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NOVEMBER 11, 1908

 

 

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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

ANY who were present at the dedication of the
monument erected by the State of Massachu-
setts in the National Cemetery at New Bern
to the memory of her sons who died in the

Department of North Carolina in 1861—1865, and also
others who were unable to attend, have expressed a wish
to obtain a picture of the monument and an account of
the ceremonies incident to its dedication.

The balance of the appropriation made by the State,
after defraying the cost of the dedication, being insuffi-
cient to meet the expense of such a record, I decided to
publish an account on my individual responsibility.

It seems not only appropriate, but even requisite, that
such an account should be prefaced with a sketch of the
services performed by Massachusetts troops which induced
the State to erect this monument. Desiring to make this
sketch as complete and as accurate as possible I have con-
sulted various regimental histories and the ‘‘Official Rec-
ord”; in addition, proofs were submitted for suggestion
and criticism to at least one representative from each reg-

iment interested, and I believe the chapter contains no
material error.

I hope this little book may be of interest to those who
served in the Department of North Carolina during the
civil war, and can assure my comrades and others if they
derive as much pleasure from its perusal as I have in its
preparation I shall feel amply repaid for my labor.

Secretary Monument Committee
Secretary ggth Mass. Reg’t Ass'n

 
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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [9]

a ee

Services of Massachusetts Troops

Department of North Carolina
1861 - 1865

Td

N one particular the state of North Carolina is
unique. Although it is called a seaboard state
but a small part of the main land actually borders
on the ocean. A glance at the map shows that

for about two thirds of its eastern boundary, from the Vir-
ginia line southerly, the main land is separated from the
Atlantic by Currituck, Croatan, Pamlico and Core Sounds,
varying in width from five to forty-five miles, and these
are in turn separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of
sand in some places scarcely more than a quarter and sel-
dom over a mile in width.

In addition to those mentioned, Albemarle Sound, a
sheet of water some fifty to sixty miles long and from ten
to twenty wide, runs westward from Croatan Emptying
into these Sounds are the Chowan, Roanoke, Pamlico, Tar
and Neuse rivers, all of which are navigable to a greater
or less distance for light draft vessels, besides several
others navigable only by small boats.

The sandy strip of land which separates these Sounds
from the Atlantic is broken in several places, called inlets,
which form passages connecting the Sounds with the
ocean. Few however are practicable for any but the
lightest draft vessels, and except at Old Topsail Inlet, just
south of Cape Lookout and which is the entrance to the
harbor of Beaufort, about nine feet is the maximum

depth. These conditions made this an ideal locality for

 
[ 10 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

blockade runners which were generally of light draft,
and as the water outside was shallow should a blockade
runner succeed in passing the fleet, our vessels being
unable to follow owing to their greater draft, it was
practically safe from capture.

As the Confederates depended for a large part of their
supplies upon imports and as a numerous fleet was needed
to properly guard and patrol the coast the Navy Depart-
ment realized very early in the war the advisability of se-
curing possession of one or more points in this territory,
not only to enable it to dispense with part of the block-
ading squadron but to secure a base for future operations.
Admiral Ammen states that the War Department
did not at that time grasp the importance of this move-
ment. However, after considerable solicitation, General
Wool consented to detail eight hundred men under Gen.
Benjamin F. Butler, with orders to report to Flag Officer
Silas H. Stringham and assist in the attempt to capture
Forts Clark and Hatteras which commanded Hatteras
Inlet, the passage most generally favored by blockade
runners. ‘The object of the expedition being attained’’
the troops were to “‘return to Fort Monroe.”

The land force consisted of five hundred men of the
20th and two hundred of the 9th New York; one hundred
of the Union Coast Guard; and sixty of the 2nd U. S. Ar-
tillery. The expedition sailed from Fort Monroe on the
morning of August 26, 1861, and arrived off Hatteras the
same afternoon. The bombardment of the forts was
begun on the 28th, discontinued later in the day as Flag
Officer Stringham feared that unless he could make a
greater offing some of his vessels might be blown ashore,
resumed on the 29th, and before noon of that day the forts
had surrendered.

Immediately after the articles of capitulation had been

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [11]

ee eso ee ee

signed, Flag Officer Stringham and General Butler re-
turned to Fort Monroe taking with them some five or six
hundred captured Confederates, and leaving the Pawnee,
Monticello, and tug Fanny, with detachments of the 9th
and 20th New York and the Union Coast Guard, to hold
the captured territory. Gen. Rush C. Hawkins was
left in command.

Sept. 6, Gen. Hawkins wrote Gen. Wool stating that
the enemy were fortifying Roanoke Island, urged the ne-
cessity of our taking immediate possession of that place,
and earnestly called for reinforcements of troops and light
draft vessels. On Sept. 11, he again wrote to the same
effect, a copy of the latter letter being sent directly to the
Secretary of War. Excepting a simple acknowledgment
no attention was paid to the matter by that official although
the recommendations were strongly endorsed by General
Wool. Had these been favorably acted upon by the War
Department, the battle of Roanoke Island, and perhaps
that of New Bern also, might have been unnecessary.

Very early in the war Gen. Burnside suggested the
formation of a ‘‘Coast Division’? consisting of about ten
thousand men for operations on the Potomac and Chesa-
peake, and to act as an auxiliary to the Army of the Poto-
mac. He had several conversations with Gen. McClellan
on this subject, and on Sept. 6, 1861, the latter wrote the
Secretary of War suggesting that a force of ten regiments
be recruited from the New England States, the men from
that section of the country being presumably better qualifi-
ed for the special service in prospect than would be those
from an inland state. They were to be provided with
light draft vessels, and several naval officers were to be
detailed to accompany them.

There was great difficulty in getting the requisite num-
ber of the kind of vessels needed, so although the nu-

 
[12] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

cleus of such a Division was formed, and on Oct. 23 orders
were issued for it to assemble at Annapolis, the purpose
for which it had originally been designed was changed.

Late in the fall of 1861 the authorities at Washington
began to realize the strategic advantages of North
Carolina and the necessity of securing a foothold there.
The main line of railroad from Richmond south passes
through that state and her agricultural resources,
especially during the latter period of the war, were inval-
uable to the Confederates. One writer speaks of this
state as “‘the jugular artery of the confederacy.’’ ‘The
possession of a base of operations in North Carolina would
threaten Richmond from the south, and one suggestion
was made that it might be possible to effect a connection
with our forces in Tennessee and thus divide the Confed-
eracy.

General Orders, No. 14*, Head Quarters Coast Division,
dated January 3, 1862, assigned the vessels to the differ-
ent brigades; and General Orders, No. 15t, January 4,
directed the embarkation.

*This order assigned to General Foster’s brigade the steamers New Bruns-
wick, New York and Guide; propellors, Vedette, Zouave, Ranger and Hus-
sar; bark Guerilla; schooners, Highlander and Recruit. To General Reno’s
brigade, steamers, Northerner and Cossack; propellors, Lancer and Pioneer;
ships, Aztty Stimson and Ann E. Thompson; brig Dragoon; schooner
Scout. To General Parke’s brigade, steamer Zastern Queen; propellors,
Sentinel and Chasseur; ships, Arrican and John Trucks; bark, H. D.
Brookman and Voltigeur; schooner Skirmisher.

The naval vessels accompanying the expedition, many of which remained in
the Department throughout the war and whose names as well as those of
some of the transports were very familiar to all who served in this Department,
were the Stars and Stripes, Louisiana, Hetzel, Underwriter, Dela-
ware, Commodore Barney, Hunchback, Southfield, Morse, Whitehead,
Lockwood, Brinker, I. N. Seymour, Ceres, Putnam, Shawsheen and Granite.

tThis Order divided the troops into three brigades, but the organization as
reported in ‘“The War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Armies,’’ Series 1, Vol. IX, pp 358, shows, on January 31, 1862,

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 13 ]

The embarkation began early on the morning of Janu-
ary 6th and was completed on the 8th. Early on the
morning of the 9th, the fleet steamed out of Annapolis har-
bor. The destination of this expedition was one of the
inconsiderable number of war secrets (?) that was well
kept. Probably few, if any, of those accompanying it, ex-
cept Gen, Burnside, knew where it was bound. ‘The on-
ly instructions received by the several commanders were
to follow the leading vessel until they reached a certain
point, when they were to open their sealed orders.

In a letter from Gen. McClellan, then Commander-in-
Chief, to Gen. Burnside, the date was directed, after
uniting with Flag OGick Goldsborough at Fort Monroe,
to proceed under his convoy to Hatteras Inlet. In ac-
cordance with his general instructions he was to take com-

mand of the Department of North Carolina. His first
point of attack was to be Roanoke Island. Having occu-
pied that and erected batteries and defences so that it
might be held with a comparativ ely small force, mean-
while assisting Flag Officer Goldsborough, should he so

request, in seizing or holding the entrance to the Norfolk
Canal, he was then to make a descent upon New Bern.

about a week previous to the battle of Roanoke Island

the command of General Burnside.

First brigade, Brig. Gen. John G. Foster: 10th Connecticut, 23d, 24th, 25th
and 27th Massachusetts.

Second brigade, Brig. Gen. Jesse L. Reno: 21st Masss achusetts, 9th New Jer-
sey, Slst New York, and 51st Pennsylvania.

Third brigade, Brig. Gen. John L. Parke: 8th Connecticut, 9th and 53d New
York, 4th and 5th (battalion) Rhode Island.

Fourth brigade, Brig. Gen. Thomas Williams: 11th Connecticut, 6th New
Hampshire, 89th New York, 48th Pe nnsylvania, me ittery F, (Belger’s),
Ist Rhode Island Artillery, and Battery C, 1st U. S. Artillery. |

Note. None of those to whom proofs were sent “ta any recollection of

Williams’ brigade, nor is any mention made of that brigade in the reports of

the battles of Roanoke Island or New Ber n; yet the 11th Connecticut, which

was attached to this brigade, is mentioned as taking part in the latter action.

four brigades under

 
[14] Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors
re

Gaining possession of that city, he was directed to occupy
Beaufort and reduce Fort Macon in order to open the port
which was the seaboard terminus-of the railroad to New

Bern, Kinston and Goldsboro. He was directed to then
proceed, if possible, to Goldsboro and Raleigh, but was
told that he must exercise great caution in making such

an advance.
The expedition reached Fort Monroe on the afternoon of

the 9th and left about midnight on the 11th. When well
at sea the destination was announced to be Hatteras Inlet.
Sunday, the 12th, while nearing that place, the weather
was stormy and it continued to grow worse until it be-
came a regular gale. Some of the vessels succeeded in
making the Inlet on the 13th, while, of those which failed
to get through, many decided to attempt riding out the
gale at anchor, while others, believing that their only
safety lay in being at a distance from land, stood out to
sea. The fleet became widely scattered, and it was a
most anxious experience for both officers and men. For-
tunately the loss of life was small.

