The Washington herald., 1914-04-21

MAP based on OficiaI Records)
Albemarle and Pamlico sounds The Con.
federates held the interior of the State,
with outposts toward the coast at Wei
don and Kinston, from which they
threatened the Federals.
They held and had strongly fortified
Wilmington, the states chief seaport.
This place was of ten greatest impor-
tance to them, as it was the chief port
for their blockade runners. Its garrison
numbered 5000 men under Gen. w. II. c.
Whiting
Newbern was the next important placs
on the States seaboard. and here the
Federals maintained a garrison so strong
that when Gen. Pickett attacked the
place on February l he was driven off
with considerable loss.
'ckett's troops had remained in that
part of the State. with headquarters at
Weldon and a movement against Plym-
outh had followed logically that against
Newbern.
Wait Aid of Ram.
For their movement against Plymouth
the Confederates had relied upon the CO.
operation of an ironclad ram, the Abe
marie. that was built on the Roanoke
River twenty miles below Weldon.
Delay in the completion of that vessel
mad delayed the movement. and Gen.
Hokes forces-whiCh included his own
brigade from Gen. EwelIs division of
Lees army, A brigade Of Gen. Matt w.
Ransom, and other troops from Pickett's
division Jthen stationed at PetersburgJ
bringing the total up 10 about 1000 men
had waited until assured the AIbemarle
',oTId be on hand when wanted. before
he arrh inst rr1f
Or F"Ne's forces had appeared before
Pl'.."IJn April II. had driven in the
rec - r..=..- and had attacked a
ass - r.-r a~a,a- as Fort Gray. two
t'--.. aarF. -. '.a- n the river bank.
'". ',-as ~ I.-a,-.h were about
T.. I'D. .as. ..='' MS 'rne extending
from ar ..,r. ..r.-.. fa-. .g.y. = creek
below. Iin- acre -as..-.as. 81 Six
teenth CON- .t-Ct Hassr."-.,- Col. , an
els Beach: Elg .-r.a New Tp-k. Col.
z. FardelIa; 1o1st . .ennsy'ya-,a col. A.
w. Taylor; 1C3d Penns ."suts- -! T. F.
Lehman: the Twenty-fOlsg- |gw York
Independent Battery, detachn. IS of the
Twelfth New York Cavalry, two COM
paDias of Second Massachusetts, Heavy
''ery, and portions of the Second
l Carolina. a negro regiment.
"- commander Of the post was Brig
Henry W. Vessels. He had re-
Gen. Hoke's forces and of the construc-
tion of the Albemarle. had made an early
request for 5000 re-inforcements, and had
been ordered by Mai. Gen. John J. Peck,
the Federal commander in North Caro-
lima, who was at Newburn, to hold on
with what he had.
RedOubt Carried by Assault,
vixen the enemy appeared before the
TI,A -
.as n long-range skirmishing and artiI-
~ firing, Gen. Vessels took the pre-
-aution of sending the women and chill
g-cn out of the town, dispatching them on
Tseamer to place of safety at Roanoke
Island. He then addressed himself to |
making as strong a defense as possible |
and succeeded throughout the day in
keeping the enemy at a respectful dis
tance.
That evening Gen. Hoke received word
that the Albemarle was coming down the
river. This was the signal for a 1e-
lerI1' led attack upon a small ear,l.
W. in advance of the main Federal |
~ nown as the Eighty-fifth New York |
ient This was manned by twenty
" men OF the Second Massachusetts,
H. Artillery, under Lieut. H. L. Clark, |
ecG torty-twO members of the Eighty |
bt-t New York, under Capt Nelson |
were Dul Two guns IN the 1
BIT, light thirty-two-pounder on a |
sa'. arriage. and an old pattern six
-ou7 er field piece.
tEg assault upon the redoubt was led |
by CoL John 7. Mercer, of the Twenty |
-'st Georgia Regiment, who was killed |
Is y. men reached the top of the work. |
capt. Chaplin. who led the defenders, fell |
nortally wounded Several men of the
slxty-hve defending the redoubt We're
Killed and many wounded. The remainder
surrendered.
At a. m. April 10 the AIbemarle ap-
peared, having passed the Federal bat
teries unobserved in the darkness In a
few minutes the ram had sunk the United
States gunboat Southfeld, driving OF |
three other gunboats, and brought the
town under-tts guns. From that moment
the fate of Plymouth was sealed.
The knowledge that the ironclad was
below the town caused CONSERVATION
among the Federals, while the Confetl-
crates now prepared to press home their
attack
As Tie day advanced they massed at
h.. - y