Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-03-19
The Fall Of Newbern.

OUR readers will expect from US full and reliable
account OF this unfortunate disaster to our beloved
o'ats. but after the most careful effort to obtain
particulars which can be relied on we find that
much yet remains unknown. What we state as
true, comes from undoubted sources; rumors can.
not be relied on
AS early as Tuesday afternoon, the III instant,
it is said ten or twelve vessels of the enemy were
reported in the river fifteen miles below Newborn.
On Wednesday the number was increased to fifty,
some say seventy-fve. On Wednesday evening or
Thursday morning it is reported that the Yankees
assembled Slocumbs Creek, burnt DR.. Masters fine
MILL and destroyed the railroad at Croatan ana the
military preparations which had been made "a
point nearly midway between Newborn and Caro-
lima City. Here, we believe, Capt. Evans cavalry
had been stationed as picket, who were driven of
by superior force two Of his men said to have been
wounded by the shells. The enemy effected a land
ing on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning
of some Is or 10000 troops, either on Socumb's or
Otter creek, but we are inclined to think it was on
the former. Previous to landing, the whole region
thoroughly sheled below our batteries, forcing
Col. Sinclair with his regiment, sent to prevent a
landing, to retire to the entertainments within four
or five miles of Newbern. The Smelling was kept
up all day Thursday below the batteries. We have
no information that any of the batteries except
Fort Thompson fred shot, as no vessel came in
range until Friday, when all of them below Fort
Thompson had been out Aanked and rendered pow
eress by the enemy in the rear. Thus showing the
miserable and ruinous engineering as we'll as bad
generalship, with which Eastern North Carolina has
been literally crushed.
The breastworks, where it was intended to give
the enemy battle, extended from Fort Thompson
westward some two or three miles across the rail
road, to an impossible swamp. Fort Thompson
had several heavy guns covering its rear and CON-
handing the entertainments on the side the enemy
was to approach-the fort and entertainments be-
ing four or five miles below Newbern To defend
the entertainments Gen. Branch had Coils Sloan's,
Lees, Campbelrs Sinclairs and the Craven (mlita)
regiments, besides others from Wayne, Lenoir and
Johnston east of the railroad, and Coils. Vance's
and Averys on the west, COL Avery being in the
rear of Col. Vance; though account is that Col.
Avery had been assigned the position at the railroad
that being really the post of honor and of most i'm
minent danger. Besides these, Col. Spruills cav
airy were stationed in the rear, except that the
companies of Capts. Hayes and Cole, we learn, had
been dismounted and placed in the trenches to aid
the infantry. The artillery companies of Captains
Brem and Latham were assigned positions at some
points on the line, CT which are not advised
But strange to say, the break in the line of en-
trenchments at the railroad was entirely unprotect-
ed either by artillery or infantry. We learn that
Col. Thompson, the engineer, commenced on Thurs
day morning to place cannon at that point but did
not succeed in getting them in position; hence, at
the railroad there was no impeachment whatever to
the enemy.
One of our inf)rmants was ordered to the field on
Thursday, being member Of the Craven regiment
of the militia. His regiment, strange to say, the
militia, was placed nearest the Railroad, being how
ever, no nearer than two or three hundred yards.
This really the most exposed and danger Gus
part of the ground. Col. Vance occupied position
west of the railroad near the swamp, but too Ear
from the railroad to afford it any protection, to
watch the advance of the enemy through the break.
The gentleman above alluded to states, that during
the day on Thursday he heard that some ten of our
pickets below had been driven in or taken. What
arrangements were made for scouts or picket duty
in the nelghborhood of the enemy on Thursday
night, he did not know or hear. The troops, how
ever, went to sleep that night not supposing that
| the enemy was or would be before next day within,
! miles of them Next morning he arose early, and
with friend Colonel of one of Our regiments, went
to spring to wash. While washing they heard
the discharge of musketry-they immediately ran
to their positions, the Colonel to his command and
our friend to his position the right of the militia
regiment being one of the nearest to the railroad
They ascertained that in their absence the line had
been formed and the order given for the mer
to discharge then pieces and load Whether any
one, officer or private, knew that the enemy was al
that very time within 500 yards of our entrcnch
ments is not known. Another account is, that at
O'clock three Of the enemys officers rode up withir
or 800 yards of our lines, and calmly surveyed
our entertainments, and Immediately disappeared
In few moments after their disappearance, ane
the discharge of our musketry, the enemy's artll
lery opened upon our lines, and at the engage
ment began on both sides along the line.
siton, casting his eye over his right shoulder, he
saw large number of armed men creeping in qucl
time by the railroad into our trenches. He direct
ed the attention of his commander to it, who re
marked that he thought it must be Col. Avery
men, who had been assigned that position. Blu
almost Immediately the bullets came whistling owe
their heads, and he discovered the "stars anc
stripes" rolled up, when the militia ordered t.
fire. They continued to load and fire, and in :
short tire he discovered the militia falling back
Whether they were ordered to do so or not, he doe
not know, as he heard no order of any kind from
an oficer--no ore to rally or encourage the men
The Athens Guards, of which he was member
seemed disposed to stand firmly, and he thinks
the men could have heard rallying cry from an.
quarter they would have stood. His company witt
lew others were the last of the militia to fall bac
from the entertainments, and soon he heard tn