The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-08

not sufficient force to hold !; a.
the same time guard six miles
river shore. Coming up tne
from the Croatan work you rea
Fort Thomson breastwork. VA. e
been constructed from Fort Tho
breastwork TO the railroad ab,s-
miles distance before asSuns5 --
mand- Finding that from .rate,-,.
force the a work NIGH. h.
no avail 10 me, / determine x.
tend the For Thomson Work 49,.
one and one-fourth miles and res,
right on a swamp, Running parallel
20 the river ana 10 each ot.cr t-
crossing the line at right ansfas
hrst. after leaving the river. Tho .
road, n then the rlftr..#.
still farther on and near the swan,
the W~eatheriy road. The ra.~..'t
and the road intersect eh.--
TWO miles behind the breastworE .a
former crossing the river on a bride.
l,o4O feet long at the town of My
BeTne and the latter at an indiTr-.--
private bridge about one mile ana
half above New Berne. Both rhaSa
RrldSes are accessible TO gunboatS 81,
Uhat Wnen We stood at the Fort Thorn
son b~reastworks. fronting the enemy
we had Neuse river on our left. Rry..
Creek Can impossible stream) on og-
right, and the Neuse and Trent IN our
CoA Nhe I'M poSSIDIt lnO1p ~ tS-
cape in case of defeat being across TN,
two bridges | have described five miles
IN our rear Gen. Branch was at
work on the Fort Thomson breaStwork
and had felled considerable timber IN
front of 1t when the enemy arrived.
With this description of the field let
US turn to the movement of the forces
General Burnside embarked his threa
divisions under Generals Foster. Reno
and p9rEa a. 49, -
ing of April II. The transport fleet
In conjunction with the naval fleet
moved down the sound and on tho
evening of the 18th arrived at the
mouth of Slocum's creek. sixteen miles
from New Berne. where anchors were
lowered for the night. Next morning
at Gao o'clock the fleets moved M
to the mouth of Otter creek. slellin1
the woods as they advaI ed. The
surf boats and or light
draught were quickly filled with men
and in a few minute three regiments
were landed.
The Confederates, during this time.
had been trying to get their made
quate forces in position. Sinclairc's
regiment was sen down TO Fishers
landing and Vance's and Brem's regi-
mentS had been ordered to occupy
Croatan breastwork, but Col. Camp
bell, who was in command OF the
three regiments, seeing it was folly
to place men down there only to have
their retreat cut off by the gunboats
and powerful land forces of the Fed
erals, ordered them to fall back TO
the Fort Thomson works. the sole
defence of New Berne against a land
force.
The North Carolina troops were
then stationed behind this breastwork
as follows: The Thirty-seventh and
Thlrty-eighth regiments between Fort
Thomson and the Beaufort County
road; the Seventh and T~hirty-ffth and
Clark's militia between the Beau
fort road and the railroad. A few
companies were placed be
tween the regiments. The reserve was
about 400 yards in the rear and be-
hind it a short distance was the cav
airy. (See accompanying sketch on
page.)
After Burnside's forces We're land
ed they advanced slowly on account
OF the knee-deep mud. up the river
the %gunboats Smelling their path
In advance. Passing the deserted fort.
they came before night in contact with
the Confederate pfckets in front OF
the Thomson breastWork. Here the
three brigades spread out across the
road and railroad and biv-
ouacked for the night Next morning
they advanced against the breastwOrks
in the following order: Gen. Foster
up the county road to attack the Con-
f~ederates' front and left; Gen. Reno
UP the railroad to turn their right:
and Gen. Parke up to the county road
a reserve.
At about 1880 o'clock Friday morn
ing the fire opened along the line
from the river to the railroad. A
part of Parke's brigade was sent
around to penetrate the woods and
flank the Confederates' right To
prevent his Col. Nance's regiment was
extended, supported by a section OF
battery, 50 that its right might
rest on the Weatherby road. This
necessitated the weakening OF that
part of the line supported by tho
and Gen. Reno seized the op-