USA > Massachusetts > Record of the service of the Forty-fourth Massachusetts volunteer militia in North Carolina, August 1862 to May 1863 > Part 13
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The next morning the stragglers came in, and excepting only those whom death or wounds had taken from us, we were all at home again and our expedition was over. Its labors and achieve- ments are commemorated in the following General Order, which was read on dress parade, Jan. 17, 1863, namely : -
HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, NEW BERNE, Jan. 15, 1863.
General Orders, No. 18.
In consideration of, and as a reward for, their brave deeds at Kinston, Whitehall, and Goldsboro', the Commanding General directs that the regiments and batteries which accompanied the expedition to Goldsboro' inscribe upon their banners these three victories,
KINSTON, Dec. 14, 1862.
WHITEHALL, Dec. 16, 1862.
GOLDSBORO', Dec. 17, 1862.
The Commanding General hopes that all fields in future will be so fought that the record of them may be kept by inscription on the banners of the regiments engaged.
By command of
Major-General J. G. FOSTER.
SOUTHARD HOFFMAN,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
The casualties of the Federal troops on this expedition were as follows: Officers, killed 4, wounded 19; enlisted men, killed 88, wounded 468, missing 12: total 591.
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
The compiler of this chapter has drawn freely from numerous and interesting letters of various members of the regiment, and from the following publications: " Wearing of the Blue," " Sol- diering in North Carolina," " History of Ninth New Jersey," " Confederate War Papers by General G. W. Smith; " and from advance sheets of Government War Records, both Union and Confederate.
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.CHAPTER VIII.
THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, 18TH ARMY CORPS, NEW BERNE, Jan. 31, 1863.
C
OLONEL FRANCIS L. LEE, Commanding Forty - fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia :
COLONEL, - You will embark your com- mand to-morrow morning at 7 o'clock on the steamer " Northerner " and pro- ceed directly to Plymouth, N. C.
The "Massasoit " will be at the wharf at the foot of Middle Street for the pur- pose of transferring your regiment to the "Northerner."
Upon your arrival at that place you will assume command of the post, and immedi- ately after consultation with Captain Flusser, United States Navy, and Major Bartholomew, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, take the necessary steps to drive in the enemy's pickets.
It is reported here that the enemy is in force (about 1,000) at James- ville. Should you find this report corroborated by the information you may receive at Plymouth, you will advance on that place and whip the enemy ; and if upon consultation with the above officers it should be deemed advisable, you are authorized to advance as far as Williamston.
It is necessary that the advance should be made very shortly after your arrival, so that the enemy may not receive information of your arrival at the place ; and you are therefore advised to close the lines.
Captain Flusser, United States Navy, will furnish you with some boat howitzers and crews, and he, as well as Major Bartholomew, are strongly recommended to you from their long experience at the post.
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
Much of course must be left to your own discretion, and the greatest confidence is placed in your judgment and abilities. The general's desire is to drive the enemy back and prevent their annoying our force, at Plymouth.
Yours very respectfully, SOUTHARD HOFFMAN, Assistant Adjutant-General.
In obedience to this order the regiment was in line at 7.30 next morning, February [ (Sunday), and soon moved to the wharf in New Berne, whenee we were transferred to the steamer " Northerner," - of blessed memory, - which was waiting to re- ceive us. We soon started, and, following the well-known course through Pamlico Sound, past Roanoke Island, anchoring for the night, next day keeping on through Albemarle Sound into the mouth of Roanoke River, and, as the shores drew nearer, between swamps of low trees and shrubs, bordered with golden rice, pine woods, cornfields, and solitary houses, at 4 P. M. on Monday, the 2d, we made fast to the wharf at Plymouth. Since our pre- vious visit in November Plymouth had suffered the fortune of war. Then it was a pleasant, peaceful town, upon which the shadow of strife had not fallen. A month later it had been raided and partially burned by the Rebel cavalry, and now the scars were deep and black upon it.
But why were we here? Rumor told of Rebel forces who were building earthworks, and possibly gunboats, at Rainbow Bluff (the Rebels called it Rainbow Bend), some miles farther up the river,1 and that we were to move upon them in the morning.
