D. H. Hill, Jr., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 4, North Carolina
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

The next morning the Federal fleet, using improved Paixhan, Dahlgren and columbiad guns, stood well out from shore and battered to pieces the forts and their guns. This they did in perfect safety, for, says Flag-Officer Barron,¹ of the Confederate navy, who arrived at Hatteras on the evening of the 28th and succeeded to the command, ‘not a shot from our battery reached them with the greatest elevation that we could get.’ So, adds Barron, ‘without the ability to damage our adversary, and just at this time the magazine being reported on fire . . . I ordered a white flag to be shown.’

‘The immediate results of this expedition,’ says General Hawkins,² ‘were the capture of 670 men, 1,000 stand of arms, 35 cannon and two strong forts; the possession of the best sea entrance to the inland waters of North Carolina, and the stoppage of a favorite channel through which many supplies had been carried for the use of the Confederate forces.’ Porter, in his Naval History, comments: ‘This was our first naval victory—indeed, our first victory of any kind, and great was the rejoicing thereat throughout the United States.’ The Federals at once occupied this commanding position and made it the basis of future operations against this coast.

With the exception of a skirmish at Chicamacomico this battle ended the offensive operations in 1861. After the capture of Hatteras the Twentieth Indiana regiment was moved up the beach to hold Chicamacomico, or Loggerhead inlet. On the 1st of October the Federal steamer Fanny ‘with a large supply of ammunition and stores’ left Hatteras for the Indiana camp, but Col. A. R. Wright, of the Third Georgia regiment, stationed on Roanoke island, in conjunction with Commander Lynch, of the ‘mosquito fleet,’ captured this vessel—