Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-01-29
No.|44.
Invasion of North Carolina by wild's Oolorsd
Brigade

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lie Brigade.
H.
Sc Our dispatches have already announced th
r. entire success of the expedition from NorfoI
It to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, by ], 80
1t eolored soldiers under Gen. Wild The cor
IF respondent Of the New York Times, who ac
e companied the expedition, gives full report O
d its movements. from which we gather some faeti
d Of interest. The fsrcss moved in two column.
e along the Dismal Swamp Caual-one column
under Gen, Wild in person, making rapid
, marches and occupying Elizabeth City in ad-
} vance Of the remainder of the troops. As they
moved along parties we're detailed to search
the houses Of the planters. In many instances
the slaves we're found locked up, when the
doors were broken open, the teams of their
masters impressed, and they were taken along
with their household property. In this way
the train was hourly extended until it was
half mile in length.
RESULTS OF THE RAID.
The material results OF the raid may be
summed up as follows Between 1000 and g..
900 slaves were released from bondage, with
whom were taken along about $50 OK, horse
and mule teams, and fren so TO IS saddle
/
guerriIlaS lest thirteen killed and wounded
ten dwelling houses, with many thousand bush |
els Of corn belonging to them were burned, be-
sides two distilleriss four of their camps
were destroyed and enc Of the number was |
hanged; and 100 rifles, uniforms, infantry
| equipments, &C., fell into our hands as spoils,
with loss on the part Of the brigade of twelve
killed and wounded, and enc man taken pri-
seAer. Besides this IA rebel prisons and four
hostages were brought in. A comparatively
small number of men were enlistsd-not more
than one hundred in ala large proportion
of able-bodisd slaves having previously left
their masters the facilities for escaping being
especially great in the regien visited.
In regard to its moral and political results,
however, the Importance of the raid cannot be
oVer-estimated. The counties invaded by the
celored troops were completely panic-strieken
Scores of families, for no cause but a guilty
conscience, fed into the swamps on their ap-
proach. Never was a region thrown into
such commotion by a raid BEFORE Proud
scions of chivalry, accustomed to claim the
most abject obedience from their slaves, liter
ally fell on their knees before these armed and
uniformed blacks and begged for their lives.
trust myself among such incarnate demons
Ne sooner would the brigade enter a neigh
borhood than General Wilds quarters would
be besieged by those wishing to take the oath
of allegiance and secure the protection of the
Government. Their slaves, might all GO !
they would give them up willingly-only let :
their lives and property be protected. Union
meetings were held in several places. and dele
cations sent to General Wild, proposing TO do = =
anything "tO be saved" One set of resolu- =
ions were signed by fifty nine planters, and i
another by sixty-six, while the return of the :" -
expedition was preceded and followed by hun : :
lreds of North Carolinians, Fastening to Nor
ok to obtain certificates of their loyalty :! :!
One hundred and Fifty vehicles crossed Great u
Bridge in a single day, containing persons
ourneying thither for this laudable purpose
An army of $4,000 blacks could march
rom one end of rebsldem to the other almest G
without opposition, the terror they would in nj
pire making them invncible. Well might al
he inhabitants almost universally admit, as Q
hey did, that slavery was dead there, and that as
North Carolina would rejoin the Union as a es
rec State, for the march of the Oolored bri- ly
5ade over the soil ceHsecrated it ever more tc
o freedom. With regard to the guerrillas, l CT
IN reliably informed that they have left this in
,art of the State. The severe chastisement 7
hey and their friends received frSm General 10
Wild rendered longer stay not advisable. Ell
BEHAVIOR OF THE MICRO TROOPS. a
In another respect this raid possesses histo- ol
ical importance. 1t is the first of any mag W
itude undertaken by negro troops since their pI
nliStment was authorized by Congress- and bt
y it the question Of their efficiency in any OF
ranch Of the service has been practically set OF
t rest. Thoroughly obedient to their officers, tn
uring q march Of three hundred miles, their Ar
onduct on every occasion was truly admira- re
lie. It will be seen that they performed in or
be enemy's country all the duties of white y
oldiers- scouting, skirmishing picket duty, IN
uard duty, every service incident to the oc- or
upation of hostile towns, and, best of all, s
ghting. th
[ThO 9th United States eoIored regiment, th
hich left their camp near Delaware last fall o'
'rmsd part of the expedition. &C