The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-31

"Plant your colors on that building" said
Gen. Reno to Serg't Bates, of the 21st Mass.
The colors had been presented by the ladies of
Worcester. Serg't Bates ran forward in ad-
vance of the company, sprang upon the low
roof OF house, and waved the colors amid
storm of bullets. The regiment rushed for
ward. The other regiments came into line
the 51st Penn, the 5th r. l., and 9th N. ].
ADJUTANT sTEARNs.
The first man 30 fall was Frazer Augustus
Stearns, son of the President of Amherst Col
lege, Adjutant of the 2lst Mass. He was only
81 years old, but was very brave and gallant.
charge" he shouted, but the next moment
he fell. Gen Reno thought a great deal OF
him, and the tears rolled down his cheeks
when he heard that he was killed.
THE BATTLE ON THE LEFT.
Gen. Reno ordered the 21st to charge across
the railroad. With a cheer they rushed across
the track, but came under cross-fire and lost
great many men.
One by enc the regiments came into action.
Through the forenoon the uproar went on. 1t
was brave defense which the 18th, 10th, 33d,
35th, and 37th n. c. troops made but the bat
tie was going against them. The gunboats
were steaming up the Neuse and sending
storm of shells into Fort Thompson. The am
munition of the Confederate troops was fail
| ing.
In front of the Union howitzers the Confed-
crates had a large cannon drawn by four mules.
! A Lieutenant of the Navy, who cared nothing
for the Confederate bullets, is out in front of
the 25th Mass, watching the shot He comes
running back swinging his cap.
q" Now's your time. One of the mules is down.
Come on Come onl" he shouts.
In battle men do strange things. The Lieu
| tenant has nothing TO do with the 25th the
soldiers are not under him, but with a hurrah
they rushed forward. The 24th catch the
enthusiasm, and together, like wave of the sea,
| they sweep on, up 10 the entertainments, over
them. The Confederates throw away their
guns and cartridge-boxes and Zee towards New
| Berne.
who ordered that charger" asked Gen.
| Burnside
al do not know, and it makes no difference,
| now that il is DONE" said Gen. Foster.
On the left the troops rushed forward-the
2lst Mass. capturing cannon manufactured at
Chicopee, Mass, for the United States before
the war and brought from Fort Macon by the
Confederates.
The 4th r. l., on Gen. Parke's right,
charged and captured battery and two flags,
the soldiers waving their caps and giving
hurrah which was heard all along the line
The Confederates everywhere lost heart, and
rushed panic stricken towards New Berne.
THE CONFEDERATE PANIC.
Going over now to New Berne let us see what
Col. Estvan saw. He had reached the town
from Richmond just before the battle closed.
lie says: AS ! approached New Berne the
roar of cannon became more and more distinct.
Suddenly number of horsemen galloped past
me in full flight, and among them / could dis
Germ the gallant Colonel with whom had dined.
He gave Ine hurried nod and passed on New
Berne i found looking bad enough. Gen.
Branch had secured a railway carriage for HIM
self Troops without their officers were pass
ing me in confusion, throwing away their arms.
oil ffid off hp
formed by their respective regiments. Accord
| ing TO their accounts they had all fought like
so many devils, but the force of the enemy not
being less than 100000, they had no chance.
The fact is, Gen Branch had run away and all
discipline was al an end.n
The Confederates set the long bridge across
the Trent on fire. In the town all was con-
fusion, the people fleeing from their houses in
CONSERVATION. The Confederates set the town
on fire, and q great black cloud rose heaven
ward from the burning buildings
One of the Union steamers came up ferried
the troops across the river into the town, and
the soldiers laid aside their guns TO put out
the flames. Out of 1900 people not 100 white
people remained. The colored people did not
flee, but remained to welcome the troops as
their best friends.
The victory was complete, but nearly 600
Union troops had been killed and wounded in
the conflict.
4
Gen. Parkes brigade embarked on the
steamers and sailed back to Slocum's Creek,
landed, marched TO Moorehead City and Beau
fort. There We're no troops to oppose them,
but the Confederate flag was flying on Fort
Macon Col. White. nephew of Jefferson
Davis, was commander of the fort Gen. Parke
r sent summons to him to surrender. 1t was
naughty reply which came back" that he
would not yield till he had eaten his last bis
cult" There were 500 Confederates in the
fort, and Col White was confident that he could
hold it.
: The gunboats came mortars were landed
and in few days Gen. Parke had eight Of
them and three long 30-pounder rifed cannon in
position to lombard the fort. Col White knew
5 that something was going on behind the sand
hills. and be found out what it was when at {
5 o'clock on the morning of April 25 there came
| q storm of shells into the fort. Four of the
gunboats also opened fire, which was SO hot
and heavy that at o'clock in the afternoon
I Col White ran up a white flag and when tn.
firing ceased Capt. Guion came out and sale
that they would surrender. So the 500 mer
who would fight till they had eaten their las
biscuit gave themselves up.
By their capture all the harbors north O
i Wilmington were closed to the blockade run
l. Ders. Now the blockading vessels of the Nortl
Z, Atlantic could have harbor Of refuge whel
9 the storms came on. A great blow had beel
struck against the Confederacy.
Now Wilmington and Charleston were th
only harbors north of Port Royal where vessel
i from England could slip in with supplies O
= arms and ammunition manufactured in Eng
q land.
e Before the capture Of Hatteras Inlet and For
% Macon Confederate privateers small light
y draft vessels, had made Albemarle and Pamlic
g Sounds their hiding places, running out t
q capture vessels owned by the merchants of Ne,
York, Boston and Philadelphia, plunderin
s. them, setting them on fire, and then slippin
" back into the sounds They were like spider
bouncing upon flies. But by the capture of Fol-
d Macon came an end to Confederate privateei
/. ing on the coast of North Carolina
!; THE BLOCKADE.
le When the war began President Lincol
q issued proclamation informing the people
b England, France and all other countries the
the ports of the Southern States were block
,f AIDED. Hehad very few vessels that he coul
s, station off the ports to enforce the proclami
Ell ton. The Southern people laughed st th
at proclamation. cit is only q newspaper bloch
< ade," they said.
The London Times ridiculed the idea T"
II, country cannot blockade its own sea-ports,
wrote the editor.
r. The British government sent the war shi
le Gladiator along the coast early in June 1856
he to see If there were any United States WI
ships blockading the ports. Capt. Hickle,
be commanding the ship, reported that he coul
re not find a single blockading vessel betwee
st Cape Henry and Cape Fear. The last week