they halted and retired. Thinking it advisable to attack the enemy and drive them within the fortifications of the town, and occupy the Trent road, I requested General Hoke to bring up his brigade to my support, it being then nearly a mile to the rear. He returned for that purpose, but after waiting nearly an hour without hearing from him, I sent two of my staff in succession to request that at least a section of artillery should be brought up to my assistance. While in this position the heavy batteries of Fort Totten opened on us. As this fortress, represented to be the strongest in the town of New Berne, and armed with not less than fifteen guns of large caliber, was not more than three-quarters of a mile distant, and had a complete enfilading fire on us, had their practice been good we must have sustained serious injury; in point of fact, however, their fire proved nearly harmless. After retaining this position for two or three hours, I was informed that the artillery could not be brought forward. General Hoke did not come up with his command, and I was soon after ordered to retire. As, in addition to the fire of the heavy batteries, we were confronted with the enemy's cavalry, field artillery, and infantry, I withdrew my command slowly by sections, and occupied successively such positions as would enable us to repel an attack if suddenly made by the cavalry. It gives me great pleasure to be able to state that, though exposed on the flank and front to artillery fire and threatened constantly with attack by the enemy's cavalry and infantry, the troops under my command performed the movements ordered with as much coolness and precision as I ever saw them when on drill. After retiring, I was instructed to occupy the ground in front of the railroad crossing, within the range of the enemy's fire from the forts, and on each night of our bivouacking there I sent forward for the distance of 1 mile strong detachments to guard against any attack that the enemy might make. In obedience to orders, these detachments were withdrawn about 1 o'clock on the morning of the 3d, and my brigade returned with the rest of the command to the vicinity of Kinston. The casualties in my brigade were small in number, but the loss of Colonel Shaw is deeply to be deplored. Equally remarkable for his attention to all the duties of his position and for the coolness, self-possession, and courage in the field, I know no one filling a similar station whose loss would inflict a greater injury to the service than that sustained in his fall. In conclusion, I have to state that there was not a single instance of desertion or straggling from my command during the expedition, and every officer and private seems to have acted creditably on all occasions. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, &c., Major PICKETT. No. 16. Report of Col. John Taylor Wood, C. S. Army. RICHMOND, February 8, 1864. GENERAL: I report to you the result of the late operations near New Berne. Leaving Kinston at noon on the 31st ultimo, we reached New Berne at 4 a. m.; passed down and up in front of the town without discovering the gun-boats. A thick fog shut in everything. At daybreak returned up the river to Batchelder's Creek, as our forces were crossing. Monday, reconnoitered; only one gun-boat in sight. After dark attacked and captured her. She was moored close in shore in order to rake the approaches on the right of their line. I tried to move her, but failed. Her fires were nearly out, and in attempting to tow her out were subjected to a fire of artillery and infantry. Fired her, bringing off all our boats and men. The next morning all of our forces were ordered back. The water front of the town I found open and unguarded. As far as I could judge, their force was small, say 4,000 men. I will press forward to completion the gun-boats. I think they can be ready for service in a month or six weeks. Respectfully, &c., your obedient servant, General R. E. LEE, LOR J. TAYLOR WOOD. Commanding Army of Northern Virginia. JANUARY 29, 1864.-Affair near Gloucester Court-House, Va. Report of Brig. Gen. Isaac J. Wistar, U. S. Army. FORT MONROE, VA., January 29, 1864-9.30 p. m. Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief : I forward the following from General Wistar, for your information : Captured some 3 prisoners, also some horses and arms, near Gloucester CourtHouse to-day. Hampton's cavalry division, about 8,000 strong, with one battery, occupy Fredericksburg and Falmouth and scouting down to Gloucester. B. F. BUTLER, JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 1, 1864.-Expedition to Isle of Wight County, Va., skirmishes near Benn's Church and at Smithfield, and destruction of the U. S. steamer Smith Briggs. Report of Brig. Gen. Charles K. Graham, U. S. Army, commanding Naval Brigade.