USA > New Jersey > New Jersey and the rebellion : a history of the service of the troops and people of New Jersey in aid of the Union cause, Pt. 1 > Part 27
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to charge the regiments under the hill, with instructions, if suc- cessful, to prevent their reaching their works. In this Colonel Gray was eminently successful, cutting off one rebel regiment from the main body. Meanwhile, Heckman pressed forward over the open ground, under cover of a belt of woods, with the Ninth New Jersey and Seventeenth Massachusetts, forcing the two regiments in his front to the left and rear of their batteries, and Colonel Gray at the same moment emerging from the woods on the left of the road, both commands started on a run for the bridge-hoping thus to prevent the retreat of the enemy. But the rebels, dis- covering the movement, at once abandoned their works, and hurried towards the same point. Having the inside line, the greater part of their force succeeded in crossing the bridge, but finding the pur- suers close upon their heels, the rear-guard fired the structure, which in a moment was wrapped in flames-having been pre- viously sprinkled with spirits of turpentine. A considerable number of the fugitives who had fallen upon the bridge, borne down by the press and rush of the retreat, met a horrible death, being roasted alive in the flames which their comrades had kindled. At the same time, some four hundred of the enemy who found it impossible to cross, were taken prisoners by our advance, while seeking the shelter of their works. Heckman and Gray, with the men of the Ninth New Jersey and Fifty-second New York, at once set to work to extinguish the flames, now rapidly destroying the bridge, and this they succeeded in doing, although greatly annoyed by sharpshooters, when the Color Company of the Ninth, Captain William B. Curlis, dashed across and into the work at the end of the bridge-capturing some fifty rebels who had remained crouching behind the fortification, fearing to make an attempt to escape, owing to the close proximity of the Union troops, who commanded the position. Without delay, Colonel Heckman pushed forward into the town, followed by the Ninth, which was the first regiment to enter the place. During the pursuit, Heck- man succeeded in wresting from the hands of the bearer a stand of Texan colors, which were afterwards sent to the Governor of New Jersey and by him deposited among other trophies obtained
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by our troops. This exploit of the dashing Colonel was loudly cheered by the Ninth, in whose presence it was performed. The total fruits of this victory were one stand of colors, three brass guns and several hundred prisoners.13
On the morning of the 15th, having bivouacked on the field, the army re-commenced its march. Re-crossing the bridge, which was then immediately burned, to prevent pursuit, the force pressed along a road which skirted the southern banks of the Neuse, to- wards Whitehall, a town lying directly west upon the river, some twenty miles from Kinston. Reaching a point some three miles distant from Whitehall, the troops. halted for the night. Early on the morning of the 16th, a detachment of cavalry having been, meanwhile, dispatched to Mount Olive, a station on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, fourteen miles below Goldsborough, where the railroad track was destroyed for about a mile, as was the bridge at Goshen Swamp, four miles distant-the infantry, with the Ninth again in the advance, pushed on to Whitehall, finding on arriving that the bridge over the Neuse had been destroyed, and that the enemy, in considerable force, had taken position on the opposite side, with ten guns in battery, protected by long lines of rifle pits. Whitehall, which is only a hamlet, is situated on a perfectly level plain, extending from the river westward a distance of half a mile, where it becomes slightly rolling. It was in this open space that Colonel Heckman deployed the Ninth, the men advancing under a withering fire from the enemy, concealed on the other side of the river. Gaining the bank, however, and selecting such cover as the nature of the ground afforded, they opened vigorously on the enemy, who had now become visible, although still protected by the heavy trees. Finding the Ninth warmly engaged, and unable to silence the entire rebel force, Heckman ordered forward the . Seventeenth, Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Regi- ments, who at once opened briskly-several pieces of artillery, at the same time, getting into position well to the right of the forces engaged, and pouring an enfilading fire into the rebel ranks. Guns
