In a letter to his friend Henry Ansbacher in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Sergeant Louis Roth of the 20th New York Volunteer Infantry described the scenes around him at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Roth served as the regiment’s quartermaster sergeant.

The 20th New York had been recruited from New York City’s German immigrant community, and specifically from the Turners – the Turnverein gymnastic and political societies founded by German immigrants. The regiment took its nickname from them: the United Turner Rifles.

Roth had a hand in filling its ranks himself, appearing in a recruiting advertisement for the regiment in the summer of 1861.

His letter, published in the Luzerne Union, described a fight the 20th New York had joined on the North Carolina coast. The Battle of Hatteras Inlet, fought August 28 and 29, 1861, was a small engagement and an important one – a Union victory at a moment when the war had produced few, and the first joint Army-Navy amphibious operation of the conflict. The detachment of 500 men from the 20th New York were among the units carried south from Fort Monroe with a squadron of United States Navy vessels to attack Confederate fortifications on the Outer Banks. Forts Hatteras and Clark guarded the inlet against the Navy’s blockade, keeping open a channel for traffic moving in and out of Confederate ports.

“Now commenced the really grand spectacle,” Roth wrote as the Navy’s guns pounded the coastal batteries. “Shell after shell was thrown in the Fort, doing immense damage.”

Union troops went ashore, and the Confederate garrison surrendered. What followed was considerably less grand.

“This point is in fact nothing else but a sandy beach, without any water, no trees, and not a particle of wood or grass can be found there,” Roth wrote of conditions ashore. “We had not a tent, not a foot of lumber nor a camp kettle; in fact, nothing to make us any way a little comfortable.”

After a short stay in North Carolina, the 20th New York returned to Fort Monroe and awaited orders for the next coastal operation.

Back at the fort, a post Roth called “rather dull,” the German-born sergeant turned to a subject central to the German regiments of the Civil War: lager beer.

“We live here as well as circumstances allow – we have plenty of lager beer for five cents a glass, without which the German soldier cannot get along. The General commanding here tried very hard to deprive us of our national beverage, but this was soon found out would only make us a great deal more troublesome, while when we have our lager, our men do everything with a hearty will.”

From the Luzerne Union, September 25, 1861

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LETTER FROM THE ARMY.

CAMP HATTERAS, FORT MONROE, VA.,

September 15, 1861.

HENRY ANSBACHER, Esq., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Dear Friend: I promised you some time ago to write you from this seat of war, but up to within the last few weeks nothing had happened of any importance, where I was present. But on the 26th of last month, our regiment received orders to select 500 volunteers to go upon an expedition. 

Of course all wanted to participate, but the General would not allow more than 500 men to leave the camp. At noon we embarked on board the transport steamer Peabody and steamed to sea, not knowing the exact point to which we should go. 

I was detailed to take charge of the Quartermaster’s stores, which consisted of 10 days rations for 1,000 men. Besides our detachment, some 115 of the Union Coast Guard and 224 of the 9th N. Y. Volunteers were on board another steamer. After a few hours sailing we found that our destination was Hatteras Inlet, which we reached early the next morning. 

During the day the different men of war arrived, and on the 29th all ships took position in order to bombard the two forts erected by the rebels. In the afternoon the order was given to land our boys, but we succeeded in bringing but a small party on shore, in all 318. The breakers were running so high that all our boats swamped and bilged, so that it was impossible to effect a landing of the whole force. In the meanwhile the ships commenced firing on the forts, but without doing much damage to the enemy. Next morning they stood nearer to shore, and had then the right range.

Now commenced the really grand spectacle. 

Shell after shell was thrown in the Fort, doing immense damage; but still the rebels stood bravely on their ground. In the meanwhile the steamer Harriet Lane stood still nearer in for the shore and commenced to throw 11 inch shells in the fort, one of them penetrating through their powder magazine, which the rebels had considered bombproof. Inside of this magazine the greater part of their troops were sheltered, and fearing that if another shell would strike this structure, the whole concern would be blown to pieces and the whole garrison would be lost. 

A little before noon they hoisted a white flag. General Butler landed and they asked to be allowed to go home, leaving the arms of their privates behind, but the officers to be allowed to take their swords along. But General Butler could not submit to such an arrangement, and said the only way for them would be to surrender without any condition, except that they should be treated as prisoners of war, telling them at the same time that after a certain hour he would commence the bombardment again; and as already all the troops which were landed the day before had taken a position within thirty yards of the fort, the result of an attempted storming could not be very uncertain.

The rebels took another look at the immense number of guns on board the ships on one side, and on the rifles, with the terrible sword bayonets, on the other, and finally at their own miserable condition. Finding, also, that they had already lost a good many killed and wounded, and that their own men had already enough of this terrific fire, they surrendered. 

Immediately all the troops were landed and marched upon the walls of Fort Hatteras, the rebels marching out and on board the Minnesota. After all our troops were concentrated upon the wall, they presented arms. The glorious stars and stripes were again hoisted amidst a salute of 13 guns from the cannon of the captured fort. 

While we had not one of the whole force killed or wounded, the rebels said they had about 15 killed, but we know that they had carried off in the morning on two small steamers several dead and a number of wounded. Of the latter we found some 40, the greater part of which was carried to Annapolis, two remaining with us, which have since died. 

Altogether it was one of the greatest results, which was up to now attained by the Union forces, as the possession of this point cuts off all communication of the northern part of North Carolina, and of Norfolk, &c., with the Atlantic. But after this victory our miseries began. 

This point is in fact nothing else but a sandy beach, without any water, no trees, and not a particle of wood or grass can be found there. We had not a tent, not a foot of lumber nor a camp kettle; in fact, nothing to make us any way a little comfortable. Everything had to be first landed from the ships, which caused immense labor. We stayed there about two weeks, when the order came to return to Fort Monroe. The 9th N. Y. Volunteers now occupy the point, which will be held now during the war.

We were glad that we could go back again to our old quarters, and expect to stay here perhaps a few weeks, when we will probably be again sent to a point to make another attack. Our men are anxious to go forward, as camp life is rather dull. 

We live here as well as circumstances allow – we have plenty of lager beer for five cents a glass, without which the German soldier cannot get along. The General commanding here tried very hard to deprive us of our national beverage, but this was soon found out would only make us a great deal more troublesome, while when we have our lager, our men do everything with a hearty will.

Now, my dear friend, I close for this time. 

Whenever anything happens I will write you again. If you would be kind enough to send me now and then a newspaper from your place, I would be greatly obliged to you, as I have a great deal of time to read, but am mostly without any newspapers. 

I hope that you and your family are as well as you may desire. I remain your ever faithful Friend and servant,

LOUIS ROTH,

Quartermaster Sergeant, 20th Reg’t N. Y. S. V.,

Camp Hamilton, Fort Monroe, Va.

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Read the previous letter from the Letters from War: 1861 series.

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This is part of an ongoing series called “Letters from War: 1861” that will share correspondence written on the front lines during the turbulent first year of the Civil War.

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