State

Union troopj entering Fort Moeon.— (“Helper's Weekly"» The Fall of Fori Macon Over 100 shot and shell from the I n ion hoiiibardiiienl fell willlin the fort. Millions of visitors have strolled through old Ft. Macon, on Boguc Banks across from Beaufort and Morc- Ihcad City. But not many of them know the details of the fort's fall to Union troops under command of General Burnside on Friday. April 25. 1X62. The following account was given by a correspondent for the New York Times, an eve-witness to the attack: Friday morning — a day whose evil Luxury nas teen m> sign. >lly reversed in the history of this campaign — dawned pleas¬ antly, hut a fresh brcc/c sprang up from the south at daybreak. At precisely 5:4t> o’clock a Parrot gun from Captain Morris’s Battery startled the town from its slum¬ bers. Its thunder shook the houses in Beau¬ fort to their foundations, and while the echoes of its shrill, bursting shell were still rolling along the opposite shores, eager gaz¬ ers, with half-finished toilets, filled the win¬ dows. or stood awe-struck upon the streets and balconies. Another and another fol¬ lowed in quick succession, and then came an earthquake shock from Flagler’s 10-inch mortars, which made the windows rattle and wcak-knee I mortals stand aghast’ Before the I smoke had cleared sufficiently to mark the spot from which this belching volcano had issued, puffs of white smoke rose from the right, and in advance of the rest. It was Lieutenant Prouty putting in the exclama¬ tion points to this new oration from his g- inch mortar battery. Thus opened the bom¬ bardment of Fort Macon. For twenty min¬ utes not a sign of life was to he seen upon the fort. Ihe xcntircl, suspended in his usual eyrie upon the flag-staff, had dropped from the cross-trees as if the halyards that ‘-«•Id him up had been shot away, and he disappeared no more to return. Still the firing continued. At last heads of moving ol'iccls were seen cautiously stealing in the direc¬ tion of the barbette guns on the lower THE STATE. March l. 1969 parapet, and in another moment Ihe fort gase out its first answering shot. Taking courage from this infantile effort, and find¬ ing they still lived, others crawled out from their coverts, and another gun was manned. I hey had alreaJy guessed at the location of the Parrot battery, and directed their fire upon it. but their practice at first was un¬ steady and faltering. I heir solid 32-pound shot generally struck short, throwing up clouds of sand, while at occasional shot passed over their heads, and went bowling in among the sand-hills half a mile beyond oik lines. A three weeks' practice had taught our boys to dodge these missiles with com¬ parative case. Many of the shells from the heavy mortar battery, during the first part of the firing, went over the fort, exploding on the beach at the eastward or in the water the same was true of the X-inch shells but it was rot long before they obtained the range, when Ibeir firing was made with greater precision. I ieutenant Flagler stood at the right of his battery, in a position so as to enable him to see the effect of each shell, and directed the adjustment of every fuse and the training of the guns. At eight o’clock the firing from the fort became very sharp and well sustained, one gun after another being manned, until apparently half a dozen were at work at once. The Parrot battery kept up a continuous discharge, their shells exploding over the parapets, and their solid bolls plowing up the works in all directions. When one of these shots stru.k the parapet', the tort, for an instant, would be enveloped in heavy clouds of black mould, which were thrown almost to the top of the flavs’aff. while fragments of brick, stone, and lum¬ ber. from the wooden covering of the ram¬ parts. filled the air. hiding the enemy’s gunners front view. jl was now apparent that the rebels were doing their utmost to dismount C aptain Mor¬ ris’s battery, whose open embrasures afforded the only visible point of attack. Lieutenant Flagler's battery being nearly in a direct line with the Parrot guns, the shots which were aimed at it would generally ricochet and expend their force near that beyond. Lieutenant Prouty. whose p*»sition was at the extreme right, near the south beach, continued his fire for a considerable time before attracting much attention from the enemy's guns. Later in the action he re¬ ceived a good share of the rebel shot in return for his well-directed fire. Up to V o'clock a.m. the fire front our batteries and from the fort was kept up with nearly equal spirit and determination, the advantages, if any. being on the side of the fort, which outnumbered us in guns. Ihe rebel gunners won much admiration from many sympathizing spectators in Beau¬ fort an»l Morehead for their daring and bravery. About '> o’clock a.m. the United States gun-boats came into position, one after the other, and opened fire, their shots enfilad¬ ing those from our batteries on the beach. I heir long-range guns sent their shot and •hell in some cases clear over the fort, which bur- 1 within half a mile of the town. Ihe majority of them, however, raked the cast an I west parapets with effect, and did great execution upon the south face of the tort. Added to the continuous fire from the mortar and Parrot batteries, they sent a per¬ fect Storm of exploding projectiles into the fort, and fur a lime the rebel gunners stood appalled. I hey fled from the lower para¬ pets and most exposed positions, taking shel¬ ter behind the breast-works or in the case¬ mates. While this timely contribution was being added to the common stock of Union arguments, our land batteries took a mo¬ ment's breathing spell, and prepared to re¬ new the firing with vigor. Ihe rough sea which prevailed outside, however, rendered all attempt at accurate range impossible, and after firing for about two hours they hauled off. During this time a large number of good shots were thrown at the shins. One of these, a 32-pounder, struck the United States gun-boat Daylight near the gangway, pass- (( Dm in tied on page 26) IS