USA > Massachusetts > Record of the service of the Forty-fourth Massachusetts volunteer militia in North Carolina, August 1862 to May 1863 > Part 16
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" But after the steamer had passed the blockade her trip was a decid- edly exciting one. The Rebels had posted their sharpshooters on rafts in the river, in the bushes on the shore, and they also had planted light field batteries along the south bank of the river, near which the channel runs, from which they kept up a continuous firing of volley after volley of mus- ketry, and roar upon roar of artillery, until the craft was lost in the distance. For six miles she ran the fiery gauntlet, a part of the time being within three hundred yards of a shore which swarmed with gray-backed riflemen and butternut-colored artillerists, whose every word of command and shout of defiance could be distinctly heard by those on board.
" When she arrived opposite the battery on Rodman's farm, the guns which had so nearly demolished the 'Commodore Hull,' belched forth their hostile welcome, and for twenty minutes the thunder from the Rebel guns was continued. Guided only by the firing upon shore, the brave pilot headed her on until the last discharges of cannon and musketry were heard far astern, and he knew he was close upon Washington. Then he espied the low black hull of one of our gunboats, and heard the watch-bell upon the deck tolling out the hour of the night ; then he saw the dim lights of the town, and heard the half-suppressed voices of our men on shore, and he doubly realized that the immediate danger was over.
" You know that I have seen many feats of valor during the war, and can judge somewhat of the boldness and nerve requisite for them, and can also approximate unto something like a reasonable comparison of such events ; and here allow me to say that this feat of the ' Escort' and those on board has had no parallel during the war. Gunboats and iron-clads, to be sure, have run past batteries in wide rivers, as it was their place to do, and the events have been telegraphed far and wide ; but I have yet to learn of an unarmed transport loaded with a regiment of men and a cargo of supplies and ammunition even attempting such a thing as here narrated."
At the same time three schooners laden with provisions and ammunition ran the blockade, being manned by thirty volunteers from the Forty-third Massachusetts, who were also lying below.
Tuesday, the 14th, the fog cleared early. We were all feeling happy that now the " charm was broken," and we were both physically and morally reinforced by the arrival of our old com- rades of the Fifth Rhode Island.
While Company G was drawing breakfast in the hollow between
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the traverses, the batteries opened on us; those who had al- ready received their eight hard-tack and their coffee suddenly evaporated; those who had not, hung on, cocking their eyes up at each passing shot like a hen in a shower, but keeping in line for their turn, and vamosing with remarkable suddenness as soon as their dippers were full. The writer had to wait for some five or six, and it is still fresh in his memory how he stumbled in the drain which was dug from the traverse ditch, just as he was ready to dive for shelter, losing half his coffee up his sleeve, to the huge and undisguised amusement of his laughing comrades. The firing was of short duration this morning.
"The enemy," Renshaw reports, "attempted to raise again their flag on the swamp battery; a few well-directed shell from the 'Commodore Hull' tore it to pieces."
At night the writer was on outside picket; it rained steadily all night, and we were entirely unmolested and quiet, and came in next morning at daybreak very tired and sleepy; had had just about time to eat breakfast when, as my diary says, " the ball opened at twenty minutes before seven," and continued the usual forty-five or fifty minutes ; this day they pelted us with six-pound round fuse-shell, which burst well and made things particularly interesting for the sentry on the traverse.
Meanwhile the firing all round had been severe, - in fact, since we came in from picket; we afterwards heard that General Foster
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had run the blockade down the river in the "Escort," and had gone to New Berne to bring up a column overland to raise the siege. He left us the following farewell order: -
HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, WASHINGTON, N. C., April 14, 1863.
The commanding general announces to the garrison of this town that he is about to leave for a brief space of time the gallant soldiers and sailors of this garrison. Brigadier-General Potter will remain in command, and in him the commanding general has the most perfect confidence as a brave and able soldier. The command of the naval forces remains un- changed ; therefore that arm of the service will be as effective and perfect as heretofore. The commanding general leaves temporarily, and for the purpose of putting himself at the head of a relieving force. Having raised the siege, he expects soon to return ; but before leaving he must express to the naval force here, and to the soldiers under his command, the Twenty-seventh and Forty-fourth Massachusetts regiments, detachments of the Third New York Cavalry and First North Carolina volunteers, his thanks for and admiration of the untiring zeal, noble emulation, and excel- lent courage which have distinguished them during the sixteen days of the enemy's attack on this post ; and he feels confident that the display of those qualities under General Potter will hold the place till the siege be raised.
