Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[265] smoke of hundreds of fires, extending as far as the eye could reach on the bed of the road, indicating how completely the work of demolition had been accomplished. I think it will take the mechanics of Jeff Davis as many months to repair the mischief done as it took the New-York and Massachusetts boys hours to perpetrate it.

But in the mean time, and toward sunset, the rebels having crossed the county bridge, some two or three miles above the railroad, to the number of three thousand, came down and charged across the railroad upon battery B, Third New-York artillery. They formed in three lines of battle, and came on with a terrible swoop, intending to crush all before them.

The Captain of the battery ordered his pieces to be loaded with a double charge of grape and canister, and when they came within about sixty yards, sent a hail-storm into their midst, which mowed them down like grass, and before they could rally or fly, sent another discharge into them which threw them into such confusion that they incontinently fled and were seen no more. About forty prisoners were taken, and if the artillery supports had charged, no doubt many more would have been captured. The Seventeenth lost but two men killed and seventeen wounded in this affair. Of the losses to the other regiments I know not, but they must have been trifling. Of the rebel loss I am not capable of guessing, and can therefore give no estimate.

The expedition was successful. The strategy of Gen. Foster completely bewildered the rebel leaders, and thus one of the most important lines of railway was cut and rendered useless, and the army of North-Carolina having marched one hundred and forty miles, fought three engagements, and returned to Newbern unmolested, in ten days from the time of setting out.

If all our armies worked so well, so hard, and to such purpose, how long, think you, would it take to flatten out this rebellion? Why, about thirty days.

There may be some inaccuracies, omissions, and mistakes in the foregoing, but so far as my limited observation can extend, the facts stated are mainly correct.

Mr. Editor: My last was at the close of the day, on the tenth instant, just having received orders to march at daybreak next morning. Accordingly, four A. M. of the eleventh found us astir, and at five the regiment was in line, prepared to march. What a world of experience has dawned upon us since that time! As Cassio says, “I remember a mass of things,” but so crowded have events been one upon another, that, like him, it seems doubtful what I remember distinctly. I will, however, endeavor to write what I do know and experienced during the ten and a half days the Forty-fifth were absent from this place, participating in the recent expedition to Goldsboro. What I write must relate more particularly to the doings of the Forty-fifth, as one has but little chance to know what is happening elsewhere, if attending to duty in his own regiment.

As I have before stated, five A. M. of the eleventh found us on the march for Newbern proper, about two miles from our camp. On arriving in the city, we found it full of horse, foot, artillery, and munitions of war of all kinds in motion, and all seeming in a hurry. Were soon marched to our position on the Trent road, where our brigade (the First Amory's) was forming.

Here of course occurred the usual and inevitable delay attending military movements, not getting fairly started until after nine A. M. The line of advance thence was over the Trent road, bearing north-west from the city, which seemed to be the constant direction of our march. Our progress was slow, and often varied with halts. The reason for this was apparent — bad roads. The orders being for the men to avoid mud and wet as much as possible. With a considerateness which does somebody credit, they were permitted to pass around or get through bad places in the best way they could.

Nothing of special interest occurred during our first day's march. We passed numerous picket stations of our own during the day; among the rest a camp of the Massachusetts Twenty-fifth, also very many ruins of houses along the road, fruits of secession — whether destroyed by our own men or by the rebels themselves, we were unable to ascertain. The close of the day and a quick turn in the road brought us in view of our camp-ground for the night, which a large portion of the advance had already reached and built their fires for the night, using for the purpose the very excellent hard pine rails with which the ground (an immense corn-field) was surrounded. It is supposed that we marched about eighteen miles this day, and being quite thoroughly tired, wrapped ourselves in our blankets, and without other shelter, lay down to sleep, which came without much wooing.

The early morning of the twelfth finds us again on the march. There are rumors of skirmishing in the front by the cavalry, and we find that attempts have been made to obstruct the passage of our troops by felling enormous trees across the road, but the pioneers preceding us have cleared the way of all obstructions, and we are enabled to pass along without delay, except from the roads, which at this time seem to be particularly bad, the mud and water averaging anywhere from ankle to knee-deep. The privilege granted the men on the first day of picking the best way through the mud was found to cause so much delay that orders were given to push along straight through every thing, consequently there was some tall wading, and few but had wet and muddy feet and legs.

About noon we reached a place where our cavalry had a skirmish with mounted pickets of the enemy, taking three of them prisoners, whom we saw lying alongside the road under guard. A