USA > Massachusetts > Record of the service of the Forty-fourth Massachusetts volunteer militia in North Carolina, August 1862 to May 1863 > Part 12
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Island Artillery, with sections of Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth New York Independent Batteries, numbering in all about ten thousand infantry, forty guns and six hundred and forty cavalry, and all under the personal command of Major-General J. G. Foster.
Our previous expedition had inspired us with absolute confi- dence in the skill and resource of our commander, and we were ready to be led wherever he chose, confident that with him suc- cess was certain.
We beguiled the tedium of our various halts with stories of our last expedition and conjectures on what the Rebs might have in store for us. Proverbially light-hearted as the soldier fortunately is, we joked each other on this or that peculiarity of outfit which our late experiences had taught us was useful; but indeed we were carrying much more than before, for fifty rounds of cart- ridges, instead of forty, had been served out to each man, besides his woollen blanket, overcoat, and well-filled knapsack.
At last, by 2 P. M., our part of the line was fairly started, and we kept on without noticeable incident till about 7 P. M., when we halted for the night. Being towards the rear of the column, the camp-fires of the troops in advance of us were blazing in all direc- tions as we turned into the cornfield where we were to bivouac. Place yourself in one of our public squares at night and see the long lines of gaslights radiating in half a dozen directions; then imagine each light a camp-fire, each street a regimental or brigade line rising and falling with the undulations of the ground, horses neighing, men shouting, the great white-topped wagons of the supply-train drawn up in line, the flames here shooting high and there turned to glowing embers, and for a background the dark night with the sentinel pacing to and fro, and you have a wild and inspiring scene, such as greeted us; but we soon fell into our proper position, and ourselves became part of the scene, eager to put an end to our cold and hunger. The middle of the day and early afternoon had been very hot, so oppressive that many nearly fainted; but at dark it grew cold, and water froze in our canteens during the night. Camp-fires, however, made us comfortable ; and with our feet to the fire and plenty of fence-rails both for bed and fuel, we slept soundly till early reveille.
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GOLDSBORO' EXPEDITION.
On Friday the column started by sunrise, but it was not till about half-past nine that our regiment moved out from the field. Our march was a hard one. The roads were muddy, and as the column will always open out at a mud-hole, so when it comes to good travelling again, the lost ground must be regained; thus we had a succession of halts and double-quick, with mud and water between. Our strong pioneer force did capital service this day in clearing the road of the felled trees with which the Rebels had sought to delay our progress. Much of our way also was through deep sand; and indeed we had specimens of the several compo- nent parts of the foundations of the State; namely, sand, clay, and water.
We halted for dinner about one P. M., but before we could get our fires ready to boil our coffee the order came, " Fall in, Forty- fourth, lively!" and we were hurried off two or three miles on the double-quick. Early in the afternoon our adjutant told us we were within five miles of Kinston, and should march but a short distance farther that night, - tantalizing information indeed it proved to be; for it was not until ten o'clock that we bivouacked for the night, and then we had neither seen nor heard anything of Kinston.
All this was better understood a few days later, when we learned that the enemy had felled trees, planted cannon, dug rifle-pits, and in various ways had prepared to meet us and drive us back on the main road ; while our ever-ready General Foster had learned of their plans, and at daylight had sent out some cavalry who had a skirmish with the enemy about four miles beyond our camp. Coming to a cross-road known as Vine Swamp road, three com- panies of this cavalry pushed rapidly up the main road towards Kinston and found the bridge over Beaver Creek partially destroyed. Hastily repairing this, and leaving a regiment of infantry - the Fifty-first Massachusetts -and a section of the Twenty-third New York Battery, which had now come up, to hold the bridge, the cavalry kept on, occasionally skirmishing and keeping up the show of an advancing force, while the main body turned off by the Vine Swamp road.
To continue this digression : the next day, Saturday, a detach- ment was sent up another road to engage the attention of the
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enemy, and at Southwest Creek, about six miles from Kinston, found them posted in force, but after a sharp fight drove them from their position and took one gun. Some Rebels who had fled into the woods came in and gave themselves up. The de- tachment slept on the wet ground in sight of the enemy's fires, but were not allowed any for themselves.