But we lay at the wharf that night. The evening was brilliant with the light of a full moon, the atmosphere soft and pleasant. The band on deck played, the darkies on shore danced around
1 That this rumor was not unfounded, witness a letter from Colonel J. F. Gilmer, of the Confederate Engineer Bureau, to Colonel Walter Gwynn, commanding de- fences in eastern North Carolina, which says (under date of Nov. 3. 1862 -three months before our trip to Plymouth) : " I am glad to hear that so satisfactory a posi- tion for the defence of the Roanoke River has been found at Rainbow Bend. The line of infantry to cover one and one-half miles to the pond, causing the enemy to make a detour of fifteen miles, seems a good suggestion. It is not possible at present to furnish all the armament required ; still, platforms and positions should be pre- pared for formidable river batteries (a part of these platformis should be prepared for siege carriages)."
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THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
blazing fires, the " boys " sang, smoked, and discussed the cam- paign. The climate seemed that of New England under the harvest moon; and so the evening closed.
Next morning (this too might have been New England) six inches of snow lay upon the ground. Light, fluffy stuff to be sure, but snow all the same, - snow that makes water; snow that makes mud; snow that makes the intended movement, the sur- prise of the garrison at Rainbow Bluff, impossible; snow that was not to be stained with the blood of Rebel or of Patriot, else some would have died that day. Who? Whose life hung with the snowflake in the air that winter night? Did yours, comrade, or yours? Did mine? Who knows?
We only know that the snow came, the course of the expedi- tion was changed, and from that hour it became impossible to regard it seriously from a military point of view.
It became simply a picturesque incident of our service in North Carolina.
For six cold, raw, disagreeable days we remained in Plymouth. The " Northerner " was crowded. To give more room to all, Companies A, C, D, E, G, and K were removed to a large un- occupied warehouse upon the wharf. It was like an ice-house. We tried to read, to write, to whittle. We smoked, some of us danced - anything to keep alive, pass the time, and hold our- selves together. There was dress parade, of course, even if there was no blacking ; and the gloves! Well, they were at New Berne, in the barracks, which some "sanitary engineer" was white- washing against our return.
But dress parade seemed to amuse the darkies and encourage the "Union men," of whom there were several living though pallid examples in the town ; but chiefly it served to get at the effective force of the regiment at the moment. " All present or accounted for," said a second sergeant, on one of these occasions. " Except thirty privates, six 'non-coms,' one orderly, and two commissioned officers," added the captain of Company -, between his teeth. For were there not warm houses, and chairs, and tables; hot sausages, hoe-cake, and apple-jack, all danger- ously near? Were there no attractions just outside the lines, and no enemy nearer than Rainbow Bluff? All were not present,
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
but most could be accounted for; and if they did not turn in at taps, they generally turned up at reveille.
But, if we had failed of the "object of the expedition," and missed a possible tragedy, something was yet in store for us, and rumor said there were several tons of it; to wit, of savory hams, sides and shoulders of bacon, killed " in the full of the moon," no doubt, " for luck," some moons before, and now hidden in the
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Plymouth .
mysterious recesses of certain smoke-houses a night's march out- side the lines, and only awaiting favorable opportunity for trans- port to some hungry quartermaster of the forces of the Southern Confederacy. This would never do. From Rainbow Bluff we had been turned back by the driven snow; should soot and smoke-houses baffle us too? We had been dissuaded by the elements of light; should the powers of darkness also prevail against us? Should the succulent ham be lost to the cause of the Union? Forbid it, commissaries and commissioned officers !
So an expedition was organized for the rescue of the hams, and Companies A, B, C, D, E, and G were selected for the hazardous duty. The line was formed at 1.30 (Saturday, February 7), and at 2 P. M., under the immediate command of the colonel, moved out upon the Washington road, making a detour to pass obstruc- tions, - trees which had been felled across the road to check any
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THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
attempt that might be made to surprise the town. We were soon in the wild country lying between Plymouth upon the north and " Little " Washington upon the south, these towns being con- nected by a main road from which, a few miles out from Plym- outh, a less frequented thoroughfare branches at a right angle toward the east. This is known as the Long Acre road. On pass- ing our picket line, orders had been given to take possession of all carts, wagons, horses, mules, or other means of transport, together with the owners thereof, - the latter being temporarily held in custody to prevent information of our movements being conveyed to the enemy. These men were mostly left at the junction of the Washington and Long Acre roads, in charge of a guard consisting of Company B and a part of Company C, under command of Captain Griswold, which force picketed the roads and kept open a line of retreat for the main force. Here was a blacksmith's shop, in which the prisoners were allowed to huddle for shelter from the (to them) severe and inclement weather, while the forms of their more hardy guard of Northern men, grouped about the fires by the roadside, under the keen winter sky, filled in the ever-present element of the picturesque.
