On the afternoon of the 7th, the transports, with the land forces, were all brought safely through Roanoke Inlet, and clustered securely in rear of the bombarding fleet. General Burnside gave immediate orders for landing the forces, which was done at a small cove, known as Ashby’s Harbor. In less than an hour four thousand men were landed, and by eleven at night, the entire force, excepting one regiment, were on the island, and their bivouac-fires lighted up the shore and the woods for the distance of a mile. At nine o’clock on the morning of the 8th, a few shots were exchanged between the Federal gunboats and the battery, which ceased after fifteen minutes’ duration, and was not renewed during the day. The rebel gunboats had retreated, and all interest now centered in the movements of the land forces. From definite information received by General Burnside, the position of all the works on the island was clearly known, and his movements were based on this knowledge. The plan of attack consisted of a central attacking column, led by Brigadier-General Foster; a left flanking column to attack the right of the enemy’s work, under Brigadier-General Reno, and a right flank column to attack the left of the enemy’s position, under the command of Brigadier-General Parke. The approach to the enemy’s position was through a swampy wood, with a dense undergrowth, rendering it almost impenetrable. An ordinary cart-road leading through this wood from the shore to the fieldwork, a distance of about a mile, was the only mode of communication. The woods in front of the battery had been cut down a distance of three hundred yards, forming an open space to be played on by the rebel guns, about two hundred feet wide. The woods immediately in rear of the work were also cut down to permit the manœuvreing of their own forces. Their battery consisted of an earthwork with three faces covering the open space before, and the woods at each side of the open space, but with a general direction of fire to the front. The guns were mounted in embrasure, and consisted of a twenty-four-pounder brass Dahlgren howitzer, a long eighteen-pounder brass field-gun, and a twelve-pounder brass field piece. In front of the work was a ditch eight feet wide and about three feet deep, filled with water. The earthwork was about thirty-five yards wide, and was erected across the road. The ground in front of the work was a deep marsh, on which the trees which were felled still lay. The difficult nature of this ground was increased by the pits from which the turf and earth for the fieldwork had been taken. Branches were strewn over the front of the work, making it impossible to discover it from the wood in front.