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I was helped off the field to a negro cabin, and heard nothing from GeneralReno until about 9 o’clock, when he came to me with the information that hehad learned that reenforcements were coming from Norfolk ; and we agreed,under the circumstances, that it would be better to return to the gun-boats.The command moved at once through the mud and rain, reached the pointof debarkation about 4 o’clock the next morning, and returned to Roanoke Isl-and . My brigade had marched about 46 miles in a little less than 26 hours,besides taking part in a severe action. Our entire loss was 14 killed and100 wounded and missing. Among the former was Lieutenant Charles A.Gadsden, adjutant of the 9th New York , an Americanized Englishman, whohad been with his command less than a week. He fell most gallantly at thehead of the first company that came under fire, where he had no right to be.
Chaplain Thomas W. Conway, of the 9th New York , who with SurgeonGeorge H. Humphreys remained behind with the wounded, discovered that therebel infantry, which gave us such a warm reception, were concealed in abroad, deep drain which conformed to the edge of the wood, and was parallelto my line of attack. The lock the expedition was sent to destroy remainsto this day intact, and no iron-clad has ever passed through it, and for thebest of all reasons, that none was ever built for that purpose.
May 7th, Captain O. W. Parisen, with Company C, 9th New York , embarkedon the gun-boat Shawsheen, proceeded to Catharine’s Creek, which emptiesinto Chowan River, landed his command with a part of the gun-boat’s crew,marched about two miles back from the creek and destroyed a large store-house filled with $50,000 worth of commissary supplies for the rebel army.While returning to the gun-boat, Captain Parisen repelled an attack of rebelcavalry, which after one volley retreated, with the commanding officermortally wounded.
Immediately after the first occupation of the inland waters of North Caro-lina by the Union forces, great inconvenience had been experienced, and inseveral instances movements had been retarded, because the only way of com-munication with Washington was through the sometimes dangerous and alwaysunreliable channel of Hatteras Inlet. Knowing this, I had constantly urgedupon General Burnside the importance of opening connection with Norfolk through the Currituck Sound and Dismal Swamp Canal, and, as a preliminaryto such an undertaking, had commenced blowing up the obstructions placedby the enemy in the Currituck Canal. May 28th, I received permission fromGeneral Burnside to make an attempt to get to Fort Monroe through myproposed route, for the purpose of having an important conference withGeneral Wool. I embarked Company K of the 9th New York , with itsbattery of rifled naval boat-guns, on board the small side-wheel steamerPort Royal. All the canal obstructions not being removed, I decided to
some drafted militia under Colonel Ferebee, Me- York Marine Artillery (4 pieces); and the lossesComas ’s battery, and Gillette’s company of cavalry, were : killed, 13; wounded, 101 ; captured, 13,—The Confederate loss was 6 killed, 19 wounded, total, 127. General Jesse L. Reno says in his re-am! 3 prisoners. The Union forces were the 6th port that the object of his expedition was to conveyNew Hampshire, 21st Massachusetts , 9th and the idea that the entire Burnside expedition was89th New York , 51st Pennsylvania, and 1st New marching upon Norfolk.— Editors.
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