An officer of Company B describes the scene thus : -
" Early in the evening the scene was somewhat striking. The rude blacksmith's hut, near which was our picket reserve, was glowing with light from fires which the prisoners had been permitted to make inside. Two sentries stood at the door, half in light, half in shade. Outside, groups of our men were huddled about three or four charcoal fires, which gleamed redly from the roadside. Captured carts and horses were tied to the fence. Stacks of arms stood in the road. Occasional laughs from the prisoners inside, the subdued conversation of our men, the clank of offi- cers' swords, the distant barking of dogs, the tinkling of a cow-bell, the grunting and squealing of rooting hogs, the clattering of geese, the doleful cry of the coon. mingled to render the sounds of the night more apparent, and to puzzle our pickets. placed as they were in lonely and secluded spots. During the night -'s platoon, picketing the Washington road, was alarmed and drawn up in line to repel what turned out to be a row of stumps."
A cypress-swamp has peculiarities of its own. Insidiously they creep upon you. You are marching along the dry, dead level of the open country. Soon trees appear skirting the road on either
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FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
hand, growing closer and closing in as you advance, until pres- ently you find that you have passed completely within their shade, and the road sinks as you procced within the gloom of the thick masses of rank green foliage, with gnarled roots, half out of ground, the trees on tiptoe, as it were, struggling to overtop each other and free themselves from the muddy ooze from which they spring.
Midway of the breadth of this belt of darkness runs a deep and narrow stream, at right angles to the road, -- which has now sloped down until it is at the summer level of the stream, - which it crosses at a single bound by means of a bridge, always of wood, springing high above the current in order not to be swept away in the wet season, when the waters are abroad and fill the swamp from side to side and cover the road to unknown depths; stealing out from the darkness upon the one hand, to gleam above the sunken track for an instant, and then to dis- appear in silence and gloom upon the other.
In the days before the war there had been maintained along- side cach road through the swamp a walk, consisting of a line of single planks, or of logs with the upper surface hewn flat, these being supported upon posts set somewhat away from the wagon- track, and just at the edge of the woods. Upon these the skilful native passed, dry-sliod, over the raging waters. On the night of Feb. 7, 1863, a swamp of this character one-half mile (some said one and one-half miles) in width, lay between us and our booty. 'T was ever thus in North Carolina. Were we to halt for dinner, were we to bivouac for the night, were we to do anything in par- ticular, the happy spot, the shining shore, was always the farther shore of a swamp, -and the waters were abroad.
But who that passed through this swamp this night will ever forget it? The path through the black woods; splash -- a little water; splash again - more water; over the shoes - cold; over the ankles - ice-cold, with the blood of the snow melted into it. But we are in and must go through. No use dodging; though some get upon the remains of the foot-walk, they slip and plunge into deeper water beyond; or, saving this, are induced by the mildly persuasive voice of the colonel to forego their advantage and share the lot of their fellows in the road, whose legs - by
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THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
this time knee-deep in the water - are fast losing all feeling, and are but little better than legs of wood as we mount the bridge and enter the flood upon the farther side.
In due time we reached dry ground and, passing over a few miles of high, rolling land covered with plantations, finally reached our destination (namely, the smoke-houses, which were situated about fourteen miles from Plymouth ) at 9 P. M.
Here some time was spent in collecting such of the fatness of the land as it was thought best to transfer to loyal posses- sion. This work - the regular part of it - was done by detach-
ments to whom the duty was assigned; while considerable vol- unteer foraging was accomplished by numbers of enterprising privates and non-commissioned officers, resulting in the capture of the usual fowls, pigs, and apple-jack, tin cans, coffee-pots, odds and ends, - and one man reported a lot of hymn-books. The official result, as stated by the colonel in his report, consisted of twenty-two horses and mules, sixteen carts, and 3,385 pounds of bacon, which latter circumstance gave to this night's work the name of the " Ham Fat March." Of this, little more remains to be said. Our guards were called in, and the return march commenced at midnight.
