USA > New York > Records of the 24th Independent Battery, N. Y. Light Artillery, U. S. V. > Part 15
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THE REBEL COLUMN
consisted of no less than five brigades of troops, each brigade num- bering about three thousand men. These were under the chief com- mand of Major General Hoke, assisted by Generals Ransom and Bar- ton. The majority of these troops were from the far South, as the `North Carolinians are not trusted very far while fighting on their own soil.
OUR LOSSES
are estimated at about one hundred in killed and wounded. Captain Chapin was killed at Fort Wessells, and Captain Horace J. Hodges, Depot Quartermaster, while in the act of communicating with the gunboat Miami, in a canoe which he carried in a wagon from Plymouth to Conesby Creek, in order to elude the rebel iron clad, was upset and drowned.
THE REBEL LOSSES
are, beyond the slightest doubt, immensely heavy, when it is consid- ered that every fort around Plymouth was stormed from three to seven times, and each assault repulsed with great slaughter, besides pour.
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ing broadside after broadside into the rebel ranks from the Miami and Southfield, the casualties among the rebel troops must have been enormous. A rebel surgeon was heard to say that "the damned Yankees had killed and wounded one-third of their whole force, and he hoped that no mercy would be shown the cursed Yankees." The gunboat Whitehead went on a reconnoissance on Wednesday, a short distance above Plymouth, and the officers and crew observed about three hundred rebel troops engaged in burying the dead. From a steeple on the town church, overlooking a large tract of land, it was found that the field of Asa Johnson (about sixty acres) was complete- ly filled with dead and dying rebels. The entire rebel force could not have been short of from fifteen to twenty thousand men, of whom one-third are unfit for future service.
GENERAL PECK'S OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SURRENDER.
GENERAL ORDERS-NO. 66.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY AND) DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, NEW BERNE, N. C., April 21, 1864.)
With feelings of the deepest sorrow, the Commanding General an- nounces the fall of Plymouth, N. C., and the capture of its gallant commander, Brigadier General H. W. Wessells, and his command. This result, however, was not obtained until after the most gallant and determined resistance had been made. Five times the enemy stormed the lines of the General, and as many times were they hand- somely repulsed with great slaughter, and but for the powerful assist- ance of the rebel iron clad ram, and the floating sharpshooter battery, the Cotton Plant, Plymouth would still have been in our hands.
For their noble defence the gallant General Wessells and his brave band have and deserve the warmest thanks of the whole country, while all will sympathize with them in their misfortune.
To the officers and men of the navy, the Commanding General ten- ders his thanks for their hearty co-operation with the army, and the bravery, determination and courage that marked their part of the unequal contest. With sorrow he records the death of the noble `sailor and gallant patriot, Lieutenant Commander C. W. Flusser,
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United States Navy, who, in the heat of battle, fell dead on the deck of his ship, with the lanyard of his gun in his hand.
The Commanding General believes that these misfortunes will tend not to discourage, but to nerve the Army of North Carolina to equal deeds of bravery and gallantry hereafter.
Until further orders the headquarters of the sub-district of the Albemarle will be at Roanoke Island. The command devolves upon Colonel D. W. Wardrop, of the Ninety-ninth New York Infantry.
By command of Major General JOHN G. PECK.
J. A. JUDSON, Assistant Adjutant General.
THE PRESS DESPATCHES.
NEW BERNE, N. C., April 22, 1864.
The battle, which had been going on night and day at Plymouth, from Sunday, the 17th, to the 20th inst., resulted in the capture of the city by the enemy on Wednesday noon, including General Wes sells and his forces-one thousand five hundred men. The enemy ob- tained possession of the town at eight o'clock in the morning.
General Wessells and his troops retired into Fort Williams, and held out until noon, repulsing the enemy in seven desperate assaults. The enemy's loss is said to be one thousand seven hundred, while our loss was slight.
General Wessells, who gained such distinction in the seven day's fight before Richmond, has made in this siege a most heroic resistance with his little band of veterans. Several weeks since he called for five thousand men, stating in the most solemn manner that it would be impossible to hold the city with a less number. General Peck, who has given General Wessells all the assistance in his power, in the same solemn manner, time and again, called for reinforcements.
