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Lieutenant-Colonel Clark, charged through an opening and captured a brick-kiln within the enemy’s line. The other regiments of the brigade were nowbrought into line on the left of the 21st Massachusetts , with the 51st Pennsyl-vania in reserve, supporting the extreme left of the line. On this part of thefield the action lasted for about three and a half hours, when the regimentsengaged had expended nearly all their ammunition. At that time the rightwing of the 51st Pennsylvania, under Lieutenant-Colonel T. S. Bell, wasordered to relieve the 51st New York, which had suffered severely, to pass
in front of it, deliver one volley, and thencharge the enemy’s works. This order wasgallantly executed. At the same time theother wing of the 51st Pennsylvania andthe 9th New Jersey charged the intrench-ments, and the enemy fled from their entireleft, leaving fifty prisoners. Just thenGeneral Reno discovered the Stars andStripes waving from the works far off tohis right.
Lieutenant-Colonel Clark, after captur-ing the brick-kiln, moved along the insideof the works toward the right, came upona light battery of sixteen pieces which hecaptured, but was driven back by an over-whelming force of infantry.
General Parke’s brigade, consisting ofthe 4th and 5th Rhode Island and the8th and 11th Connecticut regiments, w r asassigned to the center in supporting distance of either end of the line, butthis command was destined to play a more important part than merelysupporting the troops. Soon after getting under fire Colonel Rodman, withthe 4th Rhode Island , offered to charge through an opening left in the in-trenchments for the railroad to pass through. The offer was accepted, andthe 8th Connecticut and the 5th Rhode Island were ordered to his support.Passing the rifle-pits, he entered the rear of the intrenchments, moving towardthe right, capturing nine brass guns and driving the enemy from his intrenchedposition between the railroad and the river. Simultaneously with the move-ment of Colonel Rodman, General Foster made a charge along his whole front,when the enemy retreated. During the greater part of the action the gun-boatscooperated by shelling the woods in the rear of the works. Rodman’ssoldierly movement was the culminating point of the day, and ended a battlemost creditable for all the Union troops and the officers who commandedthem. Immediately after the close of the action, New Berne was occupied.
When the strength of the position is taken into consideration, the fatigueof the Union forces, and the great difficulties they had to encounter in mak-ing an infantry attack against a strong intrenched position, it is astonishingthat they came out of the action with a loss of only 90 killed and 380
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