Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-06-01

! attention VI Tue enemy Wlnle SOl' Jones
should surprise them in the rear and assault
their position. AT midnight of Thursday, our
column moved up the road, Co. X of the 25th
having the advance, and throwing out guard
as usual. When within mile Of Gum Swamp
entertainments our advance was fired upon by
the rebel pickets, who were driven in
and the column moved on. Approaching
near to the enemy, the column halted
and finally formed in an open field,
and Cos. X and + of the 25th were
sent forward as skirmishers, Co. X had the
right and while moving on into small clear
( ing, suddenly found themselves within thirty
rods of a rebel company drawn up in line;
the enemy leveled their pieces to fire, when
! Capt Denny ordered his men to drop, which
they did instantly and the voley of bullets
passed over without harming a man. The
fire was returned, killing one rebel and
wounding another when the enemy fled TO
their entertainments. Cos. X and gained
their positions, and held the line bravely for
three hours, constantly exposed to the enemy,
and yet having but three men slightly wound
ed Private James Eaton OF Co. X received
flesh wounds in two fingers, and his right
hand was considerably affected by the con-
cussion of the ball; private William Wood
of Co. L had one finger shot of and private
| Cornelius COnnor OF the same company re-
| ceived flesh wound in his hand. The 46th
| regiment had some skirmiShes at the extreme
left of our front, but none were wounded.
About 10 o'clock A. NJ. the dash of our cav
airy and the cheers of our infantry under Col.
Jones were heard in the rear of the enemy.
Our Skirmishers raised loud cheers, and fred
volley after volley into the entertainments.
Col. Pickett moved the 25th forward, and was
anxious to charge with his regiment, but could
get no order to that effect from the senior
colonel in command, but finally, after little
delay, the infantry in front moved up and
took possession of the entrenchments, and the
colors of the 25thwaved upon the rebel works,
while the 27th Massachusetts and 58th Penn
sylvania were gathering up the fruits of the
| victory in the rear We captured one hun
| dred and seyenty-tive prisoners three being
| officers twenty nine splendid horses, and a
| wagon-load of ammunition, and proceeded to
destroy the Notifications, leveling the breast
works with boards and rails, for the want of
shOvels to do it with. We were within few
miles of Kinston, the railroad commu-
nicating directly to that place from the
scene of action; and man of more
prudence and less indomitabe bravery
than Col. Jones possessed, would have moved
us Immediately back towards Newbern. But
we remained, and at P. NJ were attacked by
the enemy from Kinston. We had an artil-
lery fight of nearly an hour, and then moved
off-the 25th in the rear of the column Cos.
X and [. forming the rear guard, with one
piece of artillery and twenty cavalry. Our
entire march to Core creek was one OF excite
ment, the enemy following closely and she'll
ing us most of the way. When the enemy
came up too near, the rear guard halted and
drove them back with musketry and shell.
Fortunately the enemy fired very Indifferent
ly, and we had no casualties and reached Core
creek at IL O'Clock, and laid down for the
night. Early Saturday morning we left Core
creek, the infantry moving towards tho rail-
road by cross road, Co. X being again on
the advance. Col. Pickett ordered Captain
Denny to send scouts to the railroad to ascer-
tain if the enemy were attempting to cut US
| off. In the meantime our cavalry and artil-
| lery had an engagement with the enemy
| at Core creek, but Silenced their firing
and took the country road for New6ern;
TBS f6GPpta HAT fRtt ehemy were on the road in
force, had driven in our railroad pickets, kill
! ing one of the 9th Massachusetts and wound
! ing another, and that one rebel regiment was
| moving around our position TO cut off our re-
| treat. Col. Pickett at once determined to
outwit Mr.. Rebel and get into their front, and
therefore ordered "sIngle file" movement to
the left, which took US four miles through a
terrible swamp, seemingly almost impossible,
and where we wandered in the mud and water
and among the briars and brambles for five
hours before we struck the railroad just above
TuscarOra station. Officers and men were
nearly exhausted in this swamp, and some
forty men were left there unable to extricate
themselves from it. One sergeant of the 46th |
Massachusetts sank down exhausted in the |
swamp, and diedbefo he was taken out, and an
other man died after he was taken out. The |
men suffered from heat and for the want of |
water; when we could stand thirst no longer |
we dipped up the muddy, black, and poison
Gus swamp water, and, putting an old towelor
dirty pocket handkerchief over the dipper,
sucked the water through, thereby straining it
so as to make it drinkable. That was a terri
Bile swamp experience, which will never be
forgotten by those participating in it. l saw
officers and men falling together completely
exhausted. Officers did all they could to
encourage the men, and in some instances l
saw men standing over their exhausted officer
ueCldlluS tuey WOulu stay DJ MIN anu snare
their fate together. Bull at last the railroad
was found, and there stood "a long train of
platform cars ready to move. We loaded on
promiscuously. completely outwitting the en-.
envy, who were watching for us further up
the railroad, and reached Newbern at s P. NJ.
About p NJ. the enemy, probably chagrined |
over our escape, and maddened to fury against
Col. Jones, attacked his camp at Bachelors |
creek. Three regiments advanced in line to
attack him, and he moved out with three COM
panies of his regiment, fell upon them fu-
rously, routing them and putting them to
flight. But after this was accomplished and |
the enemy were fleeing, chance shot struck
Col. Jones in the breast killing him instantly. |
This is sad result and much deplored Col. |
j. Richter Jones was an enthusiastic patriot, |
brave and fearless. He believed in fighting |
down this rebellion. He was well educated, |
and governed by high religious principle in all |
his action. This department cannot afford 10
lose such man. VIDETTE.
THE BLoCKADE.-Some idea Of the magni-
tude of the undertaking of bockading the
southern coast may be gathered from the facts
furnished by Prot. Bache, superintendent of
the coast survey, to rear admiral Davis,
chief Of the navigation bureau. This report
shows that the line of coast guarded BY our
| hlOal ndpor ;,