Between the Inlet and the navigable waters of the
Sound there was a shifting, sandy bar, called the
““Swash,”’ across which vessels drawing more than eight
feet could not pass. One of the conditions of the charters
was that no vessel when loaded should draw over a stated
depth, but, as usual, government contractors expected to
be allowed some latitude in filling their contracts, and
the result was that many vessels had to be unloaded before
they could pass the ‘‘Swash.’’ By the last day of Janu-

ary, however, all had safely entered the Sound.
Roanoke Island which commands Croatan Sound, the

connecting link between Albemarle and Pamlico, is from
ten to fifteen miles long and from two to five miles wide.

It is a place of great strategic importance, commanding

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [15]
Fe a na a aghast cists Ape ag

the Sounds and the rear defences of Norfolk, Va. It was
defended by Fort Bartow, at Pork Point, on the west side
of the island; Fort Blanchard, farther north; and Fort
Huger, still farther north. About the centre of the is-
land was Fort Defiance, a redoubt or breastwork some
seventy to eighty feet long, with three embrasures for can-
non. One flank of this redoubt was protected by a swamp
and the other by a marsh, both of which were thought to
be practically impassable. The main north and south
road of the island passed through the redoubt. In addi-
tion to these defenses the Confederates had in Croatan
Sound a naval force of ten small vessels mounting eighteen
guns.

On February 4th, Burnside reported to Goldsborough
that everything was ready, and on the morning of the 6th
they started for Roanoke. The afternoon of the same day
they were within six miles of the Island. A heavy fog pre-
vailing made them decide it would be unwise to attempt a
further advance that night. The Confederate fleet was
off Fort Bartow. Onthe 7th, Lieutenant Andrews, of the
9th New York, with a party of men from the Sth Rhode
Island, made soundings in Ashby’s Harbor, situated near

the middle of the island on the west side.
In the afternoon Foster was ordered to land his brigade.

He embarked five hundred men of the 25th Massachusetts
on board the /2lot Boy, which towed the boats carrying
the rest of his brigade, and headed toward Ashby’s
Harbor. Discovering an ambuscade of infantry and artil-
lery, he changed his proposed destination and made a
landing in front of Hammond’s House, a point just above
the Harbor, where he encountered no oppositon. He was
quickly followed by Reno and Parke, and in about twenty
minutes four thousand men had reached the land safely.
The force forming the ambuscade, fearing capture,

 
sprenapreennrenasn
pee

[ 16 ] Mas

Sachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

made a hasty retreat and joined the m
doubt. During this time, and through
ad kept Fort

ain body at the re-
out the battle, the
naval] division h

steamer carry

ying the 24th
at regiment did not land

The night of the

husetts was in ad-
It rained constantly and the

ably. Lieutenant Colonel Maggi
» “None of t

he men slept
€ the companies fall in in gre
aybreak on the Foster’s brigad
l, the 25th Massachusetts leading They drove
the enemy’s skirm

ishers on the main Toad until,
near the middle of the island, they me
in

a strong position Prepared for battle. Their guns had
a clean Sweep of 700 yards. Foster placed six light guns
from the ships’ launches jn the road so that two could be

used at the Same time and then advanced to the attack.
These guns were supported by the 25th M
line on one side of the road and th

ported by the 23g. As the 27th
Connecticut came on the
lieved the 23d, which, supported
to the right with instructions to ]

and turn the enemy’s left.
Genera]

» and every
atest silence.”

€ moved for-
in
when
t the confederates

assachusetts in
at regiment was Sup-
assachusetts and 10th

gtound the latter regiment re-

by the 27th, was ordered
ass through the marsh

came up and was ord
Swamp to our left and endeavor
cnemy’s right, Parke followed Reno and he
Was instructed to assist the 23d and 27th Massachusetts on
the right.

The enga

Sagement
The guns }
instructed to ce

expended al] it

ered to push

in the direct front had be
aving used al] but te
ase firing; the 25th M
S ammunition,

en very
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assachusetts

» having
was sent to the I

rear and

 
CEMETERY, NEW BERN, N

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1868

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DAY, MAY

MEMORIAL

 
 

 

 

 

the 10th Connecticut moved to the front. The engage-
ment began about 8 o’clock. About 11.30 a. M., Foster
ordered Parke to charge. ‘The enemy fled in great confu-
sion, partly in consequence of this charge and partly be-
cause both flanks had been turned. General Reno imme-
diately started in pursuit, quickly followed by General
Foster, the 24th Massachusetts being on the right of the
brigade. He soon overtook and passed Reno, the latter
being busily engaged in capturing the fleeing enemy who
were endeavoring to escape by boats to Nag’s Head.

Just before they reached the upper extremity of the
island, Colonel Shaw, of the 8th North Carolina, who,
owing to the absence of General Wise, was in command
of the confederate forces on Roanoke, sent a flag of truce
to Foster asking on what terms he would accept sur-

render. ‘‘Unconditional,’’ was the answer, and Foster
added that he would allow but sufficient time for a.reply to

reach him before recommencing hostilities. As the delay
appeared to be longer than necessary, Foster advanced
with the 24th Massachusetts, but when near the confeder-
ate camp he was met by another flag of truce and was in-
formed that his terms had been accepted. Colonel Kurtz,
of the 23d Massachusetts, was ordered to secure the camp
of the 31st North Carolina, but the order had been antici-
pated by General Reno who was already in possession.

This battle resulted in the capture of forty-two guns,
about three thousand prisoners, and the occupation of a
most important strategic position.

General Wise, who was nominally in command at Ro-
anoke Island, but who was ill at Nag’s Head at the time
of the action, felt much aggrieved at the result, claiming
that General Benjamin Huger, commanding the Depart-
ment of Norfolk, failed to give him proper support, and by
countermanding some of his orders and interfering with

 
 

[ 18 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
een nr nn nnn

his plans was responsible for the loss of the Island. A vol-
uminous and somewhat acrimonious correspondence ensu-
ed between these officers. It occupies about sixty pages
of the “Official Records.” Wise plainly expressed his
opinion of the importance to the confederacy of holding
this position when, February 13, he wrote Jefferson Davis:

‘Such is the importance and value, in a military point
of view, of Roanoke Island that it ought to have been de-
fended by all the means in the power of the Government.
It was the key to all the rear defences of Norfolk. It un-
locked two Sounds, (Albemarle and Currituck); eight
rivers, (the North, West, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Little,
Chowan, Roanoke and Alligator); four canals, (the Albe-
marle and Chesapeake, Dismal Swamp, Northwest, and
Suffolk); and two railroads, (the Petersburg and Norfolk,
and the Seaboard and Roanoke). It guarded more than
four-fifths of all Norfolk’s supply of corn, pork and forage,
and it cut the command of General Huger off from all its
most efficient transportation. It endangers the subsist-
ence of his whole army; threatens the Navy Yard at Gos-
port; to cut off Norfolk from Richmond, and both from
railroad communication with the south. It lodges the enemy
in a safe harbor from the storms of Hatteras, gives them a
rendezvous, a large, rich range of supplies, and the com-
mand of the seaboard from Oregon Inlet to Cape Henry.
It should have been defended at the expense of twenty
thousand men and many millions of dollars.’’

The subject was brought before the Confederate Con-
gress and the Investigating Committee of the House of
Representatives made an exhaustive report fully endorsing
the opinion expressed by General Wise when he wrote:
‘“The forts of this island were all out of place; they ought
to have been at the south end, they were at the north,
leaving several of the landing points on the south end
without any defenses against the shot and shell of the
heavy steamers which came quite up and covered the land-
ing of their troops. ”

In their finding the Committee place the blame for the
loss of the Island on General Huger and Secretary of War,
J. P. Benjamin.

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [19 ]

Ns

In connection with the battle of Roanoke Island, and as
the officer to whom the following letter was addressed at-
tended the dedication of the New Bern monument asa del-
egate from the 21st Massachusetts, it does not seem out of
place to reproduce it in this volume. ‘The letter is self-
explanatory.

Head Quarters, 21st Mass. Vols.
Camp Burnside, Dept. N. C.,*

Roanoke Island, Feb 10, 1862.
To Capt. Theodore S. Foster,

Dear Captain;

The day before the battle of the 8th inst., the aide-
de-camp, Lieutenant Frank Reno, told me he would pre-
sent a flag to the Company of the Second Brigade who
would fight most bravely. ‘The day after the battle in
which our regiment comported itself so gallantly, he gave
the flag to me, saying, ‘‘Giveit to the Company
has fought the best in your regiment.’’ :

; At a meeting of the officers of the 21st regiment,
presided over by me, it was decided that the flag should be
given fo you alone as a small token of the great courage,

bravery and intelligence which you displayed on the 8th
instant.

r which

You may inscribe on the flag these words: ‘“T’he

Officers of the 21st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers to

the brave Captain T. S. Foster, of Company D.’? I am,
Your sincere friend,

A. C. Maggi,
Lieutenant Colonel Commanding.

This flag Capt. Foster later presented to the Fitchburg
Library, Company D having been mainly recruited from
that city.

After the capture of Roanoke, the naval vessels followed
the enemy’s flotilla to Elizabeth City reaching there on
the 18th, extinguished the fire which the confederates had
set for the purpose of burning the town, blocked the en-
trance to the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal, and de-
stroyed one schooner, several guns, and a quantity of sup-
plies. They then proceeded to Edenton and Winton on the

 
[ 20 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

Chowan, but accomplished little except the destruction of
a large amount of supplies. No Massachusetts troops were
engaged in this expedition.

