When the 17th arrived in Baltimore they found the people of that city nearly all 'secesh' in sentiment, and seeming only constrained from rising by the presence in, and passage through, the city, of large numbers of troops. It will then be readily inferred that the men of this regiment had no very enviable task to perform in endeavoring to keep the peace and making these disaffected people see the evil of their ways. In doing this, however, they were not fools enough to use moral suasion alone—that would be casting pearls before swine—No; they used arguments that were far more convincing, such as street drills, practicing at street firing, &c., all of which turned the hate of the 'secesh' citizens into fear—and, finally, their fear became a feeling of respect. What if the men were insulted every time they walked the streets—the women (who were the most outspoken) at length became weary of abusing them, and the men who attempted to insult them never tried that game a second time; for they found in the men of this regiment a spirit that would brook no abuse—an indomitable, dare-devil disposition that met them half way with a bowie knife as long and as keen as their own, and a pistol as deadly. Thus they fought their way to respect, and this latter feeling ripened into affection, which is shown by the fact that when the regiment was about to sail for North Carolina, the ladies of Baltimore presented it with a magnificent silk flag, upon which was painted a fine portrait of Washington.
On the 27th of March, '62, the regiment embarked at Baltimore for Newbern, North Carolina, which place they reached on the 1st of April, and encamped on a field to the west of the city,—near where Fort Totten now stands, and which was then in process of construction. On the 7th of April the regiment was ordered out on picket duty—the left wing to Jackson's place on the Trent road, and the right wing to a place called the Red House on the Neuse road, relieving the 24th and 27th Mass. regt's. The regiment remained on picket until the 30th May, during which time they had frequent skirmishes with the enemy, and made several raids and forays into the enemy's country. Shortly after the regiment went to Jackson's place, a few companies made a dash about nine miles up the Trent road to a church, where they had a smart brush with the 'rebs,' two of whom were killed and one wounded, and one taken prisoner. It was here that one of those ludicrous incidents occurred which often serve to relieve the dark outline of war's grim visage. When the enemy were come up with, and firing became frequent, Lt. Col. Fellows ordered the men to open right and left to let the artillery pass to the front. One of the captains, mistaking the full purport of the order, and thinking the ranks were to be opened to allow the rebels a fair field and an open road to come into close quarters with his men, sang out:
"Open right and left, and let the d—d scallywags through!"
Captain Weir, of Co. I, with his command, and as many volunteers as wished to accompany them, made a raid to Pollockville to capture cotton, and anything else that might prove of value to the "rebs" in their belligerent character. Now, as this was not the first time Tom Weir (as he was familiarly called) had invaded the sanctity of that village, the rebs had a special eye to his movements, and lay in wait for him.
He had a mule team loaded with cotton, corn and other plunder preceding him on his return, which the rebs in ambush allowed to pass; but just as the company got opposite to where they were concealed, they poured in a volley which killed three and wounded the same number—and put the men into such a panic that they fled. The captain stood, and endeavored to rally them, but to no purpose, and he had to follow and leave those who had fallen to their fate (which was being stripped of arms, equipments, clothes, and whatever valuables they had upon them), until rescued by the reinforcement which came up promptly—to find the rebels flown. For this Captain Weir was court-martialed, and dismissed the service—a sentence which was universally condemned by the men, who considered him a brave officer, having done all a man could do under the circumstances.
Captain Lloyd of Company H, next tried his hand in Pollocksville, but lost three men by the upsetting of a boat in the Trent river on his outward march. He, however, took some plunder and two prisoners.
The results of all these scouts and forays were the capture of several thousand dollars' worth of cotton, corn, cattle, hens, &c., (there must have been foul play somewhere).
The regiment returned to Newbern on the 30th of May, and on the 26th of June were ordered to Swift Creek—upon approaching the bridge leading across which they were fired upon by the rebels (without sustaining any damage) who had a battery masked by a breastwork or fort of shingles. The 17th charged across the bridge in fine style (the bridge was a lightly built one, and swayed and shook under the combined weight of 600 men in such a manner as to lead to the belief that it would break down, but it didn't); but upon crossing they found the enemy had flown. Three companies went up the road in pursuit some distance, but the 'rebs' were nowhere to be found. They halted near a dwelling house, when some of the men went into an adjoining negro hut, where a pot of meat and cabbage was in process of being cooked, which they proceeded to confiscate; but just as they had commenced their feast an officer came up and drove them off, saying:
"Dum thee, did thee coom here to ploonder."
At the same time, it was asserted, though I don't believe it, that the officer who thus drove them from the feast had his pockets filled with sweet potatoes and other "ploonder." Three prisoners were taken. One of them a lad about 16 years old, was thus interrogated by the Major: