Part 5

On the battle field at Whitehall, Colonel Ledlie (chief of artillery) received a very slight wound on the hand from one of the rebels' shells.

During the progress of our operations there were brought into action, at various times, Belger's battery, batteries A, B, C, D, E, H, I, F, and K, of the Third New York Artillery, and the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth (independent) New York Batteries. The whole of our artillery was worked admirably.

Captain Morrison's battery of the Third New York Artillery had three men wounded, and lost the same number of horses. Captain Morrison took at the battle of Kinston forty-one prisoners, including two commissioned officers. At the battle of the railroad bridge he took seven more prisoners. When his battery was charged by the South Carolina regiments he kept up a steady fire until every round of his ammunition was gone, and then gave way to Captain Belger. Captain Riggs' battery was also engaged in helping to repulse the charge of the South Carolina brigade. In the battles of the 16th and 17th Captain Ammon's battery did good execution, and without sustaining any casualties in the company. These three batteries while in action, were under the immediate command of Major Kennedy. At Mount Olive Station, among the private papers of the postmaster was found the following:

"Whereas, we, the people of the counties of Wayne and Dublin, have seen a proclamation from the black republican president, Abraham Lincoln, calling for seventy-five thousand men, (and a call made on North Carolina among the rest), for the purpose of subjugating our Southern brethren of the Confederate States, who are asking nothing but for their rights to be respected and their institutions let alone, the interest of North Carolina being identified with the said Confederate States, we, as her citizens, deem it highly necessary to express our views to the world, irrespective of former party ties; therefore

Resolved, That the example of our patriotic forefathers is too plainly set before us to be unmindful of our duty. We know the cause of the Confederate States to be the supreme interest of North Carolina; therefore, we pledge our fortunes, our lives, and our most sacred honors in the maintenance of the said cause.

Resolved, That, for the aid and furtherance of said cause and the defence of our homes and our rights, we will form a military company for the purpose of drilling that we may be the better prepared to defend our homes and our country.

Resolved, That we call upon all good citizens to sustain us and give us their aid for the support of our company.

Resolved, That the manly and patriotic courage of His Excellency, John W. Ellis, in ordering our forts taken and held by troops of this State, and his independent denial of troops to Abe Lincoln to sustain him in his diabolical policy, meets the entire approbation of this company and this community."

Our total loss is between four and five hundred. In all we took over five hundred prisoners.

EIGHTH DAY.

DECEMBER 18, 1862.

The army marched this day to within seven miles of Kinston. We had to pass through woods on fire; some of the natives had purposely and some of our men having accidentally (the latter through the medium of their camp fires) communicated flames to the turpentine trees. Though the scene was novel and pleasing still it was dangerous, and at times somewhat more than this.

NINTH DAY.

DECEMBER, 19, 1862.

Your correspondent left the army about seven o'clock this morning, and, after a horseback ride of over forty miles, reached New Berne by sundown. When he left, the army was on its way to New Berne.

THE LATEST.

NEW BERNE, Dec. 20, 1862.

During the progress of the late expedition we came upon large quantities of cotton and turpentine. Our advance was so peculiar and rapid that the rebels did not have time to burn it, although we occasionally found large quantities on fire.

Our entire movement was greatly facilitated by Captain Sleight, to whose energetic course of action was due the keeping of our supply, etc., trains. General Foster highly complimented Captain Sleight for the ability with which he conducted his department.

I forgot to mention in my account of the engagement at Goldsboro railroad bridge that the enemy, on finding that our troops were outflanking them by wading through a mill stream, hoisted the gate at the mill and let the water rush down with astonishing impetuosity. By this means one or two of our men were drowned, while others still pushed on, with the water up to their armpits, regardless of the difficulty.

We learn by flag of truce, from the rebels at Kinston, that their (the rebels) loss is between eight and nine hundred, and that the two South Carolina regiments that charged Morrison's battery, lost in that charge about three hundred and fifty men; their color bearer was shot three times.

