Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-20
From the Lima (Ohio) Gazette. ]


few days since that Sawyer Kelley
and w. V. Elliott, formerly of Lima,
had located at Edenton, n. c., a
gentleman who has been a resident
ever since the war, remarked to US
''Why was captured at Edenton
during the war, and saw some lively
times there At our request, he has
kindly consented to give US few
chapters of his life while there. Below
is the first installment
think it must have been the fall
of '62-yes, L know it was-the hard
fighting and marching of 1.-THE seven
days battle between Gems. Lee and
Mcclellan, was over and the army of
the Potomac had fallen back to Fort
ress Monroe, when Gen. l. O.. Foster
then in command of the Department
of North Carolina, asked for brigade
to assist him in raid from New
Berne to Goldsboro, the prime object
of which was the destruction of the
railroad border at the latter point.
The shattered remains (2nd Brigade
End Division Of the old Corps was
sent. Afte-: the burning of this
bridge, and something of an affair
as the high Muckee Mucks call a
small battle-at Kinston, the brigade
started for New Berne. The artillery
and infantry were nearly out of
ammunition and the ignorance Of this
fact on the part of our friends, the
Johnnies, prevented, doubtless, our
being taken in out of the wet. Some
fool killer in the rear guard, thinking
he would fix it so ''The Rebs" would
not follow US, set fire to the CONCEALED
gum, or turpentine on few Of she
pitch pine trees. There being high
wind, and blowing towards New
Berne, one may imagine, but can
not describe the result. The cavalry
galloped, the artillery jumped Il think
that is the best world and the infan-
try-well, they got there in great
shape. The fire spread SO fast that it
was almost impossible to keep ahead
Of it, but fortunately for us, the road
took turn, and the road did not, and
we thus escaped-but the sight OF
that fire and particularly the smoke,
was magnificent. Some three years
after when at Goldsboro, was talk
ing to an old resident, who told me
that hundreds Of acres Of pines were
ruined in the vicinity Of Kinston. l
asked how? He said ''somes id
Yanks set fire to it,
Upon our return to New Berne it
turned out that we were to stay in
North Carolina at least for a time,
and Gen. Foster set about garrisoning
the various towns and places Of i'm
portance in his Department. The
headquarters were at New Berne
While Washington, on the Tar river,
Plymouth on the Roanoke, Roanoke !
Island, Cape Hatteras and Morehead |
City, had their quota of troops in
proportion to their Importance and
the number Of troops at the. com
disposal.
The object, or at least one of the
objects in holding Plymouth, was to
be as near the Weldon railroad as
possible, with a view to seizing in
when the proper time come. The
''Tithe Law" which was rigidlv en-
forced there, required producers to
pay one tenth OF their produce to the
Tofederacy. This tenth was col
ected and stored in a large building
Il the country adjacent top Plymouth,
which had formerly done service as
Obacco warehouses. This then was
i. desirable thing to look after The
brigade of which | was member, had
bout /, 800 men in it, and consisted !
+ the 1O1st and 1O3rd Pa volunteers, I
9th Conn, S5th and goth \. Y. {
olunteers, after being sent to our S