CAPTURE OF PLYMOUTH, N. C.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY AND DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, NEW BERNE, N. C., April 25, 1864.
General : I have the honor to submit the following report upon the loss of Plymouth, which is as full as it can be until General Wessells is able to make his reports, when I will make a supplementary one :
On the twentieth, at seven o'clock P. M., I received your communi-
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cation of the seventeenth, in reply to the letter of General Wessells of the thirteenth, asking for reinforcements. As this letter must have reached your headquarters in the evening of the fourteenth, or early on the fifteenth, a reply could have reached me on the sixteenth, in time to have communicated with General Wessells during the evening or night of the seventeenth.
Unfortunately, the reply was not written until the seventeenth, and did not arrive on the twentieth until some hours after the fall of Plymouth.
You replied, viz. : " You will have to defend the district with your present force, and you will make such disposition of them as will, in your judgment, best subserve this end."
General Wessells sent his communication direct to your headquar- ters, to save time, expecting that any aid which might be sent would come from Virginia, and not North Carolina.
He sent a duplicate to me, with a letter expressing the above views, knowing the reduced state of the force at my disposal. He writes, viz. : "I have no idea of getting any troops, but have always been anxious to see more troops in North Carolina."
Notwithstanding this expression of his sentiments, I had a confer- ence with General Palmer and Commander Davenport, United States Navy, and the heavy gunboat " Tacony," which is equal to two or three regiments, was immediately despatched to Plymouth.
On the eighteenth instant the "Tacony" arrived back from Plymouth, with despatches from General Wessells and Commander Flusser.
General Wessells wrote that he did not apprehend any attack, and did not think there was a large force in his front.
He expressed the opinion that there was doubt as to the " iron-clad" making its appearance, and believed that she was at Hamilton, under- going repairs or modification.
He wrote on the sixteenth, viz. : " I have the honor to report that the gunboat ' Tacony' arrived here to-day, but, as her presence at this time does not seem to be necessary, I have so informed her com- mander, and he proposes to return to New Berne to-morrow. I cannot learn that there is any considerable force of the enemy on the river now, though such is the report from various sources. I very much doubt if there is any design of bringing the thing (iron-clad) down ;
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still there may be, as they say, when the 'Neuse Raur' is ready. I am desirous of seeing more troops in this State." &c.
Commander Flusser also wrote to Commander Davenport, Senior Naval Officer, viz. : " I think General Peck misinterpreted General Wessells letter. We have had no scare here yet, and not even & small one for several days."
These able commanders had so much confidence in their ability to hold their positions against them, that they sent back the reinforce- ments sent them. This action placed me entirely at rest respecting affairs at Plymouth.
On Monday (eighteenth) afternoon, about 5:30 P. M., I received ad- . vices by deserters that General Corse was in front of the outposts at Bachelor's Creek with a large force of all arms, and that General Pickett would attack Little Washington on Tuesday. This informa- tion, taken in connection with that from General Wessells of the six- teenth instant, respecting the disappearance or diminution of the force in his front, led the authorities here to believe that Little Wash- ington would be attacked immediately. Two steamers, loaded with troops, together with the gunboat "Tacony," were despatched to Lit- tle Washington. At an early hour on Tuesday morning, the nine- teenth instant, despatches were received from General Wessells and Commander Flusser, announcing an attack by rebel land force on the afternoon of the seventeenth instant. This was the first information received from General Wessells subsequent to the sixteenth instant, when the " Tacony" was back, as above stated. The latest informa- tion received, through a contraband, the servant of Captain Stewart, A. A. General, General Wessells staff, is to the effect, that early on Tuesday morning the " iron clad" had complete control of the Roanoke River, and, in conjunction with the floating iron battery-the " Cot- ton Plant"-was attacking the town in rear, while the land forces were engaging our troops in front. From this statement it will be seen that the enemy had complete control of the Roanoke River within a very few hours of the time I received General Wessells despatch of Sunday night, the seventeenth instant. On the reception of these despatches, which were very favorable, steamers were despatched with such available infantry as General Palmer could spare, together with supplies of ammunition for the army and navy at Plymouth. These steamers were detained in the Albemarle Sound by the gun-
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ANDERSONVILLE HOSPITAL.
