National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-10-04


town Of Newberne, N. G., emboldened by
the lack of an adequate force Of confed-
crates in that vicinity, had become un-
usually sassy" and aggressive, and had
pushed some of thoir raids and expedi-
tions dangerously near to important limos
of communication for tho confoderates.
Moreover, by these operations they had
received important accessions to their
ranks from the strong body Of native
unionists who dwolt in this part Of the
state, and who, attracted by bountios and
otherwise, wore glad to be ablo to got
shot legally at their secessionist neigh
bors, who, before the coming OF the
fedorals, had rendered their lives any
thing but pleasant to them. These native
levies were dubbed "Bufialoes," and as
most Of them had some private grudgo to
satisfy they harred their confederate
neighbors without mercy-killing, burn
ing, and destroying until they became a
greater terror to the inhabitants than the
federal troops proper, whose officers COM
PEELED them to observe discipline,
To put stop to these abuses, and to
authorities determined to send re-enforce-
ments to Gen. Hoke. commanding the
confederate troops in front Of the lines at
Newberpo, with view to an assault
upon that town. Accordingly, q part of
Picketts Virginia division, Corse's brig
ade, known as 'the flying column of the
army" was bundled into the cars at
Petersburg and dispatched to Goldsboro' ,
N. G., whore the troops were disembarked.
Thence the line of march was taken up
TO effect junction with Hoke, who was
somewhere between Kingston and New
berne, which latter town, by the way, had
been pretty strongly fortified by the fed
erals, and they also had an entrenched
camp in advance several miles.
On beautiful autumnal evening, after
marching since daylight, Corsos brig
ade, about o'clock, entered the little
town of Kingston. Here tho 18th
and 18th Virginia regiments were
ordered to halt, while the other
regiments continued the march. These
two regiments were then ordered to pile
all their baggage except single blanket
by the road side and set guard over it.
Then twenty extra rounds of cartridges
were served out to be rolled up in the
blanket: but although our grub" rations
were about exhausted we were not sup
piled with any additional. To tho query
of the men, whats up now2" the
adjutant could only reply, "Somo special
service; | don't know what" We soon
discovered that the regiments had been
put under the command of Gen. Dering, q
young and promising otficer-a West
Pointer-and soon we were heading out
toward the unknown along a sandy by
road, with directions to take up the
quickstep.
Now marching along country road In
Virginia and in the coast districts Of the
Carolinas are two very different things
The sand in the North Carolina roads is
ankle deep, with nothing to catch on, SC
to speak in fact, it is like walking in
new fallen snow, slipping and sliding
and is exceedingly tiresome to the unac-
customed foot. The North Carolinian
walks with peculiar dragging slide Of
the feet, which carries him easily over
the sand without fatigue, but a hard turn
pike is death on his mode Of progression
We had frequent occasion on this hard
march to recall the EXPLANATIONS of the
North Carolina bfigades when, on the
hard roads of Northern Virginia in the
early days of the war, they would come
stumbling into camp couple of hour
after the Virginia divisions, who would
numerically chaff them, had stacked
arms for the night Eyes, you Virginny
mems kin walk right away from we-un:
on your internal pixies, but jest wait till
we git you down among our sand hills
d-n you" They had the bulge ON us il
this march for dead certainty.
Although, as l have stated, the two
regiments had been marching since sur
up, the steady pace was kept up witt
rests of ten minutes ut the end of every
two hours until ABOUT two o'clock the
next morning. The men were SO ex-
hausted that they could absolutely go II,
further, for in addition to the deep sane
tho march was impeded by the frequen
marshy "slashes,' some times hundred
yards broad and two feet deep, which
crossed the road every two or tire,
miles. The term forced march" il
pregnant with significance to an old sol
dier, and to describe it for him would b,
superfuous. He couldn't forget what i
means il he were to live to the ago o
Methusaleh, but to the new generation
word or two of description may not b.
out of place.
Well, forced march" is terror T.
the best troops that ever lived. 1t mean
torture of mind and torture of body.
means dull aching of every joint an,
bone and marrow of the bones. 1t mean
not simply utter WEAKNESS and pain, bu
almost complete prostration OF tn
physical powers. 1t means to fall nilce
for minute while mechanically ploddin
along and to awake with start, whil
staggering to fall. 1t means when tn
ten minutes rest comes, to sink down il
your tracks like an empty.bag let fall an,
to be asleep before you touch the ground
1t means that when at the expiration O
the ten minutes, the sharp fall in mel
fall in !" is shouted, you painfully arts
from the earth, sitter and sorer, ii posi-
bio, than before. 1t isa fact that no matte
how dead asleep u veteran soldier nigh
be on the march, habit il such, that whe
the command, fall in p was given h
instantly awoke. IL means finally tina
you would barter million cheerfully 70
an hours rest and sleep, and while feel
ing bound to obey the memorable com
mand forward " you are in your state o
mental and physical wretchedness al
most ready to curse God and die. Is tn
picture overdrawn? Ask any old soldie
of tho civil war and sec what he will
say.
But to resume. We were slumberin
at . o'clock in the morning; by o'clocl
we were on tho march again, tired an
hungry, for our scanty rations were eX
hausted, and the wagons had not come VI
for this expedition seems to have been sud
denly projected and put INTO execution
During this days march an occurrence
took place that came very near putting al
end to the 18th regiment without any as
sistance from the enemy. While crossin
wooden and dilapidatod bridge about 10
yards long, over one of the main branchc
of the Neuse river, although the colone
ordered the men to break the cadence d
the step (the swing of a regiment of me
keeping step is trying to the stability q
even well-built BRIDGE, an ominou
cracking was heard among the Supports
Instantly the colonel yelled, "As you are
halt" Every man stood stockstill. Their
by twos and threes ut time, and steppn
gingerly at that, the regiment was saiel