FEBRUARY 8, 1862.-- Battle of Roanoke Island, N. C.
No. 1. -- Reports of Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside,
U.S. Army, with congratulatory orders.

[Part 1 of 2]

HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Roanoke, February 14, 1862 .

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit a more detailed report of the events that have transpired in this command since my last dispatch to the General-in-Chief, on the 4th instant, from Hatteras Inlet, stating that I was about ready to move upon Roanoke Island with a portion of this command---of about twelve regiments and a half--the hasty dispatch of the 10th instant only giving the general result of the movement spoken of above.

The difficulty of watering, coaling, and provisioning our vessels in the midst of the gale, after they had crossed the swash, was scarcely less than that of getting our vessels into the sound, owing to the necessity of having to lighten every supply vessel over the bulkhead.

On the evening of the 4th instant I reported to Commodore Goldsborough my readiness to start on the following morning, and accordingly we weighed anchor (the naval fleet leading) at 7 o'clock on the morning of the 5th instant, and arrived without accident off Stumpy Point, some 6 miles from the entrance to Croatan Sound, at 5.30 p.m., when the signal to anchor was given. On the following morning (the 6th) we again weighed anchor at 6.30 a.m. , but could proceed no farther than to the entrance of the sound in consequence of a thick fog which had set in. The fleet of the enemy, anchored in line of battle, was discovered off Pork Point before the fog came on, which convinced us that the first battery was probably at that point. The remaining part of that day was used in consultation and arranging the vessels for a general movement on the following day. Five of my armed propellers were lightened of their troops to one company each, and were sent forward with the Picket to anchor in line of battle with the naval fleet, under the direction of Capt. S. F. Hazard, of the Navy. The remaining two propellers I ordered General Parke to anchor some half mile below, as a rear guard to the transport fleet, which consisted of armed and unarmed steamers and sailing vessels.

We weighed anchor early next morning and passed through the narrow channel at the entrance to Croatan Sound in single file, the head of the naval fleet arriving off Pork Point Battery at five minutes past 9 o'clock a.m. , when the first gun was fired. By 10.30 o'clock the action became general, the attack continuing in most gallant style until 6.30 p.m. One of the two propellers forming the rear guard, having on board three companies of troops, moved forward and joined Captain Hazard's division.

At 1 o'clock p.m., after ordering preparations to be made for landing, and sending a small boat with Lieutenant Andrews, of the Ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, and six of the Rhode Island Battalion, into Ashby's, to make soundings and examine the landings, I proceeded to the naval fleet, and after consulting with Commodore Goldsborough I determined to attempt a landing before night. After visiting my armed propellers and finding them doing good service, on my return to the troops' fleet I received Lieutenant Andrews' report, which satisfied me that the decision to land at Ashby's Harbor was correct. In leaving the landing Lieutenant Andrews and crew were fired upon by the enemy, wounding one of the crew, Charles Viall, of Company E, Fifth Rhode Island Battalion, in the jaw.

The reconnaissance of Lieutenant Andrews was such as reflects great credit upon him as an officer. I accordingly ordered General Foster, who was ready with his first detachment, to attempt a landing at some point in the harbor. I had before ordered General Reno, who was also ready with his first detachment, to halt until the naval-boat howitzers, under Midshipman Porter, could be brought up and placed in position. They were soon taken in tow by General Reno, and in a very few minutes General Foster's boat and his had reached the shore, and were soon after joined by the boats carrying the first detachment of General Parke's brigade. I had before ordered the Picket down to the mouth of the harbor to cover the landing of the troops, and Captain Rowan had also brought his flag-ship, the Delaware, under command of Captain Quackenbush, down for the same purpose.

The immediate point of landing at Ashby's Harbor in the original plan was Ashby's Landing, but on approaching it General Foster discovered an armed force in the woods in the rear of the landing, and very wisely directed his leading vessel to another point in the harbor, opposite Hammond 's house. This armed force was soon dispersed by a few shell from the Delaware and Picket. In less than twenty minutes from the time the boats reached the shore 4,000 of our men were passing over the marshes at a double-quick and forming in most perfect order on the dry land near the house; and I beg leave to say that I never witnessed a more beautiful sight than that presented by the approach of these vessels to the shore and the landing and forming of the troops. Each brigadier-general had a light-draught steamer, to which were attached some 20 surf-boats in a long line in the rear. Both steamers and boats were densely filled with soldiers, and each boat bearing the national flag.