But to resume the account of our own special movements. We left camp on Saturday about 8.30 A. M. and marched till I P. M., when we turned into a cornfield and formed line of battle in rear of a battery. In front of us was a thick wood in which the enemy were supposed to be. Soon we heard heavy cannonading at the front, with dense smoke. After waiting in suspense for about two hours, momentarily expecting orders to move, we were told to prepare to camp, and as fires were not to be allowed, a squad was detailed to cut pine boughs for shelter. Fortunately for us, however, the prohibition against fires was afterwards removed. Provisions were nearly out, but the quartermaster issued fresh rations when the wagons came up, so we passed a comfortable night. Sunday morning we left camp soon after eight o'clock, and after marching about five miles, occasionally hearing heavy
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GOLDSBORO' EXPEDITION.
cannonading ahead, we turned into a cornfield in support of a battery. After a short time we returned to the road, and march- ing past a thick piece of woods, turned into another cornfield on our right and again formed in support of a battery. Meantime the firing at the front grew louder and more distinct every mo- ment, and unslinging our knapsacks and leaving them in charge of one man of each company, we prepared to move on towards the front.
To make more clear the position and the action in which we were now about to take a part, though not a leading one, it is necessary to go back a little.
Directly in front of the position which we then occupied, the upland sloped down through a piece of woods on the right of the road to a narrow belt of swamp, which was thick with small trees, vines, briers, and all the luxuriant and tangled growth of a South- ern jungle ; beyond the swamp the ground rose very slightly, just enough to clear the water, and became a nearly flat plain, covered on the right of the road with an open growth of heavy pine-trees, each large enough to afford considerable protection to a sharp- shooter. Near the road, in this grove of pines, and perhaps three hundred feet beyond the swamp, was a rudely built church, giv- ing an admirable shelter to the enemy. A short distance further on was the river, running at right angles to the road, and crossed by a bridge. On the hither side of the river, across the road from the wood, the ground rose into an open cornfield which stretched away to the river-bank, rising slightly without interruption except for a trifling earthwork just at the bank of the stream, which all along here was twenty or thirty feet below the level of the fields.
The action (to which was given the name of the battle of Kinston) began by our force, with Wessell's brigade in front, advancing down the road and being met and checked by the enemy, who were posted on both sides of the road beyond the swamp. A line was then deployed on the right of the road, on our side of the swamp, and was slowly and persistently moved forward to meet the enemy, who were in strong force; and upon our brave fellows, struggling knee to waist deep in the mud-holes and tangled in the vines and briers of the swamp, their fire rained with pitiless and most destructive violence. Following the Tenth
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
Connecticut and Forty-fifth Massachusetts, the right wing of our regiment pushed its way through the swamp and joined the left wing, which meantime had led the way down the road and had formed line in the cornfield on the left and beyond the water. Almost at that moment there was a loud shout in front, and we saw the gallant Tenth Connecticut, with other troops, in hot pur- suit of the enemy towards the bridge. So close was the pursuit, that though the enemy succeeded in firing the bridge, -for which `they had made full preparation, - yet our men soon extinguished
it and crossed over, passing the charred body of the poor fellow whose duty it had been to set the fire, but who, struck by our bullets, had fallen into the flames he himself had kindled. Our advance pressed on to the town, but the Forty-fourth had to march back for its knapsacks; and when we returned to the bridge we had to wait some time before crossing, and many of us talked with the Rebel prisoners whom we found waiting there also. They seemed perfectly miserable, and several said that they were quite ready to take the oath of allegiance.
The road on our side of the bridge was at right angles with the river, but on the other side divided right and left, with a consid- erable earthwork with six guns opposite the end of the bridge,
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and a long line of rifle-pits stretching down river to the right. The enemy retreated in great confusion, most of them to the left towards the town, but a considerable portion to the right down the river-bank. We followed the left-hand road towards Kinston, and all along it was strewn with their trappings, which they had thrown away in their flight, -- blankets (an old comforter or a piece of carpet ), haversacks, canteens, cartridge-boxes, etc.
