NORTH CAROLINA AT THE CLOSE OF 1862.
Notwithstanding the brilliant victories by the army and navy of the Union in the early part of this year over the Confederate forces in North Carolina, but little, if any impression had been made on the stern spirit of opposition and defiance which was here as everywhere else manifested by the leaders of the rebellion.
The brave and indomitable army led by Burnside, and the no less valiant and victorious naval forces under Commodore Goldsborough, had unitedly subdued and captured all the defensible positions on the coast; and the capture of Roanoke Island and the Confederate navy in those waters, had opened the Albemarle sound and its tributaries to the unmolested passage of the Federal fleet, and placed Newbern, Edenton, Winton, Beaufort, Elizabeth city, and many other towns in possession of the Union forces.
The magnitude of the operations on the Peninsula of Virginia, at a later period of the year, overshadowed these earlier movements, which were only designed as supplementary by the Federal government. The military operations for the remainder of the year were not therefore of a character demanding an extended notice in this history.
Colonel Vance was elected Governor of the State in August by a large majority; and in his message in November, urged a vigorous prosecution of the war. In this he was seconded by the Legislature, who by resolution declared the separation of the State from the Federal Union as final, and pledged all the power and resources of the commonwealth to maintain the Confederate government.
As an important part of the State had now come under Federal control by conquest, the authorities at Washington determined to appoint a Provisional or military Governor, as had previously been done in Tennessee by the appointment of Andrew Johnson.
Edward Stanley, formerly a distinguished citizen of North Carolina, was tendered that office by President Lincoln, and accepted the trust. He arrived at Newbern on the 26th of May, and entered upon his duties. On the 17th of June he made an address to the people of Washington, N. C., which citizens from all parts of the State were permitted to pass through the Federal lines to attend. Men were present from seventeen counties to hear him; but the result showed that so long as the Confederate Government retained its organization and power, the citizens were powerless, and dare not oppose it.
Governor Stanley endeavored by wise and conciliatory measures to win the confidence of the people, and thus restore peace to the State. To that end he proposed a conference with Governor Vance; but that functionary refused to meet him, and referred Stanley to the Confederate Government at Richmond.
Thousands of slaves flocked within the Federal lines, five thousand having collected in Newbern alone within three months after its occupation by the Union army.
Simultaneous with the campaign against Richmond undertaken by General Burnside, efforts were made to cut the rebel lines of communication between Richmond and the southwestern states. There are three lines of railroad running south and southwest. One running southwest, passes through southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama, and connects with roads to western Tennessee, and to New Orleans. A southerly line connects Richmond with Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, and parts of Alabama; while another southerly line passes through North and South Carolina. By cutting the former of these roads at Cumberland Gap, reinforcements and supplies could not be brought from the southwest for General Lee; neither could Lee aid General Bragg’s army at Murfreesboro’. By cutting the second the most direct communication between Richmond and the principal cities of the Confederate States was destroyed.
When General Rosecrans was preparing to move from Nashville to attack the Confederate army at Murfreesboro’, an expedition was sent into East Tennessee to destroy the railroad, and so prevent reinforcements from Richmond from reaching General Bragg. General Carter with a force of one thousand cavalry left London in Kentucky, December 21st, and entering Virginia between Cumberland Gap and Pound Gap, advanced within six miles of Bristol, burned the bridges across the Halston and Wataugo rivers, and took up portions of the track, destroying the rails for a distance of one hundred miles, almost to Jonesboro’. They captured five hundred prisoners, seven hundred stand of arms, and a large amount of stores. They reached Manchester, Kentucky, on the 6th of January, having lost only ten men in their hazardous but successful enterprise.
The expedition against the second line of railroads was undertaken in North Carolina, and forms the only subsequent military movement of importance in addition to those hitherto described in the department during the year. It was a march against Goldsborough and the destruction of the railroad at that place, which is the line connecting Charleston and Savannah with Richmond.
General J. G. Foster, who commanded the department after the departure of General Burnside, took charge of the expedition.
