Newbern weekly progress., 1862-03-11


Ny fOree was still slowly advauring. driving tho
enemy towards the battery, I 5ireried General
Buekner Immediately 10 move his command 4
round 10 The rsr of the battery 'urhins iss left,
keeping in the hollow, and attack and cary
H.
Before the movement was executed. nv force
lf6fming the attacking party On the Tiglh with
FORESTS regiment (eayary.l .gallantly charged
the battery. supported by a body Of infantry,
driving II aud forcing the battery 10 retire. taking
six pieres Of artillery, four brass and twenty four
iron gHus. In puFuipg tha enemy falling back
u pusffans tiS.u iiurkfrrf' 81 ers became
united with mine and engaged the enemy In hot
cuntest OF nearly an hour with large forces Of
fresh troops that had now met US This position
Of the enemy being carried by our joinnt forces
called of farther pnss1it after seven and half
g4parsrf eoBtinnouS AMI bloody cgHtict. Alter
uls-Iranps -2&ere- called -nH oI1era were. in.
tnehiately given to=the different commands TO
form aud reiireto their original positions in the
enirenchments.
The operations Of the day had forced the en-
tire command ofthe enemy around % our right
wing, and in front Of Gen. Buck uers position in
the enchnents, and when bis comma nd
reached bis position he fsand the emmy rapitl-.
" advancing 10 take possession, of this portion
Of his work lie had q stubborn confc, lasting
one and a half hours 10 regain it, and the enemy
aGiuallY goi possession Of .he extreme right Of
his position. Bj5heldifs fFS6iy shat dls coali
not dislodge him The position thus gained by
the enemy Was most commanding one, being
Immediately IN the rear Of our river battery and
Geld work for its protection. From IL he could
readily turn tha in,renched work occupied by (
Gen. Buckner, and attack him in reverse or sd-
vance under cover Of an intervening ridge directly
upon our battery aud field work. While he held
this .pnsilon il was manifest We could not held
the main work or battery
!. Such was lie condition of III, armies Mt night.
I fail after mine hours conflict ON The 18th inst in
which our loss was severe, and leaving not less
than 5000 of the enemy dead and wounded on the
fed We left upon the field nearly all his
wounded, because we could mot remove them.
" e left the dead unburied because we could NOS
| bury them Such Conflict and courage has per-
lraps neeer before occurred upon this continent.
We toQk about 800 prisoners and large number
of arms Wa had fought to open the way for onr
army aad relieve MS from an Investment which
would necessarily reduce us and the position
] by famine. We had occupied the who1e day to
accomplish our object, and before we could pro-
-pare tolGave, after taking in the wounded aud
'he dead, the enemy had thrown around us
again in the night m immense force Of fresh
troops. and re occupied his original position in
! the line Of investment thus again cutting off our
retreat. We had only about l2,000 troops all
told OF these d large proportions we had lost in
the three battles The command had bern in
the trenches night and day for FIVE days, exposed
to the snow, mud and ice water without shelter,
aud without covering and without sleep
In this condition the general officers held
consultation 10 determine what we shonld do.
J Gen BuSknei gave 1t as his decided opinion that
he could not hold his position one half an hour
against an assault of the enemy and said the enc.
my would attack him next morning at daylight.
The proposition was made by the undersigse1 TO
again fight through the enemy's line and cut
u way uUt General Burkncr said his com
fnaad mjts so worn out and en-; 10 pieces gnd-ts.
tmtrgiiZtl That he eaRil DOT make anoi her tight !;
lhaE il would cost The command three quarters
Of its present numbers to cut its way through,
and il Mas wrong to sacrifice three.quarters Of
commintd to save quarter that no officer had
lglshi to cause such sacrifice. Gen. Floyd
md Vi .jlnGilmer understood TO concur in this
opinion. =. a.
