command of Col. Henninguen. Gen. Wise ordered the batteries to march down
the beach to Nag’s Head. This, Gen.
Huger countermanded, and told them to go to Elizabeth City,
where there was no transportation.
When
on Saturday morning a courier from General Wise, who had ridden all night,
reached Norfolk
he got only a rude answer from Gen. Huger.
“They’ve got plenty of men. Tell
them to stand to their guns, and d—mn ‘em
we’ll whip, ‘em,” or nearly those words.
Why
Commodore Lynch did not carry his boats to Norfolk,
through the Albemarle and Chesapeake
Canal, instead of running them up the Pasquotank River, is remarkable. He could have done so. On Saturday night a boat did leave Nag’s
Head, and did get to Norfolk
showing that the navigation was open.
The whole affair appears like a Tragedy of Errors.