BRILLIANT CONDUCT OF THE UNION TROOPS.

KINSTON, N. C., Dec. 15, 1862.

An important movement has long been on foot looking towards the capture of Goldsboro and Weldon, and the severance of one rebel railroad line of communication connecting the cotton states with the capital of the so-called confederacy; Preparations have for some time been carried to enable the force which was to engage in the attempt to push it to a successful issue. The time has now come when the object and the means of execution of this movement may be safely revealed. The object of the expedition was to capture Kinston, and then to take Goldsboro, thereby cutting the Wilmington and Weldon railroad, which would isolate Wilmington and effectually cut off its supplies and reinforcements. That, I believe, was the object of the expedition. The first portion of the work has been accomplished--the capture of Kinston; and the other portion is in a fair way of being carried successfully out to the letter.

The forces under General Foster left New Berne on Thursday, the 11th, and moved up the Trent road, along the Trent River, about ten miles, when the division halted for the night. On Friday the march was resumed at sunrise, the Ninth New Jersey having the extreme advance, followed by Wessell's brigade, one of General Peck's brigade, recently sent from Suffolk, with Company B, Third New York Artillery, Captain Morrison. Then followed the brigade of Acting Brigadier-General Amory consisting of four Massachusetts regiments.

Acting Brigadier-General Lee's brigade of Massachusetts regiments came next, Colonel Stevenson's brigade, also of Massachusetts regiments, brought up the rear with four regiments. Acting Brigadier-General Ledlie, of the Third New York Artillery, had command of the artillery, consisting of the Third New York Artillery and Belger's battery, First Rhode Island Artillery. Colonel Mix's Third New York Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Mix in command, were employed as scouts on the advance and on the sides of the line of march, and as provost-guards to protect houses along the road.

On Friday night the column halted within eleven miles of Kinston, and encamped in line of battle, no fires being allowed and all unusual noises prohibited. The troops did not get into camp until 9 o'clock. Skirmishing continued all day between cavalry of the rebels and Mix's cavalry, in which we lost two men prisoners and one wounded. We captured fifteen or sixteen of the rebel cavalry, and killed and wounded several.

On Saturday morning at 7 o'clock the line of march was resumed towards Kinston at a slow pace, as the enemy were beginning to appear in some force in front, to a point where the Whitehall, and main Kinston roads unite, about seven miles from Kinston. This point was reached at about 11 o'clock on Saturday morning, and then it was that it was expected that the rebels would offer battle, as it was a strong position. Our troops were formed in line of battle in an open field on the left of the road which ran to Whitehall, in front of a wood, which it was supposed covered the enemy's main force. A small creek ran across the road 500 yards to the right and in front of our line of battle, over which was a bridge, which the rebels had destroyed, and out of the debris of which they had erected a breast-work and planted two six-pounders, rifled, sweeping the road. Morrison's battery was put forward to the right of the road, and taking a position on a small hill 250 yards from the rebel battery, opened fire. The enemy hotly replied with grape and canister, sweeping the road, but doing no damage. Morrison continued to shell the battery and the woods on either side for nearly an hour, when the enemy began to retire. Just as the enemy were about retiring, the Ninth New Jersey were deployed as skirmishers to the left of the road, and advancing under fire, they crossed the creek on a mill dam, flanked the rebel battery, and, taking it by storm, captured a rifled six-pounder and several prisoners. The rebels retreated hastily and succeeded in saving the other six-pounder, but left six killed and wounded. Three hours were consumed in the reconstruction of the bridge. When completed the infantry and artillery crossed and marched towards Kinston, about three and a half miles, and halted for the night, in line of battle, with strong pickets out. The enemy made but feeble resistance to the advance of our forces, Mix's cavalry driving them like chaff before them. The night passed quietly, a little affair between pickets, without result, breaking the monotony of the night.