The bugle sounded very early and the command recrossed the bridge and resumed the march towards Goldsboro. An old colored woman standing by the roadside raised her hands as we were passing and shouted, “You honeys of Lincoln’s army need fear nothing from nobody between here and Richmond! De good Lawd bless you all!”
At Whitehall we again encountered the Confederate forces, which General Foster handsomely outwitted. He gave them the impression that his whole force was engaged, while the fact was that only a few regiments with nearly all his batteries were in action; the bulk of the command were pushing on toward Goldsboro. Failing to find any way for the infantry to cross the river and burn the gunboat in the process of building, orders were given for all the batteries to concentrate their fire on the gunboat, which was soon destroyed. A few men were left to keep up the impression that it was General Foster’s purpose to cross the river, the main army marching rapidly on toward Goldsboro.
At Everettsville we again came upon the rebel pickets, who fled without firing a gun. Shells from our battery hastened their retreat toward the railroad bridge. This they crossed and joined the main force, which so far as we could learn were in the woods near the railroad. After shelling the woods for nearly three hours, the Third Regiment was ordered to take position near the Wilmington railroad and parallel with it. Here it remained until a railroad monitor was destroyed by our batteries and the railroad bridge burned; then we were ordered to stack arms and proceed to tear up the track and burn the ties. This order was executed with such vigor that in less than one hour three miles of ties were on fire. Had the rebels not lost their heads they could have captured the Third Regiment, for it was without arms. As it was, Captain Marble, of Company A, barely escaped being captured by a rebel picket post in the woods, not a hundred yards from the railroad.
After executing its orders the regiment was ordered to its arms and marched back over the hill. While here it was reported that the enemy was advancing with a flag of truce and a company of cavalry went to receive it. Judge our surprise when it was fired upon by a rebel brigade, ambushed on the opposite side of the railroad. Immediately the brigade crossed the railroad and charged on Morrison’s and Belger’s batteries. At this time the writer was standing near Captain Belger and heard that officer say, “There they come, now we will have some fun,” and, without waiting for orders from General Lee, the commander of the only brigade then on the field (the so-called rear guard), Captain Belger gave the order, “Action front, double shotted canister! Load! Aim! Fire!” At this time the enemy were within two hundred yards of his guns and the Third Regiment was supporting this and Morrison’s Battery, with their two batteries firing upon the advancing brigade. I need not say that they were long in wiping it out. Two other brigades which charged on the left centre of our brigade were soon driven back in disorder.
It is supposed that seeing Morrison’s and Belger’s batteries still on the field, they thought it a fine thing to capture those two popular batteries; it being quite dark they did not notice that these batteries were supported by infantry. Moreover, they had opened a mill gate, which created a torrent through which the batteries must pass in going from the field, but they were too badly punished to follow out their plans. When the Third came to the stream they found it a roaring torrent; yet through the icy cold water they went, and when the whole brigade with the batteries were over, we were only too glad to be told that we would have to march ten miles before bivouacking for the night. At nine o’clock we reached the main army and laid down in our frozen clothes until the following morning, when we began our march toward Newbern. We reached Newbern without molestation on the twenty-first day of December, having been absent eleven days, and having marched over one hundred and fifty miles.
In the engagements had the only casualties suffered by the Third as reported, were six wounded. By special order of General Foster the names of “Kinston,” “Whitehall,” and “Goldsboro” were inscribed upon the regimental flag.
December 30th the Third Regiment was attached to General Heckman’s brigade in anticipation of going further south, but when inspected by Captain Abel, of General Heckman’s staff, the arms were found to be of such poor quality that they were for the second time condemned, and failing to get them replaced by good arms, General Heckman sent the following communication to Colonel Richmond:
To Colonel S. P. Richmond, Commanding Third Regiment, M. V. M., Headquarters First Brigade, Nagle’s Division, Newbern, N. C., Jan. 12, 1863.
Colonel: In the report of my Assistant Adjutant-General who inspected your regiment last muster, the arms you now have were condemned. I have made every effort since to have the arms changed to retain you in my brigade, but time would not permit and another regiment has been assigned.