It was the fortune of the writer to be with the rear company upon the return trip. Since we had passed the swamp upon our outward way, and while our foraging was going on, the moon had come up high over the woods, and the spectacle of that home tramp through the water was one long to be remembered.
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15.4
FORTY-FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
Straight out before us, in the brilliant moonlight, went five hun- dred men, laughing, shouting, splashing and tossing the water, - still as cold, and now, in the clear moonlight, as brilliant as jewels of ice. In the midst of all this were mounted the field officers, and, hurried along by their escort, came the teams which had been impressed into the service for the night, and for any duty that might be put upon them.
If comrades -- and - thought to save a second wetting, and took possession of a disengaged mule-cart for the return trip, and if in the midst of the deepest water the pin came out and they went under, to the great delight of their fellows, the Muse of History shall record the fact, but will hide their names (which she knows) in her heart, lest future descendants of these heroes fall out among themselves and call her a beldame and an igno- ramus for not recording (what she does not know) who got the first wetting.
At 5.30 the next morning, Sunday, February 8, we reached Plymouth, wet, tired, and hungry, and at once sought such food and shelter as were to be had. This was our last day in Plym- outh, the lack of fuel obliging the " Northerner" to leave the river earlier than might otherwise have been the case. We went on board that afternoon, passed down the river, and, after anchor- ing at Roanoke Island and securing a supply of coal, arrived at New Berne on the evening of Tuesday, February 10.
Landing upon the south side of the Trent River, we crossed the bridge, whence a march through the city soon brought us to our barracks, which opened their gleaming and freshly whitewashed arms to receive us.
Thus ended the Plymouth expedition of February, 1863. To give historical finish to the narrative, Colonel Lee's official report is given in full below.
REPORT OF COLONEL FRANCIS L. LEE.
HEADQUARTERS FORTY-FOURTH REGIMENT MASS. VOL. MILITIA, CAMP STEVENSON, NEW BERNE, Feb 14, 1863.
CAPTAIN, - I have the honor to report that in obedience to order of Jan. 31, 1863. I embarked my command on steamer " Northerner " and arrived at Plymouth, N. C., at 4 P. M. on February 2.
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THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
Upon landing I consulted with Major Bartholomew, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment, commander of the post, in regard to closing the lines ; but learning from him that information of our arrival and probable force had undoubtedly been sent forward to the enemy even before our arrival, I deemed it unwise to interfere with existing arrangements in regard to passing the lines.
Learning that Commodore Flusser was absent, I proceeded in company with Major Bartholomew to inspect the location of his pickets and his preparations for defence, and found the pickets well placed, his precau- tions against surprise sufficient, and every advantage taken of the nat- ural defences of the town, the major having almost completed a ditch connecting the two swamps lying south of the town. Inside of this ditch, which is about six feet in depth and about fifteen feet wide, the earth is thrown up sufficiently high to afford shelter for sharpshooters. Major Bartholomew proposes to erect a small block-house where the Long Acre road crosses this ditch, and also one upon the Jamesville road at the crossing of the ditch. My carpenters built drawbridges for each of these roads, and I would respectfully suggest that two field how- itzers would render the defence of these roads easy against any force likely to be brought against them, and that they are most earnestly de- sired by Major Bartholomew. I would also recommend a further supply of axes and shovels, as the want of these tools prevents Major Bartholo- mew from availing himself fully of the services of the contrabands in his command.
Upon the Long Acre road the picket is stationed at the ditch, about three-quarters of a mile from the custom-house, with an outer picket of five men half a mile in advance at the junction of the road with the Lee's Mill road. At this point there is a blockade of trees fallen across the road.
Upon the Columbia road the picket is established just west of the bridge, crossing Coneby Creek, about two miles from the custom-house. This bridge is taken up each night and affords an easy and sure defence, as the creek is very deep.
