The company went into its old quarters at Camp Richmond, and the regular routine of camp duty commenced. The trunks and knapsacks were again returned by the wagoners, and the company were housekeeping comfortably once more. Nothing of great interest occurred until early in the year of 1863, the company in the meantime participating with the regiment in two or three marches into the enemy’s country, but with no apparent results. In the late winter or early spring of 1863 the enemy made a reconnoissance in force along the whole line of the department, and seemed determined to make an assault upon Newbern from the left flank of the Neuse River and directly opposite of the town, but they were held at bay by a comparatively small force, when, with the assistance of the gunboats, they were compelled to retire. A strong demonstration was made upon the lines immediately in front of Newbern, strong reinforcements, among whom were the Third Regiment with Company D attached, were hurried to the front, remaining under arms all night, and momentarily expecting an attack, but no assault came and the enemy withdrew. They seemed more determined upon the extreme right of the lines of the department, as they erected batteries upon the river bluff opposite the town of Little Washington, thus cutting off communication with the troops occupying that position, and the rest of the department, also holding the general commanding the department at the time the enemy closed the river. To relieve this condition of affairs, a column was formed of all the available troops then in Newbern, among whom was the regiment to which Company D was attached, and an attempt was made to reach the rear of the enemy’s position in front of Little Washington by way of a road crossing Blount’s Creek in the rear of the position held by the enemy; but the attempt failed, although the artillery attached to the column and the right of the brigade to which the company was attached, were actively engaged with the enemy perhaps for a half hour. Yet, for some unexplained reason, the order was given to retreat on Newbern, which the column reached without molestation by the enemy, and the troops in a dispirited frame of mind, as they could not understand the grand strategy exhibited upon this expedition.
About this time a number of regiments returned to the department from South Carolina, where they had been sent some months before to re-enforce General Hunter in his operations against the rebel position in and about Fort Sumter and the approaches to Charleston. About the time that these troops returned to the department General Foster bravely succeeded in running the blockade at Little Washington, and suddenly appeared at Newbern. Affairs quickly assumed a different aspect. He immediately organized two expeditions, one to reach the rear of the rebel position that was besieging Little Washington, the other to make a demonstration on Kinston. Company D was attached to the latter column, and with the rest of the troops was transported by train to Batchelder’s Creek, the extreme front line of the department. The company remained here a few days, and with the rest of the regiment and other troops, made threatening demonstrations upon the enemy’s position in front of Kinston. No decisive action was had, but the demonstrations there and at Little Washington had the effect of raising the siege of that place, and the enemy retreated from his threatening positions before the whole line, and quiet reigned again.
In the early spring an order was received by the commanding officer of Company D from regimental headquarters to report to General Wessels, then in temporary command of the department, for instruction in some special duty. The officer so ordered immediately reported, and, in the interview with the general, the officer was told that information had been received that the enemy were preparing to erect fortifications at a locality some twelve or fourteen miles below Newbern, on the northerly bank of the Neuse river, and known as Wilkinson’s Point, for the purpose of blockading the river, thus closing this very important line of water communication by which the department received a very large part of its supplies of all kinds. He then gave the following order, “You will take with yourself your first lieutenant, two or three non-commissioned officers and fifty privates; see that they are provided with three days’ cooked rations in their haversacks and forty rounds of ammunition in their cartridge boxes. You will leave camp at five o’clock in the morning, march to the government wharf in the rear of general headquarters and go on board a steamer which you will find awaiting you there. A topographical engineer will be taken on board from the surveying steamer lying in the stream; you will then proceed down the river, being convoyed by one of the gunboats, the commanding officer of which has been given his instructions. Arriving near the point, your steamer will come to anchor, and you will observe closely whether signs of the enemy can be seen from the steamer; if there are indications that the enemy are in force then the gunboat will shell the place vigorously to drive them back from the point, when you will land your command under cover of the fire of the gunboat, and make a thorough inspection of the work that has been done by the enemy, and effectually destroy any fortifications that may have been begun. The engineer will land with you and make such plans and drawings as he may think proper. If upon your arrival at the point no signs of the enemy are apparent, you will land half of your command and endeavor to ascertain whether any unusual number of people, either soldiers or civilians, have visited or made surveys of the point; thoroughly examine the location one or two miles back from the point and upon either side of it, and make report to these headquarters through your regimental commander.”
The officer, after receiving these instructions, was dismissed by the general with the significant remark that “this duty may be a pleasant excursion, or it may prove to be a very serious matter. Let us hope that it will turn out to be the former.”
The captain immediately returned to the regimental camp and the detachment was fully prepared that night. It was off bright and early the next morning; the point was reached in due time, but no signs of the enemy were seen. A detail of twenty-five men and sergeants, under the command of Lieutenant McFarland, was landed from the steamer and spent several hours seeking for knowledge of the enemy, but none was obtained and the detail was re-embarked and the steamer and detachment returned to Newbern the same day, the detail reaching camp about dusk, much pleased with this pleasant tour of duty.
Sometime in the month of May Company D with E and F companies was detailed for a tour of two weeks’ picket duty at Deep Gully, at the extreme front of this department. Nothing of moment occurred during the time occupied in this duty. At the expiration of two weeks the detail returned to camp at Newbern.
The term of service was now drawing near its close. Quite naturally the members of the company were impatient to return to the dear friends at home. In due time the order came to break camp and proceed to Boston. All camp and garrison equipage was collected and turned over to an officer detailed from general headquarters to receive it. All articles belonging to the company not otherwise needed was distributed to the comrades of other regiments in the department.
Early in June the regiment paraded in heavy marching order and marched out of the camp, where, upon the whole, so many pleasant days had been passed, and lasting friendships had been formed. The regiment marched through the town and gayly gave a marching salute to the brigade commander as it passed his headquarters. The colonel, staff, colors and right wing of the regiment marched to the railroad station in Newbern and was transported to Morehead City, thence took the steamer S. R. Spaulding to Boston. The left wing, to which Company D was attached, proceeded to the wharf in rear of general headquarters and went on board the steamer Tillie and sailed down the river to Hatteras Inlet, remaining inside the bar until the following morning, then proceeded to sea and reached Boston in due time. Escorted by the Forty-fourth Regiment, the Third marched to the Old Colony railway station, saluting the Governor of the Commonwealth when passing the State House. Company D with the rest of the regiment was furloughed for one week with orders to report at Camp Joe Hooker, Lakeville, at that time, there to be mustered out of the United States service. Companies C and D were transported to Fall River, where a very cordial reception awaited them by the city government. Upon the expiration of the furlough the company returned to Camp Joe Hooker, and, on June 26, 1863, was mustered out of service and returned to their several homes; and it is to be believed none regretted the duty which he had been able to perform for the country in its time of need.