NEW BERNE, N. C., February 9, 1864. MAJOR: Since my communication to you of the 7th nothing of importance has occurred in this portion of my command. Our line of outposts is re-established with very little changes. The communicatíon with Morehead City is uninterrupted and the repairs on the railroad will be completed in two or three days. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. R. S. Davis, NEW BERNE, N. C., February 20, 1864. MAJOR: The various communications forwarded to you during and immediately after the recent demonstration of the enemy at this place gave to the commanding general of the department all the facts concerning. the affair, but in these reports no statement of the losses either in men or material was given, and I have considered it proper to send with these statements of losses a sort of résumé of the former reports for the records of your office and for future consideration. The attack was commenced at about 2.30 a. m. of the 1st instant, at the outposts at the point where the Neuse road crosses Batchelder's Creek, about 8 miles from this place. At that point there was a small force of 1 officer (Lieutenant Haring, One hundred and thirtysecond New York Volunteers) and 13 men. At the approach of the enemy this force was on the alert, and the passage of the bridge disputed gallantly. The little party had taken up the bridge and stationed themselves behind a small breast-work and every attempt of the enemy to cross was handsomely repelled for several hours; in fact they did not succeed in driving the guard away until they had constructed a bridge at another point and taken them in rear. Colonel Claassen, of the One hundred and thirty-second New York Volunteers, was in command of the whole line of outposts, and he was ready. A few prisoners, taken very early in the attack, gave information of the strength of the enemy, their commanding general, &c., and this was communicated to me by telegraph. I immediately ordered out a small force of infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fellows, of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, with a section of artillery, to harass the advance on the Neuse road as much as possible, and to enable the troops at the outposts to retire in order. section of artillery, with two companies of infantry, was also sent, at the request of Colonel Claassen, to check any force that might have been coming on the Washington road. The enemy approaching inthis direction was some 5,000, with sixteen pieces of artillery, the whole under General Pickett, and they advanced directly down the Neuse road, our forces retiring slowly. The outposts on the approaches were duly notified of what was going on, and they retired with the exception of the command on the Washington road. This little force, together with the section of artillery and the two companies of infantry, remained at their posts until the enemy had passed down below the junction of the Neuse and the Washington roads, when they were cut off, there being no way of retiring to the city except by cutting their way through the enemy. This was simply impossible, and they were captured. At about noon the One enemy appeared in force on all sides of the town. On the south side of the Trent Colonel Amory, of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, had been placed in command. Three brigades, with Baker's cavalry, with a few pieces of artillery, all commanded by General Barton, appeared at Brice's Creek in front of Colonel Amory, and commenced the attack there. This force had crossed the Trent River a few miles from Trenton on pontoon bridges. They were opened upon by a field battery of the Third New York Light Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Thomas. After a sharp firing, which lasted but a short time, the enemy retired as we supposed to attack at some other point, but they did not make their appearance again. As soon as the enemy appeared in front of the line between the Neuse and the Trent, they were opened upon by the guns from Fort Totten, and the cavalry under Colonel Savage, of the Twelfth New York Cavalry, with two mountain howitzers, remained in front of the line, and not only kept the enemy in check, but by the firing of the howitzers made us acquainted with the precise locality of the advancing column through the woods. The sun went down without any attempt to assault the lines. On the east side of the Neuse Colonel Anderson, commanding Forts Anderson and Chase, was closely watched by three regiments of infantry, four pieces of artillery, and a regiment of cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Dearing. No attack, however, was made there. After dark the rebel bands serenaded us, and not to be outdone in politeness the band from Fort Totten gave some patriotic airs from the top of the traverse. At about 3 o'clock in the morning of the 2d, a force consisting of about 250 men of the rebel navy, commanded by Capt. John Taylor Wood, and in about fifteen small boats, surprised, captured, and burned the U. S. gun-boat Underwriter, lying in the Neuse River. The greater