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thousand small arms.
Among the prisoners are Col. Shaw, commander of the island, and O. Jennings Wise, commander of the Wise Legion.
The latter was mortally wounded, and has since died.
The whole work was finished on the afternoon of the eighth inst., after a hard day's fighting, by a brilliant charge in the centre of the island, and a rapid pursuit of the enemy to the north end of the island, resulting in the capture of the prisoners mentioned above.
We have had no time to count them, but the number is estimated at near three thousand.
Our men fought bravely, and have endured most manfully the hardships incident to fighting through swamps and dense thickets.
It is impossible to give the details of the engagement, or to mention meritorious officers and men, in the short time allowed for writing this report, the naval vessel carrying it starting immediately for Hampton Roads, and the reports of the Brigadier-Generals have not yet been handed in.
It is enough to say that the officers and men of both arms of the service have fought gallantly, and the plans agreed upon before leaving Hatteras were carried out.
I will be excused for saying in reference to the action, that I owe everything to Generals Foster, Reno and Parker, as more full details will show.
I am sorry to report the loss of about thirty-five killed, and about two hundred wounded, ten of them probably mortally.
Among the killed are Col. Russell, of the Tenth Connecticut regiment, and Lieut.-Col. Victor de Monteuil, of the D'Epineuil Zouaves; both of them fought most gallantly.
I regret exceedingly not being able to send a full report of the killed and wounded, but will send a despatch in a day or two with full returns.
I beg leave to enclose a copy of a general order issued by me on the ninth inst. I am most happy to say that I have just received a message from Commodore Goldsborough, stating that the expedition of the gunboats against Elizabeth City and the rebel fleet has been entirely successful.
He will, of course, send his returns to his department.
I have the honor to be, General, your obedient servant,
A. E. Burnside, Brig.-General Commanding Department of North-Carolina.
Report of Com. Goldsborough.
Roanoke Island is ours.
The military authorities struck to us yesterday.
Their means of defence were truly formidable, and they were used with a determination worthy of a better cause.
They consisted of two elaborately-constructed works, mounting together twenty-two heavy guns, three of them being one hundred pounders rifled.
Four other batteries, mounting together twenty guns, a large proportion of them being also of large calibre, and some of them rifled; eight steamers mounting two guns each, and each having a rifled gun with a diameter of a thirty-two pounder, a prolonged obstruction of smaller vessels and hills to thwart our advance, and altogether a body of men numbering scarcely less than five thousand, of whom three thousand are now our prisoners.
The fighting commenced on the morning of the seventh inst., at about eleven o'clock, and was continued till dark.
The following morning it was resumed at an early hour, and it lasted until well in the afternoon, when by a bold charge by our army the rebel flag was made to succumb, and our own was hoisted everywhere on the island in its place.
No attack could have been more completely executed, and it was carried out precisely in accordance with the arrangements made before the expedition left Cape Hatteras Inlet.
A detailed account of the operations of the naval branch of the expedition will be forwarded to the Department hereafter.
I beg to submit herewith a copy of a general order to be read on the quarter-deck of each vessel belonging to that branch of the expedition.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. M. Goldsborough, Flag-Officer Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. To the Hon. Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navy.
General order.
The following is the General Order:Your efforts of yesterday and the day before against the enemy, were alike worthy of your-selves and the sacred cause our glorious flag up-holds. I thank you for them, and congratulate you upon the results achieved. No commander-in-chief could have been more gallantly sustained, or could have desired a more gratifying display of coolness, skill and discipline. We have yet more work of the kind to accomplish, and will soon deliver another blow to crush the hydra of rebellion. From what I have already witnessed, I am sure that you will do it well.
Report of Col. Ferrero.
I beg to submit the following as the report of the Fifty-first regiment N. Y.V.:I received an order from Gen. Reno, on the morning of Saturday, the eighth of February, 1862, at about half-past 7 o'clock, to form line on the right of the Second brigade. The regiment started at about eight o'clock A. M., in the rear of the First brigade. After having marched a distance of about half a mile, we met three companies of the Twenty-first Massachusetts. I halted my column, and allowed them to take their position. Following them on the main road up the island, and marching a distance of about half a mile, I received an order from Gen. Reno's aid to force our way through a dense jungle in the direction of the fighting. On arriving near the rear of the Twenty-first Massachusetts, received an order to advance, and take position on their left. Finding the swamp almost impassable, owing to the dense growth of underbrush on the right of my line, I ordered four companies of the right