We marched directly into the town. It was a remarkably pretty place, well laid out, with broad streets at right angles, neatly painted houses, well-kept yards, and a decided air of thrift about it. In the street were huge piles of corn and cotton burn- ing; but the houses were unharmed, and their occupants had mostly remained. The railroad station had been fired, but was ex- tinguished before much damage had been done; and after march- ing about town some time, we formed in line near this station to support a couple of batteries which were shelling the outskirts of the town. Presently they started along the road leading beyond the town, shelling occasionally as they advanced, and we after them. After about a mile of this we all returned and bivouacked near the station. A well-stocked grocery-store near by was confiscated to our use; and many a man will remember the welcome corn-dodger, baked on a shingle and sweetened with molasses, with which he regaled himself that night.
We afterwards learned that General Foster, after our occupa- tion of the town, had sent a staff officer with a flag of truce to General Evans, commanding the Confederate forces, summoning him to surrender. This, however, General Evans declined to do, and moved back for the night to a strong position at Falling Creek, about six miles from Kinston, towards Goldsboro'.
Next morning we recrossed the bridge, and, passing the scene of the previous day's fight, took the road for Whitehall and Golds- boro'. We realized then, even more than we did the day before, what an iron rain we had passed through; for the pine-trees around the church were literally riddled, and in many cases cut in two, by the shot which had poured upon them. Our march that day, of about fifteen miles, mostly through sandy, fatiguing roads enlivened by an occasional ford, was without special inci- dent; and towards dark we turned into a cornfield, and foraging
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
parties having replenished our scanty larder, we got our suppers and slept in peace.
The following morning, Tuesday the 16th, we broke camp as usual, but had gone a short distance only, when, about nine o'clock, heavy firing began. Advancing slowly, we at-length turned to the left into a path which wound through a rather open wood, up a slight ascent and on to a ridge overlooking a cornfield, beyond which was a thin belt of woods bordering on the Neuse River. The road which we had just left kept along the flat land and crossed the river by a bridge, near which the Rebels were build- ing a gunboat. The few houses scattered along this road, and mainly on the other side of the river, formed the village of White- hall. We marched through the open wood, receiving on our flank a heavy fire of shot and shell from the batteries across the river. One shot crashed through our ranks, instantly killing two men of Company A. Reaching the crest of the ridge, we turned sharp to the right, came down into the cornfield, crossed it, and formed line along a rail fence at the edge of the woods bordering the river. Here for nearly two hours we received the fire of the batteries and the sharpshooters who were posted in the trees across the river, but with little opportunity ourselves to make any effective return. At last we were withdrawn, after some loss in killed and wounded, and posted in rear of Belger's Rhode Island Battery, which began shelling the other side of the river. When at last the Rebel batteries were silenced, and nothing was heard from the enemy but the occasional fire of their sharp- shooters, then our batteries were withdrawn, a few of our men were detailed as sharpshooters to keep the enemy employed, and the force resumed its march.
Among the numerous incidents of the day was the following, the truth of which many of our regiment can doubtless vouch for : One of our men, while lying behind the rail fence, was struck by a Rebel bullet; clasping his hand to his side, he felt his life-blood gushing from the wound. His captain approached, and to him the soldier whispered the words of farewell which he wished sent to his friends after his spirit had departed. The captain, failing to see any blood, asked where he was wounded. "A bullet right through my side, captain; I know there's no hope." "I don't
TRIVER
NEUSE
.12
Sketch of Action at White hall NC. Dec 16, 1862.
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Arranged by . 7 8 GARDNER COD
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I. NEWCOMB & SLOCUM KILLED. 2 REGT UNSLUNG KNAPSACKS. 3 FIRST POSITION 44 TH 4 RAIL FENCE
: ** IO GOLDSBORO'
To KINSTON
6. HOUSES.
7 BELGER'S BATTERY B HOSPITAL
9. UNION BATTERIES 10 DO. INFANTRY
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11. 10™ CONN 12 BRIDGE DESTROYED.
