The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-01
PLYMOUTH, N. C.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: For some
time / have been a constant reader OF your val.
liable paper, and have been very much interested
in the column Of Fighting Them Over" but
have never seen a description OF tho capture of
Plymouth, n. G., so l viii give u short sketch
of that little fight.
On the Iith of April. 1864 about 10 o'clock
g. m, the rebels drove in our pickets aud
planted battery OF rihed guns about mile
from town, and sent as their compliments ia
the shape Of shot and shell, which compliment
was returned from our side. The garrison at
Plymouth consisted of Con. Wessea's Brigade,
S5th N. Y, I0lst and 1884 Pa, and a Conneeti-
cut ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS forgotten 10th Conn.
ED. NATIONAL TRIBUgEl and one com
pany of the 18th N. Y. Cav. Ono company OF
each regiment was on Roanoke IAland and
were not captured.
Twill conflDe myself 10 personal observation.
The company TO which / belonged was sta
toned in little fort three-quarters Of q mile
out Of town, TO the right, called Fort Vessels
and was the first fort captured. We had two
cannon ia the fort-one a 80 p0andeF aud one
six-pounder smoothbore guns.
There was an instance of bravery equal 10
any performed during the war; enacted by
Orderly Sergt Scott, who went outside of the
fort and crossed the open field 10 within 20
or 40 rods Of the rebel line, loading and firing
as he went There was only one rebel that
returned his fire. Scott would wave his cap al
him every time he fired. lie got back 10 the
fort without q scratch.
We would climb up on the breagtworks and
watch the enemy, aud when we saw the smoke
of their guns would jump down, and AS the
shell would pass over someone would sing out
dead beat" Just at dusk they made charge
on uB, and came up TO tho gharpened tree topl
at the outside Of the ditch. We threw hand.
gTenades among them, and made IL 80 hot that
they could not stand IL and broke and ran
They rallied and charged three times before
they gave IL up for q bad job. They then
planted four pieces Of artillery about Is rods
from the fort, aud commenced throwing per.
cussion shell into the fort. The officers had q
building for their quarters inside of the fort
and 10 made good target for them to explode
shells against 1t was now dark, and they had
men placed all around the fort. lying down, &c
that a man dare not show his head over the
works; II he did he was as good AZ dead. We
had not been firing for some time, and We
| thought al the time our own gnnboats hao
commenced Smelling us. The Captain of my
company was wounded by piece of shell, and
there was council held, and it was decided X
surrender; 80 the white flag was raised, iirinl
stopped, the draw-bridge was lowered, and w.
marched out. The first thing they said wher
| they saw our little band of about so men was
"Where in 49, Is all the rest of you. uDs2
someone TOLD them tney were all there, excep
| FIVE wounded and killed. The next remark
was, "What did y0u-uns fight so like devil
for7" We told them that was what we wer
there for.
| We were then marched back out of harm,
way. The next morning they captured th
town.
What became Of those rebel deserters tina
enlisted in our army and were captured witt
| usf Where are all the old 65th? Are thew al
4 mn hat hos e.
them?-ABsER FLINT, Co. K, s5th N. Y
4 Spring Lake, Oak.