FEBRUARY 8, 1862.-Battle of Roanoke Island, N. C. Report of Lieut. Charles W. Tillotson, Company B, Ninety-ninth New York Infantry (Union Coast Guard). CROATAN SOUND, OPPOSITE ROANOKE ISLAND, U. S. S. Southfield, February 10, 1862. SIR: I take this the first opportunity to report the condition of Company B. My company is in good spirits and conducted themselves nobly under fire. We were in the most exposed position, and suffered considerably. My loss is John McCoy and John Doyle, instantly killed; John Sadler wounded in both thighs, supposed mortally; Matthew Stanford wounded in right arm, William Jackson in the back, David Lloyd in the forehead, and Daniel Van Auken in the right hand. Several of my men lost their arins, but all but four replaced them with rebel rifles of the Enfield pattern. I am proud of my company, and I am sure you will be. Lieutenant Hughes conducted himself nobly, as did every man in the company. I will give you a description of the engagement as well as I can in my poor way: On the morn of the 7th our fleet of gun-boats got under way and attacked the batteries on Roanoke Island; the enemy returned our fire from the batteries and eight gun-boats with spirit and energy. At 12 o'clock the troops prepared to land, and we ran in with the launches to cover their landing. My company manned five of them, and I commanded the three forming the left wing; we cleared the beach with grape and shell; then landed our howitzers and protected the landing of the troops; we advanced the artillery about a mile the first night, and stood picket supported by the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts. The fleet kept up a continuous fire all day and drove the steamers from their positions twice, and they returned. The channel was filled up so that our boats could not close with them, yet we hurt them badly; also silenced all the guns in the battery, except two, the first day. It was a nasty, rainy night. At daybreak on the 8th we advanced upon the enemy, the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts the advance guard. The artillery followed, supported by 12,000 in the rear. The rebels fell back to their intrenchments, when they made a stand. The Twenty-fifth deployed. Our artillery took a position in the center on a line with the skirmishers, and kept it. Here I had my division on the right, while the left was partly under cover of trees. The enemy had a strong position, commanding the road, flanked on both sides of the swamp. Our army came and deployed right and left through the swamps, where they cut their way inch by inch. The fire was incessant on both sides from 9 a. m. until half-past 12, when the three companies of the Fiftyfirst New York and the Twenty-first Massachusetts charged on the left, and the Ninth New York in front. We followed close in on the Ninth with our artillery. The rebels then ran in every direction, followed close by us. They tried to rally and make a stand, but our troops made a charge again, and caused a perfect rout. We followed them to Weir's Point Battery, where they surrendered unconditionally the whole island. Lieutenant Hughes' was the first gun in the battery. We took 3,000 prisoners. There were about 8,000 rebels on the island, but they escaped in steamers and schooners. We also captured thirty-one guns in five batteries. Our gun-boats have gone over to Elizabeth City, and the army will follow in a day or two. Do not be surprised if Company B win laurels for themselves, and become an ornament to the regiment. It surely will, sir, if I can make it so. I am in hopes to join my regiment by the way of Norfolk in a short time. Please give my respects to all the officers. I hope to be with them again soon. I, very respectfully, remain, your obedient servant, CHARLES W. TILLOTSON, Lieutenant, Commanding Company B, Union Coast Guard. Colonel WARDROP. [9.] MARCH 8, 1862.-Naval engagement in Hampton Roads, Va. Report of Capt. William J. McIntire, Ninety-ninth New York Infantry (Union Coast Guard). FORTRESS MONROE, VA., March 18, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to report to you that with my company I was on board the U. S. frigate Congress in the fight with the iron-clad floating battery Merrimac or Virginia, on the 8th instant, off Newport News, Va. As you are aware, my company was detailed on the 13th of January last to make up the crew of the Congress, having that day paid off and discharged over 300 men; we remained on board practicing at the big guns until the 8th instant, at which time there was with me George L. Elder, second lieutenant, and eighty-seven enlisted men of my company; of the ship's officers and men, there were two hundred and seventy-odd. About 1.30 p. m. on the 8th day of March, 1862, the Merrimac opened fire upon us with her two bow guns, and as she passed up the James River gave a broadside from four guns, to which we replied with our starboard battery and stern guns, as long as they would reach. The Merrimac after going up the river, just beyond our range, turned toward the sloop of war Cumberland, lying some 800 yards above us; after firing many raking shots into her (the C.) she (the M.) ran into the C.; then drawing off a short distance the M. renewed fire, and ran again into the C., when the latter commenced sinking rapidly, and very soon fell over on her beam ends; during this time the Merrimac was occasionally sending a shot into us, and engag ing the shore battery, L Company, Fourth U. S. Artillery, which was actively firing upon her. Only our stern guns could be brought to bear on the M., and those endangering the C., we ceased firing; but before the Cumberland sank, the rebel steamers Jamestown, Yorktown, and a tug, which came in sight at the beginning of the action, had reached an effective position and were rapidly firing upon us, to which we gave an almost constant