On December 14, 1861, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant George W. Browne, commanding the bark USS Fernandina reported off Wilmington that on the previous night (13th) off Little River Inlet, that he had spotted a lot of fires on the beach. Forty of them were concentrated in one area and the others spread 1 to 2 miles apart farther along the coast.
Closing on the shore, he saw groups of men which caused him to believe this to be a Confederate encampment. He burned a prepartory signal but received no reply and opened fire on the beach with his starboard battery.
At this time he was just 700 yards off the beach in four fathoms of water. After firing three rounds from the starboard, he tacked and turned around and fired one round of shot and one of shell from the port battery.
By this time, the fires had been mostly extinguished, so he left the area. He now believed that the fires were signals for some vessel running the blockade.
Much confusion existed among Union forces as to whether Little River was in North or South Carolina. The North Carolina border is just a short way from the mouth of the Little River Inlet. Browne reported the site as being in North Carolina.
--Old B-Runner
No comments:
Post a Comment