New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-04-04
The Newbern Affair.
Isrom the Wilmington journal. /

|
We are wholly unable to say how many different
versions we have heard of the disaster to our
troops at Newbern, certainly not less than hun
dred. The result of all this is, that with five skel-
etsn regiments of infantry, and few artillery
companies, and subsequently battalion which
came in time to help cover the retreat, we at
tempted to hold position agaius: twenty-five
thousand men, with formidable gunboats on our
flank and formidable field batteries in our front.
In addition to the armed and uniformed troops,
there were 700 to 800 militia. Our whole force,
then, militia included, could not have been more
than five thousand. a prisoner-we fear we must
eonfne ourselves to the singular article-a prison
er, a Lieutenant who had BEEN in command of an
eight-gnn field battery of the enemy, states that
bu.nside landed twenty-five thousand men, and
had still areserve on board his vessels. -,
Our people numbering, as we have Just this mo-
nent learned, little over 5000, held their ground
ior about i've hours and would no doubt have held
| then the Bath regiment, leaving unprotected the
| point they were put to guard. The militia, no
doubt, did as well as any militia could have been
expected to Do under the circumstances; Why the
are said to have done, we cannot cay. The regi-
ment is composed of solid material, and if there
was any dsafection with any officer, or even any
want of confidence, that was not the time nor the
way to show it.
With these exceptions, how or why occurring,
we will not attempt to say, the infantry fought re-
markably well in fact fought with galtantry
not exceeded by any men at any point during the
war, inflcting very heavy loss upon the enemy.
The point left unprotected by the retreat or fight
of the troops above referred to, was guarded by
eight companies, led by Major Hall, repulsed and
drove out in confusion heavy force OF the enemy
who had poured into the entertainments. The
whole regiment behaved remarkably well, and we
are proud to say that none did better than our
townsmen who were there.
Col: Averys Regiment, the Thirty Third, suffered
heavily, and fought well : -
Col. Lee was reported killed, but we learn that
hIc is r1nk aso hos 10 tn har h-4r.
killed under him, and this, doubt, gave rise to
the report that he had been killed. His regiment
also stood as long as standing was possible.
Col. Vance 8 Regiment was 30 placed, we think
that it did not get into the main battle, but also
that it had to cut its way out by some of the hard
est kind of fighting. .% -
Our cavalry, We fear, did not do as they ought
to have done. They did no good at ALL Perhaps
they did HARM They were not in the fight at all.
Our loss in persons known to be killed and
wounded is perhaps one hundred to one hundred
and fifty: The enemy's is reported at anything
'fon slA nunu.su " s'Aseen hanaeea.
It is said that the enemy was piloted through q
| swamp on our left by a mslatto. At any rate
country, and there is not wanting suspicion attach
| ing itselft to some white person or persons. .#
The artillery companies behaved well. OF course
our heavy guns had to be abandoned, and some o
our field guns also. Latham's Battery.is said to
have worked great havoc among the enemy.
Brem's Battery lost some Of its pieces, as did
Latham's. We believe the horses were killed.
The thing is much better than it had been at
first represented There is neither panic nor dis
organization save the part of the fugitiyes who
spread abroad the most extravagant tales, and
represented everybody as being as bad as them
| selves. To these fugitives disgrace may attach,
which it is incumbent upon them to take the first
opportunity to wipe out, but this does not attach
| to our gallant little army, who are all right.
We think it best to forbear noticing the thousand
and one rumors current. casting the blame upon
this officer and that offfcer-this authority and
| that authority. Some of the charges may be true
or they may not be true. We cannot form any
| judgment without fuller Information. Making all
due allowance for circumstances that might have
modified the progress Of the fight or prolonged its
duration, the all-suffeient explanation of our de-
feat was, want Of men. With the militia, they out
numbered Us nearly six to one. After Sinclair's
| Regiment left, those who bore the brunt Of the
battle were outnumbered fully seven to one.
That under these circumstances we could hold
our position permanently, was not in the range of
possibility. Whether it was worth while to make
fight at all, with such disparity Of force, is a
question. Had all stood firmly. nearly all did,
we might and would have inflicted very heavy
loss on the enemy, and been enabled to retire with
comparatively triaing loss to ourselves therefore
we think it right to fight wherever we can fight
with such a result. Whether the best position
was chosen for this, or the best dispositions made,
we cannot saw. -35 n'- 'z'i E-'r.= z .aE