J. G. FOSTER, Major-General Commanding Eighteenth Army Corps.
The " Escort" left Washington on the morning of the 15th at 5.30 A. M., having on board General Foster and his A. A. G., Lieut .- Col. Southard Hoffman, and others of his staff. When the boat arrived within range of Rodman's Point the batteries opened upon her, and as she approached the shore she came under heavy musketry fire; the boat, however, kept on, passing at last the Hill's Point battery; she was struck by eighteen shot and shell; her upper works were literally riddled with bullets (the writer afterwards saw her at New Berne). The pilot, Mr. Pethe- rick, a loyal North Carolinian, was killed at his post as the boat passed Rodman's Point.
Thursday morning, the 16th, the writer was detailed for guard at the traverse upon turning out; this was the critical tour of the day, as it included the daily artillery exercise; so I kept a very sharp lookout on Red Hill as the fog cleared away, and grew
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more and more anxious; time wore on, and still " no reports." After a while a small squad of men in butternut appeared on the Jamesville road, coming in the direction of our lines; after pass- ing out of sight behind Fort Washington they did not reappear; but in a short time a column of men in blue filed up the same road to the cut in Red Hill, and then to the right along the hillside. A platoon was deployed as skirmishers and began to move cautiously upward toward the Rebel works. By this time all of us were on the line, watching anxiously for the smoke and flash of a volley from the works, but none came; and on coming within fifty yards the skirmish line made a rush, and in a moment the yellow sand parapet was crowded with blue-coats, and we could hear their cheering as they swung their caps in exultation. It was Companies E and B, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, who had been immediately sent out upon receipt, from the party of deserters who had just come in, of the news of the enemy's de- parture. These men reported that the enemy were in bad condi- tion. They had been put on shorter rations than ourselves; namely, one quart cob meal and one quarter of a pound of bacon per day ; their artillery was all light (we knew of one thirty-two- pounder, and the writer still has a piece of shrapnel from it). They were falling back up the roads toward Greenville and Kinston.
Meanwhile on the New Berne road beyond the river Company E's pickets had made the same discovery; their historian says :
" While we were on picket last night we heard noises which were un- accountable, on which a few shells were thrown into the swamp. At four o'clock this morning we heard the Rebel drums beat for roll-call, at five o'clock the bugle call for advance ; so we suppose the Rebels have started. They came near to the creek, but it was so dark we could not make out much. We saw a man on a white horse at the picket-post, as a lantern was in a position to throw a strong light on him. To-day Com- pany I's picket advanced to the old earthworks, where Hobart, Leonard, and Lawrence were taken, and found everybody gone from that side of the river."
Renshaw says : -
" Discovering that the guns had been removed from Rodman's Point, I ordered the 'Commodore Hull,' 'Ceres,' and 'Eagle' to shell the point well before landing cur troops. Acting third Assistant-Engineer
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Thos. Mallahan of the 'Ceres,' while attempting to land in one of her boats, was killed by a musket ball."
It seems a small party were still left in the works, and when Mr. Mallahan, Master's Mate Hudson, and two men attempted to land and raise the colors on the works, about fifty of the enemy rose from behind rifle-pits and fired into the boat, with the result above stated. A small schooner with four or five men of the Forty-third, who had come up the night previous with ammuni- tion, was running close to the shore when the enemy opened fire, wounding Francis Tripp mortally and one other of the Forty- third slightly. The gunboats came back, and at 2 P. M. the "Eagle" went down again, running as close to Point as she could, and sending shell into the batteries with great precision. Mr. Lay with eight men of the First North Carolina, his gun's crew, went ashore, followed by Master's Mate Tucker, with a howitzer and five men, and planted the colors on the Rebel works. Half an hour later, three hundred of the Fifth Rhode Island, under Lieutenant-Colonel Tew, and one gun of Third New York Artil- lery under Lieutenant Mower, arrived, and proceeded out on a reconnoissance; they surrounded four Rebels, one of whom was killed in trying to escape, but the other three were captured, being Captain Parker of the Fiftieth North Carolina Volunteer Artillery, Brigade Commander, Drum-Major Mott, and a private of the same regiment. The captain reported Hill's force at 6,000, and 3,000 at the Cross-roads. He said that town would be stormed again within three days.
