force the armed steam tug Fanny, needed to tow some of the surf boats that would be used for the landing. On August 26, the flotilla, less Susquehanna and Cumberland, departed Hampton Roads and moved down the coast to the vicinity of Cape Hatteras. On the way, they were joined by Cumberland. They swung around the Cape on 27 August and anchored near the inlet, in full view of the defenders there. Colonel William F. Martin of the 17th North Carolina Infantry, commanding at Forts Hatteras and Clark, knew that his 580 or so men would need help, so he called for reinforcements from Forts Ocracoke and Oregon. Unfortunately for him and his garrison, communication among the forts was slow, and the first reinforcements did not arrive until late the next day, when it was too late. Opposing forces Union Department of Virginia – MG. Benjamin F. Butler 9th New York Infantry Regiment – Col. Rush Hawkins (220 men) 20th New York Infantry Regiment – Col. Max Weber (500 men) 99th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment ("Union Coast Guard") – Cpt. William Nixon (100 men) Detachment, 2nd US Artillery Regiment – Lt. Frank H. Larned (60 men) Detachments of sailors and marines from the fleet Atlantic Blockading Squadron – Flag Officer Silas H. Stringham Confederate 17th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, – Col. William F. Martin Fort Hatteras Garrison – Col. Andrews Unspecified naval volunteers, including Flag Officer Samuel Barron Battle First day, to sunset Early on the morning of 28 August, , USS Wabash, and USS Cumberland began to bombard Fort Clark, while the lighter warships accompanied the transports to a point about to the east, where the troops began disembarking. Stringham kept his ships moving in a loop, with Wabash towing Cumberland. About 11:00 a.m., USS Susquehanna "made her number" and joined in. The ships would deliver their broadsides against the fort, move back out of range to reload, and then come back in to fire again. By remaining in motion, they did not let the artillerymen in the fort correct their aim between shots, and thereby negated much of the traditional advantage of shore-based guns over those on ships. This tactic had been used previously by the British and French at the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War, but this was the first time it was used by the US Navy. The return fire from Fort Clark