answer with our starboard guns. When the Merrimac was approaching the Cumberland, finding our ship would not swing to her cable, we let it slip, set sail, and ran her aground. The Merrimac, having sunk the Cumberland, was placed in a raking position toward us, about 100 yards from our stern, when she commenced a rapid and most destructive fire with shot and shell upon us, breaking the muzzle on one and dismounting the other of our stern guns; it was only then our commander, Capt. William Smith, ordered our flag to be lowered. The rebel steamers continuing to fire upon us, we hoisted a white flag to the peak, when in a few minutes the rebel tug Beaufort came alongside; an officer boarded us, ordered the men ashore; said he would take officers and burn the ship, and seemed unwilling to wait for the wounded to be taken out; but, thank God, our troops on shore kept up such a galling fire upon his vessel that he was forced to leave our decks and move his tug off in haste; when she left our side a short distance, notwithstanding our white flag, the Merrimac opened on us again with shot and shell, one shell bursting on our gun deck, killing five or seven, it is said, but so many dead were lying around that it was impossible to tell which number was correct. About the time the rebel officers left our deck, many of the men jumped overboard into the river, and some twenty-odd upon the Beaufort. The latter were the only prisoners taken. The ship's boats being lowered, we commenced active operations to get the wounded and men on shore, and our exertions were not lessened by a knowledge among the officers that the fire was increasing immediately over the powder magazine (and then we could only hope to delay the first progress by covering the hatches, which was done), yet it was in the dusk of the evening when the officers left, the wounded and all the men having been sent on shore. During the whole of this terrible engagement my men behaved with admirable bravery and coolness, and though the ship was on fire several times in different places during the action, and the dead and wounded were falling everywhere, yet all orders were promptly obeyed, and every one kept at his post. Among such general good behavior it would seem difficult in justice to the rest to especially notice any one of my company as most eminently active and useful, and yet the concurrent testimony of the ship's officers and my own observation was that Second Lieut. George L. Elder and Private John Reel displayed the coolest courage and greatest activity in fighting the ship, helping the wounded, and deserve to be particularly mentioned in this report. Previous to the approach of the Merrimac within rifle musket shot of us, Lieutenant Elder and myself were engaged in seeing that our men were at their posts, helping the wounded to the cockpit, passing water to extinguish the fire, and pulling on ropes to work the ship, whichever was most necessary. On the Merrimac nearing us, we carried muskets to the poop deck, and fired at her port holes. Being ordered from here on account of sharpshooters firing from the M., we descended to the captain's cabin, and while firing from there, a shot passed through the cabin, killing our sailing master, Mr. Moore, on the quarter deck, and the splinters it made knocked a marine down and myself, wounded him very badly on the face and head, and throwing Lieutenant Elder against the bulkhead. I escaped with but a slight scratch on my wrist, and a bruise on my breast. On reaching the shore, Lieutenant Elder and myself started to find our wounded men, whom we saw in hospitals of the different regiments in Camp Butler, receiving every attention from the surgeons of the army. During that night Corpl. Charles Tyman, who was badly wounded in the hip, died under the surgeon's knife; the next day at noon we buried him and Lieut. Joseph B. Smith and Quartermaster Leroy, of the U. S. Navy, with the honors of war, in the camp burial ground, all receiving their death wounds on the frigate Congress. The bodies of all killed, excepting those in this action, were probably burned that night in the ship, as her magazine exploded shortly after midnight. The next morning, finding the Monitor was fully a match for the Merrimac and was keeping her engaged two miles from us, I mauned two boats with twenty of my own men, and made a three hours' search, and found nothing worthy of a note. It now becomes my painful duty to add a list of the killed, missing, and wounded of my company.* All of which is respectfully submitted. Yours, obediently, WM. J. MCINTIRE, Captain Company D, Ninety-ninth Regiment New York Volunteers. Col. D. W. WARDROP, [9.] Union Coast Guard, 99th Regt. New York State Vols., *Nominal list (omitted) shows 9 killed, 15 wounded, and 7 missing. MARCH 9, 1862.-Skirmish at Sangster's Station, Va. Report of Lieut. Col. Bradley T. Johnson, First Maryland Infantry (Confederate). MARCH 12, 1862. GENERAL: On Sunday, March 9, by your order, I, with a detail from the First Maryland Regiment, relieved Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, of the Thirteenth Virginia, at outpost No. 2. Immediately upon reaching the post I began to place the men under my command upon the line theretofore established. I posted thirty-four men of Company I, Lieutenant Mitchell, at Mrs. Butler's house on the east of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad; forty-eight riflemen of Company F, Lieutenant Hough, at the post to the right of Ford's house and left of the railroad; twenty-eight riflemen of Companies A and B, Lieutenants Shellman and Costello, at the church on the hill to the left of Ford's house, and thirty-six men of Company H, Captain Murray, at the reserve. Having reported before to General Stenart, commanding outposts, the extreme weakness of the position in consequence of the