13 REBEL SHARPSHOOTERS. 00. BATTERIES.
15 GUN BOAT.
16 UNFINISHED BUILDING.
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5. SECOND POSITION 4+W
HELIOTYPE PRINTING CO.
BOSTON, MAS6
NIGHT BIVOUAC.
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GOLDSBORO' EXPEDITION.
see any blood," the captain replied; " perhaps you are not hit as hard as you think." "What! no blood!" cried he, his voice gaining sudden strength and for the first time looking at his side. The dying man suddenly came to life, and seizing his musket resumed his place. A Rebel bullet had shot away the top of his canteen ; the water was warm, and pouring over his hand, he im- agined it to be blood, and so dictated his last will and testament.
That night we encamped near a small settlement about eight miles from Goldsboro'. During the night, which for our own regiment was a quiet and uneventful one, active preparations were being made on both sides for the struggle, which all expected to come the next day, for the possession of the railroad bridge, - the key of communication between the Confederate army in Vir- ginia and its Southern sources of supply. The destruction of this bridge was, in fact, the main object of our whole expedition.
- The Confederate General Gustavus W. Smith, then in command of the Department of North Carolina and Southeast Virginia, had for some days been telegraphing urgently to his Secretary of War for reinforcements for Goldsboro' and vicinity, and had been promised six regiments and two batteries from Richmond, three regiments from Petersburg and its vicinity, and five thousand infantry and three batteries from Beauregard, then at Charles- ton, S. C. The Petersburg reinforcement had arrived on the morn- ing of the 16th, the day of the action at Whitehall; but only one regiment of infantry, with six hundred dismounted cavalry and a battery, all under command of General Robertson, had taken part in that engagement. General Evans in the mean time had returned to Kinston, in the expectation of crossing the Neuse bridge and harassing our rear. Finding, however, that we had destroyed the bridge, Evans returned and was ordered to report at Goldsboro', where he arrived early on the morning of the 17th. Meantime, we on our side were not idle. Five companies of the Third New York Cavalry, with a couple of pieces of artil- lery of the Twenty-third New York, had been sent towards the railroad south of Goldsboro' and struck it at Mount Olive sta- tion, about fourteen miles from Goldsboro', in the direction of Wilmington. The little village was taken completely by surprise, the track was torn up, station and water-tanks destroyed, and the
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work of destruction completed by detachments sent up and down the road for several miles. By midnight all these outlying parties had returned to the main body.
The position and action of the opposing forces on the 17th was as follows: On the south side of the river, near the railroad bridge and in the line of our advance, lay Clingman's Brigade of infantry and artillery. In his rear, towards the county bridge, which was about half a mile higher up stream, Evans's Brigade was posted. On the north side of the river, artillery was posted at both bridges, and also at a bend in the stream between them, so as to bring an enfilading fire to bear on the southern approach to the railroad bridge. Having little or no cavalry, the enemy early in the day had made a reconnoissance in force with infantry, and soon dis- covered our approach.
At early dawn our force had moved forward and taken up a commanding position on high ground about a mile from the river, from which position our artillery began to pour a destructive fire upon the enemy on both sides of the stream. Meantime a portion of our infantry, under cover of our artillery fire, advanced across the open fields towards the high embankment of the railroad, and for a while the struggle for the possession of this important posi- tion was severe, both sides fighting with great obstinacy. The en- emy was finally driven back, Evans retiring by the county bridge and Clingman by the railroad bridge. As soon as the latter had crossed, their battery at the other end of the bridge was pointed directly down the track, and in face of this murderous direct fire, and of the fire from the flanking battery up stream, volunteer after volunteer advanced to set fire to the bridge. At last Lieuten- ant Graham of the Twenty-third New York Battery, acting as aide to Colonel Heckman of the Ninth New Jersey, who commanded the advance, succeeded in firing the structure and it was soon , enveloped in flames.
