Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1905-04-21


treated along the river bank to a
stream called Town creek, which flows
at right angles with Cape Fear river,
a few miles below :, mington. On
the east side of the rivei the COnfed-
crates under General Hoks also fell
back and took up a position opposite
the mouth of Town creek General
Terry followed up Hoke in his retreat,
and Genera Ames' division crossed
from the west bank of the river to the
east to support Terry. General Cox
pursued the garrison c lrmn to the
banks Of Town creek.
Before evacuating Fort A nderson the
Confederates built siTong line Of
works on the north bank of Town
creek and manned them with Whit
worth rifed cannon AMI two field
pieces. The creek was deep and un-
fordable. The planking was removed
from the bridge over the creek, and
guns in the works swept the long
causeway over the marsh leading to
the bridge. \ single Confederate bri-
gade led by General Hagood held the
works at Town creek.
General CoXs skirmisbers worked
their way through the marsh to the
edge of the creek and picked up an
abandoned hatboat which was used
on the 20th to ferry troops across.
AS the boat could carry but fifty men.
it consumed half day to put two
brigadeS across. During this move
ment Cox's larpshooters on the south
bank crept SO close to the creek as tc
make it hot Tor the Confederates to
show themselves above the parapet.
The Whitworth gun in the works was
disabled by artillery fire. and the Fed
eral navy steamed up within range,
compelling tn" Confederates on both
sides of Cape Fear river to take po.
sitions out Of reach.
The COnfeda rates behind Town creek
made the mis-, lake of thinking that the
ground on the tanks of their position
was impossible for the Federals to
march over. General Cox didn't find
the region picketed and soon struck
the highroad two miles in rear of the
works. The Confederates had begun
line Of breastworks facing to the
rear and turned about to meet Cox
when they discovered his line moving
down from Wilmington way. single
charge of the Federals broke the line,
and the commander surrendered with
400 men and cannon Part of the
Confedcrates escaped to Wilmington.
During the night General Cox repair
ed the bridge over Town creek and,
with his whole force, trains and artil-
lery, set out for Wilmington. Mean
while General Hoke's Confederates
still held General Terry back on the
east of the river. After n march of six
miles Cox was again held up by Mill
creek, an unfordable stream with
its bridge burned Two hours were
passed in repairing the bridge. and the
column marched on to Brunswick Fer
ry, in front Of Wilmington. Here -,
railway bridge fred by the Confed-
crates was still burning, but several
boats of Il pontoon bridge used by the
had been overlooked, and
with these the troops We're poled across
to Eagle island, midway of the river
and about Il mile wide.
General Cox Immediately began to
repair the pontoon bridge and cross |
his column to the island. Meanwhile
the detachment which had been ferried
over marched on toward the city fer
ry and were met by party Of Con-
federates having a couple Of cannon
In position behind a rude work they
had constructed to defend the road.
While the rfemen Of the Federal van
guard attempted to drive the Confed-
crate gunners from their pieces Gen
eral Cox opened with artillery from
the west bank, and the explosion of
the shells so close to the city warned
the authorities that an enemy was at
their gates.
Persistent rumors had been afioat
around Wilmington that the Confeder
ate General Hardee, who had evacuat-
ed Charleston and moved north with
several thousand men, was about to
,uccor the threatened city. General
Terry could make no headway in try
ng to push Hoke's Confederates on