The troops remained at Roanoke Island, strengthening
its defences, until the morning of March 12, when an ex-
pedition left for the Neuse river, its purpose being the cap-
ture of New Bern. The river had been blockaded below
the city, and as Burnside thought it would be difficult to
make a direct attack, he decided to land below New Bern
and approach the city by land. ‘That evening he reached
Slocum’s Creek, about sixteen miles below New Bern.

On the morning of the 13th Foster placed about five
hundred of the 24th Massachusetts on board the Pz/ot Boy,
about six hundred more men from his brigade on boats in
tow of that steamer, and landed near the mouth of Slocum’s
Creek. The shallowness of the water made the approach
difficult and many men, in their impatience, jumped over-
board and waded ashore. ‘The navy had shelled the bank
so effectually that there was no opposition.

Foster advanced a short distance, when he halted and
awaited the arrival of Reno’s brigade, which by order of
General Burnside had been given the advance. Foster then
proceeded along the old County, or “Beaufort’’ road, the
one parallel to and next the Neuse road, the 21st Massa-
chusetts of Reno’s command being at the head of the col-
umn. About six miles from Slocum’s he met Captain
Williamson, of the Topographical Engineers, accompanied
by some officers of Burnside’s staff and his own, who were
just returning from a daring reconnoissance. Captain Wil-
liamson reported the discovery of a line of breastworks a
short distance ahead, which they found deserted, extending

from the Neuse to the railroad. General Reno having ar-
rived, he and Foster entered these works and the troops
were halted for dinner. A little distance beyond these

 
 

 

 

VIEW LOOKING DOWN NEIL SE RIVER

m G

VIEW LOOKING UP TRENT RIVER

 
 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 21;]

nT

works they bivouacked near the enemy’s position, being
about twelve miles from the point where they landed. It
had rained hard all day, the mud was deep, the men were
tired and wet and were perfectly willing to go into camp.

At daylight on the 14th, Foster advanced his brigade till
he met the enemy. The confederate left was at Fort
Thompson, on the Neuse. This fort had been built to de-
fend the river, and while strong on the water side was
weak on the land; a line of breastworks extended from the
fort to the railroad, a distance of a mile anda half; beyond
the railroad was a series of redoubts for about three quar-
ters of a mile farther; the confederate right rested on
Bryce Creek*. ‘Their line crossed the main County, or
“Beaufort”? road, the railroad, and the Weathersby, or
Pollocksville road, which was between the railroad and
Bryce Creek. All these roads converged at a point about
two miles in the rear of the confederate line. Foster was
followed by Reno on the railroad, and Parke was placed in
rear of Foster ready to support either, as occasion might
require. Foster placed the 25th Massachusetts in line on
the extreme right and the 24th on its left, the left of the
latter regiment resting on the Beaufort road. A howit-
zer from the Aighlander was placed in the road, supported
on the left by the 27th Massachusetts in line. On the ar-
rival of some navy howitzers these were placed to the left
of the other, and the 23d Massachusetts moved to the left
of the 27th. ‘The fire from the breast works was at short

range, incessant, and very severe As the 10th Connecti-
cut came on to the ground it was placed on the left of the
23d, and the 27th, having nearly exhausted its ammuni-
tion, was relieved by the 11th Connecticut, the former
regiment going a short distance to the rear.

*This has generally been called Brice’s Creek, but on a sketch of the New
Bern battle-field, accompanying the report of General Branch, the confederate
commander, (Official Records Vol. IX, pp 248), it is called Bryce Creek.

 
 

[ 22 ] Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors

eT

A little before 8 a.m. Reno, who was following the rail-
road, heard Foster’s brigade hotly engaged and saw what
he thought an attempt of the confederates to bring a gun
to bear on the railroad. He sent out his skirmishers.and
as soon as he could get the right wing of his leading regi-
ment, the 21st Massachusetts, into line he ordered it to
capture the brick-kiln near the railroad which it did very
quickly, the enemy fleeing at the first volley. The color
sergeant of the 21st climbed to the roof of a building in
the brickyard “and amid a perfect shower of minie balls
» x» waved the Star Spangled banner presented to
the regiment by the ladies of Worcester.”

As General Reno did not know the confederate line ex-
tended beyond the railroad he supposed he had turned
its right. He found, however, he was opposed by the
16th and 33d North Carolina who for three hours made a
most gallant fight. Their ammunition then being ex-
hausted and their forces between the river and the rail-
road having been driven back they were finally obliged to
retire. The right wing of the 21st, which had taken the
brickyard and later had captured a battery, was attacked
by an overwhelming force and obliged to fall back, but on
arrival of reenforcements it regained possession of the
brickyard. About the same time, Foster, seeing the
troops in his front waver, charged with his whole brigade.
The combined attack resulted in the defeat of the enemy
who made a rapid retreat to New Bern.

Our troops immediately started in pursuit. Parke was
ordered forward to save the bridges, if possible, but he did
not reach them in time. ‘The railroad bridge had been
burned and the draw of the county bridge destroyed.
Part of the city had been set on fire by the retreating
enemy. ‘The naval forces had reached New Bern in ad-
vance of the troops; with their co-operation Foster’s brig-

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 23 ]
SS

ade was moved over to the city and assisted in extinguish-
ing the fire which had been partially conquered by the
citzens and the naval contingent. :

In his report of this battle to Adjutant General Lorenzo
Thomas, Burnside writes, ‘‘I beg to say to the General
Commanding that I have under my command a division
that can be relied upon in any emergency.’’ Each of the
brigade commanders speaks of his own men in equally
complimentary terms saying virtually what Foster
said of the 24th Massachusetts, “they behaved with
marked coolness and steadiness.”? Several who subse-
quently saw severe service in Virginia say it was one of
the hardest fights in which they were ever engaged.

It is reported that just before the battle, Colonel Jordan
who was captured at Roanoke, said to General Branch,
who was in command at New Bern, “General, you Giles
my best hopes and wishes, and were I not on parole you
would have my assistance. But, General, I will give you
just twenty-four hours to hold your position. ‘The Yan-
kees would charge your batteries and entrenchments if the
obstacles were twice as great. All hell won’t keep them
back. If they can’t do better they’ll swim the river, (it
was about two miles wide at this point), and come in on
yourrear. Have the place they will, and you can’t help it.”

New Bern, the headquarters of the Department of North
Carolina during the war, anda city familiar to all who
served in that state, is situated at the junction of the
Neuse and Trent rivers, about forty miles from Pamlico
Sound. It was laid out in 1710. ‘There is but one older
town in the state, and in commercial importance it is sec-
ond only to Wilmington. It was named for Bern, Switz-
ie: the birthplace of its founders, DeGraffenriea and
ee ney 1749, James Davis, of Virginia,

printing press used in the colony.

 
 

 

[ 24 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
—————— ——— —— ———— ee OO

Today New Bern carries on an extensive lumber industry,
her cotton business is important, and she makes large
shipments of early fruits and vegetables to northern cities.

In 1894, the City Council voted to adopt the armorial
bearings and colors of Old Bern; in February, 1896, the
Council of Burghesses of the latter city presented to its
offspring a beautiful Bernese banner in token of the kindly
feeling existing’ between the old and the new Bern.
The letter of presentation concludes with these words:

“Tet the banner fly under the shadow of the Star
Spangled Banner; both lead to the peaceful struggle for
the welfare of mankind.”

Immediately after taking possession of New Bern, Burn-
side began fortifying the place that it might be success-
fully defended by a comparatively small garrison against
any force that would probably ever attempt its recapture.

T’he construction of Fort Totten was immediately begun
under the direction of Captain Williamson, engineer offi-
cer on Burnside’s staff. In ‘‘Bearing Arms in the 27th

Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,’’ (one of the most

complete and comprehensive of the many regimental his-
tories and other volumes consulted by the writer), Fort

Totten is described as,

‘*A pentagon, covering nearly seven acres, with parapets
eight feet high and twelve feet thick. This massive em-
bankment was revetted from the bottom of the slope in the
ditch with sods, one on the other, to the depth of eighteen
inches, and the embrasures with wicker baskets filled with
sand. A huge parapet of earth was constructed on the
terra pleine of the fort, thirty-five feet high, twenty-eight
feet thick, and four hundred feet long, to shelter the gar-
rison in case of bombardment. On the top of this huge
parapet was a series of rifle pits for the use and protection
of sharp shooters. ‘The ramparts were protected from enfi-
lading fires by traverses, and complete control of the field
secured by bastions at each angle. The armament of the
fort consisted of twenty-eight guns, mostly naval 32-
pounders and 64-pound Columbiads, the exception being
two 100-pound Parrotts.’’

 

 
 

 

 

 

VIEW OF NEW BERN SHOWING ELKS BL ILDING

rarrison against
its recapture.

 

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VIEW OF NEW BERN Tow ARDS THE NEUSE
7 a mY f Elks Bu

RIVER
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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 25 ]

This fort was situated on the Trent, commanding the
approaches from Kinston, and the entire city. A smaller
work, Fort Rowan, was erected near the railway and com-
manded the Neuse. Forts Amory and Gaston, were on
the south side of the Trent. The author of ‘‘Cayuga in
the Field’’, (a history of the 3d New York Artillery, in
connection with other regiments from Cayuga County),
states that these forts were completed in January, 1863,
by Lieutenant Colonel J. Stewart.

Within afew hours after the occupation of the city,
some members of the 23d Massachusetts, who were of an
inquiring mind, discovered a printing office and found two
forms of a newspaper locked up and ready for the press.
The press being disabled they immediately struck off
about one hundred copies witha ‘‘planer”’, a wooden block
used by printers for levelling type, and this ‘‘first edition’?
met a ready sale. A paper was established with George
Miles Joy, editor. As it was forbidden to publish anything
that might give information to the enemy the non-arrival
of mail from the north sometimes caused a great dearth of
news. Nomatter what were the conditions, the editor had
to supply copy, so on one occasion he printed an account
ofa ‘GREAT BATTLE” which was taken verbatim
from the Old Testament. This edition had a tremendous
sale. At another time he published the Declaration of
Independence in full.

