FROM Hatteras the fleet sailed south-westward down Pamlico Sound,* entered the mouth of the Neuse and anchored upon the western bank of that river, within a few miles of Newbern. The defences of Newbern unquestionably had been well planned and well built. A line of water batteries commanded the river and, reaching inland, connected with them, were field fortifications to prevent the enemy from advancing by shore. Six miles down the river the guns of the lower fort threatened the daring intruder, and from that point back to the city there extended a continuous chain of forts and batteries. Near the city a fort mounting thirteen heavy guns and bomb proof, was so arranged as to command both the water and the only land approaches on that side. In fact, the entire area for several miles before the city, was filled with forts, earthworks, ditches, rifle pits, and all the other mechanical appliances of warfare.

On the morning of March 13th the troops were landed at a point called Slocum's Creek, sixteen miles below Newbern. Abbott gives the following description of the landing:—“ The barges proceeded in regular battle array, regiment by regiment, towards the shore, every man ready to repel an assault, and the gunboats in the meantime shelling every spot in the vicinity where a foe might lurk. The men wading through the water held their muskets and ammunition under their arms to keep them dry. The barges grounded in the shoal water sixty yards from the shore. It was truly a picturesque scene, resembling a frolic rather than the dread realities of war, to see five thousand men with jokes and laughter and cheers, often up to their waists in water, and sometimes stumbling over some obstruction, all eager to see who would be the first to land. The ground was marshy; it had rained violently through the night; the path led through a fringe of forest draped in the funereal weeds of the Spanish moss. The wheels of the guns sank in the mire and were dragged along with much difficulty. A cold March wind swept over the drenched and shivering ranks, and notwithstanding all the endeavors to keep up good cheer, the hours were dark and dreary. Much of this suffering might have been and should have been avoided. One of the vessels con

*We use Willard Glazier's narrative.

tained a floating bridge to secure the landing of the soldiers dry shod. But the eagerness to get to shore very unwisely caused this precaution to be neglected or forgotten."

Until mid-day they marched along the marshy river banks without meeting the foe or any signs of one. At about that

time however, they encountered some cavalry barracks, bearing evidence of very hasty leave-taking. Breakfasts, cooked, yet untasted, were left behind, and all the evidences of very recent occupancy were strewn about. But the Federal forces, with a great struggle in anticipation, did not stop to satisfy any idle curiosity regarding the modus operandi of Rebel cookery. Steadily they pushed onward, filling the road in a dense column two and a half miles in length,-the Twentyfourth Massachusetts leading the van, and the Eleventh Connecticut bringing up the rear.

Suddenly, the order to halt and form in line of battle brought the column to a stand. Directly in front of them stood a long line of breastworks and batteries. A deep ditch extended along the front, and the flanks were protected by an abattis of felled trees. But, as a reconnoitring party sent forward soon learned, the guns to this extensive fort were not yet mounted, and peacefully our troops entered it and took possession, raising the standard of Liberty upon its ramparts. But with a march of yet eight miles before them, and unknown difficulties to overcome, the Union troops, after halting a few moments, pressed bravely on. Many dropped by the wayside utterly overcome with fatigue, and unable to go one step farther. Others lost their shoes in the mire and went forward with torn and bleeding feet. A drizzling rain set in which kept the men drenched to the skin and added greatly to their discomfort.

Night was swiftly approaching when a horseman from Newbern was arrested who communicated the news that Manassas was evacuated, and that McClellan was probably in hot pursuit after the retreating foe, and perhaps on his way to Richmond. At this joyful news, cheer after cheer broke from the lips of the men, and stimulated and alert they resumed their march. At six o'clock of that day the scouts came in, reporting a line of rebel fortifications a mile ahead. It was the beginning of a rainy twilight, and after the weary and toilsome day's march through the rain, wading oftentimes through

mud knee deep, the order to " halt!" which now sounded through the ranks, was most welcome. They were in the midst of a forest of pine trees, and on either side of the road thousands of soldiers threw themselves on the ground for rest and sleep, with no shelter overhead save the pine trees and the clouds of a gloomy night. Some of them had lighted fires of the resinous pitch, and in every direction the flames leapt gaily up while the red reflection fell athwart the recumbent forms and faces of the sleeping soldiery, lighting up the whole scene with a weird and picturesque beauty.