Upon the Jamesville road the picket is at the ditch, about one mile from the custom-house, and a cavalry vedette is stationed about half a mile in advance.
Upon inquiring as to the probable force and location of the enemy, I learned from Major Bartholomew that he, in company with Commodore Flusser, had, on January 30, made a reconnoissance as far as Jamesville on the gunboat "Commodore Perry," shelling the woods at various points but finding no signs of the presence of the enemy. It was the opinion of Major Bartholomew that the position and strength of the enemy was as follows : Two companies of the Seventeenth North Carolina Regiment at Rainbow Bluff, with two field pieces ; the remainder of that regiment, with
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FORTY-FOURTIL MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY.
four field pieces, in the vicinity of the bluff, anywhere between Hamilton and Williamston ; four companies of infantry some seven miles northwest of Washington, and the remainder of their regiment at or near Greenville ; three companies of cavalry scouting anywhere between the Tar and Roanoke Rivers.
A cavalry scout to Ward's Bridge, some four miles from town, failed to discover any signs of Rebel scouts, though they learned that parties of two or three cavalrymen had been seen in that vicinity within a week.
Commodore Flusser arrived on the evening of the 2d of February, and after consultation I arranged to go with my regiment on his three gunboats to Williamston, starting the next morning at seven o'clock and landing at Williamston or Jamesville as might be thought best, - the landing party to be supported by three boat howitzers and their crews, under command of Lieutenant Furness, of the " Valley City." On the following morning a drifting snow-storm rendered any advance by land or water impossible ; the impassable state of the roads also prevented an expedition to Windsor to confiscate bacon packed for Rebel use.
On Friday, February 6, finding that no coal could be furnished to our transport by the Navy, and that my pioneers were unable to supply the requisite quantity of wood, I was obliged to send out some three miles to buy and draw some dry wood belonging to Mr. Harrison, a loyal man living on the Long Acre road. Before starting the wagons Major Bar- tholomew told me that he had good reason to believe that many of the inhabitants upon that road had abused their protection papers by smug- gling out salt in larger quantities than they needed for home consump- tion ; that they had packed large stores of bacon intended for the use of the Rebel troops ; that he thought an examination and confiscation of a portion of their bacon, if found in such large quantities, would be de- sirable. I therefore took four of my companies and went some thirteen miles out, taking on the way the horses, mules, and carts to transport the pork if found. I examined the farms of the persons suspected, and finding from two to three tons of bacon, took from four of them 3,385 pounds, leaving much, for want of transportation, which I think would properly have been brought away. This bacon, with twenty-two horses and mules and sixteen carts, I handed over to Major Bartholomew, leav- ing it to his judgment to return any of the horses and carts to persons in whose loyalty he had confidence, and directing him to see that quar- termaster's receipts for the property taken should be given to the parties, in order that if they could rebut the testimony with regard to their sym- pathy and aid for the Rebel cause they might receive payment from the Government.
On Sunday morning. being informed by the captain of our transport that unless we started then he would be obliged to lay at Plymouth until coal was found him, and my rations not being sufficient for over two days
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THE PLYMOUTH EXPEDITION.
longer, I left Plymouth that afternoon, and after anchoring at Roanoke for coal, arrived here on the evening of Tuesday, February 10.
Yours, with respect, FRANCIS L. LEE, Colonel Commanding Forty-fourth Regiment M. V. M.
Captain ANDREW STEWART,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
P. S. - Enclosed please find instructions received from headquarters relative to the movement above stated.
[Indorsement.]
HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, NEW BERNE, N. C., February 15, 1863.
Approved and respectfully forwarded.
H. W. WESSELLS, Brigadier-General Volunteers. Commanding.
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CHAPTER IX.
WASHINGTON.1
N Sunday, March 15, the day following the attack on Fort An- derson, things had seemingly returned to their usual state; the ordinary routine of inspec- tion, etc., was followed, and nothing uncommon happened until late in the afternoon. At half-past five o'clock, while Company G were draw- ing their supper at the cook-house window, Lieutenant Odiorne came in, saying, "Boys, we've got march- ing orders," adding that we were to carry shelter-tents, and in fact could "go heavy," as we should probably have no marching to do, - " and be ready to move in half an hour."
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