March 20, Colonel Thomas G. Stevenson, with the 24th
Massachusetts, started for ‘“Tittle’? Washington. The
morning of the 21st they were within six miles of the town.
Deserted batteries were discovered on each side of the Pam-
lico, and the river itself was barricaded by a row of piles
cut off three feet below the surface of the water. Colonel
Stevenson loaded two companies of the regiment on light
draft boats and pushed to the town, but found no enemy to

 
 

[ 26 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

oppose his landing. He reported having found a strong
Union feeling among the residents. He left Washington
the same night and returned to New Bern.

As soon as practicable after the capture of New Bern,
Burnside proceeded to carry out the other instructions
received from McClellan. General Parke was ordered to
attempt the capture of Fort Macon, and on March 19 left
Slocum’s Creek with part of his brigade. No Massachu-
setts troops were engaged in this expedition, although
Lieutenant Prouty, 25th Massachusetts, was in command
of an 8-inch mortar battery. After an extremely difficult
march, Parke reached the fort March 23 and immediately
demanded its surrender, which demand Colonel White, the
confederate officer in command, promptly refused.

Fort Macon was situated at the easterly end of Bogue
Island, and was surrounded by water on three sides. It
commanded absolutely the entrance from the ocean to the
town of Beaufort, as well as the entrance to Morehead
City, the terminus of the railroad to New Bern, Kinston,
and Goldsboro. Of all the Atlantic forts it was second in
importance only to Monroe and Sumter, and its occupa-
tion by us was a military necessity.

Surrender having been refused, General Parke immedi-
ately prepared fora siege. Owing to difficult transportation
and meagre facilities it was about a month before he could
begin active operations. During part of this time Burn-
side was present in person. On April 23, Burnside him-
self demanded its surrender which was again refused by
Colonel White, and on April 25, Parke was ordered to
open fire. At5 p.m. the same day, White capitulated
and our troops took possession of the fort. This success
gave us control of practically the whole North Carolina
coast, with the exception of the entrance to Wilmington.

On our occupation of New Bern General Foster was

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 27]

assigned to the command of the city. He advanced his
forces some miles and established strong picket lines at
Batchelder’s Creek on the north, and Bryce Creek on the
south; later he opened the railroad between Morehead
City and New Bern.

In April, Burnside organized the troops in North Caro-
lina into three divisions, commanded respectively by Fos-
ter, Reno, and Parke. On April 3 and 7 he wrote Edwin
M. Stanton, Secretary of War, and on the 17th he wrote
McClellan also, requesting reenforcements, especially of
cavalry and artillery, and stated that they would be abso-
lutely necessary should he attempt an advance on Golds-
boro and Raleigh, a movement which he advocated very
strongly if it could be made with a reasonable prospect of
success. About the middle of April, the 17th Massachu-
setts, which, since its departure from that state the previous
autumn, had been on duty in or around Baltimore, arrived
and was assigned to the first brigade of Foster’s division.

On May 3, and on May 5, Burnside again wrote Stan-
ton, repeating his suggestion of an advance on Goldsboro
and added that should it be successful] Wilmington anil
Fort Caswell as a natural sequence would fall into our
hands.

During the rest of the spring and early summer nothing
of special importance happened in the Department, Fre-
quent reconnoissances were made, and several skirmishes
occurred, in most of which Massachusetts troops took a
prominent part and proved themselves a credit to the state
from which they had enlisted.

Among the places visited, and at many of which there
bbe a fighting, were iad ee Elizabeth City,

» tlymouth, Deep Gully, Gates Mill, Young’s
Cross Roads, Tranter’s Creek, Swansborough, Carolina
City, Trenton, Pollocksville, and several other localities.

 
 

[ 28 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

These reconnoissances resulted in the capture of a number
of confederates; the seizure or destruction of large quan-
tities of supplies; in gaining much valuable information
regarding the geography and topography of the ieee
ing country; and more important still, they accustome
the men to the hardships of a soldier’s life, taught them
how to take care of themselves on a march, gave them
confidence in themselves and their comrades; but most
important of all, they preserved the morale of the troops,
for there is nothing that will cause deterioration in an
army quicker than inaction.

In June, 1862, General Burnside received the following
message :

Washington, June 28, 1863.
General Burnside: A ; :
I think you had better go, with any reinforcements

you can spare, to Gen. McClellan. A. LINCOLN.

and this message was supplemented by one to the same
effect, and of the same date, from the Secretary of War.
On the 25th, McClellan had notified Burnside that she
thought Beauregard had withdrawn from North Carolina
and gone to Richmond, and instructed him to advance on
Goldsboro with all his available forces, destroying as far
as possible all railroad connections in the direction of
Richmond. In view of McClellan’s previous order, the
instructions given by the President and Secretary of War
were modified by them to ‘‘render him (McClellan) any
id in your power.’’
gates Bitkoida wrote McClellan that he was on his

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 29 ]

BOC, oN ies Department has no further orders to give, but

hopes you will with all speed reach General McClellan
with as large a force as possible.” Burnside left on the
6th with his 2d and 3d Divisions; at 4.40 p. yy. on the 7th
he reported his arrival at Fort Monroe and asked instruc-
tions. ‘The only Massachusetts regiment that left North
Carolina with these troops was the 21st.

After the departure of Burnside, Foster was placed in
command of the Department. He continued the practice

of making frequent reconnoissances and of keeping his

men constantly engaged. Of the less important actions

one of the most serious was the confederate attack on
‘*Little’’ Washington in September. ‘The town was gar-
risoned by companies B and D of the 2¢
two companies of the 1st North C
of the 3d New York Artillery,
New York Cavalry.

Ath Massachusetts,
arolina, two companies
and five companies of the 3d
The enemy attacked early in the

morning, surprised our pickets and entered the town. Col.
Potter, of the 1st North Carol

had just started for Plymouth with Col. Mix, four com-

ina, who was in command,

panies of cavalry, and one battery, in obedience to orders
he had received to cooperate with the Navy in an attack on
Hamilton. Hearing the firing he immediately returned,
and with the assistance of the gun-boats soon drove the
enemy from the town and pursued them about eight miles.
During the fight the magazine of the gun-boat Picket blew
up, practically destroying the vessel, and killed and
wounded a large number of men,.among the killed being
the commander, Capt. Nicoll.

In several communications to the War Department Fos-

- ter mentioned that he was fortifying Washington, build-
way with four thousand infantry, when I met a ree: ing block-houses at a number of important points,
ger informing me of your important success before Rich- strengthening his defenses
mond, which, if true, renders it unnecessary for me to were but just begun

join you.”

: raid.
July 5, Stanton telegraphed Burnside, via Fort Mon-

and
generally. The fortifications
at the time of the above-mentioned

 
[ 30 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

In the fall of 1862, the army in North Carolina was
largely reenforced, eight Massachusetts regiments having
been sent there. The 3d, 5th, and 44th landed at More-
head City October 26; the 43d, 45th, and 46th, Novem-
ber 14; and the 8th and 51st reached New Bern Novem-

ber 30th.
October 30, Foster wrote General Halleck that he had

just learned of three confederate regiments having gone
into Washington and Hyde counties for the purpose of
foraging and obtaining conscripts. He says:

““"These counties form a bag, the mouth of which is
between Washington and Plymouth. If I am not too late,
(the information was forty hours in reaching me), I hope
to engage and capture this force. Should I accomplish
that, I shall push on for Hamilton. * * * Iam led to
make this attempt from information received (from the
navy) that iron-clad boats are being constructed there.’’

The following day Stevenson’s brigade, comprising the
24th Massachusetts (5 companies), the 44th Massachusetts,
the 5th Rhode Island (5 companies), the 10th Connecti-
cut, and Belger’s Battery F, lst Rhode Island Artillery;
and Lee’s brigade, 27th Massachusetts (6 companies), 9th
New Jersey (6. companies), 5th Massachusetts, and three
Batteries of the 3d New York Artillery, were embarked
on vessels and sailed for ‘‘Little’’ Washington. Amory’s
brigade, 23d Massachusetts (5 companies), 27th Massa-
chusetts (6 companies), 25th Massachusetts ( 5,companies),
two sections of the 3d New York Artillery, and a detach-
ment from the 3d New York Cavalry, proceeded to Wash-
ington overland. Most of the artillery, ambulances, and
baggage wagons of the other brigades accompanied
Amory’s. ‘Those companies which were not with their
regiments on this expedition were on detached service or

formed part of the garrison at New Bern.

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors { ot j

gpa. mae: = Sea Washington on
go ovember 1. oster had intended to
Make an immediate advance, but as Amory’s brigade did
not arrive till late in the afternoon, having been aelaved
by burned bridges and other obstructions. as oul ‘st a
small amount of skirmishing, he was unable to do so ee

Soon after daybreak, Sunday, November 2, the éoltiin
started for Williamston, Stevenson’s brigade in advance

Although it was engaged in skirmishing more or less

during the day, it met no opposition of any importance
until just before dark. Reaching a place called Little
Creek, the advance, which consisted of the Marine pit

lery, one company of the 10th Connecticut

: and a
force of cavalry, was fired

2 = _ared upon from the far side of the
stream. hese organizations were halted

H and C of the 44th Mass
as skirmishers.

and companies
achusetts were sent forward

They crossed the creek which was

as ice cold,
enemy some dis-
becoming wet while

: red by companies E
elger’s Battery was b ‘

i a attery was brought
into action and shelled the ground in our front very effect-

About a mile beyond Little Creek was Rawle’s
Here the confederates made a stand } ,
viously burned the bridge.
our troops went into bivouac.
During the ni

earl i
ciara morning of November 3 Foster moved for-
© Williamston which he reached about noon. Wil-

liamston was

a .

“flowing,” if a ste active, typically southern town,
’ + ”) .

The column left ie ‘hia aan least ‘‘with honey.”

camped for the nich Jamston late in the afternoon and

night between that town and Hamilton

nearly arm-pit deep and the water of which w
reached the opposite bank and drove the
tance. Most of their ammunition

crossing the creek, they were reliey

and I of the same regiment.

laving pre-
It was nearly 2 A. m. before

 
fi. 32° 4 Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
ii eis ile gn hn is ta cae gl SE eT

On the 4th, the troops reached Rainbow Bluff on the
Roanoke where the confederates had built a formidable
earth-work to defend the river, but which was weak on the
land side. This fortification was deserted. No trace
could be found of the gun-boats which were reported as
being in process of construction. After a brief halt the
column kept on to Hamilton, and remaining but a few
hours in that place, proceeded a short distance towards
Tarboro, whete it camped for the night.

