The National tribune., 1901-10-10
A FIGHTING REGIMENTS FIRST BATTLE.
CoIones RecoIectons of the Burnside Expedition and Capture
of Roanoke Island.
By COL. W. G. BARTHOLOMEW, 9th Mass.
of Roanoke Island.

By-COL. W. G. BAR
We went to the front, or rather TO the
rear. with the Burnside expedition. OuI
regiment was on two ships, the right wing
OH the steamer Ranger, which tOwed the
bark Guerrilla with the left wing. As
we approached Cape Hatteras fearful
storm came on. Many of the ships got
into the Inlet before the worst of it, but
the hawser by which our ship was towed
broke, and as the sails had been taken of
and stored, we (the left wing were left
at the mercy of the wares.
Two or three steamers came to our sig
nal of distress, but were unable to get
line to US, so Capt. Pierce dropped both
his anchors, and, like the great Paul,
wished for day.
The motion of that ship cannot be de
scribed. Capt Dwight said that he wished
he had the man there who wrote Rocked
in the Cradle of the Deep" But | am
glad he was not there. 1t was aggrayat-
ing to see those who had succeeded III
getting inside of the low sand bar, not
more than half mile away, lying quietly
in smooth water, while we were exerting
ourselves to keep from beng pltched out
of our hunks.
After many vicissitudeS, we started up
Pamlico Sound to capture Roanoke Island,
which was the key to the inside waters
of North Carolina, and was occupied by
about 1000 troops, four forts, and fleet
of gunboats.
LANDING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
After a few hours of bombardment Of
the forts by our gunboats, our troops were
landed on the lower part of the island,
which had TO he done in yawl-boats, towed
by light-draft steamer: the boats in rTo
lines and tied one behind another, with
so or 60 men in each boat.
The enemy supposed that we must land
in n certain place, on account of shoal
water in all other places, and had gath
cred in great numbers at that place TO
keen us from landing. There was a deep
creek lust above them, and our boat, with
its long tow, went straight for the land
ing, until it got within about 300 yards;
then she turned short to the left, and
brought her tow broadside to land above
the creek, and blew her whistle as a sig
nal to cast off and start for shore.
had picked my oarsmen, and told them
that wanted TO be the first man to land.
i had man to hold the painter of the
boat in our rear, instead of tying it, and
stood on the bow and held a rope tied to
the boat ahead, so that there would be no
delay in casting off, and as the signal
sounded my boat shot out of the line like
rocket; but what was my surprise tozsee
another boat shoot out about three boats
below, with Maj. Pickett, of the 25th
Mass Jour brigade), standing on the bow.
1t was nip and tuck" with Pickett
little ahead, but when within about 20
feet from shore his boat struck bottom
and pitched him off, or he jumped, | don't
know which; but he came short and went
into the mud and water up to his waist.
waited for another pull, and struck OH
the bank.
All this time the enemy were in plain
sight, about 400 yards from the water, in
the edge of the woods, below the creek,
and l could never understand why they
did not charge up to the creek and .open
on US before we could land and form; they
could have made sad havoc with us; but
instead they started at dOuble-Quick for
the bridge, some half mile or more up
the creek, to head US off; but they did not
modest us that night.
ENGAGING THE ENEMY.
The landing began about p. M, Feb.
z, 1862. The men soon had the fences
1--WE landed on a small plantation) made
Into fires. 1t began to rain at dark, and
we had a cold, wet night, in deep mud;
but everyone was cheerful and happy O.
and spelling for a fight. We started at
daylight Feb. 8, with the 25th Mass.
ahead. The skirmishers soon found the
tntlus plGhtlS. anu lutll II WAS pup
bang bang-popi until the enemy's Skin
mishers were driven in and line of bat
tie was formed, when the ball opened in
earnest, and we met the wounded men
being brought out.
The 10th Conn. came up and re-
heved the 18th Mass. Then we marched
past in their rear, with bullets and shell
flying, to cover of high brush and vines
on their right, where there was not room
to form battalion line. As the Colonel and
Lieutenant Colonel were busy in another
part of the field, / formed them by COM
panies wherever there was room to form
company-front.
In the meantime, several of the men
were so anxious TO have a hand in the
fight that they had gone out on their
own hook; they would fire and drop down
to load, and would jump up to fire just in
time to get the ball of some fellow who
had fired at the same instant a rod or
two behind them. / saw two or three
Of our men hit in that way, as they were
scattered along several rods.
i went out there and ordered them back
TO their companies, but they did not obey
until / used language which they had
never heard me use before, when they
promptly returned to their companies.
i had received no orders, but felt that
we ought to be doing something, SO /
marched them out. one company at
time. The Captains were as new 20 the
business as the men, and l went out with
each company myself and gave the order,
would fire and retire under cover to re-
form and load, and 1 would go out with
another company.
All this time the 10th Conn stood there
plugging away, and shot and shell were
flying like hail.
THANKING THE JoHNNIEs.
had been ont with all 10 companies
and was commencing again, when Col
Ferrero, of Gen. Fosters staff, came out
TO me, as coolly as if there was nothing
the matter, and said: 'The General orders
that your regiment cut their way through
on this side, TO flank them on their left 4;
the 9th n. j. will flank them on their
right, and Hawkins's ZouaYes will charge
them in front"
! ordered the first company to start in
and the others to follow in their regular
order. This swamp was an immense tan
gle Of vines and brush, through which no
human being had ever passed before.
After a hard struggle, sometimes in
mud and water to our hips, we came out
In their sight, with a yell, at the same
time the 9Th n. j. came out on their right,
and the enemy left in a great hurry-had
business at the upper end OF the island.
They left their guns and their dead and
wounded, We followed, and found the
road strewn with blankets, coats, rubbers,
etc.
1t was seven miles to the north end of
tho islapd and rybau ,pa mot