* HEADQUARTERS NAVAL BRIGADE, Norfolk, Va., February 2, 1864. GENERAL: I have the honor to report the following as the result of an expedition organized under my command for the purpose of capturing a small force of the enemy which was reported to be sta *For reports of Acting Rear-Admiral Lee, Capt. Guert Gansevoort, Lieut. Commander James H. Gillis, and other U. S. naval officers, see Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy, December 5, 1864. tioned on the peninsula formed by Pagan and Chuckatuck Creeks and the Nansemond River. On the afternoon of the 29th January the gun-boat Flora Temple was ordered to proceed to Chuckatuck Creek, to make a thorough reconnaissance at daylight the next morning, and the gun-boat Smith Briggs was sent up the Nansemond; both vessels to return about the same time, anchor at the mouth of the Nansemond, and await my arrival in the gun-boat General Jesup. On the afternoon of the 30th, I left Norfolk in the gun-boat General Jesup, accompanied by the transport Long Branch, having on board a detachment of cavalry, a howitzer squad, and a few infantry, which was subsequently increased by additions from my gun-boats' crews to make the detachments number about 90 men, which force was placed under the command of Captain Lee, of the harbor police. The fog became so dense before reaching the mouth of the Ñansemond that the gun-boat General Jesup grounded, in consequence of which both vessels were compelled to anchor and remain until morning. At daylight on the 31st, we proceeded up the Nansemond and were joined there by the Flora Temple and Smith Briggs. LieutenantCommander Gillis, commanding the U. S. naval gun-boat Commodore Morris, which was stationed there, came on board, generously offered his co-operation, and it was gratefully accepted. The gunboat Smith Briggs, with two launches and their crews from the steamer Foster, and the U. S. naval gun-boat Commodore Morris, all under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Gillis, who had received 50 additional men from the flagship Minnesota, were ordered to proceed up the Nansemond as far as Holloway Point, at which point they were to land at 2 p. m. and advance to the village of Chuckatuck and join the force which would land at Smithfield under my direction. Everything being in readiness, I sailed with the gunboats General Jesup and Flora Temple and the transport Long Branch at 10.30 a. m. for Smithfield, on Pagan Creek, and arrived at that point at 1 p. m. At 1.25 o'clock the force was landed, the whole under the command of Captain Lee, of the Ninety-ninth New York Volunteers. Captain Lee was ordered to advance to Chuckatuck_village, form a junction with the force landed on the Nansemond, engaging the enemy on the way if his passage should be resisted. I remained with the gun-boats General Jesup and Flora Temple, having placed them in position to command the town, stopping there two hours to cover the retreat of the force under Captain Lee, should it be compelled to fall back before a superior force of the enemy. At 3 p. m. the Flora Temple was ordered to proceed to Chuckatuck Creek and engage the attention of the enemy, known engage_the_attention to be stationed in the neighborhood of Cherry Grove, and prevent its advance against the force landed at Smithfield. At 4 p. m., having heard no firing, and supposing Captain Lee to have met with no enemy, I sailed with gun-boat General Jesup and transport Long Branch for Holloway_Point, on the Nansemond River. Having reached the mouth of Pagan Creek, the gun-boat Flora Temple was discovered to be aground, and it was not until about 5 p. m. that she was got off. I then ordered the General Jesup and Long Branch to put on a full head of steam and proceed with the utmost dispatch to Holloway Point. The weather was very inclement, and the fog became so dense toward night that it was almost impossible to proceed. Arriving at the mouth of the Nansemond, the pilot stated that he could not go up, as it would be impossible to keep the channel. Ordering the pilot of the General Jesup to go on board the Long Branch, she being of light draught, I directed him to make the effort to reach Holloway Point. Arrived at that place at 8 p. m., and was informed by Lieutenant-Commander Gillis that Captain McLaughlin, with 40 men, had advanced to Chuckatuck village; remained there until dark and returned, reporting that he had heard heavy firing in the direc tion of Smithfield, which he supposed to have been occasioned by the enemy resisting our landing at that point. Surprised at the nonarrival of the force which had landed at Smithfield, I ordered a detachment of 20 men to land and advance a mile toward Chuckatuck and look out for it, and directed the gun-boat Smith Briggs (taking the remainder of Captain McLaughlin's detachment on board the Long Branch) to sail, with orders to the Flora Temple and General Jesup to proceed at daylight to Chuckatuck Creek, reconnoiter thoroughly, and report the result to me in the Nansemond. On the return of the Smith Briggs I dispatched her at 6.30 a. m. with a communication to Rear-Admiral