A detachment consisting of companies A and G of the
44th Massachusetts, a few cavalrymen, and two small
brass howitzers, all under command of Major Gerrard of
the 3d New York Cavalry, was sent forward on the main
road as a feint, while the main body took a more circuit-
ous route. This detachment had quite a lively skirmish;
it rejoined the main force the following morning.

Foster was within about four miles of Tarboro when
learning that the enemy had been heavily reenforced, his
men being nearly worn out owing to the difficulty of wad-
ing through the mud, the rapidity of the march, and the
additional fact that a large part of his force was inexperi-
enced in this kind of work, he decided to return to Ham-
ilton, which he reached on the evening of the 6th. That
night, to their great satisfaction, the men were quartered
in houses.

On the morning of the 7th, in the midst of quite a snow
storm, the troops started for Williamston reaching there
the same evening. They remained at Williamston till

the morning of Sunday, November 9, when they moved
towards Plymouth and camped that night about four miles
outside. Monday morning they entered the town, and
as rapidly as transportation could be provided were sent
back to New Bern.

Owing to the delay in starting, the expedition failed in

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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 33 ]

ee ee

its main object which, as previously stated, was the cap-
ture of the confederate regiments, but it was of great
advantage in many other respects, and resulted in the de-
struction of a large quantity of provisions and supplies
which the enemy could ill afford to lose.

On the afternoon of November 11, a report reached Col-
onel Amory, who had just returned from Plymouth with
the 17th, 24th, part of the 23d, and about one hundred and
fifty men of the 44th Massachusetts, that the enemy were
driving in our pickets on the Trent Road. Colonel
Kurtz, of the 23d Massachusetts, who had been in com-
mand at New Bern during the absence of General Foster,
warned the gun-boats and troops as soon as he heard the
rumor, and before he knew of the arrival of Colonel Am-
ory, who was the senior officer. The latter, on assuming
command, drew the pickets in to the edge of the woods in
front of Fort Totten and formed a line from the Trent to
the Neuse, making all necessary arrangements to repel an
attack. The affair was probably a simple reconnoissance
as the enemy withdrew during the night.

December 10, a small force of confederates attacked
Plymouth, then garrisoned by Company I, 3d Massachu-
setts, and Company C, 1st North Carolina Infantry.* The
third shot fired by the enemy disabled the boiler of the
gun-boat Southfield, on whose aid the garrison had been
placing considerable reliance. Our troops took refuge in
the custom house and made as good a defense as possible.

The confederates were in possession scarcely thirty
minutes, but before retiring succeeded in burning about
half the town.

*Although no mention is made of the North Carolina Cavalry (and the writer
was unaware that there was a regiment of that branch of the service from that
state) on pp. 47, of the ‘‘Official Records,’’ Vol. XVIII., Thomas J. Fogarty,
who signs as “First Lieutenant Comdg, First North Carolina Cavalry.’’ reports
one man wounded and three taken prisoners. :

 
[ 34 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

General Orders, No. 65, dated December 4, 1862, con-
stituted all the artillery in the Department into a brigade
under command of Colonel James H. Ledlie, 3d New

York Artillery.

General Orders, No. 76, December 9 (?), forbade all strag-
gling or unauthorized foraging, and appointed Major Jones
Frankle as Provost Marshal for the coming expedition.

December 10, Foster wrote Halleck, General-in-Chief, of
his intention to advance on Goldsboro, and added, ‘‘even
if I do not succeed in my expectations, I hope my move-
ment may be useful asa demonstration in favor of the
Army of the Potomac.’’

General Foster and General Peck, who was in command
at Suffolk, Virginia, had been in frequent consultation,
and on December 2 the latter wrote General Dix, at Fort
Monroe, ‘“The interview with General Foster today was
all that could be desired. He is an old friend and we can-

vassed matters fully. Have memoranda* which will gov-

ern moves for some days y y »°-”’

*Memorandum of understanding between Major General Peck and General
Foster, December 2, 1862.
1. Wessells’s brigade to be at the landing on the Chowan, near Gates’
Mill, some time during the day or night of the 6th, (weather per-
mitting), the transports being there to receive them.
JOHN J. PECK,
Major General.

It is probable that a movement will commence as follows, viz:
Get down at night to the mouth of North River, Albemarle Sound.
Start them---the transports---to the Chowan.
About at mouth of river (Chowan).
Come up river.
Embark.
Start for W.
Arrive at W.
Prepare for march.
Start out 8 miles.
March to K.
Attack K.
March towards G.
15. Make preliminary attack.
16. Forcible attack.
17-18-19. Pretty sure of being before G.
J. G. FOSTER,
Major General, Commanding.

ae ll od
hone

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 35 ]
te wee

General Dix had promised to lend Foster some troops,
and on December 5 Wessells’ brigade left Suffolk, reach-
ing New Bern December 9.

December 11, Foster started for Goldsboro in conformity
to his understanding with General Peck. His force was
composed of

Lee’s brigade: 3d, 5th, 27th and 46th Massachusetts.

Stevenson’s brigade: 24th and 44th Massachusetts
10th Connecticut and 5th Rhode Island.

Amory’s brigade: 17th, 23d, 43d, 45th and 51st Mas-
sachusetts.

Wessells’ brigade: 85th, 92d and 96th New York
85th, 101st and 103d Pennsylvania.

Artillery brigade: Battery F, (Belger’s), 1st Rhode
Island Artillery; six Batteries 3d New York Artil-
lery; Battery C, 1st United States Artillery; and
sections of 23d and 24th New York Independent
Batteries. Total: 40 guns.

The 9th New Jersey and the 3d New York Cavalry were
not brigaded. ‘There were about 10,000 infantry, 640 cav-

alry, and the artillery, making in all about 12,000 men.
The 8th Massachusetts and some small detachments from

several of the regiments above mentioned were left to gar-
rison New Bern.

A dense fog which prevailed the morning of the start
materially delayed the formation of the column so that it
was quite late in the forenoon before it could be put in
motion. ‘This delay, added to the bad condition of the
toads, and obstructions such as felled trees, burned
bridges, etc., made its progress much slower than had been
anticipated by General Foster.

On Friday, December 12, the troops were in motion at
daylight. The main road to Kinston having been badly
obstructed and being strongly defended, Foster decided to

 
 

 

[ 36 ] Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors
ee

take a more circuitous route. When Vine Swamp road,
which turned off to the left, was reached, the column fol-
lowed that, while three companies of cavalry made a dem-

onstration on the main road.
The rebuilding of the bridge over Beaver Creek caused

a short delay. Leaving the 51st Massachusetts and a sec-
tion of artillery to protect the bridge, guard the junction
of the roads, and act as support to the cavalry detachment
should it need assistance, the main force pushed on several
miles when it camped for the night. During the afternoon
it had been rumored among the rank and file that they were
within five miles of Kinston, but after marching the rest
of that day, all day Saturday, and part of Sunday morning,
they decided that North Carolina miles were the longest

they had ever known.
On Saturday morning, December 13, Foster left the

Vine Swamp road and again bore to the left, leaving the
46th Massachusetts and a section of a battery to protect
this junction and to feint on the road he had just left.

Reaching Southwest Creek, the bridge was found de-
stroyed and the enemy strongly posted on the opposite bank.
‘(The creek ran at the foot of a deep ravine and the stream
not being fordable at this point made the position diffi-
cult to attack.’’ The 9th New Jersey, which was in ad-
vance, crossed, partly by swimming, partly by the remains
of the bridge, and the 23d Massachusetts, which was or-
dered to its support, crossed by a mill dam a little distance
above. The 85th Pennsylvania crossed half a mile below,
partly by fording, partly by felling trees, attacked tlie con-
federate left and forced it to retreat. There was a brisk
skirmish but the loss on either side was small.

Sunday, December 14th, the enemy was met in force about
one mile from Kinston. ‘They were posted in strong po-
sition in the woods, taking advantage of the ground which

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [37]
eee

formed a natural breastwork.’? ‘Their right was protected
by a deep swamp and their left by the river Neuse. The
46th and 51st Massachusetts, which had been detailed to
guard the roads in the rear, had been ordered to rejoin the
main body and arrived before the action began. The
9th New Jersey was sent forward as skirmishers and Wes-
sells’ brigade advanced on the right and left of the road.
The 17th Massachusetts supported the 9th New Jersey and
the 23d and 45th Massachusetts moved directly down the
road.

Stevenson’s brigade, with Belger’s battery, was then
ordered forward. ‘The 24th Massachusetts supported the
battery and with the 10th Connecticut was on the left
of the road, while the 44th was on the right, the two lat-
ter supporting the regiments in their front. ‘The 10th
Connecticut, in connection with the 96th New York, made
a most gallant charge, and drove the confederates across
the bridge which they had unsuccessfully attempted to
destroy. The charge resulted in the capture of about
four hundred prisoners. The 9th New Jersey and 17th
Massachusetts at once moved into the town of Kinston

where they were halted. The other regiments crossed
later and bivouacked just outside of the town.

Company K, 3d New York Cavalry, was sent down the
east side of the Neuse and found a work of great strength
which had been abandoned. Two heavy guns, which
could not be moved, were destroyed, and four field pieces
were taken away. The magazine was blown up.

Early on the 15th, the troops recrossed to the west bank
and took the river road to Goldsboro. A strong cavalry
guard was left in Kinston to make a demonstration on
that side of the Neuse, which having been made they, too,
recrossed, and then burned the bridge.

The column met no opposition and halted for the night

 
 

[ 38 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

a mn

within three and a half miles of White Hall. A detach-
ment of cavalry was sent forward to that place. One reg-
iment of confederates with four guns was on the west
bank, buton the approach of this detachment retreated
across the river and destroyed the bridge.

On the 16th, five companies of cavalry and a section of
artillery were sent to Mount Olive, a station about four-
teen miles below Goldsboro on the Wilmington and Wel-
don Railroad. ‘They tore up a mile or two of track and
burned the bridge over Goshen Swamp.