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*The other sides of the Hospital border upon Swamps.
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boats then lying in Edenton Bay, which had escaped from the " iron- clad" at Plymouth. In my judgment, the non-arrival of the infantry at Plymouth is most fortunate, as they, together with the steamers, beyond doubt would have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
A steamer, with despatches, was promptly sent to General Harland, commanding at Little Washington, notifying him of the state of affairs at Plymouth. He was also requested to send down such sur- plus troops as he might have, to be used at such points as might seem necessary. I also sent despatches for the "Tacony" to proceed at once from Little Washington to Plymouth. Before these despatches arrived, Colonel Dutton, Chief of my Staff, had procured the sailing of . the " Tacony" for Plymouth, going on board himself. Colonel Dut- ton also suggested to General Harland that he should send the steamer " Pilot Boy" with the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers to Plymouth, but General Harland did not feel at liberty to do so, in view of his situation.
All the information received by both the Senior Naval Officer, Com- mander Davenport and myself was promptly sent to your headquar- ters by both lines of communication. General Wessells was supplied with provisions, forage, ammunition, tools and other requisites for a protracted siege. His command numbered some two thousand five hundred at Plymouth, and the casualties were very small, notwith- standing five assaults on Monday. His position was intact up to the appearance of the " iron-clads" and " Cotton Plant" at three A. M., the nineteenth ; and but for the loss of the river, he could have held the land forces at bay for weeks.
General Wessells and his command, and the navy, under the late gallant Lieutenant Commander Flusser, made a heroic fight, worthy of our arms. They deserve well of the country, and history will record in glowing terms their honorable conduct.
JOHN G. PECK, Major-General. To Major-Gen. B. F. BUTLER, Commanding.
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CHAPTER X. 1864.
CAPTURE OF PLYMOUTH.
Up to this time the history of the Battery had been a pleasant one. We had had our petty quarrels and ani- mosities. We had suffered from jealousies and disap- pointments. We had accused and been accused. But these things were trifles after all, and it needed but a day of genuine trouble in common to bring us all to a com- mon sympathy, and an interchange of kindly words and kindly feelings. So far, I say, our army experience had been unusually free from hardship. In Newport Bar- racks we had comfortable log houses for our quarters, plenty of food, plenty of clothing, and only enough of drill for good gymnastic exercise. In New Berne we had been furnished new tents and new barracks, and there too our quarters, food and raiment were excellent and our duty comparatively light.
In Plymouth we used unoccupied houses for quarters, our scouting duty had been simply a pleasant excitement. The only affliction we had experienced was the monotony and the ennui arising from garrison duty. An inactive soldier's life is a lazy life at the best, and ignorant and unthoughtful of what the result might be, we welcomed
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the attack which had ended in bringing us all together as "prisoners of war."
There is no question that the defence of Plymouth by its garrison of 1,900 men, against a besieging force of 12,000 men, was one of the bravest and hardest fought battles of the war. The number of men on both sides were inferior to the vast armies contending in Virginia, but their determination and their courage could not be surpassed.
The defence and capture of Fort Chapin was a hand to hand fight of sixty men against two regiments. There was no surrender. The little band (two companies of the Eighty-fifth New York) held their own until their cap- tain was disemboweled, their lieutenant wounded, and many of their comrades dead and wounded, and the few left could not prevent the rebels from clambering over the parapet and fairly crowding them out.
