September 2, 1861 — Important News from Coast of North Carolina

The Daily Exchange, Baltimore, MD

The Federal Fleet Attacking Two Sand Batteries — Their Capturing Six Hundred Prisoners, &c.

The steamer Louisiana, Capt. Cannon, from Old Point, arrived Sunday, A. M., and brings the following important advices from the Federal fleet, which sailed from Old Point on Monday last. The steamer Adelaide had returned from the fleet and proceeded to Annapolis on Saturday, having on board Major General Butler and fourteen wounded Confederate prisoners, bound to Washington. We understand that the entire fleet, consisting of five war vessels, surrounded and engaged two sand batteries on the beach, at the mouth of Hatteras Inlet, and after considerable firing on both sides, a shell from the frigate Minnesota, caused the explosion of the Confederates’ magazine, when the entire body, said to number six hundred, were forced to surrender, from loss of ammunition and no means of retreat. Included among those taken prisoners, was Com. Barron. They were all sent to New York.

The Federal loss is not reported, but the steamer Harriet Lane either grounded or sunk, and will, it is supposed, prove a total loss. Her guns were thrown overboard, but still she would not float. The fleet remained off Hatteras, and the Adelaide will immediately return with water for the squadron. The total number of men engaged in this expedition is said to be about 4,500. The sand batteries captured are in a perfectly barren shore, upwards of eighty miles from the nearest habitable part of North Carolina.

[From several gentlemen who came up in the Louisiana, we learn that the Confederates had but two or three guns. The statement that thirty guns were taken, is exaggerated. It should be observed that while the Federal despatch claims 730 prisoners, the official report of Commodore Stringham makes the number 615. Mr. Snowden Andrews, of Maryland, was not there. He is in command of a company of light artillery, and when last heard from was at Richmond. Instead of “forts” we have sand batteries; and while there is “nobody hurt” on the Federal side, we gather from the Government despatches that the bombardment was kept up the greater part of two days, when the magazine of the Confederates exploded. For once we have a pretty clear statement of numbers — 4,500 on the Federal side, without the fleet, and about 700 on the other. The Harriet Lane is lost, her guns being first thrown overboard.]

Still Another Account.

We have received a despatch from Louisville, purporting to come from Richmond, by way of the Nashville Union office, which gives the number of Confederates in the batteries at 300, and the Federal guns at 100.

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