USA > Rhode Island > History of the Fifth Regiment of Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, during three years and a half of service in North Carolina. January 1862-June 1865 > Part 10
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A non-commissioned officer gives this description of the march :
"Again we are on the way, and only those who have traversed the dense pine forests of North Carolina can form any idea how monotonous the journey was. We discovered only a few scattered farm-houses at intervals on our way. The trail of our line of march could be traced for miles by the smoke of burning rail fences and pine trees set on fire by our men, and although unlike the Israelites of old we had not the pillar of cloud by day, we cer- tainly had the pillar of fire by night. In the evening when the time drew near for the army to bivouac, the order would be given : . Each man take a rail.' We would then sling our muskets, and. each man taking a rail from the fence by the roadside, would shoulder it and
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«march along. What a picturesque sight would present itself in the dark forests of that unfrequented region. As the long lines of rails loomed up in the darkness it required no great stretch of the imagina- tion to make them seem more ' terrible than an army with banners.'"'
Early the next morning, December 10th, the march was resumed, and about the middle of the forenoon we heard the dull booming of guns in front. Aides soon came dashing down the line to hurry up the troops in the rear. Our brigade being on this day one of the leading ones, we were soon closed up and going into position. We were now at a scattered hamlet on the Neuse River, called Whitehall. The road we were following turns off to cross the river by a bridge, much in the same manner as at Kinston. At the first attack the enemy, without attempting a serions defence, retreated across the bridge and burned it before our troops could prevent them. They then took up a strong position on the north bank where they could command the road by which we were advancing. In order to pro- ceed it was first necessary to dislodge them.
When our battalion first arrived on the ground batteries were sta- tioned on the right of the road leading to the bridge. and were already engaged. In taking the first position assigned to us we moved to the left of the road, in what had been a cultivated field. and then up to the top of a ridge overlooking the town, near a road leading to the bridge across the river. and were followed by Belger's battery. Dur- ing our march to this point we were in full view of the enemy and subjected to a very severe fire. By one of the strange fortunes that occur in battle, we suffered no loss. though many narrow escapes were experienced. A piece of shell struck Thomas McMahon. of Com- pany D, on the rolled blanket which he carried slung over his shoulder, and knocked him some distance out of the ranks. Picking up the piece of .. old iron," he put it in his haversack as a trophy, and again took his place. In this case. as in many others of a like nature, the man tired of his souvenir, which must have weighed two or three pounds, and soon threw it away. We formed line on this bluff. and Captain Belger placed his guns in battery and opened fire. But we scarcely had time to look around us and take in our situation before we were ordered to a new position. Moving down to the river road again. we turned down the road leading to the bridge, and soon filed
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left off this road and went into position close to the bank of the river. When we came into line we were received by a shower of bullets from the other bank, to which we replied with the best we had to give. The enemy's fire soon slackened, but as soon as we ceased firing they opened again, and we then renewed our fire with greater vigor than ever, and soon silenced them in our front, except a few scattering shots here and there.
At this place. as well as the one we had so recently left. consider- ing the weight of the fire we were subjected to, the comparatively slight loss we incurred was a source of wonder and thankfulness. Private Thomas Shippey, Company G, was mortally wounded. Color Corporal Benjamin F. Drown. Company C, was severely wounded in the right shoulder. Private Cornelius Sullivan. Com- pany F, was wounded in the cheek. Private Peter McCabe, Company G, was wounded in the hand. Private James Brady. Company A, was also wounded in the hand. Surgeon Potter and Acting Hospital Steward Burlingame had been down to see the 'wounded men, and were walking toward the Goldsboro road on their return, when a rebel sharpshooter below the bridge fired at them. The bullet passed diagonally between them, just missing the back of the surgeon's head and the nose on the face of his assistant. " Why, he means us," said the surgeon as he ducked his head for- ward. " He does." replied the assistant as he threw his head back.