The bridge being destroyed and the enemy in force on
the opposite bank, when the main column reached White
Hall Foster made a strong feint of crossing. ‘The action
which ensued, though it lasted but a couple of hours and
only a small part of the force being actively engaged, was
quite sharp and the loss heavy in proportion to numbers.
The Massachusetts regiments that suffered the most were
the 23d, 44th, and 45th. After silencing the enemy’s
guns the column moved on to Goldsboro, a few sharp-
shooters being left behind to engage the sharpshooters of
the confederates.

On December 17, the advance was made on Goldsboro.
Two companies of cavalry made a feint in the direction of
Dudley Station and Everettsville. ‘“T'hey burned two cul-
verts, destroyed the depot, water station, and a railroad
train, besides damaging the track.’’ Another raid was
made to Thompson’s Bridge, the 43d Massachusetts sup-
porting the cavalry.

Colonel Lee’s brigade was in the advance and met the
enemy near the railroad. The 9th New Jersey and 17th
Massachusetts were ordered to strike the track and follow
it to the bridge which they were to burn. They were sup-
ported by the 3d, 25th, and 27th Massachusetts. Wessells
was ordered forward, and the rest of the force disposed so

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 39 ]

it might readily render assistance as needed. In about
two hours, after several unsuccessful attempts had been
made, the bridge was fired by Lieutenant Graham, 23d New
York Independent Battery, assisted by Lieutenant B. N.
Mann, of the 17th Massachusetts, who was wounded in
the attempt.*

After the destruction of the bridge was assured the
troops were ordered to return to New Bern, Lee’s brigade
acting as rear guard. Considering the fight practically
over, he was forming his men preparatory to leaving the
field, when three regimental colors, (confederate), were
seen across the railroad, the men being protected by the
embankment. Lee immediately placed Morrison’s battery
in position, re-formed his line, and was joined by Belger’s
battery. The enemy advanced with cheers and made a
gallant attack but were met by such a severe fire from the
batteries, aided by that of Riggs, which was placed so as to
subject the charging column to a cross fire, that it soon
broke. It was a bold attempt on the part of the confeder-
ates to capture Lee’s brigade and the batteries, but it met
decided failure. The troops reached New Bern the eve-
ning of December 20, though many of the men fell out
as soon as they were inside the picket lines and did not
come into the city till the following day.

December 23, Foster telegraphed Halleck from Fort
Monroe:

*Captain Joseph A. Moore, formerly of the 17th Massachusetts, to whom ad-
vance sheets were sent for suggestions and criticisms, and who was present at
this engagement, writes that the 17th was in advance, followed by the 9th New
Jersey. The 17th skirmishers drove in the enemy’s pickets and that regi-
ment was the first to reach and cross the railroad before advancing to the
bridge across the Neuse River. Lieutenant Graham made a gallant attempt to
fire the bridge, but failed. Lieutenant Mann, with volunteers from the 17th
did fire the bridge, and was wounded while doing so. The writer has no
doubt of the correctness of Captain Moore’s statement, as it was said at the
time that the bridge had been burned by an officer of the 17th, but in General
Foster’s official report, which could not have been made from personal knowl-
edge, the credit is given to Lieutenant Graham.

 
 

[ 40 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
Lc

“I have just arrived from New Bern. My expedition
was a perfect success. I burned three railroad bridges at
Goldsboro and Mount Olive, and tore up several miles of
the track of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. We
fought four engagements, viz; at Southwest Creek, Kins-
ton, White Hall, and Goldsboro, and whipped the enemy
handsomely each time. ‘The force of the enemy is now
largely increased in North Carolina from Fredericksburg,
rendering the second step in my plan of operations of
doubtful execution unless I am pretty largely reenforced.
Can I communicate freely on this point by telegraph, or
shall I come to Washington for that purpose? I havea
steamer here and can be there in ten hours.’’

Halleck replied the same day, “Consult freely with
General Dix and then come to Washington.”

On the 24th, Halleck ordered Dix to send twelve thou-
sand men to Foster, and on the 29th notified Foster that
Dix would send Ferry’s, Spinola’s, and Naglee’s brigades,
with an Independent Battalion from New York, a total of
eleven thousand, nine hundred and thirty men.

No Corps organization had existed in North Carolina
previous to December, 1862, when the Eighteenth Corps
was formed in accordance with the following order:
GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT, Apj. Gen. OFFICE

No. 214. Washington, December 24, 1862.

By direction of the President, the troops in North Carolina will

constitute the Eighteenth Army Corps, and Maj. Gen. J. G. Foster

is assigned to the command.

By order of the Secretary of War,
L. THOMAS,

Adjutant General

On the same day, Brigadier General I. N. Palmer was
ordered to report to General Foster.

December 31, 1862, the following Massachusetts regi-
ments were in North Carolina: 3d, 5th, 8th, 17th, 23d,
24th, 25th, 27th, 43d, 44th, 45th, 46th, and 51st.

January 12, 1863, in General Orders, No. 14, General

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 41 ]
Ce ee ee een eee eee ep anrtieammehamceniar. nahememmei ctenammmmamarecacn irae Mail

Foster announced his staff, of which Major J. Lewis Stack-
pole, judge advocate; Major John F. Anderson, senior
aide-de-camp; Captain Daniel Messenger, provost mar-
shal; and Lieutenant Joseph A. Goldthwaite, acting com-
missary of subsistence, were from Massachusetts.

Foster had planned an attack on Wilmington and the
start was to have been made January 8. Various reasons,
the principal one being unfavorable weather, caused a
postponement, and this delay, added to the loss of a mon-
itor on the assistance of which he had placed much de-
pendence, and the fact that most of the iron-clads were of
too great draught to pass the bar, induced him to relin-
quish the proposed attempt. It was then decided that this
force should be sent to South Carolina to assist Hunter in
his intended attack on Charleston. Foster reported his
arrival at Beaufort, South Carolina, February 2. The
only Massachusetts troops that went on this expedition
were the 23d and 24th.

March 6, General Prince with his brigade made a strong
reconnoissance in the direction of Wilmington for the
purpose of ‘‘ascertaining the roads, the crossings of the
rivers and creeks, the position of the enemy, etc.’? The
3rd and 51st Massachusetts were on this expedition.
The brigade was absent five or six days, returning before
the attack on New Bern.

On the evening of March 13, the enemy appeared in
force on the Trent Road. General Foster, in his report
of this attack, which is dated March 15, says:

‘© * * * the enemy appeared in force on the Trent

Road, driving in our pickets on that road; the force on the
road was heavily reenforced and ordered to retire slowly
and fight if they were pressed.

At daylight on the 14th, General Pettigrew, with a force
of seven thousand men and seventeen pieces of artillery,
attacked a small work on the north side of the Neuse

 
 

[ 42 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

rc ce

River occupied by the 92d New York Volunteers, Lieu-
tenant Colonel Anderson. They opened a fire from all
their pieces on the work and held their infantry in reserve
for assault. Colonel Anderson was ordered to surrender
several times which he declined doing. Referring to me
for orders, I instructed him to defend and hold the work.
The navy gun-boats were in an unfortunate position to be
of much assistance at first, owing to one being aground
and the other two damaged. ‘They were, however, towed
to position by tugs, and assisted by a battery of rifled guns
on this side of the Neuse, compelled General Pettigrew
to withdraw his artillery and infantry, mainly remaining
in a threatening position till this morning, when he retired.
On the south of Trent River the enemy advanced to within
six miles of New Bern, but have withdrawn. ‘The attack
was to have been made with vigor enough by General
Pettigrew to have taken Fort Anderson, which would have
enabled him to have planted rifled batteries at that point,
whence he might have driven the gun-boats from the river
and shelled the town, during which a strong attack was to
have been made on the Trent and Neuse Roads. Our pick-
ets held them on the Trent Road althoughthey were ordered
to fall back to my defenses where I proposed making the
fight.

The whole affair, meant to be effective and strong, was
ineffective and weak, inflicting no damage and accomplish-
ing no object.

The force of the enemy was about thirteen to fourteen

thousand infantry and cavalry, and thirty-nine pieces of
artillery.’’

General D. H. Hill, who was in command of the con-
federate forces, says he accompanied Daniels’ brigade on
the lower Trent Road, and sent Robertson around on the
upper Trent Road to cut the railroad. Pettigrew was to
bombard the shipping and barracks from the other side.

Hill complains bitterly of his treatment by the officials
at Richmond and of their absolute indifference to his sug-
gestions and requests. He (and also Pettigrew) claims

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 43]

.

that the failure of the attack arose from the absence of a
Whitworth rifled gun which had been promised but which
had not been sent, and of the poor quality of ammunition

furnished him.
March 15, eight companies of the 44th Massachusetts,

(companies B and F were on picket duty at Batchelder’s
Creek), were sent to ‘Little’? Washington to reenforce
the garrison. The force, in addition to the 44th, consisted
of eight companies of the 27th Massachusetts, two compa-
nies of the 1st North Carolina, (Union), one company of
the 3d New York Cavalry, and one company of the 3d
New York Artillery, a total of about twelve hundred men.

Having learned that General Hill intended to attack
Washington with his whole corps, Foster left New Bern
Sunday, March 29, and reached Washington on the morn-
ing of the 30th. Foster had left orders that reenforce-
ments should follow immediately, but owing to delay in
starting them and the transport getting aground, they did
not reach the mouth of the Pamlico until the investment
of Washington was complete.

Immediately after his arrival, Foster sent out a recon-
noitring party, consisting of Companies A and G, of the
44th, one piece of artillery, and a few cavalrymen, to learn
if the Cross Roads, about three miles from the river, were
held by the enemy. About a mile anda half from the
river they were fired upon by the confederates and finding
them in possession the reconnoitering party fell back.

One company of the 1st North Carolina was sent to
occupy Rodman’s Point, on the south side of the river,
a mile and a half below the town. ‘They landed, but the
next morning were driven away by the enemy. While
trying to get off one of the boats grounded. The men
were lying flat to escape the heavy musketry fire, when
one of the negro boatmen exclaimed, ‘‘Somebody’s got to

 
 

 

 

 

 

[ 44] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
i,

die to get out of dis, and it may as well be me,”’ deliber-
ately got out of the boat and pushed it off, then fell,
pierced with five bullets.

