Daniel Ammen, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.2, The Atlantic Coast
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[183] obtainable, which was only twenty rounds per gun, and had entered Albemarle Sound for the purpose of destroying the seven Confederate war vessels that had escaped after the fall of Roanoke Island. His pennant was on board the Dela ware, Commander Quackenbush, and was followed by the Louisiana, Hetzel, Underwriter, Commodore Perry, Valley City, Morse, Seymour, Whitehead, Lockwood, Ceres, Shawsheen, Brincker, and Putnam.

As this force passed into the sound the smoke of the two Confederate steamers was seen on the further shore, apparently heading for the Pasquotank River. Signal was made to chase, and the course changed to cut them off if possible, but without success. The flotilla steamed up the Pasquotank to within ten miles of Fort Cobb, where it anchored at 8 P. M.

The officers commanding vessels were assembled on board of the flag-ship and informed by Commander Rowan that the vessels of the enemy would be found either drawn up behind the Cobb Point battery, or they had escaped through the canal to Norfolk. ‘Calling their attention to the fact that there were only twenty rounds of ammunition per gun, the vessels would be organized for a reconnaissance in force, to be converted into an attack if it was deemed prudent. No firing would be admissible until the order was given, and in order further to economize ammunition, each vessel as she approached the enemy should run him down and engage hand-to-hand. With this understanding these noble spirits returned to their respective ships to await the events of the morrow.’¹

At daylight of the 10th, the flotilla weighed anchor and formed in the order prescribed, the Underwriter, Perry,