The writer was an eye witness of the combat between the rebel ram "Albemarle " and our gunboats, and believes · that had the gunner in charge of the one hundred pound gun done his duty, by firing at her as she passed his fort, we never would have been captured. As she ran her prow into the gunboat Southfield, there were quick and loud commands on both vessels. The men of the ram were ready and using their small arms. The men of the Southfield had been taken by surprise, but were none the less active. I saw them trying to throw shells · down the smoke pipe of the ram. They were also using hand torpedoes, but none had effect. The commander of our fleet was killed almost instantaneously, with the collision of the boats, and the captain of the accom-
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panying gunboat, which had been chained to the Southfield, cast off, and steamed down the river. The success of the ram was the turning of the scale to the Confederates. With no fears from the raking range of the gunboats, they, on the morning of the 20th of April, at about three o'clock, made an assault with their full force, and with only our thin single rank at the parapet to oppose their overwhelming numbers, they drove our boys on the left through the streets of the town, killing and capturing them. Lieutenant Hastings was taken prisoner while galloping with one of his detach- ments to the assistance of the left flank, and found too late that they had been flanked, and that the troops ap- proaching him were not the Union troops retreating, but the rebel troops advancing upon him.
On the right flank, while we were firing at the rebels in our front, we were surprised to see their gray coats at our right and rear. We double shotted with canister and fired, having the satisfaction of seeing many of them fall. A moment after we were surrounded and captured. We had, however, spiked our pieces and killed most of our horses.
On they went towards the center fort (Fort Williams), capturing on the way Crooker's section of our Battery, which had been doing good service at dismounting some rebel rifle pieces near Fort Williams, and scattering some rebel troops; and still further on, taking another section of our Battery under Captain Cady, which had been pro- tecting the front of our fortifications. Finally Fort Williams was surrounded. We looked upon its defence as hopeless, but it was gratifying to our pride to see our
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commanding general (General Wessells) show so much pluck. He had fought his battle well. He had had no base to fall back upon, his disposition of his little hand- ful of troops had been skillful, and yet it was hard for him to surrender.
All loyal citizens of the United States have a pride in our beautiful national banner, and ever is it a pleasure to their hearts to see it fluttering to the breeze. As chil- dren we learn to love it, honor it and cherish it.
Two epochs in my life have been strongly marked by . the sight of this " emblem of the free." First-when it was slowly lowered from the color staff of Fort Williams at Plymouth, and the Confederate colors replaced it. Second-when for the first time in seven months I saw it waving from the masts of the vessels that had come to take us from our horrid prison pens.
In experiencing the first, it was a sad sight to see our pride, our boasted "Stars and Stripes" falling. We had fought for them, many of our comrades had died for them ; but all was lost ! Few of the many Union soldiers that stood around me had dry eyes as those colors fell. The future had no place in our thoughts, but the present made us vow that once again free from these cursed bonds, we would, stronger than ever, fight those men that dared pollute with their hands our flag.
Stripped of arms, mortified and sick at heart, we were penned by rebel guards, and allowed to take a night's rest on the green sward.
As the sun lowered we took a view of our once pleasant and happy camp; how desolate and dreary was it now. Proud in our own strength, we had been conquered.
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How much of passion, hate and revenge rankled in the bosoms of even those who would be Christians. Our comrades killed, the battle lost to us, our friends at home frightened, anxious and full of sorrow ; our prospects for freedom from this degrading imprisonment far in the dim, dim future. Cruel taunts were thrown in our faces, cruel 'acts were committed on every side of us. We tried to brave it out, we tried to comfort ourselves with the knowledge that we had fought a good fight, we endeav- ored to believe that an immediate exchange of prisoners would take place, we consoled ourselves with the thought that none but cowards would taunt a fallen foe ; yet heavy hearts and sad, sad minds dwelt with us all that long night.
The early morning found the rebels plundering and pillaging the town. Remarkable tastes were displayed by different men among the rebel soldiers, in selecting articles which they individually considered to be of the greatest value.
At ten o'clock on the day following the capture, we were ordered into line, and escorted by the oddest look- ing set of guards that a person could imagine. They were loaded down with dry goods, groceries, hardware, tinware, toys, clothing, bedding, woodenware, in fact you might say they had put the entire personal property of the village on their backs, and were marching off with it. We marched, seventeen miles that day. If we may judge by the property strewn along the line of march, we think the rebels had the worst of that day's work.