While the battalion was in position near the river, there occurred one of those incidents that give a touch of humor to the pathos of death in battle. During the firing a member of the battalion fell as if dead. He looked as if he was dead. His comrades carried him out of their way to the rear. thinking he was beyond help. But the next day he was in his place, without a mark or scar to show for his sup- posed fatal wound. and only looking a little more " sheepish " than usual when rallied by his comrades about it. Another and a very different scene took place in another part of the line. which shows how the excitement of battle often makes one totally insensible to the very presence of death. As the Forty-third Massachusetts was marching toward the front on the river a mere lad of another regiment was be- ing borne to the rear on a stretcher. Both legs had been carried away and an arm shattered by a shell. Looking up at the passing
THE DROWN GROUP.
Joshua C. Drown, Sr.,* Company A.
Joshua C. Drown, Jr., Sergeant-Major.
Benjamin F. Drown, Corporal Company C.
* The patriotic record of this family deserves special mention. We give it as follows :
Joshua C. Drown. Sr., enlisted as a private in Company A, August 15, 1:02; discharged for disability. July 7. 1563.
Joshua C. Drown, Jr., enlisted as private in Company C, Dec. 16. 1861 ; promoted to corporal. June 7, 1802 : promoted to sergeant Company A, Feb. 4, 1963; promoted to sergeant-major of the regiment, July 18, 1563; promoted to second lieutenant, Dee. 5. 1864 : declined commission : mustered out of ser- vice. Dec. 23, 1-64.
Benjamin F. Drown, enlisted as private in Company C, Nov. 4, 1861; promoted to corporal, June 7, 1862 ; wompled in right shoulder at Battle of Whitehall. N. C., Dec. 16. 1509; promoted to second lieutenant. April 29, 1 4: mustered out of service. Dec. 23, 1:04.
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men with an eye that was as yet undimmed, he cried out, " Go in. boys, we're giving'em - down there !" Poor brave boy, he had as yet no thought for what the enemy had given him.
When the rebel artillery had been silenced and their infantry fire had nearly ceased, leaving Company E to act as sharpshooters. the battalion moved from its position and regained the Goldsboro road. There we learned that Belger's battery had been stationed nearer the river, where it was within easy range of the rebel sharp- shooters, and that the battery had lost several men and a large number of horses. The enemy were building a small iron-clad gunboat at this place, and the unfinished hull had been moored to the north bank of the river below the site of the bridge. During the battle a lieu- tenant from a New York regiment swam across the river, carrying a petard of Greek fire, which he attached to the boat, and, firing the fuse, swam away. He escaped unhurt, and the boat was burned.
The rebels at Whitehall had only delayed the march on Goldsboro, and the troops that had been in action there soon resumed their route. When nearing their halting-place for the night, the cry went up. .. Take a rail !" and that night the wearied men again had fuel for all, which was of itself no inconsiderable comfort on the coldest night they had yet experienced during the whole march. Our bivouac this night was within about eight miles of Goldsboro. For the last two days the supply of rations had been scanty, and foraging parties had been sent out to secure anything and everything that could be of service in that line. Our acting-quartermaster. Lieutenant Prouty, had become such an adept in that business that no one had as yet actually suffered for food. During the night Company E rejoined us.
