364 



HATTERAS INLET. 



HATTERAS ISLAND. 



cargo of wheat, and arrived on the 9th of Oc- 

 tober. Having discharged her cargo and taken 

 in ballast, the captain sailed for New York on 

 the 16th of November. On the morning of the 

 19th, the ship then being in about lat. 40.6 N., 

 long. 9.52 W., a steamer was made out, bearing 

 for her, which was found to be an armed ves- 

 sel, and hoisted at the peak the flag of the Con- 

 federate States. When within hailing distance 

 a person on board hailed the ship, saying : 

 " Haul down your colors and heave the ship 

 to," the ensign of the United States being at 

 this time set at the peak. This order was com- 

 plied with, and the captain received the ordei', 

 " Lower yoar boat and come on board," which 

 he also complied with, taking the ship's papers 

 with him. After arriving on board the steam- 

 er he was introduced by the first lieutenant, 

 by name Fauntleroy, to Capt. Pegrim, com- 

 mander of the Confederate States steamer 

 Nashville, to whom he produced all the papers 

 of the ship for examination. Oapt. Pegrim 

 took the ship's papers, and then told the cap- 

 tain that he should hold him as a prisoner of 

 war by authority of the Confederate States. 

 Capt. Nelson soon returned to his ship, with 

 orders from the captain of the Nashville for all 

 the erew bo get their things ready as soon as 

 possible, and go on board the Nashville, as they 

 intended to destroy the Harvey Birch. They 

 were allowed an hour or an hour and a half for 

 this purpose, and got part out. The men from 

 the steamer took most of the provisions, with 

 the ship^ chronometer, barometer, and some 

 of the charts, permitting Capt. Nelson to retain 

 his own chronometer, but he lost $1,200 or 

 $1,400 of personal effects, books, charts, &c. 

 They then set fire to the ship fore and aft, ap- 

 parently in the deck-houses, and the vessel was 

 soon in flames from stem to stern. The three 

 masts were seen to go over the side, and the 

 hull was still burning when the steamer left 

 her. The Harvey Birch was a full-rigged ship 

 of 1,487 tons, American measurement. She 

 had a total of 29 souls on board. The men 

 were put in irons on board the steamer, (with 

 the exception of the captain and mate, who 

 were treated with great politeness,) and kept 

 as prisoners until the arrival of the vessel at 

 Southampton, when they were immediately 

 landed in the docks, and set at liberty with all 

 the personal effects belonging to them. 



HATTERAS INLET. From Cape Henry, 

 Va., which is the southern point at the en- 

 trance of Chesapeake Bay, low sand islands 

 and shoals lie between the shore of the main- 

 land and the Atlantic Ocean. These extend for 

 200 miles along the coast, forming between 

 themselves and the mainland the Currituck, 

 Albemarle, and Pamlico sounds, navigable 

 for vessels of light draft. The first practi- 

 cable ocean inlet is 135 miles south of Cape 

 Henry. It is a narrow and difficult entrance, 

 known as Hatteras Inlet, with seven feet of water 

 on the bar. A single vessel of light draft would 

 be sufficient for the closing of this channel. It 



was to this entrance that the military and naval 

 expedition under Gen. Butler and Com. String- 

 ham was destined. (See EXPEDITIONS.) 



HATTERx\S ISLAND. The occupation of 

 Hatteras Inlet was followed by some events of 

 interest. Hatteras Island, upon which the forts 

 are situated, extends in a northeastern direction, 

 13 miles to Cape Hatteras light-house, thence 

 north nearly 30 miles to Loggerhead Inlet, 

 making a total length of about 40 miles. Its 

 width varies from half a mile to two miles and 

 upwards in various parts. It has an irregular 

 sandy. surface, interspersed with marshes and 

 occasional spots covered with dwarf oak trees. 

 The population is about 500 in number, who 

 subsist by fishing, piloting, and similar pur- 

 suits. There are a few schools and a church 

 upon the island. 



Col. Hawkins, commander at Fort Hatteras, 

 having learned that a Confederate force had 

 taken possession of Roanoke Island, with the 

 intention of making it a permanent stronghold, 

 and also for the purpose of guarding an impor- 

 tant inlet at that point, so that their privateers 

 might have undisputed entrance, determined to 

 place a force in that vicinity for the double 

 purpose of protecting the loyal citizens and 

 watching the enemy and preventing him from 

 landing on the island, and also to prevent, if 

 possible, their privateers from entering the 

 channel which runs from the ocean at the junc- 

 tion of Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. On 

 the 29th of September the Twentieth Indiana 

 Regiment left on the small steamers or gunboats 

 Putnam and Ceres, and arrived at their desti- 

 nation on the same afternoon but on account 

 of the shallowness of the water, they could not 

 get nearer the shore than three miles. On the 

 next morning the regiment was landed by means 

 of small barges, but with only a few days' pro- 

 vision. Their camp equipage, intrenching tools, 

 and supply of provisions were to be brought up 

 the next day by the tug Fanny ; which did not 

 leave, however, until Tuesday, two days after, 

 and arrived early that afternoon. No sooner had 

 she come to anchor than three Confederate gun- 

 boats made their appearance and captured her 

 with all her stores, consisting of 60 barrels of 

 flour, 1,000 new overcoats, 9,000 pounds of beef, 

 and all the sutler's goods. Learning now the 

 true position of affairs, a Confederate expedi- 

 tion of between two and three thousand men 

 was fitted out to capture the Indiana regiment. 

 Their plan was to land part of this force above 

 and the remainder below the regiment. Thus 

 placed between the two forces it would be com- 

 pelled to surrender. This movement was at- 

 tempted on Friday morning the 4th of October. 

 A part of the force was landed above and the 

 steamers proceeded to land the remainder a few 

 miles below, but were detained so that a land- 

 ing was not effected until dark. Meantime Col. 

 Brown of the Indiana regiment, perceiving the 

 object of the enemy, commenced a retreat, with 

 a small loss of pickets, and passed the lower 

 force in the dark just after it had landed, and 