inability of the sentinel on the right flank to see an approaching enemy, who would be masked by intervening hills until within fifty yards of the line of sentinels, which rendered the right flank liable at any time to be turned and the enemy to get in the rear of the reserve before being observed, I had obtained his permission to change the line to protect us from this danger as far as possible, which, however, would only be partial. I started to go to the outsentinel to select a position for a picket, when I met Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, who had just brought in his men from the church, who told me some cavalry vedettes had just passed, and informed him that they had been driven in from my front by the enemy, who was advancing in force. I instantly ordered the sentinels to be drawn in, and while doing so his flankers and line of skirmishers appeared within a short distance of where I then was. I then hastened to F Company, and ordered Lieutenant Hough to fall back to the road, behind Ford's house, leading to the railroad to protect my rear, sent by courier to Lieutenants Shellman and Costello to bring their men in, having before by courier ordered Captain Murray up to the rear of Ford's house, which order was not received by him, and I sent again, ordering him up. When I rode up on the hill toward the church a regiment in line of battle was advancing up the hollow from Sangster's Cross-Roads, a company of cavalry was charging on F Company, which was retiring in disorder across an open field in the direction I had ordered, and another company of cavalry was sweeping around the hill toward the church. Lieutenants Shellman and Costello brought their men down to the hollow behind Ford's house, where I united them with Captain Murray's, and being then informed that a large body of infantry were moving down the railroad between me and my first post, I moved rapidly in that direction, when the cavalry appeared directly between me and the road to the railroad. I gave them a volley, which drove them back, and gained the timber, and then by the road through it, got to Lieutenant Mitchell's post. Just below it was LieutenantColonel Walker, who had on leaving told me he would hold that position to keep open communication with our rear. I then deployed H Company as skirmishers along the line of the railroad to the right, in front of Lieutenant Mitchell's original post. He formed my men on the left of it, while Lieutenant-Colonel Walker held a position on the right. Here we remained for some time, until Lieutenant-Colonel Walker received orders from Colonel Hill to return to camp, which he did, and I fell back a few hundred yards to a bridge to prevent my being flanked from the Union Mills Ford road, where I remained until late in the afternoon. Then receiving General Steuart's order to return to Union Mills Ford and report to Colonel Robertson, I did so, burning the railroad bridge and reaching there about dark, and was ordered by him to hold that ford, which I did until 12 o'clock that night, when I was relieved by Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholls, of the Eighth Louisiana, and ordered to my regiment. I have lost thirteen men missing, some of whom I still hope to hear from. They are all of Company F, which being armed with rifles, without bayonets, made an ineffectual defense against a cavalry charge; four of them were killed or badly wounded and nine are still missing. Lieut. Joseph H. Stewart, of Company F, is also missing, and has been taken, I expect. When last seen he was fighting gallantly, having killed a trooper who was charging him. Private Nolan first shot a man who was riding at him, then with his clubbed rifle broke the forelegs of the horse of the next trooper, and was then cut down. The enemy's loss was certainly, I think, seven men killed or wounded besides losing several horses. There were two troops of cavalry and two regiments of infantry, one of which was deployed to the east and right of the railroad, while the other advanced in line of battle on Ford's house. In the face of this force I held my right post until ordered back, though then within 500 or 600 yards of him. BRADLEY T. JOHNSON, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Detachment First Maryland Regiment. General ARNOLD ELZEY, · [5.] Commanding Fourth Brigade, Army of the Potomac. MARCH 10-JUNE 22, 1862.-Operations in Northern Virginia. Journal of events in the commands of General Irvin McDowell, U. S. Army.* Monday, March 10, 1862.—The division headquarters left Arlington at about 8 o'clock and took up line of march. The forenoon was rainy. Arrived at camping ground about 6 o'clock, one mile and a half beyond Fairfax Court House, on Mrs. Cockerell's place. Nothing of importance transpired. Went to Centerville (General McD. and staff). Saw a very long and well-placed line of fortifications the enemy had thrown up and abandoned Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday, March 11, 1862.-Pitched the tents and arranged the office. General McClellan and staff, General McDowell and staff, General Porter and staff, Generals Barnard, Smith, Franklin, and Stoneman, &c., went to Centerville and Manassas, escorted by General Cooke's cavalry and Colonel Davies' cavalry. Found no enemy. They had evidently left in haste, leaving tents, clothing, the railroad, and other property. We came back over the battle-field of Bull Run; found the Stone Bridge broken. We went by Blackburn's or rather Mitchell's Ford; roads terrible. Colonel Davies' cavalry went ahead from Centerville, General Cooke having got on the wrong road and not coming up until we reached Manassas. Lieutenant Abbot and a party went up to Sudley Springs to see if the cavalry could get forage; found only * Kept in the office of the assistant adjutant-general at McDowell's headquarters, |