OPERATIONS IN N. C. AND S. E. VA. [CHAP.XIII.

Army, notifying me that I had been appointed a brigadier-general in the Provisional Army and assigned to the command of the Department of North Carolina and the coast defenses of that State. Accordingly, on the 20th of August, I issued the necessary orders assuming the command.

On the 26th of August I received a telegram from General Huger, stating that a fleet had just sailed from Hampton Roads, supposed to be for the coast of North Carolina. I immediately telegraphed the information to Governor Clark, and requested that all the available troops them within reach be sent to Goldsborough. On the 28th a steamer arrived at Wilmington, and reported that a large fleet of the enemy were assembling at Hatteras Inlet the day previous. Orders were at once sent to the troops at Goldsborough to proceed with dispatch to New Berne, and on the morning of the 29th I set out for that town, where I arrived that afternoon. About 11 o'clock p. m. a steamer arrived, with the information that Fort Hatteras had surrendered to the enemy about 10 o'clock a. m. on that day after a bombardment of near two days by a large fleet of the enemy, and that the garrison, numbering 580, including Commodore Samuel Barron and Colonel J. A. J. Bradford, were made prisoners of war. The facts were made known to the Confederate and State Governments, and more troops asked for.

On the 30th of August steps were taken to complete Fort Lane, the site of another battery for the defense of the Neuse selected, and the point for blocking that river fixed upon. The forces then at New Berne were Campbell's regiment and Singeltary's battalion. A few days after Vance's regiment and Brem's battery arrived. The former was forwarded to Bogue Banks, and was followed in a few days by Campbell's regiment, upon a report of an intended attack upon Fort Macon by the enemy's fleet.

With Hatteras in the possession of the enemy it was readily perceived that our only hope for protection to the eastern counties would be to maintain the ascendancy upon the sounds and rivers. Hence I drew the attention of the War Department to the subject in a letter, dated the 4th of September, recommending the construction of a number of gunboats, to be placed upon Pamlico Sound, and requested that the subject should be brought to the notice of the President himself.

About this time I received information from General Huger of his having sent the Third Georgia Regiment, Colonel Wright commanding, to the assistance of Fort Hatteras, but upon their arrival at Roanoke Island, learning that the fort had fallen, they landed, and were engaged in putting the island in a state of defense. I requested that he would continue to occupy the island until I could send a force to relieve Colonel Wright's command.

About the 7th of September, Brigadier General J. R. Anderson arrived at New Berne, with instructions from the War Department to report to me, to take charge of the coast defenses of the State. He was accordingly placed on that duty.

After satisfying myself that the enemy contemplated no immediate move from Fort Hatteras, and that the reports of an intended attack upon Fort Macon were without foundation, I proceeded to and established my headquarters at Goldsborough, on the 13th of September. My first object was to organize the staff corps of the department, and the second to collect the necessary forces. This last had to be done by application to the Confederate and State Governments, as I had no authority to raise troops. My plan was to place a sufficient number of troops at the exposed points, to hold the enemy in check should he