13 During the following night, six additional guns were captured at a rebel work, some distance down the river. .
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were also placed on a slight elevation under the bluffs, and the engagement soon became general, the rebels, however, speedily becoming dispirited and slackening their fire, our artillery causing great havoc in their ranks. Finally, after a combat of some two hours, the rebels retired, and, deeming his object accomplished, General Foster ordered the column to resume its march towards Goldsborough. Bivouacking that night eight miles from the place of destination, the little army, on the morning of the 17th, again moved forward to the completion of its work. Goldsborough, the objective of this movement, lies at the junction of the Wilmington and Weldon and the Atlantic and North Carolina Railways, and the principal object of the expedition was to destroy the former of these roads, which was the main line of Northern communication for the rebels. To make this interruption complete it was neces- sary to destroy a bridge, an eighth of a mile long, which here spanned the river, and which could not be re-constructed without much labor and great expense. The enemy, of course, fully appre- ciated the importance of this bridge, and was prepared to make a vigorous stand for its defense. By feints, however, at other points, he somewhat distracted attention, compelling the rebels to detach bodies of troops from the main force to resist his attacks at the menaced points, and thus rendering his success in the main purpose of the expedition more probable and certain. The main force.advancing, as we have stated, came up with the enemy posted on the edge of the woods lining the railroad. The Ninth New Jersey at once moved to the right and along the country road under cover of the timber until the railroad track was reached, when, leaving the Seventeenth Massachusetts to hold this point until the arrival of Wessel's Brigade, Heckman "changed direction to the right," and being presently joined by the Seventeenth Massachusetts, moved straight up the track towards the bridge. The enemy had now divined the purpose of the advancing column, and at once concentrated heavily at the threatened point, opening a rapid fire, both musketry and artillery. General Foster having meanwhile come up, ordered all his available guns to open on the enemy, and, under cover of their fire, Heckman still steadily
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advanced, engaging and repulsing two rebel regiments which presumed to dispute his progress. After some two hours of con- tinuous fighting, the command reached the bridge, which was still covered by the enemy's guns, and volunteers were at once called for to advance and fire the structure. Nearly every member of the Ninth at once volunteered, begging the privilege of engaging in the perilous service, but as three or four could perform the work as well as a hundred, Corporal James W. Green and Private Elias C. Winans, of Company K, were selected from the many offering their services, and being supplied with fuses, set out on the expedi- tion. Running rapidly forward, under cover of the railroad embankment, exposed all the way to a perfect storm of bullets from the enemy's sharpshooters, they soon reached the bridge. There, covering themselves as much as possible, they endeavored to kindle the fires, but these not igniting, they attempted to fire the structure with matches. These, too, failed. Meanwhile, the leaden hail fell around them, and the situation every moment grew more perilous. But the gallant fellows, determined on success, did not flinch. At length, Winans, watching an opportunity, crept down the bank into the edge of the timber, and hastily gathering a quantity of leaves and lightwood, started to return, confident now of success. But just at this moment, being discovered by a party of rebels under the bridge, a sharp fire was opened upon him. One bullet passed through his canteen and cup, another through his coat, and a third grazed his face, but steadily, unflinch- ingly, he crept forward, until at last reaching his companion, like himself so far unharmed, the match was struck, the leaves were ignited, and the bridge was fired! Just at this moment, a terrific storm of bullets swept along the structure, and, looking to the rear to discover the cause of the outburst, Green and Winans saw Lieutenant Graham, Aid to Colonel Heckman, and Private William Lemons, of Company E, entering the wooden structure on the run, each bearing a fresh supply of fuses. By a desperate effort, loosening a plank, these gallant soldiers fired the fuses, and thrust- ing them into the aperture, awaited the result. A minute after, a column of smoke rose over the bridge, then tongues of flame
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shot into the air, and the work was accomplished. Then, hurrying from their shelter, the heroes of the day, under cover of the dense cloud of smoke, started for their comrades, whom they safely reached, cheer upon cheer welcoming them, as with flushed faces they came once more to their places in the ranks. During these operations, several members of the Seventeenth Massachusetts had attempted to reach the bridge, but had failed, and the glory of this grand achievement belongs exclusively to the Ninth. The regiments were now deployed along the railroad, and the track torn up for a distance of several miles, after which the Ninth and Seventeenth were withdrawn, both having suffered severely, being the only troops engaged.14
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the object of the expedition having been accomplished, the army commenced its return. The Ninth had reached a distance of perhaps three miles, when it was suddenly halted-heavy firing being heard in the rear-and was soon after dispatched to the relief of the rear-guard, who had been suddenly assailed by the enemy. Fatigued as they were, the gallant Jerseymen promptly moved to the rescue, arriving on the field just in time to witness the retreat of two rebel brigades, which had been repulsed with heavy loss by Belger's and Morrison's Batteries. No further attack being apprehended, the column resumed its march towards Newberne, where it arrived on the even- ing of the 20th, having accomplished, on the last day, a distance of thirty-two miles in eleven hours, and having, during ten days, marched one hundred and fifty miles and fought three engagements, with a total loss of about one hundred and fifty men in killed and wounded.
