Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-03-20


! TnE NEwBERN fArrnR-We are wholly nnab'e o
say how mary dfersnt versions have heard of g
disaster to our troops at Newbern ctrainy lot less
than hundred The result of all this is hat wi b five
skeleton regiments of infantry and few artillery
companies, and subsequently battalion who came in
line to help cover the retreat attempted to hold
position against twenty-five thousand with for
miIable gun-boats on cur flank, and formidable fed
batteries in our front.
In addition to the armed and uniformed troops there
were 700 to 500 militia. Our whole force then, militia
included could not have been than FIVE thousand
A prisoner-we fear must confna ourselves
to the singular artcle-a prisoner, first Lieut.
who had been in command of eight gun field battery
of the enemy states that Burnside landed twenty-five
thousand men, aid bad still a reserve on board his
vessels.
| Our people numbering, we have just this moment
learned little over five thousand, held their ground
for about fqe honrs and would no doubt have held it
longer bad not the militia first given way and then the
thiry-ith regiment, leaving unprotected the point
they were put to guard. The militia doubt did as
well as any militia could have been expected to do under
the circumstances Why the thirty-ffth follow 9 !
them 10 their headong fight as they are said to have
VI
good material and if there was any dsafection with
any officer or any want of confidence, that was
not the tine nor the way to show it.
With these exceptions how why occurring, we
will not now attempt to say, the infantry fought re-
markedly we'll in fact, fought with galantry not ex-
ceeded By any at any point during the war, inct-
ing very heavy less upon the enemy. The point left
unprotected by the retreat fight of he troops above
referred TO, guarded By the seventh who kept two
companies as guard while eight companies led by Ma
jor Hail pulsed aud drove out in confusion heavy
force on tie enemy who had poured in to the enrench
meuts. This whole regiment behaved remarkably well,
ard we ar proud to say that did better than
townsmen who were there In Captain r. B. McRae's
company. j. L Mcclellan, of Brunswick, is slightly
wounded, and Cobb of Columbus. is reported
killed.
Col Avery's Regiment, the thirty-tbrd suffered heav
lily, and fought we'll Col. Avery and Major Hoke are
reported killed We trust that it is so, bat fear that
it is.
Col. Lee was reported killed, but learn that this
not so His horse is said to have been 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's regiment placed we think that
it did not get into the main BATTLE but also that it
had to cut its way cut by some of the hardest kind Of
fighting 1t did do 50.
Our cavalry fear, did not do 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 hundred and fifty. The
enemys is reported at anything from six hundred to
lars of these and other matters to-day.
The first panic reports which represented large
number of our people being taken prisoners appear
to be almost wholly without foundation. The whole
number of prisoners will not reach two hundred,
We must here forewarn our readers to be On thel
guard against all the wild stories told by early fugve
from the battle, too many of whom enacted parts te
which We blush to refer. The four regiments who do
fight as also Iattam's an! Brems batteries acquitted
themselves, by the admission of the enemy mos
bravely, and know that instead OF being, as is rep
resented by the trembling ugtyes either panic stricken
or morNliz2d they in good spirits, satisfied tina
they did all that could do against Overwhelming
Odds AID ready to try the issue again under more ia
vorate auspices. TIE lumber OF prisoners taken b.
the eneny is small Our rppu'sed them four times
once at the point of the bayonet This they could no
and would lot stand
1t is said that Il my piloted through swamp
On our left by mulao, at any rate they pote'
by somebody who knew the country, and there is no
wanting suspicion attaching itself to some white person
s or persons.
The artillery companies behaved we'll OF course GU
heavy guns had to be abandoned and of fel
o guns also Lathams battery is said to have worke
great havoc among the enemy Brem's battery los
some of its pieces, as did Iathams. We believe III
horses were killed.
The thing is much better than it had been at frs
represented. There is neither panic dsorganza
4 ton, the part Of the fugitives who sprea
abroad the most extravagant tales and represented
erybody being bad themselves. 10 these tug
tives disgrace may attach, which it is incumbent upo
them to take the first opportunity to wipe out but TIL
does not attach to our gallant little army who are
right.
u We think it best to foTbear noticing the thousand
current casting the blame upon this Office
ard that ofcer-this authority and that authority
" Some of the charges may be true, they may not
true. We cannot form any judgment without fuller il
J. formation. Making all due allowance for circumstance
Il that might have modified the progress of the 6gt
or prolonged its DURATION the asuficent zplanation
/ our defeat was, acont of With the militia, they
10 numbered US nearly five to one-eaving out the mt
70 they outnumbered nearly six to After Sinclair
~ regiment left those who bore the brunt of the battle
outnumbered fully seven to one. That under these Gil
cumstances, could hold our position permanently,
not in the range of possibility Whether it was wort
-" while to make fight at all, with such a disparity