The morning of the 17th soon saw us in line and on the march. Not more than two hours after we started the sound of the guns that were with the advance gave ns warning that we were nearing the ob- jective point of the expedition. As we approached Goldsboro the country became more open, and when our brigade finally reached the vicinity of the bridges we had come to destroy. the scene that met our view was very inspiriting. Our brigade was assigned a position on high ground. overlooking the valley and approaches to the bridges, and we could distinguish the various regiments moving to the right and front in the direction of the river ; and even when we could not
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see the men themselves, the bright colors of their waving banners marked their several locations. We were informed that a strong force of the enemy was posted south of the river -- that is, on our side of it-along the high embankment of the railroad, to protect the bridge, and that behind this force was another equally strong, to cover the county road bridge and at the same time support the force guarding the railroad bridge, the framework of which we could see from our position. It seemed to us as we watched the movements taking place, that the object of the general was, by skilfully mandu- vering the infantry and cavalry, and the heavy fire of the artillery, to force the enemy to the north bank of the river, and thus perinit us to reach and destroy the bridge. and our brigade remained on this high ground, overlooking the plain below, where this game of war was being played on a mighty scale. The rapid thud and beat of the guns, felt as well as heard, and the crackling fire of the advanc- ing skirmish line, the movements of the regiments sent to force the rebels from their place behind the railroad embankment, and the smoke. at one time settling over and veiling men and guns, and again lifting so as to reveal the men at work with fiendish zeal in the batteries. the puffs of white smoke, sometimes high in mid air, and anon low on the ground, marking the places of exploding rebel shells, with the bright sunshine over all, combined to form a battle scene seldom witnessed in a soldier's lifetime. Exciting as it was at the time to some, the men generally lounged in groups on the sunny spots behind the stacks of arms. chatted, smoked, even yawned. and wondered when we would get orders to ". go in." It was not for us to " go in " that day. for, as the sun began to decline, a rising col- umn of black smoke told us that our work at Goldsboro was done. At length marching orders came to us, and we moved back to the river road and started towards New Berne, or, as the men phrased it, " towards home."
We had not gone more than a mile when a heavy artillery fire suddenly opened in our rear, and the column halted. General Fos- ter happened to be riding along the flank of our battalion at the time, accompanied by two aides. He was heard to ask, " What firing is that?" The reply from an aide was that he thought the batteries were shelling an old house near the river. He ordered one of the
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aides to return and ascertain the cause of the firing, and the other one to ride ahead and halt the troops now on the march. A few minutes after they had gone he seemed to grow very restless, and he finally galloped away toward the sound of the guns. Very soon afterward we were moved back to a point where a narrow by-road entered the main road from the left as we faced towards Goldsboro. Ilere we were formed in line across this by-road, which at this point ran through a wood filled with a dense underbrush, where we were ordered to lie down. A section of thirty-two pound field howitzers from a New York battery was placed so as to command this road to our front. The officer in command of the guns sent one of his men down the road about one hundred and fifty yards, and had him strike matches and hold them breast high, while they sighted their guns on him in the darkness.
We learned afterwards that as soon as it was evident that our troops had commeneed their homeward march, the rebels crossed a strong force over the county road bridge above the burning railroad bridge. for the purpose of attacking and destroying our rear guard, which consisted of a small force of infantry, some cavalry, and Mor- rison's (New York) Battery. As soon as the movement was apparent, Belger's Battery F, and Riggs's (New York) Battery were sent for, and came up in time to form on Morrison's left just as the enemy's line came within range. Under Captain Bolger's directions, the guns did not fire until the enemy, approaching in the most com- paet order, were within point blank range. Riggs's guns were trained so as to cross fire with the other two batteries. " It's too bad !" said our grim artillerist Belger, as he watched the splendid marching of the advancing rebels. At the word the guns loosed their storm of shrapnel and canister. The rebel regiments simply disappeared. Those uninjured could be seen scampering away in great haste. Not another shot was needed, though some were fired. The battle of Goldsboro was over.
The batteries remained in position until all the troops left the field except the cavalry, when they moved away in the darkness. The Fifth remained in its position a long time to guard against any flank attack the rebels might now attempt on the retiring column. and it was nearly eleven o'clock when we reached the place of bivouac.
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All the troops had arrived on the ground and formed in column of regiments on each side of the road, facing towards Goldsboro. the direction from which the enemy must approach if they followed us. The scene that met the eyes of the men of our battalion was a very beautiful one. By the lines of the innumerable fires we could trace the locations of the various regiments. The cheers of the men and confusion of sounds, the greetings of congratulation by individuals, and the commands of officers, together with the feeling among all that victory had been achieved, combined to produce a most exhilar- ating effect on the men as they wearily trudged toward their resting-place. By the time we had halted it had grown very cold, and we underwent an alternate process of going to sleep and awaking with our teeth chattering, then toasting ourselves before the fire and then sleeping again, to be awakened in the same manner as before, a greater or less number of times, as the case might be, until morning.