On the 22d of December, Colonel Heckman received his com- mission as Brigadier-General, bearing date of October 29, 1862, the announcement of his promotion for " signal ability and meritorious services," occasioning the liveliest enthusiasm among the men of the Ninth. General Heckman was at once assigned to the com-
14 General Foster, in his official report of this engagement, says : "Colonel Heck- man, of the Ninth New Jersey, was, with his admirable regiment, always in advance, and displayed the greatest courage and efficiency."
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mand of the First Brigade, Second Division, Eighteenth Army Corps, consisting of the Ninth New Jersey, Third, Eighth and Twenty-third Massachusetts Regiments. On the same day Doctor A. W. Woodhull was made Brigade-Surgeon, reporting for duty with the gallant Heckman. On the 24th, a beautiful stand of colors, costing seven hundred dollars, the gift of the New Jersey Legislature, was presented to the Ninth, the following resolutions, passed by the Legislature, accompanying the gift:
" Resolved, That the Ninth Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers, by their patient endurance under privation and fatigue, and by their courage at the ever-to-be-remem- bered battles of Roanoke and Newberne, (a courage evinced by the havoe made in their own unwavering columns, better than by the reports of partial journals, ) have sustained the high reputation which, since the days of the Revolution, has belonged to the sol- diers of New Jersey, and as evidence of our appreciation of that acme of every manly virtue, ' patriotic devotion to country,' the Governor of the State is requested to have prepared and forwarded to said regiment a standard on which shall be inscribed these words : 'Presented by New Jersey to her Ninth Regiment, in remembrance of Roanoke and Newberne.'
" Resolved, That Colonel Charles A. Heckman, who so gallantly led his well-ordered men to the conflict, is requested, at the proper time, to report to the Clerk of the House of Assembly, the names of those who fell, killed or mortally wounded, on either of the said battle-fields; and that the Clerk of the House is, by virtue of this resolution, ordered to enter their names, with the place where they fell, on the minutes of the Assembly of New Jersey, as men who have fallen in defence of the best government of the world.
" Resolved, That New Jersey looks with pride upon all her soldiers in the field, with - out exception or distinction, and is prepared to honor them; and while extending congratulations that the occasion has never yet occurred when they have been put to flight by an enemy, entertains entire confidence that such occasion will never be-reeog- nized by them.
" Resolved, That New Jersey highly appreciates the disinterested fidelity of Brigadier- General Philip Kearney, in declining proffered promotion, rather than separate himself from the command of Jerseymen to liim entrusted.
" Resolved, That with the families, relatives and friends of those members of the Ninth Regiment, who, on the 14th of March, met death in that form . most courted by the true soldier, on the battle-field, with their faces to the foc, we most deeply sympa- thize and sincerely condole.
" Resolved, That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the Generals and Colonels commanding the New Jersey troops.
The year 1863 opened with the Ninth in camp, and with Lieu- tenant-Colonel Zabriskie promoted to the Colonelcy of the command. On the 7th of January, the brigade to which it was attached-known from that date as "The Star Brigade," was reviewed by General H. M. Naglee, commanding the Second Division, and three days sub- sequently left its camp for Morehead City, where the following explanatory order was read to the troops:
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"HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION, EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS, MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, January 14, 1863.
" General Order, No. 4.