Two of their guns -a twenty-pound Parrott and a Whit- worth - were found burst; and also the following notice was found posted up.
YANKEES.
We leave you, not because we cannot take Washington, but because it is not worth taking ; and besides, the climate is not agreeable. A man should be amphibious to inhabit it. We leave you a few bursted guns, some stray solid shot, and a man and a brother who was rescued from the waves to which some foray among his equils consigned him.
But this tribute we pay you : you have acted with much gallantry during the brief siege. We salute the pilot of the " Escort."
Co. K, 32d Regt. N. C. Vols. FORT HILL, April, 1863.
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Renshaw says: "Enemy burst four guns at Rodman's, - two Whitworth and two Parrott, rifled, latter marked ' Tredegar Works Richmond.'"
In the afternoon the following order was received : -
HEADQUARTERS, April 16, 1863.
Special Order.
Colonel Lee, commanding Forty-fourth Massachusetts, will detail three companies to proceed on board steamer "Eagle " at 6.30 o'clock to Hill's Point. The men will take three days' rations, blankets, over- coats, etc.
The three companies will, with two companies of the Forty-third Massachusetts, be under command of the major of that regiment.
By order of General POTTER. G. W. ATWILL, A. A. A. G.
In accordance with this order Companies C, D, and I were detailed. under Major Dabney, to whom the command of the entire force was afterwards transferred, and went on board the " Eagle," where they slept.
Next morning, the 17th, they landed in small boats at Hill's Point. "Corporal " says: -
" It was the strongest point of the Rebel blockade. Behind the earth- works, which were mostly erected at an early day in the Rebellion, are a plenty of bomb-proofs. . . . Between the shore and the woods is a Rebel rifle-pit. This forenoon we skirmished out a mile or so, encountering an old Rebel camp, and the one the Rebels have recently occupied. We picked up one ' butternut ' gentleman with a carpet-bag containing a Rebel uniform, and the picture of a Rebel officer. 'Butternut ' said he picked up the carpet-bag in the woods as he was going home from mill. He said the 'Rebs' were robbing the population of their provisions, and had nearly cleaned him out."
The "Phoenix" came up this morning with ammunition. Captain Richardson came out in a carriage to-day to see his company, previously to leaving for New Berne. He was quite advanced in convalescence, and expected to be again on duty shortly. Nothing was heard from the enemy to-day.
Saturday, 18th; the cavalry picket on our left was fired upon and wounded in the wrist this afternoon; a party of Company E with some of Company B, Twenty-seventh, started out from
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Blockhouse No. I, but after an hour's search found nothing. About eight P. M. there was an alarm from this blockhouse and we turned out. A couple of shell were fired from the howitzer there, after which all was quiet, though we remained under arms until eleven o'clock. This was our last alarm.
Lieutenant Commanding W. P. McCann, of the "Hunchback," says : -
" Owing to buoys being removed, pilots were afraid to attempt to run batteries. Also we engaged Hill's Point battery three times without silencing it, and on consultation with the commanding officers it was deemed improper to attempt to run the gunboats through to Rodman's until a demonstration was made by the army [referring to Spinola's Expedition ]."
Sunday, the 19th, guns were heard six or eight miles away, across the river. The advance of General Foster's column arrived about noon, and he himself came up the river on the " Escort" in the afternoon. The town now seemed full of troops ; we had little to do for a day or two but to draw full rations, and write letters home, and laugh at the wild accounts which now reached us in the home papers of the affair we had just been engaged in.
Before dinner on Tuesday, the 21st, we received orders to be ready to go on board the boat for New Berne at an hour's notice.
Next morning we were up at four o'clock, and at half-past five were on board the steanier " Thomas Collyer ; " cast off and got under way at 6.17. We stopped at Hill's Point to take on board the detached companies, and at about 9.45 were fairly on our way to New Berne, which we reached about midnight of the 22d.
So ended the heaviest piece of service in which the regiment was engaged; for seventeen days we were constantly on the alert, and during all but two days of the time there was no day when those stationed toward the right of our line were not under fire, often for the greater part of the day. The cannonading was nearly continuous.
