As soon as Captain Cole had crossed the bridge, following the New Jersey Ninth, he was ordered forward by Colonel Heckmann, and his company directed to act as scouts to find the position of the enemy. They had proceeded about eighty or one hundred rods beyond the pickets of the Ninth when the advance guard of Company K was fired upon by a concealed body of the enemy, and Private Chapman wounded in the thigh. Captain Cole then halted, and Colonel Heckmann ordered a part of the Ninth New Jersey forward to skirmish through the woods. The enemy were found in the edge of the woods when a lively fire commenced between our skirmishers and the foe. The entire Ninth was then ordered forward, and the rebels commenced firing sharply from a battery of three howitzers, with grape and canister. A section of two pieces of Schenck's battery was now ordered up, and returned the enemy's grape and canister with twelve-pound shells. The gallant Jerseymen kept advancing steadily upon the enemy, committing great havoc in their ranks by their unerring aim, until finally the rebels were driven from the woods, and obliged to fall back about half a mile to an open field, skirted by woods. The fight ended about dark, when our advance guard encamped upon the scene of battle. It is a singular fact, notwithstanding the conspicuous part taken and gallantry displayed in this skirmish by the Ninth New Jersey in their advancing movements, but one man was wounded in the whole regiment. But they suffered subsequently. The number of the enemy killed and wounded is unknown, but supposed to be heavy.
The advance laid upon the field all night without molestation. On the following morning (Sunday), about 7.30, the first gun was fired upon the enemy by one of Captain Cole's pickets, and the report spread that the rebels were approaching in force. Colonel Heckmann had the brigade of which he is acting-commander immediately drawn up in line of battle, with the intrepid Ninth still in the advance. After waiting about half an hour, and finding the enemy did not approach, the Ninth was ordered forward, with skirmishers to the right and left, the main body being in the Kinston road. They were then within about three miles from Kinston, and while moving were occasionally saluted with a shot from the enemy's skirmishers. In a short time the firing became more general, and as the Jerseymen went on, closely followed by the brave boys of Company K of the Third New York Cavalry, they returned the fire briskly. After reaching a point bordering on a piece of woods, the rebels commenced firing artillery, nearly raking the road on which our troops were advancing. They then fired to the right and left, to prevent a flank movement, which was attempted by Colonel Heckmann. The fight began now in earnest, and as our infantry and artillery were ordered up, regiment by regiment. General Wessell rode forward, immediately followed by General Foster; and while the fighting in front was going on, the manœuvering of our forces so as to outflank the enemy was begun. General Foster ordered Colonel Heckmann to take his brigade to the right, by the river road, and attack the enemy on their left flank; the artillery, consisting of the Third New York Artillery, Belger's Rhode Island battery, Schenck's battery, and two or three others, closely following the infantry. After getting into position a terrible fire was opened upon the enemy from the front and flank. This was withstood with great fortitude and bravery by the enemy for about four hours, when a dashing charge, made by several of our regiments, caused the rebels to break and retreat in confusion across the bridge, over the Neuse, clear to and through the village of Kinston and beyond. Some places they crossed in their flight up the river, to the left, the water was so deep that it reached the bellies of our cavalry horses while in pursuit. The Neuse River bridge had been saturated with turpentine in places, and as the enemy retired in their great haste they imperfectly set fire to it; but the fire was easily extinguished by the aid of the artillery buckets, used for watering the horses. It was here we met our saddest loss, almost, as it were, by accident. Colonel Gray of the Ninety-sixth New York was at work with his regiment, endeavoring to put out the fire, when a loaded musket, thrown away by a flying rebel, caught fire and exploded, the charge entering the body of the Colonel, and inflicting a wound which caused instant death. His body was brought to New Berne by Company K, and will be sent to New York.
The bridge was soon in condition to permit the infantry to cross with perfect safety, our artillery having in the meantime opened from the bridge upon the enemy, who had been rallied and was again formed in line of battle about a mile beyond the village of Kinston. The enemy made no reply but with artillery, but fell back behind a high hill out of sight. About 2 p. m. General Foster ordered troops to enter the town, when it was occupied, and three brigades sent about two miles beyond. Seven or eight houses were burned in Kinston, some say by accident and some by design, after our men got in. The rebels burned a great amount of corn and cotton before leaving the place. The Ninth New Jersey, taking the advance again, forced the rebels from behind the hill where they had made a stand, to a point about three miles from Kinston, when the troops encamped for the night (Sunday).
After reaching the town, Captain Cole of Company K, Third New York Cavalry, was ordered to proceed down the river to the blockade, and where a battery had been erected to play upon our gunboats if they attempted to ascend the river. Captain Cole, on arriving at the place—a sort of half circular fort, with breastworks a mile and a half long—ascertained from a negro that the rebels had moved six brass pieces about six hours before he reached there; that they had more guns there, and that a guard had been left to protect them until they could be secured, the rebels not having enough horses to get them all away. Captain Cole attempted to surround the fort and capture what there was remaining in it, when the guard discovered his force and decamped for the woods without firing a shot. Company K charged on the fort and took possession thereof, capturing everything in it. The armament remaining was found to consist of seven guns, including one eight-inch columbiad, two thirty-two-pounder iron guns, and four six-pounder iron guns. The four latter were found to be loaded, primed and ready to be fired; but the brisk movements of Captain Cole and his daring company prevented the execution of the latter deadly operation. Company K and its commander have been highly complimented by the commanding General for their gallantry on this occasion. A small amount of provisions, clothing, etc., was found in the fort, which was left. The four six-pounders were brought away; the columbiad and the thirty-twos, being too heavy to be removed, were spiked and the carriages burned. Captain Cole reached Kinston about midnight with the trophies. The next morning about 5 o'clock he received orders from General Foster to return to New Berne with seven pieces—two brass and five iron—captured with other trophies. The two brass pieces were the same captured from us at Little Washington about three months ago. Captain Cole also brings the remains of Colonel Gray, of the Ninety-sixth New York, killed on Neuse bridge. On his way down Captain Cole captured eight rebels and brought them into New Berne. Three belonged to South Carolina and four to Georgia.
The New Jersey Ninth captured the regimental flag of a South Carolina regiment before crossing the Neuse bridge, and carry it as a trophy of their gallantry.
Most of the 500 rebels captured and paroled by General Foster belonged to South Carolina and Georgia.
The conduct of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment is spoken of in the highest terms. They, with the New Jersey Ninth, were particularly distinguished for their bravery, and suffered the most.