The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-22
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, SUNDAY MORNING. MARCH

orders. On the 2Sth of October we lef
/ Weldon for TarbOro, n G.. reaching
/ there on the &0th. On the first of No
yember we set out for Hamilton n {
arriving there ON the 9th. Here ths
! Regiment remained for some time, do
ing picket duty at Raul's Mil and be-
/ low there. Scouting parties were OF
! ten sent out from the Regiment TO q,
| down in the enemies lines ia the IT,
entity of Washington. II. c., to watch
| their movements. The writer had
| some experience along this line. bat
| time and space forbid amy account OF
! the same here. November 22d ordered
! to WILLIAMSON, n. c. Here the Bcej.
meut did picket duty on the river be.
! low the town for some time.
In the latter part of December Maj
Love took a detachment Of three com.
! panies from the Regiment, to-wit:
Companies L. I, and i, and went down
near TO Plymouth to ambuscade a Reg.
| imeut Of Yankee cavalry that was i'm
| the habit Of going in the country to
| forage. After a hard march all night
over hedges and byways, we reached a
place Of cOucss 'mcut to await their
coming; but soon after the rain began
pouring down i'm torrents, and so thor
oughly wet our guns and ammunition
| that the Major gave up the idea as a
bad Job, and we set out to retrace our
footsteps, marching on until late in
the afternoon We reached a mill,
where we found Col. Clarke with the
remaining companies Of the path.
Here we camped for the night, com
pletelv tired and worn out. On the
following day the Regiment set out in
the directio of Weldon, reaching there
day or two later, where we remained
for a few days
January 18th, 1864, the 24tn Uegi-
ment reached Tarboro, n. c., and re-
manned here for short while, doing
picket duty below the town. In the
latter part of January the oath was or
dered to Goldsboro, and from this place
to Einston Newbern and back to
GoIdsborO and on to Weldon. 1t was
continuous move, with no fighting,
except at Newbern. where we had
what we called little round with
the Yanks. From Weldon on the 18th
Of February. the 24th Regiment was
ordered to Petersburg, Va, and went
into camp on Dunn's Hill, near the
city. February nth returned TO Wei
don. Y. c. February gath the Regi-
mcnt was called on to re-enlist for the
period of during the war. 1t was un-
derstood By the boys, however, that
they were in for the war, and the CON
sequence was, but few reinlsted.
On the 25th of February Major
Love took Company e. with three 9TH
er companies Of the Regiment. and
went down In Eastern Carolina ON a
series Of hard marches he detach-
ment reached Gainesville about the
first Of March From Gainesville on to
South Mills. which place had previous
iy been burned by the enemy At
this place the Yankee cavalry was sta
toned and on our approach a rum
ming fight cnsued up the Dismal
Swamp Canal. We followed up the
canal for several miles, driving thc enc
my before us. until we reached Inc
only house we had seen since we had
left the burnt town. Here we halted.
and at night Major Love placed tho
detachment in ambush, and awaited
results. Soon after, the enemy was
heard moving in our direction down
the canal; and had it not been for the
impotence of the detachment highest
up the canal, who fired thereon, we
must have had nice time Of it. Ihis
of course. spoiled the whole trick, and
the Yankees wIirled about and made
a hast y retreat mp the canai-uot how
ever, without leaving several dead and
wounded
1t was now showing, and The night
was intensely cold, an we without fire
or blankets Mai. Love called 10 order
and returned down the canal, break
ing the diEes behind him reaching
South Mills in the early morning,
where we remained that day. The
following night we set out on march
of about 30 miles and went into camp;
remaining here for a day or two, OF
until the Regiment joined us. From
this place, the 9th set out for Suffolk,
Va. which place was i'm possession of a
Regiment of negro cavalry. Moving
on during the day, we campcd within
Z miles of the place. At O'Clock IN
the mOring we resumed the march.
Gen. Ransom with the brigade having
Joined us the night before. Moving on
in the darkness, we came in contact
with what we supposed the enemy
drawn up in line of battle at the fork
Of the road. Ransom ordered Col.
Clarke to form the gath in line and adj
vance as near as possible without fore
mo fight to observe, if
possible, if it was the en-
envy or Col. Tom Kenneday's caval-
ry that was supposed to have been cap
tured day or two before. 1t proved
10 be kcnneday. which was found out
when it was light enough so that we
could see their grey uniforms. Each
party 81 rung their guns many times
that morning, and had one gun been
discharged, there would haze been a
dreadful slaughter among friends.
After tine parties Mere known to each
other, Kenneday took the left hand
road and Ransom the right. We ran
in with the Yankee picHets about three
miles from town and drove them IN.
In the afternoon the gath Regiment
was sent around to the west Of the
town at a church Soon after we saw
i'm the distance a spread Of Yankee
calvary. At this moment Capt. Dur
ham, Of Ransom's staff, took charge Of
the Texas Zouaves, about fifteen IN
number, and mounted on very poor
horses, dashed forward to meet them.
A running fight enaucd, the 18th be-
ING ordered to follow i'm d0uble-guirN,
Durham pursued at close quarters un-
tn reaching the lower part of town
when the enemy recovered reinforce
mcnts and a hand to hand conflict was
had. The oath Regiment had now
reached the scene I'm disorder, having