“On the 10th of December at 5.30 A. M., a most beautiful moonlight morning, an alarm was sounded by the picket, and soon we heard the patrol calling, ‘The rebels are coming.’ Lieutenant Eaton was off duty sick; so Captain Ewer ordered me to go to company headquarters and get the men in line, while he visited the other companies and notified the gunboat. I was quickly at the quarters of the company and found the men already in line in charge of Sergeant Wilkey. We waited in this position, hearing nothing more of the rebels. Presently Captain Ewer came to the company and asked if anything new had occurred; I told him everything was as quiet as death. At this point it is well to state that the evening before all the gunboats save one, which had just arrived and was a very large one with a full complement of men and a very heavy armament, had gone down the river to coal. In a few minutes Captain Ewer ordered me to take an escort and visit a picket about half a mile from where we were, and on a road parallel to the one where the alarm had been given, and see if anything could be heard of the cause of the alarm. Calling for volunteers, Corporal Mendell, Albert Wilcox, and Elisha Dexter came forward. We visited the picket named, and could learn only that a sound of moving wagons had been heard some time previous, but as nothing further had been heard the noise must have been made by wagons going up the country outside of our lines. As we started to return to the company, we heard the rebels coming down the road at the foot of which Company I was posted. This force of the enemy was composed of the Sixteenth Regiment of North Carolina Infantry with two pieces of artillery, and one hundred and five cavalrymen under Colonel Lamb. The cavalry charged on Company I, yelling like demons. As they were about to strike the company, Sergeant Wilkey ordered the men to make a half wheel to the right and fire. This was done and they retired to the Custom House. Before the company had time to start, the cavalry had run across the line, taken fourteen prisoners, and wounded a number of others. On reaching the Custom House the balance of the garrison were found already there. Up to this time the gunboat had done nothing. The enemy located one piece of artillery on the bank of the river and opened fire on her. The first shot went through her smokestack and the second into her steam chest; when the cry came that her boiler had burst, upon which her captain ordered her cable slipped, and she was soon drifting down the river, meanwhile firing into the town as she slowly drifted away. On reaching the Custom House our men at once occupied the windows, and when the cavalry attempted to pass a little later, they found it too hot for them and retired. The rebel infantry on entering the village, picketed each cross street to prevent anyone escaping, and also set fire to the houses. A piece of artillery located on a rise of ground where it had the range of the Custom House, sent nine shots into the upper corner, one which fatally wounded young Francis Stoddard. At this time the rebels suddenly retreated. In this action the company lost two men killed, Sullivan and Stoddard, several wounded, fourteen taken prisoners; a number of citizens were drowned or killed.
“After this we had a quiet time, engaged in picket and guard duty, but somewhat apprehensive of a visit from a ram, christened by the boys “Roanoke Sheep,” that we knew was only a few miles up the river waiting for a chance to visit us. This ram did come down later, clearing all before it until Lieutenant Cushing succeeded in blowing it up.
“We had a large number of contrabands, horses and mules to look after, and as Captain Ewer did not feel authorized to feed them with government rations we did considerable foraging outside the lines. Three foraging expeditions fell to my lot to conduct. One of these occasions is worth relating. We started early in the morning with a number of wagons and volunteers from Company I to go several miles outside of our lines to a barn where there was a large lot of corn that we wanted. After we had proceeded some distance beyond the picket line we saw a man coming on the run waving his hands and acting very much excited. We halted until he reached us and gave us the information that the rebels were at the barn where we were going, and were loading up the corn to carry up the country, and that the best thing for us to do was to go back to camp. After carefully considering the matter, we concluded to go on and see what we could discover. On reaching the vicinity of the barn we dismounted and so arranged the men as to surround the premises, and if possible capture all hands. Our attempt proved a grand success. We took some thirteen wagons of all descriptions, with all hands connected with them. After finishing the loading of the captured wagons and our own, we started on our return. While still outside our picket line, we saw a body of horsemen coming on the gallop toward us. We halted, and formed our wagons and men in the best shape we could to care for ourselves. They proved, however, to be a body of our own cavalry who were coming to look for us. The contraband whom we had met earlier in the day had worked his way into the town and told his story to Captain Ewer, and he had become anxious about us. We soon formed line again and took up our camp campwards. After entering within the lines we met the infantry coming out to see where we were: these so increased our numbers that when we reached Plymouth we had a large column of cavalry, infantry, rebels, with our train of wagons, and as we passed headquarters received a royal welcome from the men from the gunboats and citizens who were gathered on the street.
“One other expedition we will mention, caused by our guide, a man named Giles, having been shot while he and Corporal Mendell were entering the gate leading to the guide’s house. Giles was a native and his home was outside our lines. Corporal Mendell reported the incident to Captain Ewer, and it was not known for a certainty whether or not the guide was dead. I was ordered to take a boat and crew from Company I, in which were a number of sailors, and visit the home of the guide to render him any needed aid and bring him to town if possible. We started early in the morning, were all day until ten o’clock at night. On reaching the house we found the guide dead, and that there was nothing we could do.
“In these ways we spent our time until one day in March we saw a steamer coming up the river carrying a general’s flag at the fore. When the boat was made fast Company I was ordered to get ready to go somewhere, we did not know where. It seems, however, that General Palmer wanted to visit some of the outposts. One of these was Edenton, and the men were allowed here to go ashore. On returning to the steamer, some of the citizens reported to the general that some silver was missing. The company was ordered to fall in line on the wharf; knapsacks were unslung and carefully inspected, but no silver was found. On swinging off, the steamer headed for Elizabeth City. Here the company disembarked and spent about two months in garrison duties, similar to those performed at Plymouth. The major of the Eighth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia had command of the post. Foraging became a part of our duty. One expedition in this line is worthy of mention, showing how the innocent may suffer imposition. We started one day under command of an officer of some North Carolina troops. The expedition was made up of a detail from the Eighth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and Company I. We were absent two days and a night, and the object was to procure rations as our commissary was getting short. We were successful in finding corn, bacon, and some very nice hams. These last were found by Company I. As we were about to go ashore on our return, we noticed that the men of the Eighth Regiment had on their overcoats, but in our innocence thought it not strange, presuming they thought that the better way of carrying them. The next day when we applied to the commissary for a share of the hams, he informed us that none were turned in. It seems that the men with overcoats had carried them away under their capes.
“We formed a part of an expedition sent one day to break up a camp of guerillas, located some distance up the Dismal Swamp canal. We used a little noisy steamer which gave a decided notice of our coming, and, as might be expected, the guerillas took the hint and left. All we could do was to burn the camp, which we did, and then returned in safety.
“After about five months of garrison duty in Plymouth and Elizabeth City, Company I was ordered to report at Newbern, when its services became again a part of the regimental history.”
Corrected Roster of Company I, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
[Written by Corporal James F. Tripp and Comrade Henry P. Crowell.]