1862 |
About sunrise on the morning of the 17th scouts came in and
reported the enemy advancing from the direction of Kinston along
the county road in heavy force. Our regiment was at once formed
in line of battle, parallel with the railroad and across the
county road. Holding this position for the space of, probably,
half an hour, the enemy still advancing, Colonel Marshall was ordered to proceed to the railroad bridge and hold it at all hazard. He moved his regiment rapidly along the railroad track by the left flank, and immediately upon arriving at the bridge, placed his command to the best advantage for carrying out his orders. Shortly after the regiment was in position the enemy advanced upon us in heavy force. One column approached the bridge on the east side of the railroad and up the river bank, attacking our left companies with great vigor. Another approached up the railroad track, and as it approached, threw out a force on the west side of the railroad. The regiment fought with great spirit and very gallantly, but the force was so vastly superior in number that the left of the regiment was driven back and the enemy advancing, reached the bridge and applied the torch. It being constructed of inflammable material, was soon in a light blaze and burned rapidly. In the meantime the right of the regiment was hotly engaged, and no support having been sent to our relief, and the column spoken of having been thrown out on the west or upper side of the railroad having advanced so far as to greatly endanger our successful retreat, the regiment was moved rapidly up the bank of the river in the direction of the county bridge, half a mile or more above. During our retreat the Fifty-first North Carolina Regiment, which now, when it was too late, had been ordered to our support, mistaking us for the enemy, poured a volley from one company into us, not doing any damage, however, as they fired across an angle formed by two fences and shot too high. At this point the regiment halted. |
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The enemy, apparently satisfied for the time with having
accomplished the destruction of the bridge, fell back and took
position on a commanding hill on the east, or lower side of the
railroad, about five or six hundred yards from the site of the
bridge. Hoping to dislodge the enemy, an attack was made upon
his lines during the afternoon. |
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General Clingman formed his infantry line, composed of the Fifty-first and Fifty-second North Carolina Regiments, under the immediate command of Colonel Marshall, in a skirt of woods on the west of the railroad, and about 500 yards from it. While in this position we were subjected to a very heavy shelling from the enemy's battery of four guns. Leaving his infantry in line as stated, General Clingman moved with two guns of Starr's North Carolina Battery by the county road to attack the enemy in flank, with directions to Colonel Marshall to move at once upon the enemy's line so soon as he should open fire upon him. While the infantry line was awaiting developments by Starr's guns, General Evans, of South Carolina, rode up behind the infantry line, and, inquiring what troops they were, ordered an immediate advance. When he was informed of General Clingman's plan of attack, and suggestion was made to him that a movement before Starr had
reached his position would disconcert all of General Clingman's plans and result in disaster, he replied: "I rank Clingman; move
forward at once; I will support you with the Holcombe Legion." Of course, commands must be obeyed, and the infantry moved out at double-quick, under a galling fire from the battery, and reached the railroad embankment, under cover of which it halted just long enough to reform its line. |
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