Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/35

Rh little squadron under Lynch did its part well, inasmuch as it kept Goldsborough's fleet at bay. The bombardment of Fort Bartow by his fleet did almost no damage. Roanoke island in point of fact was taken by Burnside's army. A dashing naval officer would have run by our batteries and vessels, taken Roanoke island in reverse, and captured both the island and our fleet. Goldsborough had force enough for such an achievement.

Elizabeth City, where Commodore Lynch's vessels were now assembled, is on the Pasquotank river, twelve miles from its mouth. The river here is very narrow; and on the right bank, two or three miles below the town, was a battery of four 3 2 -pounder smooth-bore guns. The fort, as it was called, was a badly-constructed affair, and the magazine opened on the river. General Henningsen was here with one or more batteries of light artillery, and after the arrival of Lynch, the militia was called out, and a company was sent to the fort. It appearing that the Dismal Swamp canal was out of order, and vessels could not pass through, Commodore Lynch sent Captain Hunter by land to Norfolk for ammunition and men to repair the canal.

On the evening of the 8th, the commodore, with the Seabird and Raleigh, started to return to Roanoke island; but meeting with a superior force, the Seabird returned to Elizabeth City, while the Raleigh, cut off, made her escape to Norfolk. On the evening of the 9th the United States squadron, consisting of the Delaware, Louisiana, Hetzel, Underwriter, Commodore Perry, Valley City, Morse, Seymour, Whitehead, Lockwood, Ceres, Shawsheen, Brinckner and Putnam, the whole under the command of Commodore Rowan, anchored at the mouth of the Pasquotank. To meet this attack Commodore Lynch had but the Seabird, Ellis, Appomattox, Beaufort and Fanny, with the schooner Black Warrior and the fort.

Early on the morning of the 10th, the enemy got under way, and Commodore Lynch formed his five vessels