The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-03
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
PLYMOUTH, N. c.
Innlhnr Account OF its Gallant Defenst.

Another Account Of its Gallant Defense.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When / saw
The account Of Comrade Flint in The Ma
TfoNAL TRIBUNE in regard TO the defense aud
capture Of Plymouth, N. c. by small force |
very naturally expected TO meet with facts aud
figures and correct dates. If my diary tells
the truth and / think il does, as / took notes
of the affair at the time, the occurrences are as
follows:
April l6, 1S64-0ur cavalry outposts report
rebel scouting parties four miles out on the
Washington road. They are also reported thus
evening by contrabands out on the Columbia
road.
Sunday. April 17.-After the regular duties
OF the morning were performed, we were ln-
vited 20 repair to the Chapel for religious sery-
ices, which were conducted by Col. Taylor, oil
our regiment, l0lst Pa. About O'Clock p. m
our cavalry came dashing in on the Washing
ton road, they having been driven IN by
strong force Of the enemy, who soon made
their appearance on our extreme right placed
their batteries in position and began to she'll
Fort Gray, which is situated at point above
Plymouth, on the Roanoke River, called War
neck. Darkness closed their effort TO capture
the fort, and they withdrew from the range of
our guns.
Monday, lS-The enemy seems TO have con-
centrated their entire force on Fort Williams,
il being Gen. Vessels headquarters. This
lGTh is ABOUT the center Oh our tAAIc anu VIM
mands the Washington road. Desultory hrlng
by the infantry all day; artillery duel kept up
until 10 D. Nj. at which time Forts Williams
and Vessels both opened with ali their guns,
and in a few minutes sileuced all the rebel
guns for the night
Tuesday, l9.-This morning the rebels have
withdrawn ali their forces except their pick
cts, but during the day made their appear
ance at different points in force, and IN the
evening advanced on Fort Vessels, situated
between Fort Williams aud Fort Gray, aud the
weakest point OF our entire line. A short, fierce
struggle, and our men are overpOwered and
the rebels have the fort and the S5th y. \. are
prisoners. We are still hopeful, but rumors OF
an lrOnclad ram coming down the river makes
us feel somewhat respondent.
Wednesday, 20.-During last night the reb-
els were engaged in getting their troops on the
Columbia road, and TO our left they appeared
in force within 500 yards Of Fort Compiler at
daybreak, and in the meantime the Ram Al
bemarle put IN an appearance this morning at
o'clock, passing all our batteries unmolested;
ran into the gunboat Southfeld, sinking her
in a very few minutes, and driving the rest of
our feet down the river into the Sound. We
are now surrounded on ali sides, with no posi-
bic chance OF escaping. with rebels swarming
like bees wherever we look. Their final at
tack was made this morning about o'clock,
charging in solid column on Fort Compiler
three times from the front, and were each time
sent flying back with double charges of CAMS
ter from our heavy guns. Alter a short lnll in
their movements they suddenly moved by the
right flank, file left, 20 the river bank; then
fronting. with left half wheel. they came up
in the rear Of our works with a who0p and a
yell that was fairly demoralizing, sweeping
everything before them, capturing Fort Com
pheE, rushing through the camp of the l0lst
Pa, up through town, gobbling up the 1890
vranH nm 10 ha wfphH and they
wind up with the 10th Conn. and q small de-
tachment Of the 18th n. Y. Cav. Weare now all
prisoners, except Gen. Vessels aud small gar
Fis0n composed Of the Path N. Y. Independent
battery aud two companies Of Massachusetts,
heavy artillery. Gen. Vessels. IL seems, does
not yet fully realize the hopelessness Of holding
his fort when no assistance can be expected
from any quarter About II o'clock the final
assault is made on Fort Williams and our
brave little General snrrenders.
And now as 20 numbers: j am satisfied that
there are vet a sufficient number OF intelligent
officers and men Of the several commands liy-
ing that viii c0rTOborate my statement. For
THIS part j write from memory. Gen. Hoke,
with 1900 troops, was on his way from
Charleston, s. C., TO reinforce Gen. Lee Mt
Richmond, with instructions 10 march through
North Carolina and capture Washington aud
Plymouth. ia the first be failed and brought
his entire army against our Hallague-strcken
force OF not q man over 200 reported for
duty; and yet, had t not been for their iron
clad ram, we would never have been taken
BEP.-Geu. Martin admitted their loss in kill
ed and wounded 10 exceed our entire force
never saw report Of the number Of our loss,
but hope someone who knows viii give the
report.
Now, comrades, ] want someone 10 speak out
loud and let the world know that we did some
thing more than TO eat and drink and draw
our pay for three and half years that we
served cur country. IL lie so inspiring 10 see
and read something OF the work done by those
who have been associated together IN the de-
fense Of our beloved Stars and Stripes; aud
az il 10 not possible that we can all come To-
gether TO talk over that which we did, we
have a medium in our soldier paper by which
we can almost see each other-JACoB ID.
BRowE, Go. ID, I0lst Pa, Maria, Pa.