As the steamers approached the shore at a rapid speed each surf-boat was "let go," and with their acquired velocity and by direction of the steersman reached the shore in line. Capt. Lewis Richmond, assistant adjutant-general, with Mr. W. H. French, one of my secretaries, landed with the Fourth Rhode Island, and Lieut. D. A. Pell, my aide-de-camp, with the Fifty-first New York, Colonel Ferrero. I then went on shore, where I met General Parke, and received from him his report of the disposition of the forces for the protection of the landing of the remainder of the division, which disposition I entirely approved of. Soon after I met General Reno, whom I left in command, General Foster having returned to his vessel to bring up his second detachment.

A position on land having thus been secured, I went on board the commodore's vessel to consult with him in reference to the work of the next day, leaving Captain Richmond, Lieutenant Pell, and Mr. French on shore. The battery at Pork Point was very formidable, and had not been entirely silenced; but when I informed him that the entire force would probably be landed that night, and that we proposed to adhere to the original plan of making an advance early in the morning upon the inland fort in the center of the island, taking it, if possible, and proceeding rapidly up the main road, thus getting in the rear of all the shore batteries, he remarked that it would be dangerous to ourselves for him to renew his attack on the next morning, as his people might fire into our own troops, and I left him with the understanding that the attack would not be renewed without a signal from me.

By 12 o'clock that night the entire division (except the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts, Colonel Stevenson, detained below by the grounding of the steamer), together with Porter's battery of Dahlgren howitzers, had been landed. During the night a careful reconnaissance was made by my three brigade generals and their troops most judiciously posted, the leading regiment, the Twenty-first Massachusetts, Lieutenant-Colonel Maggi, occupying a position at the forks of the road above Hammond's house.

Early the next morning, in pursuance of the plan of action, General Foster ordered an advance. I arrived on the ground after the first three regiments of the brigade had filed through the woods, the other regiments being in line ready to move forward as room was made for them. General Reno's and Parke's brigades were also in readiness for a forward movement.

On reaching a point some mile and a half by the road from Hammond's house, General Foster came upon the battery across the road which, from information received, we had been led to suppose was there, and immediately commenced the disposition of his forces for his attack; and I here beg leave to say that I must refer you almost entirely to the reports of my brigadier-generals for an accurate knowledge of their movements during the day, as the face of the island precluded the possibility of any general oversight of operations on the field. The road from the opening in front of Hammond 's house to the battery, some mile and a half, was very narrow and winding, leading through a deep marsh, covered with small pines and thick undergrowth, presenting the appearance of being impenetrable. The battery is not visible until a point some 600 yards from it is reached, when the road takes a turn to the left, and the timber in front is cleared away, that the guns may have full sweep. For more accurate information I beg leave to refer you to the accompanying map of the road.

Soon after the attack was commenced I ordered General Parke to place a regiment in the woods to the north of Hammond's house and extending up to the main road, to prevent the possibility of the enemy's turning our left. The Eighth Connecticut, Colonel Harland, was detailed for this service. The Fifth Rhode Island Battalion, Major Wright, had been ordered to occupy Ashby's house. I then ordered Captain D'Wolf, with a boats crew kindly loaned me by the Delaware, which way lying off the shore, to move down and land, and carefully reconnoiter the ground south and east of Ashby's, thus ascertaining that there was no force in the rear or on our right flank. Soon after this the firing indicated that General Foster was very warmly engaged with the enemy. General Reno's brigade was forcing its way up to his relief and General Parke's brigade was ready to follow. I had ordered General Parke to have the Ninth New York, Colonel Hawkins, land their Dahlgren howitzers from their floating battery on the shore, but as the marshy ground would have made it a half-day's work, I countermanded the order, which was most fortunate, as the regiment moved forward in time to take a most important part in the action.

General Foster commenced the attack by putting six Dahlgren howitzers in position in front of the enemy's battery, supporting it with the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, Colonel Upton. This regiment was supported by the Twenty-third Massachusetts, Colonel Kurtz, also in line. After the Tenth Connecticut, Colonel Russell, came up, General Foster ordered the Twenty-third Massachusetts and Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, Colonel Lee, to pass into the swamp on the right, for the purpose of getting on the left flank of the enemy. Soon after this the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts exhausted its ammunition, and the Tenth Connecticut advanced to its position. All these movements were performed by the regiments under lead of their respective commanders with the most commendable efficiency. The skill with which the Dahlgren howitzers were handled by Midshipman Benjamin Porter and Acting Master J. B. Hammond is deserving the highest praise, and I take great pleasure in recommending them to the favorable notice of the Navy Department. At this time the number of wounded arriving on litters indicated that the engagement was serious, and two hospitals were established by my brigade surgeon, Dr. W. H. Church, one at Hammond's house and the other at Ashby's, where the wounded were well cared for.

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