marched to the scene of action after the battle was closed. The committee do not think there was any intentional delay in the landing of the commands of Colonel Green and Major Fry. The former (Colonel Green) exhibited great anxiety to get into the fight when he did land, and acted with great gallantry in the skirmish he did have with the enemy in the vicinity of the camp-the whole under the command of Brigadier-General Wise, who, upon February 7 and 8, was at Nag's Head, 4 miles distant from the island, confined to a sick bed, and entirely disabled from participating in the action in person. The immediate command, therefore, devolved upon Colonel H. M. Shaw, the senior officer present.

On February 6 it was discovered by the companies on picket duty on the south end of the island that the enemy's fleet was in Pamlico Sound, south of Roanoke Island, and apparently intending to attack the forces upon the island. Colonel Shaw immediately communicated the fact to Brigadier-General Wise, and issued orders for the disposition of his troops preparatory to an engagement. The points at which it was supposed the enemy would attempt to land troops were Ashby's and Pugh's Landings. Ashby's is situated on the west side of the island, about 2 miles south of Fort Bartow; and Pugh's on the same side, about 2 miles south of Ashby's.

On the night of the 6th, or early in the morning of the 7th, a detachment with one piece of artillery, was sent to Pugh's Landing, and one with two pieces of artillery was sent to Ashby's,and the remainder of the forces were stationed in the immediate vicinity of Ashby's.

On the morning of the 7th the enemy's fleet passed by both of the landing and proceeded toward Fort Bartow, and the detachment of infantry stationed at Pugh's immediately fell back to the vicinity of Ashby's Landing and joined the detachments there, all under command of Colonel J. V. Jordan.

In the sound, between Roanoke Island and the main-land, upon the Tyrrel side, Commodore Lynch, with his squadron of seven vessels, had taken position, and at 11 o'clock the enemy's fleet, consisting of about thirty gunboats and schooners, advanced in two divisions, the rear one having the schooners and transports in tow. The advance and attacking divisions again subdivided, one assailing the squadron and the other firing upon the fort with 9-inch, 10-inch, and 11-inch shell, spherical case, a few round shot, and every variety of rifled projectiles. The fort replied with but four guns (which were all that could be brought to bear), and after striking the foremost vessel several times the fleet fell back so as to mask one of the guns of the fort, leaving but three to reply to the fire of the whole fleet. The bombardment was continued through the day, and the enemy retired at dark. The squadron under the command of Commodore Lynch sustained their position most gallantly, and only retired after exhausting all their ammunition and having lost the steamer Curlew and the Forrest disabled. Fort Bartow sustained considerable damage from the fire of the day, but the injuries were partially repaired by the next morning and the fort put in a state of defense.

About 3.30 o'clock on the morning of the 7th the enemy sent off from his transports about 25 men in a launch, apparently to take soundings, who were fired upon and retreated; whereupon two large steamers, having in tow each thirty boats filled with troops, approached the island, under the protection of their gunboats, at a point north of Ashby's Landing, known as Hammond's,and did effect a landing. The point selected was out of the reach of the field pieces