Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/49

Rh soon fell into Federal hands, and all eastern North Carolina above Bogue inlet went with these fortified points.

Nothing more strongly marks North Carolina’s subordination of her own interests to the welfare of her country than that her authorities consented at this crisis in her history, when her sons were being captured by regiments and her territory subjugated by the square mile, to the retention in Virginia of so large a number of her troops.

The disasters to the State began in February of 1862; for, commencing in October, 1861, another combined army and naval expedition, similar to the one commanded by General Butler but on a much larger scale, had been prepared in New York and other seaports. The object of this expedition was to seize the coasts of North Carolina above Hatteras, &quot;and penetrate into the interior, thereby threatening the lines of transportation in the rear of the main army, then concentrating in Virginia, and holding possession of the inland waters on the Atlantic coast.&quot; The vessels of this expedition were of light draught, to ascend the sounds and rivers, were well armed, mounting in all 61 guns, and were attended by naval convoys. Including the transports, on which were loaded about 15,000 selected troops, the fleet numbered over 80 vessels, perhaps the largest aggregation of warlike vessels seen up to that time on the western continent. The number was so large that when the ships reached their destination and crowded the harbor, General Burnside says, We were ready to wish that the fleet were not so large.&quot; In command of the land forces, General Burnside was assisted by Generals Reno, Foster and Parke. Admiral Goldsborough, with Commodore Rowan as second, commanded the naval forces. This fleet sailed from Fortress Monroe on the nth of January, 1862, but, owing to having to widen the chan- —