Seven o'clock of the next morning found them, after having breakfasted, once more on the march towards Newbern. General Reno with the First Massachusetts had the advance, and marched by the side of the railroad track which connects Newbern and Beaufort. Slowly along the river the gunboats steamed, keeping pace with the marching men on the shore. Says Abbott, in his history of the "Civil War," " upon turning a curve in the road, they came in sight of a train of cars which had just come down from Newbern with reinforcements for the Rebels. On a platform car in front of the engine, stood a rifled cannon in position to rake the road. The Massachusetts men rushed forward at the double-quick at the same time pouring in such a volley of bullets upon the foe that they abandoned everything and ran for the intrenchments. The troops were immediately deployed in line of battle through the woods, and impetuously commenced an attack upon the formidable ramparts. The first cannon shot from the rebel battery passed through the body of Lieut.-Colonel Henry Merritt, of the Massachusetts Twenty-third, and he fell instantly dead. The Tenth Connecticut under General Foster, a very gallant body of men, occupied the extreme left, and under the most discouraging circumstances of position maintained the renown they had acquired at Roanoke. The whole line extended more than a mile. For an hour the battle raged in an uninterrupted storm of bullets and cannon balls from both sides, with no apparent advantage to either." As the battle waxed more and more fierce, our men approached to the very muzzles of the guns of the enemy's breastworks, until Lieut.-Colonel Clark of the Twenty-first Massachusetts made a brilliant dash at the head of four com⚫panies, and rushed full tilt on the double-quick through one of the embrasures.

The gunners, astonished at such daring, fled panic-stricken. The National flag was waved for one victorious moment over the heroic conquest, but as they were about to take the next gun, two rebel regiments swept down upon them and compelled them to retire. They were held at bay, however, only for a few brief moments, for in that time the Rhode Island Fourth came up and successfully assaulted the same spot, thus opening a door to victory through which their comrades speedily followed.

The charge of the Fourth Rhode Island, led by Colonel Rodman, was said to be heroic. Directly fronting them a battery of five guns threatened annihilation, and in close proximity another battery of nine guns presented itself, protected behind rifle pits. On the double-quick they charged directly upon the deadly muzzles of these five guns, firing as they ran, and rushing through the parapet, immediately formed in battle array and successfully charged upon the remaining and most formidable battery. Thus both batteries and two flags were captured. The Eighth and Eleventh Connecticut and Fifth Rhode Island followed immediately in

support, and the ranks of the enemy dissolved before their victorious entrance like banks of fog under sunbeam bayonets.

Quickly the Union standard went up over the captured works and then came a grand charge upon the enemy's left wing, by those still outside the breastworks. In utter confusion and headlong panic the Rebel foe was routed. With wild huzzahs the Union forces rushed over the ramparts discharging their firearms at the flying gray-coats, and almost immediately, over every bastion of the captured fort, the "old flag" flaunted its starry folds victoriously. Cheer after cheer rent the air from the exultant troops who had so heroically won the hard-fought and bloody field.

Every regiment and company had bebaved valiantly,every man was a hero. The Fifty-first New York, leading the charge under General Reno, won a proud reputation for bravery and valorous daring. The Fifty-first Pennsylvania came under the heaviest fire without wavering.

Inside the battery the dead and the dying commingled in revolting confusion with mangled corpses, dismounted guns, broken muskets, and stores of all sorts, blood-stained and trampled in the mire. It was a sickening spectacle and one in awful contrast to the joyful exultation of the victors.

But Burnside did not waste a moment of precious time in rejoicing over the spoils of victory but pressed on towards Newbern, taking advantage of the panic of the enemy.

