The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-04-01
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE BATTLE
OF NEWBERN.
From the Raleigh Journal

OF NEWBERN.
From the Raleigh Journal
After considerable labor we are enabled to
give our readers pretty accurate account OF the
battle of Newbern and OF the defences OF the
Mace We are indebted to Col. Slngletary and
Col Burgwyn for drawings of the field works, and
to numerous officers and prVateS for details of the
fight The statements We shall make i'll reference
to the battle are our own deductions from the
various accounts we have heard. We were dill
gent in our enquiries, and if err it will he in
trivial details which have escaped our memory;
but In every We have aimed to DO justice
without favor or affection, and fcarlcssly. We
have had no conversation with Gen. Branch Oh
the matter, preferring to hear the story from
Others:
THE SITUATION.
Newbern as is generally known, is situated at
the confluence Of the Neuse and Trent rivers, in
the county of Craven, of which it is the county
town or capital It's population Was about 1000
1t is one of the handSomcst towns OF the State
celebrated for more than one generation for its re-
finement and enterprise and hospitality. In
former days it Il place of considerable I'M
portance in a COMMERCIAL point Of view, aId WAS
again waking mp to the advantages Of It's position,
BY the enterprise Of its capitalists, OF which it
could boast more than an average share. The
line OF the n G. and Atlantic railroad passed
through its centre to Morehcal Lefty, and the fine
Workshops OF That conn any were located Iii Its
northwestern suburbs.
IT'S ITFENCEs.
The dcfenccs Of the town, constructed to repcl
the Northern InTtdcr, consisted Of series of
open forts and batteries extending down the
west bank of the Neuse river for ten miles
These were Union Point battery, in the town at
the jurction of the two rivers, mounting three
guns; Fort Lane, two miles distant, mounting
guns; Fort Ellis three miles. moun;in" eight
guns Fort Thompson, ~ miles, mounting Is
guns Fort Dixie, about miles, mounting t
guns These works intended, with sunken
vessels extending across the river just below
Fort Ellis and with various other cOntrivanccs to
resist the passage Of vessels up the river the
guns of the various works bearing upon the
stream, except two at Fort Thompson, which were
pointed inland to enflade the breast-workS at
that point The field works consisted Of series
of breast-works, entertainments The first Of
these, because first constructed by Maj Thompson,
were the CrOatan Works, ten miles distant from
the town, extending from Otter Branch, on the
river across the railroad to a swamp, about 1000
yards. This swamp supposed to be impassa-
de- like that Roanoke Island, but it really is
not So An officer of one of the regiments en-
gagged told us he had ridden through a considcra-
BILE portion of it. The intention Of this work
to meet the enemy there, the supposition
that he would land at Slocumb's creek, two miles
lower down the river. Two miles above Otter
creek, and eight miles from NewbeIn, is Fishers
Landing; at which considerable force Of thc
enemy did land, and thus got in the rear of the
Croatan works. Here Gen. Branch had con-
structed series Of rife pits, to command the
landing. At distance Of four and half miles
from NcwhcIn another brcastwork. called the Fort
Thompson works, commenced by Col. Single
tary, but completed by Gen. Branch, its LETT rest
ing upon Fort ThomI son and extending for one
mile across the old Beaufort road to the railroad
Here it rested upon embankment made by a
cut in the railroad, and was strengthened by two
hollow brlck-kIlns few yards to the rear. The
right Of this work, the railroad was also famked
by pancoupe battery the opposite side of the
road; and this was the first of Il series of similar
works constructed by Gen. Branch, forming
continuation of the Fort ThomI son works. and
running along the border of Bullcn's Rrauch
nearly dagonaily with them for another mile
crossing the road leading to Evans Mills, and
resting ts extreme right upon Bricc's creek
thus forming a continuous line Of works from the
Neuse to the creek, a distance Of two miles OK
actly. These constituted the entire dcfcnces of
Newbern, except the brcaStworks in the town it.
self, fronting the river. These were constructed
of cotton bales and sand bags, and were intcudcd
to protect The approach to the bridge by the
enemys gunboats.
THE BATTERIES.
The forts and batteries were manned as follows:
mon Point battery by the Confederate Mimstrc Is
commanded by their manager, c. O. White.
These volunteered for the OCCASION but took
no part in the fight. Fort Lane was commanded
by Captain Mayo. Fort Ellis was in charge of
Capt. Edelin, with company b, First Mary land
Regiment Fort Thompson was commanded bv
Maj. Crossan, late of the navy, and Fort Dixie
was also manned by detachment Of the men
under his command.
ARRIVAL. OF THE FLEET
On Wednesday, 18th March, at D. m the sig
mails established along the line Of the river, an
nuunced the feet to be six miles below Fishers
Landing. Gen. Branch Immediately ordered 10
that point Sinclay's 35rh, to watch the move
ments Of the enemy, where they arrived at !! p
IN, and discovered a number OF the vessels one
mile below. Col. Sinclair sent out his pickets
along Fishers Creek, and posted his command in
the rifle pits at the landing. The vessels how
ever, retired five miles down the river; and there
apparently went to anchor, and nothing more was
seen of them that evening.
Next morning, at about five o'clock some fifty
of the vessels were discovered standing off nealy
opposite, but between the eroa!on works They
got up steam, and aboat 0 clock three of them
in shore and commenced creeping up under
the land, Smelling the woods they came, aud
driving out Of the rife pits the 35,h when oppo-
site Fishers Landing.
In the meantime Col. Eance's Goth was seat