"As rapidly as any of the following vessels are supplied with coal, water and ten days' provisions, you will commence embarking your troops designated to go with them, leaving cooks and cooking utensils to supply them temporarily : steamer City of Bath, Eighty-first New York, four hundred men; steamer Expounder, Eighty-first New York, one hundred and ninety-one men; ship Morton, Twenty-third Massachusetts, seven hundred and forty-five men; steamer Curlew, Ninth New Jersey, three hundred and seventy-two men; steamer Key West, Ninth New Jersey, two hundred and seventy- one men ; steamer United States, Ninety-Eighth New York, four hundred and seventy- four men. Headquarters of the brigade will be established on the steamer United
States.
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Sealed instructions will be furnished each vessel.
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"By command of
Brigadier-General C. A. HECKMAN, Commanding Brigade.
"WILLIAM H. ABEL, Capt. and A. A. G.
On the 20th, the vessels having received the necessary supplies the troops were embarked, but the fleet did not sail until the after- noon of the 29th, when it slowly steamed out of Beaufort harbor- some one hundred vessels in all. The sea being unusually rough, several of the steamers struck the shoals, the Curlew at one time being in considerable danger, but succeeding at last in getting off with the loss of a portion of her keel. Early on the morning of the 31st, the fleet entered Port Royal Harbor, South Carolina, sailing past Hilton Head, and anchoring off St. Helena Island, where, on the 9th of February, Heckman's Brigade disembarked, being followed, on the following day, by Foster's entire force, consisting of two divisions. During its stay at this point, the corps was almost continuously under drill, General Hunter, who commanded the department, appearing determined to tax the endurance of the troops to the utmost. Frequently, after undergoing the severest drill, the regiments were ordered out for review, for no other purpose, apparently, than the gratification of the whims of the Commanding General. On the 5th of March, General Naglee was relieved of the command of the Second Divison, to which he said farewell in a stirring order, urging every man to do his duty in the future as in the past. By order of General Hunter, General Heckman then assumed command of the division, and on the 4th of April, embarked his troops on transports, with instructions to proceed to the Edisto River, and there await further orders; the troops not to disembark, unless it should be necessary to give sup-
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port to General Stevenson, then occupying Seabrook Island-in which case, sufficient force should be put on shore to enable him to hold his position. At this time operations against Charleston were going vigorously forward ; many of the approaches to the city had already been occupied, and it was now proposed to make a com- bined land and naval attack, a fleet of iron-clads having been collected in the mouth of the North Edisto River, whence they were to move up to the harbor and open upon the outlying forts of the enemy. This movement was made on the 6th of April. Meanwhile, General Heckman, in obedience to orders, had reached Edisto River, and on the 7th, learning that the rebels were prepar- ing fire-ships a short distance from his anchorage, ordered Captains Hufty and Townley to land their companies and make a careful reconnoissance, which was promptly done, but without discovering any signs of the enemy. The same day the bombardment of Charleston by the iron-clads had been opened with great vigor, but had failed to produce any satisfactory results, and this render- ing co-operation by the land forces useless, Heckman's command was not engaged, greatly to the disappointment of both officers and men. Instead of an order to move up to Charleston, the General ยท received, on the 10th, an order to proceed immediately, with his division, to Port Royal harbor, disembarking one brigade under his own command at Hilton Head, (of which port he was to assume command,) and sending the other at once to Beaufort, there to report to General Foster. This order, though unwelcome, was at once obeyed, the Second Brigade being sent to Beaufort and the First disembarked at Hilton Head, whither General Hunter returned on the 12th. On the same day, the steamship Augusta Dinsmore, arrived from Morehead City, brought news that General Foster was besieged at Little Washington, North Carolina. This intelligence caused the greatest commotion among the men of the Ninth, as well as throughout other commands, and Major Giles, of the Third New York Artillery, with Captain Hutchins, A. Q. M., who were familiar with the facts as to General Foster's dangerous position, having just arrived on the steamer, at once prepared a statement of the condition of affairs, to be laid before General Hunter-soli-
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citing the return of the Eighteenth Corps to North Carolina. Sub- sequently, General Heckman, with the officers named, waited upon the Commanding General at Beaufort, and presenting the statement, awaited a reply, but none was received, General Hunter entering into conversation on other matters, and obliging the officers to leave without any information as to his intentions.13 The next day, however, General Heckman received the following order:
"HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA, April 12, 1863.