The force consisted of four brigades under Colonels Wessels, Amory, Stevenson and Lee; the Third New York and First Rhode Island batteries; also sections of the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth New York Independent batteries, and the Third New York cavalry. It left Newbern on the morning of December 11, and moved on the Kingston road fourteen miles. Some parts of the road were obstructed by felled trees. On the next morning it advanced to the Vine Swamp road, having some sharp skirmishing with a small Confederate force. At this point three companies of cavalry were sent up the Kingston road as a demonstration, and the main force took the Vine Swamp road, thereby avoiding the obstructions and the Confederate forces. It was delayed to build the bridge over Beaver creek, where the Fifty-first Massachusetts and a section of artillery were left to hold it, and support the cavalry on the main road, and halted at a distance of four miles.
The next morning the main column advanced, turning to the left, and leaving the road it was upon to the right. At the intersection the Forty-sixth Massachusetts and a section of a battery were left as a feint and to hold the position.
On reaching Southwest creek a Confederate force was found posted on the opposite bank, about four hundred strong, and with three pieces of artillery. The creek was not fordable, and ran at the foot of a deep ravine. Under the protection of a battery the Ninth New Jersey effected a passage and formed on the opposite bank, where it was afterward supported by the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania. This caused the Confederate force to retire with some skirmishing.
On the next day an advance upon Kinston was made, and the Confederate force found posted in a strong position about one mile from the place. An attack was at once made with the Ninth New Jersey in advance, and the position taken. The Confederate force retired across the Neuse river, with a loss of four hundred prisoners. On crossing, the bridge was set on fire, but soon extinguished by the advance of General Foster. The bridge was immediately repaired, and the column crossed, and occupied the town of Kinston. With constant skirmishing, the force of General Foster continued to advance until the 17th, when it reached Goldsborough. Here it burned two trestle-work culverts, destroyed a train of four railroad cars, water station, depot, etc., and some small arms which it was unable to carry off. After destroying other bridges, and capturing some small positions that had been occupied by a Confederate force, the expedition successfully returned to Newbern.
These expeditions, although successful, secured no important advantages, as the great movement on Richmond had, in the mean time, been suspended. They were useful reconnoissances, and the former may have delayed the arrival of reinforcements from General Lee to General Bragg before the battle of Murfreesbero’.
On the 6th of September a body of Confederate troops surprised the garrison at Washington in the department of North Carolina. A vigorous resistance was made, and the attacking party was repulsed with a loss of thirty-three killed, and nearly one hundred wounded. The Federal loss was eight killed, and thirty-three wounded.
BATTLE OF POCOTALICO BRIDGE, S. C.
October 23, 1862.
A severe engagement occurred on this day in the Department of the South, where the military operations of the year, not previously detailed, had been unimportant. General Mitchel, the renowned man of science and brilliant commander, whose untimely death at a short subsequent period, filled the whole country with sorrow, was at that time commander of the department. An expedition was sent out from Port Royal to destroy the trestle work bridges of the Charleston and Savannah railroad across the Pocotalico, Tullifinny, and Coosawhatchie, tributaries of the Broad river, and to make a reconnoissance of these streams. The expedition was under the command of Generals Brannan and Terry. The main body of the troops was landed at Mackey’s Point, about fifteen miles from the railroad, and marched seven miles inland, where the Confederates were met in force. After a sharp fight of an hour they retired to a point two miles distant, and made a second stand. From this point they again fell back to the village of Pocotalico, and having burned the long bridge across the stream, they were inaccessible.
Meanwhile Colonel Barton, with three hundred and fifty men, penetrated to the railroad at Coosawhatchie, and destroyed some of the rails, cut the telegraph wires, and fired upon a train containing troops. The engagement by the main force was severe, and the Federal loss was thirty-two killed, and one hundred and eighty wounded. The Union force retired on the next day, having failed in the object of the expedition, except the reconnoissance.
BATTLE OF BATON ROUGE, LA.
August 5, 1862.
Another important engagement took place on the above date, which our general plan will not permit us to engross in its historical connection. On the 5th of August an attack was made on Baton Rouge, in the Department of the Gulf, which was under the government of General Butler. The Federal force at this city was under command of Brigadier-General Williams. The Confederate army making the attack was under the command of General John C. Breckinridge. The contest was sharp and bloody, and the attack was successfully repulsed. The Federal loss was ninety killed, and two hundred and fifty wounded. Among the killed was General Williams. Three hundred of the Confederates were reported to have been killed and buried by the force of General Williams. The city was subsequently evacuated on August 16, by command of General Butler.
General Williams was a graduate of West Point, and an officer of great merit and promise. He was a native of Connecticut, but received his appointment in the army from Michigan.