The next day, December 18th, we passed Whitehall bridge and camped not far from Kinston. The following day we marched nearly to Kinston, and taking the main road to New Berne, we saw what we had not before known about, the rebel work which had been con- structed to defend the approach by the direct river road. They were not only in a naturally strong position, but they were well made ; and it woukl have cost us a terrible loss of life to have attacked them in front. Ent General Foster had skilfully flanked them by the way of the Vine Swamp road, and which we followed when we crossed the swamp on the morning of the battle. By this movement we were able to take all of the guns in the works above mentioned, and make a large portion of the force defending them our prisoners. When we halted at night it was understood that the next day's march would bring us to New Berne, and the men rejoiced accordingly. For the last two days the rations had been practically exhausted, and most of the men had nothing but hard tack to eat. Our foraging parties had cleared the country along the road of all food during our outward march, and now not even our quartermaster, Prouty, keen as he was. could scent out a single hidden store of bacon.
Surgeon Potter. in a private letter written immediately after the return of the expedition gives so vivid a picture of the impression the march made ou bien, that it will not bear a single elision or alter- ation :
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" The weather during the expedition was fair, except that the nights were pretty cold for . bivouacking.' Some mornings the ice would be half an inch thick, and for several days the ground did not thaw except in the sun during the middle of the day.
" It was the most splendid sight I ever saw to approach a biv- ouac from the rear of the column. The place selected for the night was always some extensive field. in which there would be hundreds of camp-fires made of the dry pitch-pine rails from the surrounding fences, the light from which shining on the clouds of smoke would make them clonds of glory. Besides the camp-fires. the country would frequently be on fire for iniles on all sides. set in some cases by the carelessness of the soldiers, and in others by the cavalry in order to deceive the enemy and mask our camp, to prevent them from throwing long range shells among us at night.
" It was a sorry-looking old country when we left it ; fires running all through the woods; fences burned ; houses, from which the in- habitants had fled, all . cleaned out'; cattle, hogs. poultry all taken, for we marched with ouly three days' rations of meat and depended on foraging for the rest ; sweet potatoes, too, and corn and corn fod- der for the horses. everything was taken, and how the poor devils are to live this winter is more than I know. They have felt the presence of war. and it will take years of hard labor to restore what we swept away in a few days, and yet we only did what an army must do that subsists on the country it travels through, or rather fights through. People that remained at home and minded their own business were uot molested, but had guards detailed to see that no one even stopped there. Well, those who dance must pay the fiddler. They have brought this war upon themselves and must expect to suffer from it."
A comrade in the battalion gives this account of the retrograde march from Goldsboro :
.. One night we bivouacked on a hill where we could see the camp- fires of the army spread out like a panorama before us. It was a grand sight. No pen or pencil could fully portray this scene. How cold it was that night. I laid down by a rail-fire and endeavored to snatch a few hours' sleep. In the morning when I awoke I found the water in a puddle near my head frozen over quite thick.
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" And now we were on the home stretch towards New Berne, and mighty glad we were to be so near our Canaan. We had marched so rapidly that we had no opportunity to perform the simplest ablu- tions, and with our smoke-begrimed features and ragged clothing, it is a question whether our own mothers would have recognized their offsprings. My shoes were giving out, and my clothing was in a demoralized condition generally, and I should not have made a very presentable appearance in polite society."
The following day we marched steadily, with the usual halts for rest, until in the middle of the afternoon, when General Stevenson sent word to the regimental commanders that they could either march to New Berne that night or camp where they were, and move in at their leisure the next day. The word was passed along the lines and the decision left to the men. They generally decided to march in that night and have done with it. But the choice of march- ing or not at their pleasure, together with their fatigue, soon caused many to drop out, and it was but a meagre skeleton of the Fifth Battalion that entered camp that night at about nine o'clock, har- ing covered some thirty miles in all that day. It was a pretty good march considering the fatigues the men had undergone during the past week. And so euded the expedition of which General Foster telegraphed to the general-in-chief of the armies that :
"My expedition was a perfect success. We burned the railroad bridges at Goldsboro and Mount Olive, and tore up several miles of the track of the Wilmington and Weldon railroad. We fought four en- gagements. namely: . Southwest Creek.' . Kinston,' Whitehall,' and . Goldsboro.' and whipped the enemy handsomely each time."
