Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-03-20
Capture OF Newberu, n. O.

morning direct from Burnside,s expedition,
and reports the capture OF Newbern. N. C..
the defeat of the enemy there, and the cap
ture Of large quantity of artillery after a
hard fought battle.
Our loss at Newbern is 80 killed and 400
wou ded.
Immediately after the arrival OF the Com.
modore, the bearer of dispatches from Gen.
Burnside left in the train for Washington. -
SECOND DISPATCH.
1t is reported that we took 500 prisoners
Some reports make our loss so or go killed
and 250 or 800 wounded.
T. The fight took place on Friday last.
There are rumors that one of our BrieA.
der Generals was killed, but they are not
considered reliable FC
Particulars Of the Fight.
! Baltimore, March I8.
special 10 the Times says:
The enemy's works six miles below Newbern
were attacked on Friday morning last. They
were defended by force OF about 10000
strong, having some twenty guns posted be-
hind formidable batteries over two miles
long.
The fight was one of the most desperate of
the war. Our troops behaved with tbe
steadiness and courage OF veterans, and after
nearly four hours of hard fighting, drove the
rebels out Of all their positions. cantur;no
three large batteries of field artillery. forty.
SIX heavy siege guns, large stores of fixed
ammunition, three thousand stand of small
arms, and 200 prisoners, including one Colo
nj, three Captains and four Lleutenants.
The enemy left large numbers of dead on
the field. They escaped by cars to Goldsbo.
rough, burning the bridges over the Trent and
Clarement, and firing the city Of Newbern.
No extensive damage was done to the place.
| Our loss is about 100 killed and 400
wounded, mostly from the New Eneland
re giments.
Rev, .. N. Benton is among the killed.
and Major Legender of the 5lst New York
regiment, mortally wounded.
Lieut.. Col. Merritt Of the 33d Massachu.
setts regiment, and Adjutant F. A. Stearns
! OF the 2lst Massachusetts, regiment, of Am
herst were also killed, and their bodies are
on their way home,
More Particulars Of she Battle.
Baltimore, March 10.
Sergeant Major ID. II. johnson, of the esd
Mass. Regiment came passenger by the
steamer coming here in charge OF the bodies
of Lieut.. Col. Merritt Of the 23d Mass, and
Adjutant Stevens of the 21st Mass, who
bravely fell whilst leading on their regiments
| in an attack on the batteries Of the enemy
at Newburn,
From Sergeant Major johnson, who was
in the fight, we gather the following inter-
esting particulars:
Our troops under Gen Burnside landed
on Thursday evening, near the month Of
Swan Creek, on the west side of Neuse river.
fifteen miles below Newbern. Early on Fri
day morning III. fight commenced. Our
| troops advanced along the country road run.
ming parallel with the Reuse river, out :
mile or two in the rear,
| The road was skirted on the west side by
railroad and dense swamp; all along the
| river side, were series of batteries which
were taken by our troops one after another,
after some bloody hand to hand coniest.
Our troops we're divided into three bri-
gades, under Gems. Reno, Foster and
Forks. We advanced gradually upon the
enemy, until we reached line Of earth
works extending across the read from the
river to the swamp on the west, distance of
some two miles These earthworks were
| located about two miles south oi Newbern,
and between there and the city ran the Trent
river. In front OF these works the rebels had
felled a large number Of trees, forming an
almost impenetrabe abattis. There the reb-
| els were rallied, and made for a while des-
perate stand. Our brave fellows fought
until all their ammunition was spent, when
an order to charge bayonets was given, and =
the wol ks were finally taken at the point of
hoxo fba A,,s,. - -
sheep, leaving everything behind them,
The rebels burned the bridges commupi-
eating with the town over both the country
road and railroad. As they had their trains
OF cars in their rear, just across the bridges,
they were OF course able to carry off their
wounded and dead. Their loss is therefore
not certainly known, bat it must have been
pretty severe.
Before our troops reached this last work,
they encountered another which was desert.
ed before they came up. 1t was in front Of
this last fortification that our greatest los
was sustained.
Our entire loss is estimated b. Mai. John
son at 80 killed and 400 wounded and miss,
ing. The force of Ithe rebels is supposed to
have been 5000. We captured a number Of
prisoners, including COL Avery, who cursed
his soldiers IS towards. a3
Just as the battle terminated the fog lifted
and enabled our gun boats which had bean
mpatently waiting for An opportunity to
participate in the fight, to come up the river
and our troops were furnished with means Of
transportation across the Trent River to
Newbern.
The rebels attempted to FIRE the town on
their retreat, but were prevented by The
citizens who extinguished the flames a. fest
as they were started by the soldiers.
None Of our Generals nor any of our staff
officers we're killed or wounded.
We captured from 80 to so cannon. o
The officers Of the rebels left their private
traps behind in their final retreat, and The
men threw away everything. The fight ter
minated at three P. N. on Friday, when our
troops remained masters of the position.