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[91] wing, viz., A, G, D and I, to push forward toward the left, under command of Lieut.-Col. Potter. Said companies advanced and entered the fire on the left of the Twenty-first Massachusetts. During the engagement of the above companies in said position, the firing was very galling, but it was replied to with great vigor, by both men and officers. I ordered the companies of the left wing to push forward towards the right. Finding it impossible to engage the enemy on account of the Twenty-first Massachusetts regiment being in front, I ordered the men to lie down, in order to avoid the shower of bullets from our own troops as well as those from the enemy. The enemy, finding that they were outflanked, commenced to retreat, when the order was given by Gen. Reno to charge. The right wing charged under command of Lieut.-Col. Potter, while I led the left wing.

Having advanced a few paces in front of the Ninth New-Jersey and the Ninth New-York, I found their fire was directed into our ranks. I halted my men, and ordered the signal for cease firing to be sounded by my bugler, which was understood by all the troops in the vicinity. At that moment the cry came to charge, when all charged, my right wing arriving at the fort first. Capt. J. G. Wright, of company A, color company, arrived with his company, and planted the American flag upon the ramparts, in advance of any other regiment. It was the first American flag in the fort. Capt. Sims, of company G, and Capt. Johnson, of company I, took possession of the guns of the fort. I led the left wing down the main road, followed by the Ninth New-York, crossed the moat, and halted inside the fort. On arriving inside of the fort, Lieut. Springweller, of company K, brought me a wounded officer, who was a lieutenant in the Wise Legion, of Virginia, whom he found lying a short distance off.

After remaining at the fort about fifteen minutes, I rallied my men, formed line, and started up the main road in pursuit of the enemy. On arriving at the end of the island, I found that two boat-loads of the enemy had escaped, but one containing O. Jennings Wise, severely wounded, and four others, had been captured, and were in charge of the Ninth New-York. The four prisoners were transferred to my charge, and I left then in a house which was guarded by our troops. Ascertaining that Gen. Reno had advanced across the island to the left, I immediately followed, and arrived in time to receive an order from him to place a chain of sentinels to encircle the grounds and barracks of the captured enemy, which was executed, and remained upon duty until relieved by the Ninth New-Jersey. The men and officers under my command, behaved with a coolness that was really surprising for men who were under fire for the first time. On Sunday morning, the ninth inst., I received an order to detail a company to plant the American flag on one of the captured forts on the sea-shore.

Yours respectfully,

Edw. Ferrero, Col. Fifty-first Regiment N. Y.V.


Colonel Lee's report.

headquarters Twenty-Seventh Regt. Mass, Vols., Roanoke Island, February 12, 1862.
To His Excellency John A. Andrew:
dear sir: I am very sorry to be obliged to report the death of Capt, Hubbard of company I, which occurred this morning. I would recommend to fill the vacancy, First Lieut. Edward K. Wilcox; for First Lieutenant, C. Wesley Goodale, now Second Lieutenant; and for Second Lieutenant, Joseph W. Lawson. The list of killed and wounded, in the engagement February eighth, was, in my regiment, as follows:

Killed.--Corporal Geo. W. Hale; private Levi Clark, company F; private H. C. Bardwell, company G; private Wm. Hill, company B.

Wounded.--Gordon M. Sweet, company A; G. M. Whitney, company B; Bart O'Connel, Oscar M. Loomis, company C; Hiram Sheffield, Otto Stamm, George Duncan, company E; First Serg. Pliny Wood, company F; Isaac Hunt, company G; Charles L. Clark, company I; Martin Kelly, company C.

Company D was not in the battle, having been detailed to work the guns on board the propeller Ranger.

Several others were slightly wounded. I think all of the above will recover. C. L. Clark, company I, was shot in the neck, the ball passing completely through, just behind the windpipe, He was reported as dead, but is rapidly recovering. All of our officers and men behaved with the utmost coolness and bravery, and so with all of our regiments. Massachusetts may well be proud of the troops she has sent into the field.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Col. H. C. Lee, Commanding Twenty-seventh Regiment.


Colonel Kurtz's report.

headquarters Twenty-Third Massachusetts, Roanoke Island, February 12, 1862.
my dear General: You undoubtedly have already read the account of our trip down from Annapolis, our arrival at that worst of all places to get into — Hatteras Inlet — and now you will get an account of our passage up Pamlico Sound, in all the newspapers, and also of the movements of the whole body of troops after our arrival at this place, and therefore I propose to give you an account of my own regiment, and of the facts that I had ocular demonstration of during the engagement, and since. On the morning of Saturday, the eighth instant, after a bivouac upon the wet ground all night, during which there was a drenching rain, I received orders to take up the line of march, and follow the Massachusetts Twenty-fifth up to the locality where the enemy was supposed to be intrenched. After a march of about half an hour, we heard a few stray shots ahead of us; a few moments brought us in face of the enemy, which the Twenty-fifth had already engaged. My regiment, by order of Gen. Foster, (who accompanied the Twenty — fifth,) formed in column by division in rear of the Twenty-fifth.


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