Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-03-27

! road where the enemy was also protected by
rows of eled trees and the natural formation
of the gronnd. While the centre was perfect
| Iy level, the land to the left of the track was
broken into ridges, one back OF the other, in
| regular succession. On the crests OF each OF
each of these natural knobs rifle-pi,s we're con-
structed, which, with their red0ubts extended
a mile beyond the railroad into the swamp
/ Appronchinr along the railroad, our men were
| partially protected by high embankment on
each side, until they came out near the brick
yard but were cut down as soon. as they ap.
preached this part of TIE road. Many OF our
! wounded were carried to the rear and our dead
were scatt cred along the track, or fell lighting
in front Of The rile.pus. Thus the battle ragged,
along the right, ccnr and left. Hearing heavy
firing across the road, where Gen. Reno was
posted, Lieut.. Pcll of Gen. Burnside's Staff,
rode rapidly across and called upon them to
cease firing, under he impression that two por-
tions of our troops were shooting each other
lie was soon made aware Of his mistake, how
ever, for he found himself surrounded by rebel
troops. lie jumped his horse over the very
rifle pits from which the enemy were firing, and
escaped back unframed.
Col. Clark, of the Twenty. first Massachusetts,,
was now steadily pushing himself up the rail-
road, and IN the face Of deadly discharge of
musketry, with three companies, rushed inside
the battery from .heir right. the rebels retiring
before their fire from the bank. Just as they
had got lairly into the works, a large force
sprang mp in their rear, and for a moment drove
them back. Seeing this movement, Gen. Parke
sent the Fourth Rhode Island to their support,
who charged and drove back the rebels who
had temporarily repulsed the Twenty first, and
took possession of that portion of the works
In front, the Twenty-ifth Massachusetts fol-
lowed closely the Twenty fourth Massachusetts,
and when the order came to form line of battle,
the Twenty-fourth formed to the right of the
road, and the Twenty fifth on the right of the
Twenty fourth. TIE Twentv-flth advanced in
the wood and thicket in line of BATH. toward
the enemy's breast-work. The twenty third
Massachusetts, Col. Hurts, advanced into the
open space directly under the hottest fire and
maintained their position until the Charge
While in the wood the enemy opened fire in
front, and shot and she'll came down from be-
yond their right flank. Shells came over from
bchnd and struck just in front of their line
Thinking the enemy might he outhanking their
right, four right companies were thrown round
to the right to resist any such attempt. a
messenger was sent to the rear TO cause the
firing to ceas+. They were then ordered to
pass to the left and support the Twenty seventh
4hhNNdCHuSGltSs W llilc ClONslUE lllf lOutlt W
seek them, they came to their artillery. station
e1 on the road, and were ordered to remain
there and support it. Atterward, at the order,
they charged, and say their State color was the
first State color inside, United States color
just prec ding. They followed the retre0ling
enemy down the railroad, skirmi.hing along
the road. They took several prisoners in the
wood with Enfield rifles in their hands.
A flank fire from the Rhode Island Fourth
soon cleared the battery, some Of the rebels
crossing over and taking shelter behind the rifle
pits, while Others escaped down the railroad.-
The troops of the First and a portion of the
Third Brigade now poured into the captured
battery, followed by Gen Burnside and Staff
As the General entered through the wide en-
brasure in the centre Of the work, shout of
victory went up from the assembled troops,
which made the welkn ring. The stronghold
of the rercls had been taken, but they were
still contesting every inch of ground behind
their redoubts to the eft of tha railroad, under
Col. Avery.
Gen. Reno sent the Ninth New Jersey round
upon the enemys right, who, with the Fifty
first Pennsylvania, charged and took possession
of the works, driving them out by the bayonet.
Observing that the rebels were ialtering, Gen.
Parke sent the Fourth Rhode Island to attack
them in their last stronghold-the riAe-pits
nearest TO the railroad. The contest was sharp
but brief. Capt. Tillingnast was here shot at
the head of his command and fell cheering for
ward the men. The rebels finally gave way, the
main body having already tal en- to the cars,
which were standing ready on the track to re-
ceive them. The line of their retreat, and the
railroad track over which they passed, was
stained with the blood Of their wounded, whom
they conveyed from the field. Some 200 pris-
oners remained in our hands.
Thus ended one Of the severest fought bat
ties since the beginning OF the war. Gen.
Burnside declares it was the hardest battle he
had ever been in.
THE REBELS DESTROY TIE BRIDGE OVER THE
TRENT, AND FIRE THE CITY.
As soon as the Union army could be formed
in line they marched toward Newbern with
drums beating and colors fyiny. The rebels,
however, had obtained too good start to be
oyerlaken, and to make sure a safe retreat,
they set fire to the bridge as soon as they had
passed over it. The bridge was soon destroyed,
nothing but the stone abutments remaining to
mark the former location. They also set fire to
the city in various places and when we came in
sight of it, immense volumes of pitchy smoke
were ascending upward, which hung as black
pail over the town. The principal part of the
inhabitants took to flight with the troops leav
ing only. the poor, who could not leave, and the
slaves who wouln not, in possession. Many Of
the poor people, panic.slricken in the presence
of so much apparent danger, removed their
household goods out of the town, which they
seemed to consider as doomed. Others placed
their effects on board of vessels, and sought
protection from The flames and plunderers near
the naval vessels which had now steamed up
to and lay anchored near the town. A good
Providence, which made the day perfectly calm,
saved the city from total destruction. thus
thwarting the purposes of the vandals who had
decreed that il should be consumed under the
silly pretexl Of thus depriving the Yankees of
shelter.
SURVEY OF TIE FIELD.
There were in all three light batteries chiefly
of brass 6 and l2-pounders, found within the
main breast-work, with ammunition wagons
well stocked. Their horses being all shot down
early in the fight it was impossible for them to
have removed them from the fed. A large
quantity of small arms, many of them new En-
field rifles, were thrown away in their flight -
These, with boxes of English caps found upon
the ground, were no doubt, late importatons by
the NGShrUe, which recently ran the blockade
at Beaufort. Scattered over the ground were
cnrtlna1s of ovarv daSnr;,,t;nu cf ha1dipU aud