Our own part in this battle was simply that of spectators; and it was indeed a sight rarely to be seen except in pictures of battles. Our brigade was posted on rising ground, overlooking the low land bordering the river, through which ran the railroad embank- ment leading from the bridge. Below ns, in full view, were the bodies of troops moving hither and thither, while the incessant
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boom of cannon, the rattle of musketry, the screaming of shells, the smoke, now obscuring now revealing the action, - all com- bined to make a scene we shall never forget. When the volumes of smoke rising from the bridge showed us that the final object of our expedition was at last accomplished, we knew what was to follow, and our own brigade commander, our loved Tom Steven- son, drawing his sword half way from its scabbard and thrusting it back again, called out to us, "We'll go home, boys, we'll go home!" Such shouting as arose when the order came down the line, " Fall in, sling knapsacks, by the right flank countermarch, and you're bound home," had never been heard before in that lonely country; and the cheers we gave General Foster, whom we passed just as we filed into the road homeward bound, were wild enough to awaken all the echoes of the Old North State.
Though the batteries were still keeping up an occasional shell- ing, yet we all supposed the battle was virtually over, and our brigade had marched perhaps a mile and a half when we heard the cannonading fiercely resumed, and along the line came the order to countermarch; and back we went on the double-quick nearly to our former position.
It seems that the enemy, after the destruction of the railroad bridge, determined if possible to save the county bridge and its communications, and for that purpose despatched a strong force under General Evans to cross the bridge and advance to feel our position. It was their intention to attack us on both wings at once and to turn our flank. Meantime, however, our force was moving off, returning towards Kinston; and as the enemy came in sight only one battery and a small force of infantry and cavalry appeared opposed to them. Thereupon the Fifty-first and Fifty- second North Carolina Regiments of the Confederates were or- dered to charge and take our battery. On they came, almost a perfect line, in gallant style; the cool and determined officer in command of Morrison's Battery waited till they were within very short distance, when he gave the order to fire; the guns belched forth their deadly missiles, and the advancing ranks were mown down like grain. Re-forming, they again and again advanced, only to be pitilessly slaughtered by the intrepid and relent- less battery. Meanwhile Belger's Battery had returned near to
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
Morrison's position, and at once opened fire to the left, where the woods were lined with Rebel infantry. The enemy then replied with a well-directed fire from a concealed battery. Riggs's Bat- tery was then ordered to Belger's left, and after an hour of vigor- ous cannonading the fire of the enemy, both musketry and artillery, was silenced, and the fight was over.
After remaining for some time in suspense in this our last position, we were ordered to resume our homeward march. Somewhat less light-hearted than we had been some hours before when first turning our steps homeward, we now trudged on, till towards night we reached our previous camping ground and there bivouacked.
Next day we continued our march, wearily for the most part, the road sometimes a mere causeway through a swamp, sometimes between neg- lected corn or cotton fields, some- times through forests of blazing trees, whose flaming trunks of resi- nous pine were like colossal torch- es; enlivening ourselves with songs, while occasionally a band would strike up and make our march easier, as we insensibly fell into a steady swing in time to the music. The cheering and inspiriting effect of music, which the history of many a campaign often recites, was time and again realized by us as we plodded along through sombre forest or dreary clearing, the excitement of battle over, wearily longing for the end of our tramp and for what then seemed to us the unspeakable comfort of our old barracks. That night we halted not far from Kinston, and next morning, proceeding nearly up to the town, took the main road towards New Berne by which the Rebels had expected us to come when we started out on our march, but which the · wariness and strategic skill of our General Foster had avoided, - though he kept up a show of advance upon it, - thus rendering useless the very considerable defences and obstacles which the
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GOLDSPORO' EXPEDITION.
Rebels had prepared for us, and which we now saw in reverse as we marched for home. That night we all understood that New Berne was only about twenty miles distant, so making a start about seven o'clock the next morning we pushed on; but the way seemed longer and longer, and as the afternoon wore away we were still an unknown distance from the town. The colonel halted us and said that all who wished it might push on with him for camp, but the others might stop where they were for the night. Many of us kept on, and about eight o'clock that Satur- day night the lights in our old barracks came in sight, and soon we were greeted by the few comrades who had been left be- hind, unable from sickness or other causes to go with us, and were cheered by the enlivening music of our new regimental band which Drum-major Babcock had been training during our absence.
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