part of the crew of this vessel escaped, but the officers were all captured; 6 of the attacking party fell into our hands. As soon as it was known that the boat was attacked the rifled gun from Fort Stevenson was brought to bear upon her, and the firing from that gun made it impossible for the captors to get the steamer away and she was fired. (Since writing this I have learned that Captain Westervelt, of the Underwriter, was not carried away. If this be so, he was either drowned or killed and burned up on the steamer.) At midnight the enemy commenced to retire, and at 3 a. m. of the 2d, when I rode along the lines, all was quiet. At daylight some hundred deserters, who had concealed themselves when the retreat commenced, came to our pickets and gave themselves up. The retreating army was closely watched on the road leading to Kinston direct and via Trenton. During the attack on this place the enemy were busy on the railroad between this place and Morehead City. General J. G. Martin, with about 4,000 men of all arms of the service, was threatening Morehead City and the posts on the railroad. Colonel Jourdan, commanding the Sub-district of Beaufort, was vigilant and energetic, but his force was too small to enable him to compete with the enemy successfully. The small force at Gales' Creek and the Bogue Sound block-house were soon driven in and the enemy was soon in front of Newport, garrisoned by a regiment of infantry and a company of the Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and two companies of cavalry. The report of the operations there are given in the report of Colonel Jourdan, inclosed herewith. The post of Newport was captured, but our forces retired, leaving but little for the enemy. The other posts nearer to this place I then ordered abandoned, and the garrison to come within the intrenchments here, which was done without loss. Hearing of the failure here, General Martin retired with his forces, capturing 1 gun and leaving 1 of his own, a much better piece, that he was unable to get away. He also captured a few prisoners. The loss, however, on our part was trifling, and the damage to the railroad so little that in a few days everything was repaired. With a few exceptions the conduct of the officers and men of the command was admirable during the whole affair. The case of Captain Conwell, Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, mentioned in the report* of Colonel Jourdan, will probably be investigated before a court-martial. I ordered his arrest as soon as I found him here, as he could make no satisfactory explanation of his presence here. At no time, I suspect, during the present war has the utility of the military telegraph and the signal corps been more fully demonstrated than during this late attack. The attack had scarcely commenced at the outposts when the telegraph had not only informed me of all that was going on in front, but the whole line of posts to Morehead was placed on its guard, and during the day the enemy were immediately around the city the signal corps kept us advised of the smallest movement of the enemy at any point of the line. I cannot speak too highly of these two corps. I am sorry to be obliged to state that Lieutenant-Colonel Fellows and 8 other officers and 63 men, of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, were captured. The enemy, by crossing Batchelder's Creek at points above and below, where they were stationed to check the advance, came upon them in flank and rear in overwhelming force and captured them. I am sorry also to record the death of Lieutenant Zenette, of the One hundred and thirty-second New York Volunteers, of Colonel Claassen's command, one of the gallant defenders of the Neuse bridge, who was killed at that place. I will also remark here that the citizens turned out nobly and took the place of the provost guard, thus liberating an additional force for duty in the intrenchments. A force of nearly 900 negroes were also quickly armed, and this force I placed under the command of Captain Bartlett, of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, who organized them into companies, and they did excellent service. The list of casualties I inclose herewith, together with the report of Colonel Jourdan and those of some of the regimental commanders. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, I. N. PALMER, Brigadier-General U. S. Volunteers, Commanding. Maj. R. S. DAVIS, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Fortress Monroe, Va. [Inclosure.] CASUALTIES. Forces and defenses of New Berne.-Killed, officers, 1; men, 8. Wounded, officers, 2; men, 10. Missing, officers, 12; men, 293. Total loss, 326. Sub-district of Beaufort.