From March 30 to April 16, the town was in a state of
siege, and for most of the time the artillery fire was very
heavy. Foster strengthened the fortifications as much as
possible, and the defense was materially assisted by the
gun-boats Louzstana, Commodore Hull, Eagle, and Ceres,
which protected the water front.

The consolidated report for March 30 showed eleven
hundred and thirty-nine men present for duty, a very
small force to effectually defend from two and a half to
three miles of breastworks. For more than two weeks
they were constantly on duty.

Foster tried to obtain reenforcements. A column under
General Spinola left New Bern and endeavored to reach
Washington overland, but at Blount’s Creek it found the
enemy so strong that it had to fall back. The 3d, Sth, 8th,
17th, and 43d Massachusetts were with this column.

On the night of April 13, the Fscort, (formerly the
Nellie Baker, which ran between Boston and Nahant), an
unarmed steamer, on board of which was the 5th Rhode
Island, successfully ran the blockade and brought rations
and ammunition to the beleaguered garrison. Consider-
ing that for about eight miles it was under a heavy artillery
fire, a large part of the time being within a few hundred
feet of the enemy’s guns, it is thought to have been one
of the most heroic actions that occurred during the war.

In the ‘‘History of the 5th Rhode Island and Battery F

Association” it is related that when Colonel Sisson called
for volunteers every man but one stepped to the front.
When the regiment went on board the /scort this nega-
tive voter was the first man on the steamer. Colonel Sis-
son ordered him back, saying he would allow no one to go

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 45 ]

except those who volunteered. ‘‘It’s all right, Colonel,”
replied the man, ‘“‘I meant to have gone any way, but I
didn’t want the vo/e too damned unanimous.”’

On the morning of the 15th, Foster, on the same steamer,
ran the blockade down the river. The pilot of the
Escort, Captain Pedrick, a loyal, brave North Carolinian,
was killed by a rifle shot just as it was thought the dan-
ger point had been passed.* The following morning it
was reported that the enemy had retired. General Potter,
whom Foster had left in command, sent out several recon-
noissances and found the report was correct. ‘Three com-
panies of the 44th Massachusetts were sent to Hill’s
Point where they were joined by three companies of the
43d. The 5th Rhode Island was sent to take possession
of Rodman’s Point.

The troops that landed at Hill’s Point found the follow-

ing notice conspicuously posted:
YANKEES

We leave you, not because we cannot take Washington
but because it is not worth taking; and besides, the climate
is not agreeable. A man should be amphibious to inhabit
it. We leave you a few bursted guns, some stray solid shot,
and a man and a brother who was rescued from the waves to
which some foray among his egzz/s consigned him.

But this tribute we pay you: you have acted with much
gallantry during this brief siege. We salute the pilot of
the Escort.

Company K, 32D RxEG’T, N. C. Vots.

*Colonel Francis L,. Lee told the writer that General Foster, in giving him
an account of this incident, said: ‘‘I had been told that Pedrick was disloyal
and that he would try to arrange so that I should be captured. Just before we
reached Hill’s Point I went into the pilot house and stood close to Pedrick, my
revolver in my hand, determined to shoot him at the first sign of treachery.
We were passing the last obstruction and Pedrick had just said tome, ‘Ireckon
we ‘reall right now,’ when he wasshot. He exclaimed, ‘I’m killed, General,
gv nt I’ll get you through!’ Colonel, I couldn’t help it; I ‘cried like
a baby.

 
 

 

 

 

 

[ 46 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

As soon as Foster reached New Bern he placed himself
at the head ofa relieving force, the advance of which
reached Hill’s Point April 19, but the necessity for assist-
ance no longer existed. General Foster complains that
neither Generals Palmer, nor Prince, especially the
latter, gave him loyal support, and that neither tried
very hard to send him relief.* General Spinola, in a letter
to Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman, A. A. G., 18th Corps,
dated May 15, says he thought General Prince was to
have commanded the expedition for the relief of Washing-
ton, as he had been ordered by Foster to proceed with it to
the relief of the garrison, and was therefore much sur-
prised when he found the command was to devolve on him.

He called on Prince, and says:

“‘T found General Prince in a state of mind denoting that
he was very much exercised in regard to the propriety of
making the contemplated march, and he freely expressed
his opinion to me that the expedition would not succeed,
that none of those that accompanied it would return, as
they would all be captured, and that it was like making
the rebels a present of all the artillery.

He writes that Prince asked him to volunteer to take
command of the expedition, and that he answered that
while he was entirely willing to take his chance with
others, the importance of the trust forbade one of his lim-
ited military experience from assuming the command, ex-
cept under positive orders from a superior officer,

Special Orders, No. 90, Department of the South, dated
April 12, 1863, stated that it having been officially repre-
sented that General Foster was in danger of being cap-
tured in Washington, Heckman’s brigade should imme-

*General Sisson, formerly of the Sth Rhode Island, has several times told
the writer that he took the Zscor¢ and ran the blockade against the advice, and
almost the direct orders, of both Palmer and Prince, although General
Palmer in one of his letters claims to have instituted the movement, while ac-
knowledging that Colonel Sisson gave him most enthusiastic support.

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 47 ]

diately go to his relief. ‘Che 23d Massachusetts, one of
the regiments which accompanied Foster to South Caro-
lina, was in this brigade, and reached New Bern April 16,
in time to join the expedition which Foster himself led to
the relief of the garrison at Washington. The other
Massachusetts regiment, the 24th, never came back to
North Carolina, although Foster asked for it many times.

In the latter part of Aprila demonstration was made
towards Kinston in which the 5th, 17th, 27th, 43d, 45th
and 46th Massachusetts regiments took part. Foster
wrote Dix it was made partly with the hope that it
might draw off some of the confederate forces then besieg-
ing Suffolk.

May 22, Foster ordered another advance toward Kins-
ton. The -force consisted of 5th, 25th, 27th, and 46th
Massachusetts, and the 58th Pennsylvania. They drove
the enemy and captured one hundred and sixty-five pris-
oners. The following day, having been heavily reen-
forced from Goldsboro, the confederates made an attack,
but were repulsed all along the line. Colonel J. Richter
Jones, 58th Pennsylvania, who for a long time had been
in command of the outposts, a brave, skilful, gallant, offi-
cer, was killed in this attack.* The 3d Massachusetts, on
the morning of the 23d, was ordered to join this force but
did not arrive in time to go into action, although it took
charge of the prisoners which had been captured the pre-
vious day.

May 5, 1863, and again on May 11, Foster wrote Hal-

*Comrade John D. Whitcomb, 45th Massachusetts, to whom the writer is in-
debted for valuable suggestions and criticisms, says the 45th Massachusetts
was turned out after taps on the day Jones was killed, was put on board flat
cars and sent by railroad to the outposts. The men slept in the trenches
at the breastworks but having ascertained through a scouting party of their
regiment sent out during the night that the enemy had retired, the following
morning they returned to New Bern, carrying with them the body of Colonel
Jones.

 
 

 

[ 48 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

-_—-_--S-- ee

leck requesting that Stevenson’s brigade be sent back from
South Carolina, and stated that could he have it he would
try to capture Smith’s Island at the entrance to Wilming-
ton harbor. His request was not granted.

The 3d, 5th, 8th, 43d, 44th, 45th, 46th and 51st Massa-
chusetts were nine months troops and their term of service
expired in June. The 44th, which was the first of these
regiments to reach New Bern, was also the first to leave,
and sailed for home June 6. The 3d followed on the 11th
and the Sth on the 17th. The 8th, 43d, 45th, 46th and 51st
left on June 24th. Lee was then making his invasion
into Maryland and Pennsylvania, a movement which cul-
minated in the battle of Gettysburg, and as every available
man was called upon, these regiments were sent to Fort
Monroe instead of to Boston. Most of them were on duty
in and around Baltimore but some of them were called
upon to do very severe marching. They were not mus-
tered out of service till the latter part of July.*

The departure of these regiments had so materially re-
duced the force in the department of North Carolina that
but few active operations could be undertaken. In the
summer of 1863, Foster left New Bern and went to Fort
Monroe, and from July 15 to November 15 was in com-
mand of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina.

Major General John J. Peck was assigned to the command
of the North Carolina district.

The 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery was recruited
in 1863 but the organization had not been fully completed
at the close of the year. Jones Frankle, formerly of the

*General Benjamin F. Peach, who was adjutant of the 8th Massachusetts
writes that after leaving Baltimore the regiment was sent to Frederick City,
and from there to Maryland Heights, joined the Army of the Potomac at
Funkstown, was assigned to the 2nd Division, 1st Corps, remaining with it
until reaching the Rappahannock, when it was ordered home and mustered
out of service August 7, 1863.

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 49 ]

17th Massachusetts was appointed colonel, and _ later,
A. B. R. Sprague, formerly of the 25th and 51st, lieuten-
ant-colonel. ‘The first battalion, companies A, B, C and
D, left Boston September 4, and companies E and F fol-
lowed on November 6. Eight companies of this regiment
served in North Carolina, the other four companies being
stationed in Virginia. The head quarters of the regiment
were at first at Norfolk, Va., but in May, 1864, were
moved to New Bern. In July, companies B and K were

transferred from Virginia to North Carolina.
In October, 1863, Foster ordered the 23d, 25th and 27th

Massachusetts to report to him at Fort Monroe. Their de-
parture left the 17th Infantry and 2d Heavy Artillery the
only Massachusetts troops remaining in North Carolina.

The force in this Department having been so greatly
reduced that there were barely sufficient men to garrison
the places then in our possession, no offensive operations
were undertaken in the winter of 1863-64.

Nothing of any especial importance happened till early
on the morning of February 1, 1864, when the outposts at
Batchelder’s Creek were attacked by Hoke’s brigade of
Early’s command, supported by General Pickett’s whole
division. General Pickett in his report states that the
attack was made by a direct order of General Lee, dated
January 20. Knowing how greatly our strength in North
Carolina had been weakened, he probably thought it would
be a comparatively easy matter to regain possession of New
Bern, and, if the attempt was successful, it would undoubt-
edly result in driving our forces out of the state. The
confederates started from Kinston in three columns. Gen-
eral Pickett reports his force as thirteen thousand, three
hundred aud eight; General Palmer, who was then in
command at New Bern, says he had but thirty-five hun-
dred effective men with which to meet this attack.