Our forces pushed rapidly forward, meeting none to contest their advance. By early afternoon they had reached the eastern bank of the Trent only to find the magnificent bridge which spanned the river in one vast sheet of flames, and on the opposite shore the city in seven different localities, broke forth in conflagration. Both the railroad and county road bridge were fired as also a number of cotton batteries. Fortunately, two small steamers were found, abandoned by the enemy, and with these General Foster's corps was ferried across the river and took possession of the nearly deserted city. The soldiers speedily extinguished the fires, a provost marshal with a strong guard was appointed, and before nine o'clock at night order was restored, quietness reigned, and at ten o'clock the city and its inhabitants were wrapped in peaceful slumbers. It was a sleep which the exhausted soldiers needed. The colored population thinking their hour of jubilee had come, and freed from the restraint which forbids a slave to be abroad on the street at night, wandered about the city until a late hour.

The part which the gunboats performed in this victory was not small. Commander Rowan in charge of the fleet proved himself most efficient.

The river was full of obstructions, the shore was bristling with batteries; but he conquered every difficulty. Led by the flag ship Delaware the fleet sailed away to win a golden fame. Fort Dixie, mounting four guns, was the first battery to contest their advance, but it was soon silenced by Union shot and shell, and the triumphant battle-flags were planted upon its ramparts. Here the gunners caught sight of some Rebel cavalry in the woods behind the fort and sent over a warm salute of shells which dispersed them. The next battery encountered was Fort Thompson, mounting fifteen guns. This also was effectually silenced by our well-directed shot, its garrison scattered, and once more the National standard waved defiantly over the captured redans. The men, wild with enthusiasm, rent the air with their cheers.

Night came on after this conquest, and hostilities were suspended until the next day. The morning of Saturday, the 14th, dawned murky with a dense fog. Soon, however, it lifted and the battle of the fleet was once more in progress.

Fort Brown, the next battery encountered, mounted two immense columbiads and protected the obstructions in the channels. In the right hand channel, twenty-four vessels interlacing each other had been sunk, while the left hand channel contained heavy upright timbers iron-pointed, designed to impale whatever craft might pass that way, at which point also were placed a number of destructive torpedoes.

These obstructions, covered by Fort Brown, were next in order, but Commander Rowan, nothing daunted, ordered the boats to follow his lead, and they succeeded in passing the impaling timbers and entangling masts, without serious injury. Singularly enough also, a shot from one of the gunboats entering the embrasure of the fort, struck one of the columbiads directly upon the muzzle, dashing it from its carriage. The gunners fled in panic and consternation. The fort was immediately captured, the National banner raised, and the whole fleet passed on to the capture of the next bat

tery, Fort Ellis, mounting nine guns. Here the dispersed Rebels had gathered for a last desperate effort and for a time the carnage went on fiercely enough. But a shell from the gunboats exploded the magazine of the fort, and when the smoke lifted, none but the dead and dying were there. The next battery, Fort Lane, was abandoned without firing a shot, and the brilliant passage was completed triumphantly, the fleet anchoring before the city just as the land troops entered it. In this grand advance of the gunboat fleet to Newbern, the navy lost not a single man.

One or two individual instances of the coolness and daring with which our men passed through this maelstrom of war and death may be related.

A

Lieutenant Fearing, of Burnside's staff, seated on his horse, was standing in conversation with a looker-on. thirty-two pound shot whizzed between his horse's legs, causing scarcely a halt in the conversation, the Lieutenant merely bending over to see that his horse was all right and making no allusion to the danger.

At another time during the battle, when a handful of men made a heroic dash through an embrasure and two Rebel regiments charged down upon them, Captain J. D. Frazer from a severe wound in the right arm was compelled to drop his sword. But with his left hand he seized the fallen weapon, continued the fight, and endeavored to extricate himself from the surrounding enemy. Stumbling, he fell, and was taken prisoner, a guard of three being placed over him. A few moments after, when the Fourth Rhode Island made their brilliant and successful charge, rescued at their hands, Captain Frazer in turn captured the three Rebel guards placed over him and escorted them to the Union ranks.

In this victory our loss was eighty killed and two hundred and ninety wounded.

