Fallenheroes

The Story of a Fallen Hero Austin Elisha Armstrong

Taken from William Clinton Armstrong's book "A Genealogical Record of The Descendants of Nathan Armstrong " pages 136-137

Austin Elisha Armstrong ,son of John Locke Armstrong of Johnsonburg,enlisted for three years in Company H,Ninth Regiment N.J. Volunteers.Of the whole Regiment he was the first man to volunteer and the second man to die.He was enrolled and mustered in on October 3,1861. His Regiment started from Camp Olden,Trenton,New Jersey and reached Washington on December 6th,its rolls showing 1,142 men.It was assigned to Burnside's expedition against Ronoke Island.The object of this expedition was to establish a blockade on the coast of North Carolina.It sailed on January 10th,1862 and entered Pamlico Sound on February 7th.The gunboats shelled the Confederate batteries and the troops landed and bivouacked for the night in a cornfield during a cold rainstorm. On Saturday,February 8th,an attack was made on the Confederate works. Five forts,thirty-three cannons and 2,800 prisoners were captured.
     A bullet hit Austin in the forehead.He did not think it was serious and tried to go on with his company,but the wound bled freely and his face,hands and breast were dripping with blood. He started for the rear,telling his companions that he would be back as soon as he got something to keep the blood out of his eyes.He reached the hospital tent,but fell dead as he entered the door.
     As the enemy held Virginia there was no communications with the Union Troops at Roanoke Island except by boat. The first news of this victory was obtained from Southern Newspapers.Copies of the Richmond Dispatch and teh Norfolk Day Book were passed through the lines and from them the North received its first information.It was not until February 16th, that the New York papers gave any details.
     Metioned in the Hearld of that date is the following: Wounded,Ninth,New Jersey Volunteers,August Armstrong,Sergeant,Company H, in head. His father tried to have the body brought home, but was unsuccessful because no one was allowed to go South without a passport authenticated by the Secretary of State and this it was impossible to obtain.Austin's body rests under the sand of that barren island. A funeral sermon was preached and a shaft of marble was erected as his cenotaph in the cemetery of the Yellow Frame Church.

Summary of the Battle Of Ganoal in which Austin Elisha Armstrong was killed.
Excerpt taken from the book "The CivilWar Battlefield Guide"by Frances Kennedy, Page 60

   "USN Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough,commander of the North Atlantic Blockading Sqaudaron,and US Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside led a major amphibious expedition out of Fort Monroe on January 2 that included 15,000 men on eighty transports with 26 warships and gunboats. Their objective was to secure eastern North Carolina by taking Roanake Island,New Bern,and Beaufort Harbor/Fort Macon.
    Roanoke Island the site of England's first attempt to settle North America,linked the outer banks to the North Carolina mainland and enabled the confederates to control access to both Pamlico Sound and Albemarle Sound.The defenses of Roanoke Island were concentrated on its west side.Four forts-Huger,Forrest,Blanchard,and Bartow-guarded the narrow Croatan Sound where sunken ships and pilings slowed attacking ships. A large earthwork on Suple's Hill controled the only north-south road.
    The Federals set out to capture the island with 19 warships,48 transports,and 13,000 troops,leaving the rest of the forces at Hatteras Inlet.The fleet bombarded Fort Bartow on Feb 7,staying out of range of the other two forts and skirmished with teh 7 vessels of CSN Flag Officer W.E. Lynch.Burnside landed 4,000 men that afternoon at Ashby's Harbor, 3 miles south of Fort Bartow and by midnight had 10,000 men ashore.The confederates guarding the shore retired to the Suple's Hill earthwork without opposing the Federals.In Burnside's attack the next morning US Brigadier General John G. Foster's brigade assualted teh works but were pinned down under heavy fire.Us Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno's brigade slogged thru the swamp on the Confederate's right and charged teh Fort.The Confederates abandoned the redoubt,retreated northup the causeway,and CS Colonel Henry M. Shaw and 2,500 troops surrendered.
    Only one week after they had began their expedition ,Goldsbourgh and Burnside had successfully invaded North Carolina,captured Roanoke Island and two towns on the coast ,sealed one of the state's primary canals, and destroyed the Mosquito Fleet.
    CS Brigadier General Henry A. Wise , who commanded the district from Norfolk to Roanoke Island had requested reinforcements of CS Major General Benjamin Huger,commanndeer of the the Department of Norfolk ,but received none.Wise later reported to an investigating committee:"I intend to accuse General Huger of nothing !nothing!,nothing!!!This was the disease which brought diaster at Roanoke Island."
       estimated casualties: 264 US 2,643 CS