The following succinct report of Col. Thomas G. Stevenson, com- manding our brigade in the expedition, is worthy of insertion here. We give it in full :
Report of Col. Thomas G. Stevenson, commanding Second Brigade, of Engagements at Kinston, Whitehall ond Goldsboro Bridge, December 14, 16 and 17.
HDORS. SECOND BRIGADE, FIRST DIV., DEPT. OF N. C., NEW BERNE, N. C., Dec. 21, 1862.
Sin: I have the honor to report the following as the result of the part taken by the Second Brigade in the late expedition :
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Agrecably to orders from headquarters this brigade joined the column the morning of December 11th, on the Trent road, being third in posi- tion. Nothing of importance occurred until the morning of Sunday, December 14th, when within a few miles of Kinston the advance was at- tacked by the enemy in force. The Tenth Connecticut and Forty-fourth Massachusetts were ordered into position on right of road in support of battery ; the Fifth Rhode Island and Twenty-fourth Massachusetts on left of road to support Belger's battery. The Tenth Connecticut, Fifth Rhode Island, and Forty-fourth Massachusetts were then ordered for -. ward to the advance.
The Tenth Connecticut made a gallant charge, under a very galling fire, on the enemy, who were rapidly retreating over the bridge which had been set on fire. The Tenth Connectiont poured in a very destruct- ive fire, capturing a rebel stand of colors and a number of prisoners. By the exertions and gallant conduct of this regiment the bridge was saved, they being the first to cross. As soon as the fire on the bridge was put out, our forces crossed, the enemy retreating in all directions. No more resistance being offered, my brigade bivouacked on the outskirts of the town.
Next morning we recrossed the river, continuing the line of march to- wards Goldsboro.
On the morning of December 16th, the enemy made another stand at Whitehall, occupying a strong position on the other side of the river, having burned the bridge. The Forty-fourth Massachusetts and Tenth Connecticut were ordered into position on the banks of the river, on the left of the road, leading to the bridge. Belger's battery was then ordered to shell the woods, the enemy's sharpshooters being so completely con- cealed that the fire of our infantry had but little effect. The line of march was then taken up toward Goldsboro, the Fifth Rhode Island and a few sharpshooters of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts being left behind to engage the rebel sharpshooters till the rear of the column had passed.
At noon on the 17th, arrived at railroad bridge over the Neuse River. Captain Belger's battery was ordered to the front, and did signal service in repelling the charges of the enemy. I formed my brigade in line of battle on the left of the road. The enemy having been defeated. I was or- dered to take up the line of march toward New Berne; had got but a few miles when I received orders to countermarch and support a piece of ar- tillery on the Everettsville road, where I remained about an hour. I received orders to march on once more toward New Berne, arriving here last evening (December 20).
I cannot close this report without referring as I do with gratitude to the manner in which Col. F. L. Lee, commanding the Forty-fourth Regi- ment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia : Lieat .- Col. R. Leggett, com- manding the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers; Maj. R. U. Stevenson,
£
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commanding the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers; Captain Arnold, commanding the Fifth Rhode Island Volunteers, and Captain Belger, commanding the Rhode Island battery (which was attached to my brigade for the occasion). have seconded all my efforts throughout the whole expedition. Their prompt and efficient action has facilitated every movement which has been undertaken.
The valuable services of the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers at Kinston, as of Captain Belger's Battery at Whitehall and at Everettsville, were not rendered, I regret to say, without heavy loss, as indicated by the list of killed and wounded, which I transmit.
Thos. G. STEVENSON, Colonel Commanding Second Brigade, First Division. Maj. SOUTHARD HOFFMAN, Assistant Adjutant-General.
The Goldsboro Expedition had become matter for history and the men had almost ceased talking over the many incidents connected with it, when the following pleasant reminder that their deeds had not been forgotten at department headquarters was duly published :
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