Letter from Andrew J. Clark Regarding the Battle of Roanoke Island

This item is a letter written by Andrew Jackson Clark to the readers of the Hingham Journal during the Civil War.  Written in February of 1862, it describes Clark's participation in the Battle of Roanoke Island.

 It discusses his initial approach toward the island on a warship with the rest of his company, sneaking onto the island and traveling through mud and marshes to get to the Union soldiers' camp, and the difficult trek in reaching the confederate soldiers.  He and his company approached the confederate troops from behind, surprising them while they were fighting Union troops attacking from the front.

The confederate soldiers fled and ultimately surrendered the entire island.  Clark describes the battle, the severe injuries and deaths suffered by the companies, as well as the bravery of all the men who fought in the battle.  He ends the letter by discussing the need to supervise thousands of prisoners before they were "released on their parole of honor."

This version of the letter was reprinted in the Hingham Journal during the 50th anniversary of the Civil War.