Lee, at Newport News, giving the facts as they stood, requesting him to communicate the same to you, and informing him that I should land at daylight with all the force at my disposal and march to Chuckatuck. After delivering the dispatch, Captain Rowe was ordered to proceed at once to Smithfield. I landed about 7 a. m. with a detachment of 80 men, 50 of them seamen from the Commodore Morris, kindly furnished to me by Lieutenant-Commander Gillis, under command of Captain McLaughlin, and three officers of the Commodore Morris, accompanied by my two aides, and proceeded to Chuckatuck village. Finding no enemy there I ordered an advance a mile beyond, but could gain no tidings of the missing detachment. After remaining there for an hour, without hearing any firing, fearing the detachment had been captured or dispersed, I returned to the river to make other dispositions. At this time, about 11.30 a. m., the U. S. naval gun-boat Commodore Jones came up with a dispatch from Rear-Admiral Lee to Lieutenant-Commander Gillis, stating that Ensign Harris had escaped from Smithfield; that Captain Lee's detachment was surrounded at that point, and short of ammunition. Rear-Admiral Lee very kindly volunteered to do all in his power to relieve the detachment at Smithfield, and stated that launches with howitzers and ammunition had already been sent. Upon the receipt of this information I immediately sailed for Smithfield, ordering the gun-boat General Jesup, which was lying at the mouth of Chuckatuck Creek, to accompany me. On reaching the mouth of Pagan Creek, about 4 p. m., the information was communicated to me by an officer of the U. S. naval gun-boat Commodore Barney that the Smith Briggs with the detachment of Captain Lee had been captured, and a few moments afterward a terrific explosion occurred, the enemy having blown up the Smith Briggs to prevent her recapture. About the same time a white flag was discovered to be waving on the banks of Pagan Creek, a mile or so distant from its mouth. A boat was ordered from the Jesup to ascertain the cause, and returned with Captain Lee and 3 others. The launches furnished by Rear-Admiral Lee, and which were towed into Pagan Creek by the Smith Briggs, were received with such a terrific fire from riflemen that after discharging their howitzers they were compelled to retire, the commanding officer and several of the men having been severely wounded. For a full statement of the capturing of the force under Captain Lee and the gun-boat Smith Briggs you are respectfully referred to Captain Lee's report, which accompanies this.* All the officers and men under my immediate observation acted energetically, and from the reports of the escaped I am satisfied that Captain Lee, Ensign Harris, Lieutenant Harris, of the Jesup, and Sergeant Hyatt deserve the most honorable mention. Captain Rowe, of the Smith Briggs, although severely wounded through the neck, remained at his post, gallantly fighting his vessel until she was entirely disabled. The men fought most heroically, inflicting terrible loss on the enemy. My obligations are due to Rear-Admiral Lee for the alacrity with which he responded to my application for assistance, and the generous efforts made under his direction to rescue the beleaguered force under Captain Lee; likewise to Lieutenant-Commander Gillis for the essential aid he rendered me in the loan of 50 seaman, and to the officers who commanded them for the cheerfulness with which they obeyed my orders. A list of the killed and wounded, as far as known, also of the missing, will be forwarded as soon as a reliable report can be obtained. I am, general, very respectfully, &c., CHARLES K. GRAHAM, Brigadier-General, Commanding. Maj. Gen. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, Comdg. Department of Virginia and North Carolina. JANUARY 30, 1864.-Skirmish at Windsor, N. C. REPORTS, ETC. No. 1.-Congratulatory orders from Maj. Gen. John J. Peck, U. S. Army. No. 1. Congratulatory orders from Maj. Gen. John J. Peck, U. S. Army. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. ARMY AND DIST. OF N. CAROLINA, No. 20. New Berne, N. C., February 23, 1864. The commanding general announces with satisfaction the success of an expedition sent to Windsor by General H. W. Wessells on the 29th of January, which resulted in breaking up the cantonment of a company of Georgia cavalry. Some prisoners were taken and a large number of dangerous persons secured. Arms, horses, mules, wagons, clothing, and ammunition were captured. Lieutenant-Colonel Tolles was in command. He had detachments of the One hundred and third and One hundred and first Pennsylvania, Eightyfifth New York, and Fifteenth and Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteers. A small party of the Second North Carolina Volunteers co-operated, as well as Lieutenant-Commander Flusser with 50 sailors and marines. By command of Major-General Peck: BENJ. B. FOSTER, Assistant Adjutant-General. *Not found. |