The reports of expenditure of ammunition in the gunboats will give some idea of the service done by the navy. Commodore Renshaw reports for the " Louisiana " 105 8-inch shells for every "' up to 20; 301 32-pound shells from I" to 20 "; 50 solid
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shot and 25 12-pound shells. Captain MacDearmid 213 shells of all kinds; Saltonstall, of the " Hull," 331 30-pound Parrott shells and shrapnel; 138 24-pound howitzer ditto and canister.
The regiment was especially favored in the matter of casualties, the four who were wounded in the skirmish of March 30 making up the entire list.
General Foster while with us paid constant attention to the state of the garrison and works; there was seldom a day when he did not pass along the line with General Potter, and often one or two other staff officers: after returning to New Berne, he issued the following order : --
HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS NEW BERNE, April 24, 1863.
General Order No. 63.
The garrison of Washington, N. C., composed of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment, Forty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment, Fifth Rhode Island, First North Carolina Volunteers, Company I Third New York Cavalry, Battery G Third New York Artillery, have well merited, by their steadiness, courage, and endurance, the honor of inscribing, and they are ordered to inscribe on their banners and guidons, " WASHINGTON, April, 1863."
Per order
SOUTHARD HOFFMAN, A. A. G.
Major-General J. G. FOSTER.
In the history of the Third New York Artillery, Hall says of this defence : -
" The success of Foster's gallant little band of 2,200 [sic] in keeping at bay a whole Rebel corps for twenty days, and notwithstanding an aggres- sive siege of twelve days, has been justly regarded as unparalleled in the war. The merit of the achievement is prominently and perhaps principally due to Battery G, of the Third New York Artillery."
A comrade comments on this : "The gunboats deserve a large share, as well as General Foster's personal presence, and our band."
Captain Denny, in " Wearing the Blue," makes the following remarks : -
" When it is considered that the defence of this line was made against fourteen thousand Confederate troops under skilled commanders, we do not hesitate to say that the defence against such odds rises to the pitch of heroic grandeur equalled during the war only by Mulligan's glorious de- fence of Lexington, Missouri, in the autumn of 1861."
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During the siege our comrades of companies F and B, on picket at Batchelder's Creek, listened daily with anxious hearts for the sound of the guns at Washington. As long as the firing could be heard they felt that we still held out; when there was a quiet day, or the wind was unfavorable for the guns being heard, they said sadly to themselves. " The boys are gone up; " but next day the dull rumble of the distant cannon would again reach their ears, and they thought, " No, the Forty-fourth is all right yet." Great was their anxiety on the night when the Fifth Rhode Island came through, supposing that the heavy firing denoted the night assault that all expected. They probably suffered as much from anxiety as ourselves, who were present and absorbed in what had to be done from day to day.
The newspaper reports of the siege during its continuance, though they seem to us now funny enough, were of the most dis- quieting nature for our friends at home, as will appear from a quotation from one of the writer's letters from home under date of April 14.
" I thought to have finished mother's letter yesterday ; but I was quite engaged most of the day, and in truth did not feel much like writing under the uncertain prospects in regard to your whereabouts, or if ever it would reach you. The uncertainty still remains ; the conflicting accounts, even, make it apparent that you are in a dangerous position. But as we can do nothing but hope for the best, I shall continue as if this were sure of find- ing you a free United States troop somewhere."
In looking over these old letters, a " pocket " of cuttings mostly from the "Transcript," and relating to the siege, was "struck ; " these the writer proposes to quote verbatim et literatim.
" New York 8th [April]. The ' Post ' learns that on the 4th inst. General Foster was at Little Washington with a brigade, a regiment of North Caro- lina troops, and some other troops, and were virtually surrounded by rebels, who have erected batteries on Tar River, between Newberne and Little Washington, which the naval force of wooden gunboats are unable to pass.
" It was understood that a battle had taken place between Foster and the rebels, but nothing definite was known. Heavy firing was heard, lasting from Wednesday night to Friday night, evidently from the rebel batteries.
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" Gen. Foster's means of defence are deemed ample, having a fort and entrenchments with sufficient ammunition and provisions.
" Large reinforcements are in transports below the batteries unable to reach Foster for want of some naval force competent to take them.
" The reported surrender of Gen. Foster is discredited. It is understood that he is confident of his ability to successfully withdraw his forces, even if compelled to relinquish the town and Pamlico River."
