EARLY COAST OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
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wounded. The loss to the enemy was 9 forts, mounting 41 heavy guns, over2 miles of intrenchments, with 19 field-pieces in position, 6 32-poundersnot mounted, over 300 prisoners, more than 1000 stand of small arms, tentsand barracks for 10,000 troops, a large amount of army supplies and navalstores, and the control of the second commercial city in the State of NorthCarolina . The enemy’s loss in killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing wasabout 578. This complete success, coming so soon after that of RoanokeIsland , created an esprit de corps among the troops of the “ Coast Division ”which they maintained to the end of their army career. \
\ The Confederate forces in this engagementwere all North Carolinians , and were commandedby General L. O’B. Branch, who gives in his officialreport this account of the battle :
“The defensive works were located and constructed"before I assumed command. The troops under my com-mand had performed a large amount of work, but itwas mainly on the river defenses, which were not as-sailed by the enemy. They had been originally plannedfor a force much larger than any ever placed at raydisposal, and I was for six weeks engaged in makingthe necessary changes to contract them, but the failureof all my efforts to obtain implements and tools withwhich the troops could carry on the work prevented mefrom making satisfactory progress. I had circulatedhandbills over the State, calling on the citizens gener-ally to assist me, and received from two comities asmall party of free negroes without implements. Ithen inserted in the newspaper an advertisement call-ing on the slave-owners to hire their slaves, with im-plements, for a few days, and I got but a single negro.During all this time I continued the troops at work, andwhen the enemy came into the river, five hundred perday were being detailed to construct breastworks, with
less than half that number of worn and broken shovelsand axes, without picks or grubbing-hoes. If the fateof New Berne shall prevent a similar supineness on thepart of citizens, and especially slave-owners, elsewhere,it will be fortunate for the country. ... At about 7:30o’clock, Friday morning, the fire opened along the linefrom the railroad to the river. I soon received a mes-sage from Colonel Lee [commanding the Confederateleft wing] that the enemy were attempting to turn ourleft. This proved to be a feint, as I replied to him thatI thought it would. The next incident of the battlewas the appearanee of the enemy’s skirmishers in front ofVance [26th N. C. ], and consequently on the prolongationof the line held by the militia. It was to drive the enemyfrom that position that I had directed the 24-pound bat-tery to be placed there, and supposing it was ready forservice, I sent Captain Rodman, with his company, toman it, but they found the guns not mounted, and wereordered into position to act as infantry. The skirmish-ers of the enemy, finding themselves on the flank of themilitia, fired at them a few shots from their flank files,which cansed a portion of them to flee in great disorder.I instantly ordered Colonel Avery [33d Regiment] tosend five companies to dislodge them. He sent them in-stantly, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hoke; but beforeColonel Hoke had fully got into position,though he moved with the greatestpromptness and celerity, I received amessage from Colonel Clark, of the mi-litia, informing me that the enemy werein line of battle in great force on hisright. I instantly ordered up the re-maining five companies of ColonelAvery’s regiment, and the whole tenopened a terrific fire from their En-field rifles. The whole militia, how-ever, had now abandoned their posi-tions, and the utmost exertions of myselfand my staff could not rally them.Colonel Sinclair’s regiment [35th] veryquickly followed their example, retreat-ing in the utmost disorder. This laidopen Haywood’s right [7th], and a largeportion of the breastwork was left va-cant. I had not a man with whom toreoccupy it, and the enemy soon pouredin a column along the railroad andthrough a portion of the cut-downground in front, which marched up be-hind the breastwork to attack what re-mained of Campbell’s command [7th].The brave 7 th met them with the bay-onet, and drove them headlong overthe parapet, inflicting heavy loss uponthem as they fled; but soon returningwith heavy reenforcements, not less thanfive or six regiments, the 7tli was obligedto yield, falling back slowly and in or-der. Seeing the enemy behind the breast-work, without a' single man to place inthe gap through which he was entering,and finding the day lost, my next carewas to secure the retreat.”
Otl^Y *
A Battery of two 2 4 Pounders not finished in time.
L JjatJiam's Battery. B Brems Battery. H Hardings Battery.