-Killed, men, 4. Wounded, men, 11. Missing, men, 52. Total loss, 67. Grand total, 393 officers and men. I. N. PALMER, Brigadier-General, Commanding. *See p. 77. No. 3. Reports of Maj. Gen. John J. Peck, U. S. Army, commanding District of North Carolina. STEAMER GENERAL BERRY, Near Roanoke Island, N. C., February 9, 1864. GENERAL: From all that I can glean the forces under General Pickett were from 15,000 to 17,000. His preparations were ample, and he felt confident of success. A large number of barges and boats were brought from Wilmington, and the iron ram started down with the boats but did not get through the obstructions below Kinston. We may at any moment have the effort renewed upon New Berne, or some other point may be selected. The information which you communicated yesterday respecting the sending of some 4,000 or 5,000 additional troops to North Carolina indicates such a purpose on the part of General Pickett. In view of the great interests at stake in the State, and of the smallness of the force for its protection, I hope one regiment of cavalry and a brigade of infantry may be sent to me. A large force is much needed and should be sent if it can be spared without jeopardizing public interests elsewhere. The strong Union feeling all over the State, and the movements for a convention, have already caused Jeff. Davis to relieve the North Carolina troops by regiments from other more disloyal States. He does not intend North Carolina shall leave the Confederacy, and will scourge her people with his armies until the last knell of the revolution shall be sounded. haste. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major-General BUTLER, JOHN J. PECK, Comdg. Department of Virginia and North Carolina. HDQRS. ARMY AND DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA, In New Berne, N. C., February 10, 1864. MAJOR: I have the honor to report that I arrived this morning, and have been very busy collecting information touching the recent operations of the enemy in this quarter. A telegram just received from Colonel Jourdan, who has been out to find the enemy with a considerable force, states that they have fallen back to Trenton and Jacksonville. There is hope of the railroad being in order by tomorrow afternoon. Have a gentleman who left Wilmington on Sunday, very reliable and well posted. He states that on Saturday, before the attack, General Martin left with 4,000 men to co-operate with General Pickett, who was reported as about to attack New Berne with twenty-odd thousand. The cars were all pressed in and a force also came from Weldon to Kinston. Boats, barges, &c., were also sent there. General Pickett had advices that only 4,000 men were in New Berne, which was nearly the number. General Pickett advanced on the Neuse road direct with about 6,000. General Barton crossed the Trent River near Trenton, and was to attack and carry the works and get possession of the bridges. General Martin was to attack Newport and Morehead, &c. General Barton, with his 5,000, found that Brice's Creek was between him and New Berne, and he did not get across that deep and broad stream. This failure in the plan doubtless induced Pickett to fall back on Tuesday afternoon. It is stated that another column under Colonel Whitford was ordered to storm Fort Anderson, but did not make its appearance. In the morning I purpose going to Batchelder's Creek to see if any better line can be found. The rebels crossed on a pontoon bridge between the railway and the Neuse. On the 7th, Ġeneral Wessells writes that a formidable expedition was preparing near Halifax, with boats, for the opening of the Roanoke. He also states that a naval brigade has been organized in Richmond for the purpose of recovering the sounds and tributary rivers. He asks for 3,000 effective men. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. R. S. Davis, ADDENDA. N. C., GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS, ARMY AND DISTRICT OF 10.1 New Berne, N. C., February 1864. The commanding general, learning of the desperate advance of the rebel hordes upon his lines in quest of bread, meat, clothing, and plunder, gave up his leave of absence and has returned to his command; not so much from doubt of the ability of the troops to hurl back the enemy as to share with them the honors, toils, and privations of the opening campaign. He returns his thanks to General Palmer and Colonels Jourdan, Amory, and Claassen, and to all the officers and men of their commands, for the gallant repulse of Major-General Pickett with more than twice their numbers. The moment was seized upon for executing a long and well-prepared plan when many of the troops were on furlough as veterans. On this occasion the enemy found by bitter experience that all our men were veterans. Those regiments that were with the commanding general during the siege of Suffolk have earned fresh laurels in this late triumph over the troops of Pickett, Armistead, Kemper, and Hoke, their old adversaries under Longstreet and Hill. By command of Major-General Peck: BENJ. B. FOSTER, Assistant Adjutant-General. No. 4. Report of Col. Peter J. Claassen, One hundred and thirty-second New York Infantry, commanding outposts, &c. HEADQUARTERS OUTPOSTS, Batchelder's Creek, N. C., February 15, 1864. Brig. Gen. L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: I have the honor herewith to forward a copy of my report to district headquarters of North Carolina of an attack in force upon these outposts by the enemy, on the morning of Febru |