Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-18


harm; and as .he was killed at Fort
Fisher, and had 10 DO killed, ! have
often regretted that his time was put of
TO 80 late day. However, forgive
him, or any other man-eyen Duncan.
who surrendered the forts below New
Orleans-who died with gray coat on
We quarreled for week, and1 got three
or four boats and their equipments, and
was ordered TO put them on the cars at
given time, and come by special train
to arrive at Kinston January 81, at
daylight As Whiting considered our
expedition of but little moment, he ar
ranged 70 give me a wheezy old engine
with leaky boiler, the consequence Of
which was that we were late, aud found
Wood waiting impatiently for our arri-
val. The smaller boats were pulled Cd
the cars aud hauled 10 the river in a few
moments, but the launches were too
heavy TO be moved so quickly, and as
the attack must be made next morning,
and the place was eighty.6ve miles
away, and the time then nearly noon,
there was nothing 10 be done but leave
the big boats 10 follow the feet. When
we came 10 bestow our men we had a
hundred more than the smaller boats
weuld carry, and then had to leave be-
hind the greater part Of our provisions
bread and bacon, 10 last all hands
week. To bring up these remnants be-
came my duty. We slid the launches
off the cars-they were as large as good
sized tugs-and lashed their stems TO
the rear of the fore wheels of wagons, to
| ~. IL. Il
hundred of the good citizens Of the town,
as well as my own men. In this way we
walked them right down to the river and
put them in. Ammunition, guns, provi-
sions and baggage soon followed, and in
few hours after Wood departed we showed
off. Clearing the distractions below
the town we got supper and prepared for
the all night pull. That we could over
haul Wood was scarcely possible; .Aere- |
fore we would rendezvous at little |
sluggish slough which makes into the !
Neuse few miles above Newbern, and |
is called Swift's creek. The main ex- !
pedition would go as far as Newbern if |
possible and attack the enemy short
handed as it was-a hundred men left |
behind. ! have ridden all night on two
or three occasions in crossing deserts,
and l consider that rather rough work;
but pulling all night with the thermom-
eter below freezing, and the ice making,
was rather worse. We got aground |
twice and had to get overheard to tighten
the boats and wade " them into deeper
water, and waded up to our armpits.
This was anything but pleasant. To
feel yourself freezing to your seat after
getting under way again was the reverse
of pleasant Dawn found US getting
near our rendezvous, at least | SO
judged from the low swampy country
on either side--and then we were sud-
denly startled by the report of artillery
to our right, followed by the long rat
ting sound Of musketry. Laying on
our oars .or a moment we fonnd that |
tho sounds we're rapidly going down the
river; hence the army was carrying out |
its programme. Pulling ahead we came
to shanty on q piece of high ground
on the left bank of the river, and
backed up to get information from an
excited looking woman, who was run
ming up and down the beach, swinging
an old sun-bonnet in the most frantic
manner. / begged with the utmost DO.
liteness for some information about
Swiit's creek. She didn't know where
it was. / asked if she had heard any
boats pass the night before. No. After
several Intellectual efforts to induce her
to know something, | asked who she
supposed me to be, whether Confederate
or Yankee Yankee, as matter of
course" she answered, in furious
voice; don't yer suppose l know yer
big boats and yer brass cannons.
Haven't yer been up here stealin' often
enough for me to know yer2 Yer
didn't steal Miss Jones silk dress, nor
Miss Thomas silver spoons, did yer2
Oh, no, you are too honest. Yer hear
them guns shootin' on luther side2 That
means for you uns to git, and eff Pm not
mistaken your folks is q doin' il, and
you'd better go and keep EN- company"
This talk had brought cut younger
woman, daughter of the speaker, who
put her arm about her mother neck and /
begged her to desist warning her of the
consequences of such indiscretion.
They will burn the house, mother"
said the young woman " Let EN- burn,
said the elder; "Pll have my sag, and !
tell the rascals what think Of EN-. if {
they hang me for it. tried to explain,
but to no purpose; my gray coat was a
. blind, as my men we're partly dressed {
in blue. Finding that nothing was to be {
gained, we went ahead. A short dis.
tance below. we saw an old negro, and ]
knowing now that we should be taken for l
Yankees in all likelihood we addressed {
him with that expectation. He implored I
us TO get to the forts, as the woods were
literally full of rebels, worse than
pigeons in pigeon time" said the old {
man. Swift's creek was not far off. Still
further on we met a well-to-do looking
farmer on horseback who told us where
the creek was, but was careful not to l
commit himself as to which side he sym
pathized with. We tried to leave the
impression that we were Federals. We 9
pulled up the creek 10 the appointed {
rendezvous, but did not find the Cap '
tain. There was but one thing to do, 7
and that was to obey orders, and wait t
his coming We landed our battery and I
the field carriages, secreted our boats as I
best we could, posted sentinels and '
guards, made big fres and were soon S
thawing out and broiling bacon and I
munchihg hard-tack. The genial warmth l
brought sleep, and coiled down for a 5
nap. In a very short time man was {
on the other side Of the creek 9
to cross in a canoe. When I
he got on our side we captured him. He a
was q messenger from Colonel Dearing, 2
who commanded an infantry force lying $
ON the north side Of the Neuse, opposite 9
where he was beleaguering a '
fort, and was anxious 70 communicate
with Wood. He reported that no attack Z
had been made the night previous, !
and that a gunboat lay directly op-
tha;- rsoLafa - nndar the 1