Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-03-22

NN"'Af~Af| -"
hos battle and the capture:
The ADVANCE.
Early In the morning Of Wednesday March
18th, messenger from General burnsioe
broueht to the Generals Of Brigade the follow.
Inr general order, which was ordered TO be read
70 the various regiments;
"The General commanding takes pleasure 10
announcing that tho army OF the Potomac, un-
der General Mcclellan, is now advancing upon
Richmond, and was, at the latest dates, occupy.
ing Centerglle, the enemy having evacuated all
the advanced fortifico tons before Manassas and
those on the Potomac.
ofie again calls upon his command for an
important movement, which will greatly de-
moralize the enemy and contribute much 70
the success Of our brothers OF the Potomac
army.
ale has full confidence in the ability Of this
force to produce the desired result
"By command Of Bhgsdler.G General E. A
Burnside. ast.T
: ssInwIs RIcnMosD. Assistant.Alt.-Gen.
"CHAs. T. GARDNKR, A. A g., Sd Brigade"
On Thursday morning, the land and naval
forces started Az 9 O'Clock the Pa!uxent, To-
den with troops, headed for the mouth of Slo,
Gums creek, followed by tho Alert With four
teen boats In tow, the Union with the Fourth
Rhode Island aboard. the Pilot Boy with twelve
launches, Levy with thirteen, aud the Alice
Price. General Burnside's Aag-bost. The Price,
steaming past the others, led the advance, and,
running to within few. yards Of the shore,
stepped aud signalled the Pilot Boy to follow in
her wake. From the transport feet TO sbOre'
the boats sailedfn long graceful sweep, with
Asgs flying and bands playing.
1ha nosrt ~ uhioh ha tRoona landad Ia ha
mouth Of Slocum'e creek, about twelve miles
below Newbern by water and seventeen by land.
The TFenty first Massachusetts Regiment, un-
der Lieut. Col. Clark, was on board the Patux-
snt, and was to have landed fsst according to
the programme, but the steamer Alice Price,
with General Burnside and the Fifty-hrst New
York Regiment, glided suddebly BY the Patax-
eut when the coloE-bearer OF the regiment
fesrlessly Jumped overheard into some four
feet Of water, and holding the Aag up over bis
head wsded ashore. Reaching terra JfTma the
flag was unfurled, and the stars snd stripes ouce
more hoated over that part of North Carolina.
Col. Ferrero followed into the water, an EXAM
pie which his whole regiment soon initiated, and
In fea minutes his whole con mand was ashore.
Almost at the same time aud within q briefer
period than IL takes TO narrate 1t the other regi-
ment followed, and the water was soon q swarm
of men Welding ashore, and of launches flled
With troops from the vessels farther out In the
stream.
The regiments gathered around their respect
ivo coiors and took up line along the edge Of
the creek and river. Word was nov sent By
General Reno TO the Teenty.6rst' Massschl-
setts anu Fifsy-frst New York TO commence
the advance, and both regiments rapidly got in
motion. The rest followed as soon as reRi
mental line vac formed. The orders 70 the
advancing regiments we're to take tue road lie ID
ing along BY the shore distance of some two
miieB.
At the end Of the two miles (thought it real
ly seemed three or FOUR the road took sudden
turn TO the left, which the head of the column
defled into. Pursuing II fer short distance,
signs of an encAmpment were discovered peep
ing over the brow Of hill. At sight of it our
troops burst into q wild cheer, and dashed up
the slope at a run and entered the camp. But
the enemy had vanished. The whole place ex.
hibited evidence Of moes precipitate flight |
The 6res were still ablsze; breakfast was un- |
touched; warm griddle cakes we're ready for |
Batting, beds, blankets, clothing, boots and |
'hoes, were s,reWn about as If basty but un- |
successful effort had been made to collect them |
Ind bear them or.
THE BATTLE. s
About half past sevon o'clock on the morning
# the l4.h, q sharp firing ahead denoted that
ur skirmisbers had encountered the enemy
Rapidly forming, the different regiments as.
umed their positions In their brigedes, and the !
ivslon marched to the attack. General Burn
ide rode forward, and as the battery or breast
Tork came In sight across wide held, q shot
Tas fired from one of Its gune.' The missile,
'hich proved to be q shell, struck within ten
eet Of the General and his staff, but, not ex.
loding, bounced along the ground, aplashiDg
be party with mud.
General Foster, whose brigade had adganced ,
y the stage road, rapidly formed bis regiments !
. line Of battle in the fringe Of woods skirting
be edge Of the field before the bfeastWork; the :
'wenty.fourth Massachusetts, Colonel Steven !
on, on the extreme right; the Twenty-ffth I
fsssachusetls, Colonel Upton, next, with its !
eft resting on the road; the Twenty y-ninth Mas \
Colonel Lee, next, with right rest j
'g on the road, and the TWenty-third Massa-
lusetts. Colonel Kurtz, on the brigade left, =
ith the tenth Connecticut in reserve. To r
Ipport this line against the eighteen or twenty n
lbs Of the enemy's battery, our forces had only :
few pieces OF artillery. The rest were on the a,
cipate in the fight. :,
eneral Fosters position was as fOlows: On the :,
Itreme right executive officer Mocook's bat. y
ry of boat hoWitzers from the navy, manned a,
! Lieutelants McCook, Hammond, Daniels
ID Tillotson, with marines and detachment ..
the Union Coast Guard. In the center and i
ar the road, q twelve FOUNDER steel gun from
9 Cossack, manned by Captain Bennett, bis
cond mate, Mr.. Stroud Captain Of the gun, :
d twenty Of the ships crew. On the left
Iptain Dayton's battery, from the transport
ghlAuder. ! =,
After the fret gun the enemy run their Asg Il
family up over the rampsrts and opened very d
iskly with round shot, grape, canister and a
ell. Their infantry were stretched out the en- h
e length Of the work between the river and o,
3 railroad, and kept up an incessant FIRE with r,
lsketry.
The engagement regularly opened abont eight
;lock, when the fret brigade bore the brunt OF n
Q battle. General Foster rode fearlessly h
ing, giving his orders, and was several times
posed to the hottest Of the FIRE. His aids, @,
}, shared the danger, and one of them, Lieut.. g
ndletoD, narrowly escaped Injury, If not a
ath, from bullet which passed through his
1t sleeve, just grazing the arm. The Massa. a,
usetts Twenty fourth, on the right, had soon oi
regret the wounding Of two Of their officers, N
ajor Stevenson and Adjutant Horton. the Cd
'meF BY ball In the leg, the latter by ball
the shoulder. Early In the engagement the ye
assachusetts TMenty-third loss LeutenantA =.
lionel Murritt, who was struck by q cannon =
u, which carried away one side of his body
d lscerated his form In horrible manner - II,
be proportion Of officers killed and wounded :,
ring the entire SIGHT was quite large. n
Tue Twenty-seventh Massachusetts seemed
: some reason to be more exposed to the nre
the enemy, and, with ammunition expended
d large loss, we're withdrawn. The Tenth