" New York April 9. Passengers from Beaufort, N. C., state that on the 5th the rebel pickets on the Trent road were extended to a point nine miles from New Berne.
" Affairs at Little Washington looked threatening. Sunday evening the rebel Gen. Hill was opposing Gen. Foster's little band, and on Monday afternoon, rumor at New Berne said that Gen. Foster had surrendered. This is not credited, as it was believed that reinforcements from Suffolk Va., had reached Washington. Gen. Foster's position was strongly en. trenched by rifle pits and ditches. Cannonading was heard at Newbern all day Sunday and Monday.
" The steam gunboat Chocura and State of Georgia were coaling at Morehead City to run the blockade of Pamlico River, where there was but one gunboat."
" New York April 13th. The steamer Dudley Buck, from Newbern 9th, brings the report that it was expected Gen. Foster would have to sur- render from want of provisions."
" New York April 13th. A letter from Col. Sissell, [query, Sisson ?] an officer under Gen. Foster, under date of the 9th inst., says the latter can- not hold out more than a day longer, being short of provisions and com- pletely surrounded."
" New York, April 13th. The gunboat Valley City, which passed the rebel batteries below Washington, N. C., to Gen. Foster's assistance, was struck by sixty-three shot. Her subsequent fate is not known."
From other collections we glean the following. From the "New York Express : " -
" On the 20th ult., Gen. Foster with a portion of Spinola's and Prince's brigades comprising the Penn. Regts. of Cols. McKibbin, Dyer, Bear, the 12th N. Y., 157th N. Y. and Ist N. C. started for Little Washington on the junction of the Tar and Pamlico rivers, where they entrenched them- selves. In the mean time the Rebels erected a very powerful battery on Scoon Pt., some 5 miles below Washington, which commands the channel, which at that point is very narrow and runs close in shore. . . .
" Gen. Magruder with 5000 rebels attacked Foster's position from the land side and thus completely surrounded him."
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From the " Journal," April 2; -
"Gen. Foster ordered out Co. A, Capt. Richardson and Co. D, Capt. Sullivan, on a reconnoissance. They went out of the earthworks and while out their retreat was cut off. So Capt. R. ordered the men to cut their way through, which they did with considerable loss - some 16 killed and wounded. Among them was Capt. R. who was wounded and Orderly Edmands who was killed."
A private letter from a member of the regiment dated April 7 : " Re- port to-day is that our Colonel Lee was killed in a charge on the rear of the rebels' battery.
" Ed. - The report in relation to Col. Lee we do not feel at liberty to withhold, although it is more than probable that it is entirely unfounded."
"One letter from New Berne gives a rumor that 8 companies of the Mass. 44th at Little Washington had made a sally and captured quite a number of rebels."
This will show the wild character of many of the reports which found their way to our friends at home; others were nearer the facts, but scarcely more encouraging. Many incidents of the siege were amusing enough. A comrade of Company D con- tributes the following : -
" During the siege of Little Washington, before the duties became so arduous that we were glad to obtain sleep even if in five-minute instal- ments, a quartette from Company D was one morning engaged in a quiet game of euchre just outside the company quarters. John Payne was sit- ting with his back to the shanty which had been erected as a shelter for the company, to avoid further trespassing on the kindness of the comrades of Company B, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, who had been assigned quarters in the blockhouse. The boys had just gathered up their cards. and Payne was laughing over some joke, when a solid shot passed over Fort Washington, ploughed up the sand just in front of the quarters, almost buried the boys in the shower, and then plunged into the river. Payne's mouth was wide open, and he received more than his share of the sand. As soon as he could articulate he exclaimed, ' I'm not hungry, Johnny ; I've had my breakfast !'"
One day during the siege Johnson, Bedell, and Tackney of Company E, thinking that we were deficient in artillery, cast about to supply the want so far as they could. Rummaging about. they found an old pair of wheels and some stove pipe, and having mounted the funnel on the wheels, ran it up toward the
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works. Some of the Johnnies had evidently been watching the proceedings with a great deal of interest, for just as the boys had got their "piece" in position, puff went a gun at the Widow Blunt place, and a solid shot from the enemy struck uncomfort- ably close. The boys concluded that an attempt was being made to dismount their new gun, and feeling that enough had been done for honor, and that should the Rebels be successful no great damage would be done to our armament, they retired to the shelter of their bomb-proof.
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