, thru expressed tHe opinion hat we could hpld
] nat another dAl, aud ii that tins we could got
si-,nibpats ami set the command over The river
7 hu1 pJLbahiy save large portion Of It, To this
GeuernI But huer replied that the enemy woull
p Ias'lai.Iy attack him at lagaht, and lhat be
eu'il not hudbis position half hour. The alter
nativs o; the prupus tons was surrender of their
4 position hutrcummanl Gen. Floyd said that he
would utilhcr surrender tho command, nor wOnld
/, hc saTrrpirr hinsaIfh prison T. | mad taken thu
same Fr,i'iua Gem BIeSn.r sail he WIS sa.is-
: dra r"thins tise cna!I be- dpne. and that, there
gre, h' wulhl Si, r4W irr If placed IN command.
JisG FL! sd ,Ei] that.he VDu;d tnru over ths com-
mani 10 dim IL b. ruuli be allowed tO Withdraw
',is rCmo'1rt; tn this G+h- liuGkn I consented.
: inrf,ppgu Gfu, III III t,rIiel til cnmnaii.l.ur,
10 IN, pa sjnI il Instantly 10 Gen. Buckuef;
SGNi. | wnB.i uriFhs. surrender the cunnihu /
u:fr r, ,,'li pii.nu,r .lir ritd Col. Fonrsi Ia
! ,,arthi~-N ay--,.rtt CRj.r these eilrifnstHAcss
2 Oh. i}ukr'r accepted the eunAsraml, aud sSri
a lfe ~ Imus to tins nncny Tor nh agHIiSire Ut Il
. aails to nrgo Int. for terms uf eqpitIiaiiun. BE
L tlfe tbs G1g aud communication was d hyeied
i ! feiir 4 tn uttr Gartisnn,
{ . b. tHe rL,siHg-ms report Of the operations oi
!, tlfa HnY NJ D0hesun. must, in justice to The
!, officers aud forces under my Inmejia,s command
!, say that harder fighting moro ga liant eondue'
: in p.htrrs aud mtn lhaYs never witnessed Ii
( tbs rbsrncr uf nth ial rrborts Of brigade AM
I. T. simcH'a commanders (nfwhieh Rm deprive,
ID lfy lhs Circumstances drtniirj in this report)
Z, may not he able to do jpslice TO the diIieren
2 ceJPs j will say lnwrl cr that the forces nnde
lc my immediate command bore themselves mos
d galI'ntly 'hrovghoat the long aud bloody con
=. Shict
e / an satisfied that in such series Of conflict
- onF loss was heavy. ] know what the enemy
was ifum passing over the BATH lrll with Gen
~ Floyd In the evening Immediately after the bat
al tie llisluss in killed aud wounded was terrible
II eNccedina hing Ihave ever seen on u battl
be field, Or force In the field did not exceed te
lc ihansaud men. while frop hat sawsof the enc
C. niius furco RLd from information derived fror
Il prisoners Wenre sire lie had frum thirty to fort
=, thnusaud on the field must acknowledge m
~ oh!igal,ous 10 Major Gilmer, engineer for the e'
!, psGial Anl valuable services rendered me in lay
lug 'r the works aud the energy displayed b
~ hin 10 directing their construction, aud for hi
n, council and advice likewise acknowledge N
n. obligations to Col. John e. Buteh. my aid-d'
to camp, to Captain Gus, A Henry, Maj'r Field. L
Nicholson 1t Chas. L. Martin. aud Col. BraT
nm don, my volunteer aids do camp, to Major Hay
-, my assistant commlssary, Major Jonc
-, uy assistant quartermAster, Tor the piompt mai
M neT in witch they executed my orders und
J, trying circumstances throughout tho long an
- continued conflicts, aud to Major Gilmer, wi
: accompanied me Throughout the entire day. A
hi 80 To Capt Parker, Of my staff whom assign'
70 10 the command q Capt. Rosss Geld bAt,el
AZ with new recruits as gunner, and who fought a.
H. served them we'll. Col Brandon wAS wound'
~, early In the action Col BAldNtns command co
"' tho Irnut af The forra