" Special Order, No. 160.
"It having been officially represented to the Major-General Commanding, by Briga- dier-General Heckman, Major S. Giles and Captain W. V. Hutchins, that Major-General Foster, Commanding Department of North Carolina, is besieged and in danger of being captured by the enemy at Little Washington, North Carolina, Brigadier-General Heck- man, United States Volunteers, is hereby ordered to proceed with his brigade, con- sisting of the following regiments: Ninth New Jersey, Twenty-third Massachusetts, Eighty-first and Ninety-eighth New York, to Newberne, North Carolina, where he will report to the General in command for service in relieving Major-General Foster. This duty executed, or it being found that Major-General Foster has been already relieved, Brigadier-General Heekman will forthwith return with his command to this Depart- ment.
"By command of
"Major-General HUNTER."
As may be imagined, General Heckman hastened with all possi- ble despatch to obey this order, but from unavoidable causes, some of the vessels having to be coaled and watered, there was a delay of an hour or two in getting the brigade embarked and on its way. During this time the wharf was crowded with officers and men of the Eighteenth Corps, praying for permission to return to their old campaign-grounds, and the Department Headquarters was besieged with applicants craving the same favor. Presently, while awaiting
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15 Captain J. M. Drake furnishes the following aecount of this interview :
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" The statement being presented, General Hunter read it, winked several times, and then quietly folding thie document, placed it in his pocket. An answer was, of course, expected, or that further information would be asked for. Whether General Hunter wished to be waggish or not, does not appear; but he certainly exhibited a quaint way of disposing of a matter of so much importance as that which had just been laid before him. 'Ah! General Heckman,' said lie, 'you are from New Jersey, I believe ?' 'No, General,' answered Heckman, 'I was born in Pennsylvania, in the town of Easton, but I have lived in New Jersey for the last fourteen years.' 'In what part, pray ?' 'In the town of Phillipsburg.' 'What town did you say ?' 'Phillipsburg.' 'Phillipsburg! where is that beautiful place?' 'Phillipsburg, sir, is forty miles from Trenton, on the line of the Belvidere, Delaware and Central Railroads, and directly opposite Easton.' 'Ah! indeed.' (A solemn pause of three minutes here ensued, during which period not a word was spoken on either side. Hunter, however, seemed to be keeping up a continual thinking.) At last the silence was broken by General
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the arrival of one of the vessels by which his command was to be transported, General Heckman received the following note from General Hunter, who seemed anxious to deepen as much as possi- ble the unfavorable impression he had already made on the fighting men of the Ninth :
"GENERAL: I am instructed by the Major-General Commanding to call your atten- tion to the delays in getting off your command-delays the less excusable in view of the representations of urgent haste made yesterday afternoon, on which it was decided to send your brigade to General Foster's relief. Should these delays be continued, in view of the imminent probability of active operations in another quarter, it will be necessary to countermand the orders already given to your brigade.
"Yours respectfully,
C. G. HALPINE, A. A. G.16
This brusque note produced an instantaneous effect throughout the brigade, though it did not quicken by one jot the desire of the men to go to the relief of their North Carolina comrades. Their long- ing in that direction was already intense; the mere thought that General Foster, under whose eye they had so often fought, and for whom all alike entertained feelings of the liveliest esteem, was in danger, induced in every regiment and company a painful, eager anxiety to move to his rescue. At last all were embarked, and the vessels sailed direct for Morehead City, where they arrived on the 16th. Thence the command proceeded by rail to Newberne, reach- ing that city just as the steamer Escort, with Major-General Foster on board, touched the wharf-having run the gauntlet of the rebel batteries which the rebel General Hill had planted on both sides of the river.1; The rejoicing among the troops at the escape of their favorite General, and among the loyal citizens at the timely arrival of Heckman's Brigade, was, as may be conceived, of the heartiest character ; but for the "Star Brigade " there was work still to be done. During the night, General Heckman gave himself up to pre-
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