The following day we marched ten miles. The next day we reached Hamilton.
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On the 25th of April we reached Tarboro. At this place the officers who were prisoners were separated from the soldiers, and took the cars for Richmond.
The Union soldiers were divided into squads, and as fast as cars could be sent were shipped on platform cars for some Southern prison camp. The weather was ex- tremely warm, and the only time any kind of comfort. could be experienced was when the cars were in motion.
The first prominent place we reached was Wilming- ton. There was little sympathy tendered us there, since a squad of prisoners who had been through there just before us, had fired large quantities of cotton which was lying upon the wharves, and their fire depart- ment had been unable to control the flames. An im- mense sum of money must have been lost.
At this place there was a great deal of anxiety to pur- chase watches, jewelry or greenbacks for Confederate scrip. It seemed odd enough to be offered one thousand dollars for an ordinary silver watch, but at that time Con- federate money was on a rapid decline.
The next day we reached Charleston. Here we re- . ceived a great deal of kindness, and many tokens of sym- pathy. Water was given to us by women. Cigars, food, fruit and bouquets were handed to us by colored servants, with the compliments of their "massas" and "missus." Bouquets were thrown from windows to us. Words of encouragement and of condolence reached us in many ways.
From Charleston we were taken to Savannah, thence to Macon, and thence to Andersonville.
This then was our unknown destination. .
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It was quite dark before we were allowed to disem- bark from the cars. The stockade was about half a mile distant from the depot. We were told that before enter- ing the prison we would be organized into detachments. We were marched to a level plot of ground, through which ran the stream which furnished the prison stock- · ade with water; and after a guard had been stationed about us, we were permitted to furnish ourselves with water and appease our hunger with the bacon and hard- tack that had been issued to us a couple of days before. That was the last of hard bread that I ever saw in the Confederacy. And here was my introduction to Captain Wirz. Camp fires had been started about the guard line; and suddenly, as if it had been the Devil himself, this fiend made his appearance through or near one of the fires. Short in stature, stooping figure, ill-shaped head, awkward limbs and movement, a deep-set, ugly eye, and a tongue reeking in profanity-such was Captain Wirz. A glance passed from comrade to comrade, telling better than the tongue of the fate we feared was in store for us.
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After much swearing, and many threats to punish or kill, he succeeded in properly organizing us into detach- ments, and we were then informed that our barracks for the night would be the ground. Had we known then what was to be our future camping place, how quickly would our complaints have changed to words and thoughts of thanks-a practical example of the little we know in this world of the good or the bad that may be in store for us ; while, in our ignorance, we are merry when we should be sad, and are full of complaints when
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we should be happy. Fatigue makes a soft, warm bed of the cold earth, and changes a stick of wood into a downy pillow. We slept soundly; and what a blessing, it would seem, it would have been had the great majority of our fellows never waked from that sleep. Still, Providence, wise and good, saw fit for them to wake, and to enter a trial of life that they had never anticipated. From observations in constant and intimate relations with many of them, I believe that long suffering and constant thought of the past and future did prepare them for a peaceful death and, I hope, for a blessed future.
On the following morning we were ordered into line, and marched into the prison stockade. It then contained about 10,000 prisoners, in an enclosure of five acres. As we moved through the gate, we were greeted upon every side by the inmates with salutations of sorrow and satire-eagerness for news-a great desire to "swap" corn cake for hard-tack-and a general disposition to make acquaintance with the new comers and their chat- tels.
The appearance of the place and its inmates was sick- ening, and our spirits drooped and hearts failed us, as our eyes wandered over the groups of ragged, swarthy, filthy, emaciated forms that grouped around us. I quote from the diary of R. Barnes, Sunday, May 1, 1864: "The prisoners look rough ; I never see such a nasty place in all my life; we stay right out doors all night." The weather was exceedingly warm. We had no protection from the sun during the day, nor the dew during the night. The soil was sandy and full of fleas. The wood used about and in the stockade was mostly pitch pine,
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