Six forts, thirty-four heavy guns, six steamboats, and $2,000,000 worth of property were captured. The Rebel loss in killed and wounded was about the same as ours. The cap

ture of Newbern made the final reduction of Beaufort and Fort Macon sure, and also made Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac.

In the beginning of April, 1862, * the public interest was centred on the Army of the Potomac. Some anticipated movements, about to be made, were withdrawn, and certain stirring news from the West, again made the great Father of Waters the centre of attraction. The bombardment of Island Number Ten, on the Mississippi, was a tedious process which wearied the people, and the possession of the place seemed as remote as ever. To send transports to Pope below would facilitate the work, and a plan was laid for this

purpose.

A lake extended inland through a swamp from the river where the fleet lay, and communicated with a stream which fell into the Mississippi below Island Number Ten, and not far from New Madrid. If Commodore Foote should be able to send some light transports through this lake, he could protect them from the batteries by means of gunboats. Pope undertook to perform this task, and when taking his position at 'New Madrid, sent Colonel Bissell, of the engineers, to see if batteries could be erected on shore opposite the enemy's works. The undertaking was reported by Bissell as impossible, but that he could cut a way through the lake for transports. Pope gave him permission to obtain all that he needed, and he at once sent to Cairo for four steamboats, six flats, and as many guns as could be obtained. He was to undertake the herculean task of opening a channel, twelve miles long, through timber, crooked bayous, brush, and stunted trees. Some of the trees, six feet in girth, had to be sawed off four feet below the water. Twenty men, with machines on rafts and flats, cut down the trees, and large gangs of men ahead of them cleared away the drift wood and fallen timber. Then came two barges and a steamer, the last hauling out the heavy logs by means of lines. The fleet came last, and the flat boats carried batteries, as the enemy might find out what was going on, and attack them with sharpshooters from the swamp. With incredible labor, this great feat of engineering skill was performed, and the Federal commander who originated it received much praise.

While this great undertaking was being carried out, two brilliant exploits diversified the dullness of the flotilla above the island. Colonel Buford, with one thousand men, drove *We use Dr. James Moore's description.

man.

the rebels from Union City by a surprise in the night, which caused them to leave behind all their camp equipage. The enemy had been very troublesome to the Union men of HickAnother exploit, was a night attack by boats upon the upper battery on the island. The officers were weary of the slow prospect of taking the enemy's works, and the men, also, were wearied by two weeks' idleness. An expedition of fifty men, with five boats, was therefore prepared, under Colonel Roberts, for the purpose of getting at the upper battery unperceived, and spiking the guns. On the night of the 2d of April, the little force left the shore, dropped down the river, and getting opposite the battery, landed, formed in line, and with bayonets fixed, started for it, at the distance of two hundred yards. They had to wade through two feet of water which had overflowed, but except the splashing made by their feet in the water, all was still. The storm which had threatened, now burst forth, and they reached to the ditch in front of the works. They now saw a flash in front, the crack of a gun was heard, followed by another, and while they pursued the affrighted sentry who fired it, another crack was immediately heard. The flash of lightning which lit up the darkness was followed by loud roars of thunder. The enemy knew that some design was on foot, and, if any thing could be done, it must be done promptly. The colonel spiked five guns, and a splendid ten inch Columbiad; thus, in ten minutes, achieving what the cannonading of the fleet in a fortnight failed to perform.

Movements of greater importance were now about to take place, one or two gunboats were required to protect the transports which now arrived at New Madrid, in carrying troops to the other side. Consequently, two days after the exploit of Colonel Roberts, the Carondelet was prepared to run the risk of passing the batteries. Chains were coiled round the pilot house, the guns were run in and the ports closed. The crew was well armed, and twenty sharpshooters were also aboard. On the side next the batteries, was a boat loaded with hay, which was balanced by a barge freighted with coal on the other side. At ten o'clock on the night of the 4th, the Carondelet started on its hazardous voyage. The night being very dark, and the rain falling in torrents, accompanied with thunder, perfectly concealed the movements of the vessel, though,