 
 

 

 

[ 50 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

a Se ee rete ene eitscnune-canennsipin stems csaes

The fighting at Batchelder’s Creek was very severe and
Lieutenant Colonel Fellows, eight officers and eighty-three
men of the 17th Massachusetts, were captured during the
action.* ‘The confederates on the south side of the Trent
cut the railroad between Newport and Morehead though
strongly opposed by Colonel Thomas J. C. Amory, who
commanded on that side of the river.

On the morning of February 2, the enemy succeeded in
capturing and destroying the gunboat Underwrtter which
was lying opposite Fort Anderson. On the night of that
day they began to fall back, having failed in their attempt
to capture the city. General Barton (confederate) reports
that the defenses were too strong to attack, and other con-
federate officers attribute their failure to lack of co-opera-
tion between the different columns. The 2d Massachusetts
Heavy Artillery was highly commended by General Jour-
dan, who was in command of the Beaufort District, for
its action during this engagement.

April 13, 1864, General Wessells, who was in command
at Plymouth, notified General Peck that he was threatened
with attack by a force of ten or twelve thousand confeder-
ates and called for a reenforcement of at least five thou-
sand men, and also requested that the gunboat Commodore
Perry be sent to his assistance. It was generally believed
that the enemy were building an iron clad ram on the
Roanoke River, and between November, 1863, and April,
1864, General Peck wrote General Butler at least fifteen
times calling attention to the defenseless situation of Ply-
mouth should the ram prove a success. ‘To one of these
letters Butler replied, ‘‘I don’t believe in the iron clad.”

*Colonel Henry Splaine, of the 17th, writes “‘the only regiments engaged in
the fight at Batchelder’s Creek were the 132nd New York and the 17th Massa-
chusetts. The 132nd was withdrawn by Colonel Classon without any notice
being given to Lieutenant Colonel Fellows; hence the disaster to the 17th,”

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors ESE J

eddie mca a IB REECE IER EEN A EIT cA

April 14, Peck notified Butler that the iron clad was
completed and delayed its attack on Plymouth only because
the water was not sufficiently high to permit it to pass over
‘the shoals.”? April 17, a land force consisting of Hoke’s,
Ransom’s, and Kemper’s brigades, with several field bat-
teries and a suitable number of cavalry, made an attack on
Plymouth. Wessells held them at bay till the 19th, suc-
cessfully repelling five assaults. On that day, the ram
Albemarle, which had succeeded in passing over “the
shoals’? came down the river. The gunboats Smrthfield
and Azamz had been lashed together. When the Albe-
marle approached very closely one gun was fired; the shell
rebounded from the ram and killed Captain Flusser, who
was in command of the gunboats. The Albemarle rammed
the Smzthfeld and she sank within five minutes. Captain
Flusser was perhaps the best known naval officer serving
in North Carolina. He was absolutely fearless, there was
no officer in whom the men generally felt more confidence,
and his death was a severe loss to the Union cause. The
defeat of our gunboats gave the enemy full possession of
the river. Wessells, convinced that reenforcements could
not reach him under existing circumstances, decided it
was useless to prolong the fight and surrendered on the
morning of the 20th. April 21, General Peck wrote, ‘‘We
could have held the iand force at bay for weeks.’? General
Butler said, ‘‘Plymouth really fell because the theory of
its defense pre-supposed an occupation of the river by our
gunboats which would cover our flanks. * * * ‘The com-
mander of our naval forces had expressed the most un-
bounded confidence [in his ability to hold the river | and
on this I have no doubt General Wessells relied.”? Wes-
sells’ report was not made until after he had been ex-
changed and returned North. It is dated August 18. He
says he had requested reenforcements from Virginia as he

 
 

 

f 52] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

-_—-_---—-

knew it was impossible to get any from North Carolina,
but that after the enemy had gained possession of the river
it was impossible for any to reach him. About two hun-
dred of the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery were cap-
tured with Wessells; the rest of the force was principally
from New York and Pennsylvania.

April 26, General Harland received orders to evacuate
Washington, and on April 30, that town was abandoned
by the Union troops.

From the capture of Plymouth in April until the follow-
ing October, the Albemarle held undisputed possession.
On the night of October 27, Lieut. William B. Cushing,
in a small steam launch fitted as a torpedo boat, succeeded
in destroying that vessel. The night was dark and he
approached within twenty yards before he was discovered
by the enemy. The single torpedo which was exploded
destroyed the ram, but the steam launch was lost and only
one of the men engaged in this attempt, excepting Lieu-
tenant Cushing himself, escaped. It was a daring under-
taking and Cushing received due credit for his success.
Four days later our troops again occupied Plymouth.

Early in September that dreaded scourge, yellow fever,
made its appearance in New Bern. The city was placed
under strict quarantine The regiments and detachments
at outlying posts did not suffer so severely, but the mortal-
ity among those stationed in the city itself was very great.
The first death, that of one of the stevedores, occurred Sept.
5. Among those who died from this disease were Col.
Thomas J. C. Amory, of the 17th Massachusetts, who was
at the time in command of a brigade, and also his wife,
leaving an infant daughter who afterwards became the wife
of Mr. Dugan, of New Orleans, and who officiated at the
unveiling of the monument. The origin of this epidemic
was credibly traced to some clothing which had been sent

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [53 ]

ee et cise iinet lalla at a a i hi aa

for distribution among the poor of New Bern, “TInvesti-
gation led to the statement that it had come from Cuba
and was sent to New Bern by a Dr. Blackburn of
New York, ostensibly for charitable purposes, but actually
for the work which it accomplished only too well.’ ‘The
ravages of the fever continued with more or less severity
until the coming of cold weather.

In September, 1864, the 23d, 25th and 27th regiments,
which since their departure from North Carolina had been
on duty around Petersburg, were ordered back to that state.

November 6, Colonel Jones Frankle, with three com-
panies of his regiment, the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Ar-
tillery, was ordered to Plymouth, and he was appointed
Military Governor of the Plymouth District. December 6,
a column under his command made a demonstration to-
wards Rainbow Bluff, but the movement proved to be of
small importance.

About the middle of December, Sherman had reached
and captured Savannah, and thus had successfully com-
pleted his ‘‘ March to the Sea.”’ Although at one time
Grant seriously considered the idea of having Sherman’s
army transported by sea to Virginia, there to join the Army
of the Potomac, (this plan was abandoned partly in conse-
quence of the difficulty of transporting so many thousands
of men, and partly in consequence of the objections raised
by General Sherman), it was generally understood that as
soon as his army had recovered from the fatigue of the
march from Atlanta, had been supplied with clothing, pro-
visions, quartermaster’s stores, etc., it would probably
start north through the Carolinas with the intent of join-
ing Grant in Virginia. The weather in January was very
unpropitious; the mud was deep, the roads had to be
heavily corduroyed, the rivers were so swollen that the
difficulty of crossing was very much increased, so it was

 
 

 

 

 

[ 54] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

not till February 1, 1865, that Sherman felt he was ready
to give the order to move north.

January 31, 1865, General John M. Schofield was ap-
pointed to the command of the Department of North Car-
olina, which was extended to embrace the whole state. In
accordance with General Orders, No. 12, War Depart-
ment, Schofield was to be in absolute command, subject
only to orders from General Sherman. On the day of
Schofield’s appointment, Grant wrote him, ‘‘ Your move-
ments are intended to co-operate with Sherman’s through
the state of North Carolina.’’

February 25, Schofield had ordered Palmer to move at
once on Kinston, but as the former General thought Pal-
mer was unnecessarily dilatory he removed him from his
command and appointed General J. D. Cox in his place.
On March 8, an engagement occurred at Southwest Creek,
within a few miles of Kinston. ‘The fighting was very se-
vere. The 27th Massachusetts and 15th Connecticut held
Hoke’s entire division for fifty-five minutes. The 27th lost
seven killed, forty wounded and one hundred and forty-
seven captured, the regiment being practically annihilated.*

Hither Wilmingtonor New Bern was to have been selected
as a base of supplies for Sherman in his passage through
the Carolinas. Owing to the greater depth of water in the
harbor at Beaufort, the fact that the forty miles of railroad
from Morehead City to New Bern were already in our pos-
session, and for several less important reasons, the latter city
was finally decided upon as being the most desirable base.

Sherman’s Army, in which were but two regiments from
Massachusetts, the 2nd and 33d, entered North Carolina

*Colonel Splaine’s brigade, the 17th and 25th Massachusetts, 3d New York,
a provisional battalion from Virginia, and which was re-enforced by the 9th
New Jersey, held the left of the line. These troops and their Commander
were complimented on the field by General Cox.

 

 

55

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [55 ]
ee

March 8. On March 16, there was some heavy fighting
at Fayetteville in which the 33d was engaged ; and the bat-
tle at Bentonville, in which both the 2nd and the 33d took
an active part, although it lasted but about an hour, was
hotly contested and was the only severe battle fought be-
tween Atlanta and Raleigh. On March 22 and 23, Sher-
man’s army entered Goldsboro, where it united with the
troops from New Bern under General Schofield.

Sherman had arranged to resume his northern march
on April 10. The news of the capture of Richmond and
Petersburg decided him to go in pursuit of Johnston rather
than attempt to affect a junction with Grant. The sur-
render of Lee, April 9, and that of Johnston to Sherman,
on April 26, virtually ended the war.

Although no great, decisive battles were fought in North
Carolina and comparatively little was published regarding
the movements in that state, our occupancy of Roanoke,
Beaufort, New Bern and other points, was of great service
tothe Union cause. Had we not taken possession of these
as we did it would have cost thousands of lives to have
effected their capture later, even had we been successful in
the attempt. Our position was a constant menace to the
confederate lines of communication between the South and
Virginia and when Sherman made his march through the
Carolinas our occupancy of New Bern and the other points
was of inestimable advantage in affording a base from which
he could open communication with Grant and the authori-
ties at Washington, and procure many necessary supplies.

As stated, while no great battles were fought in this
state, there were numerous minor actions, some of con-
siderable importance, and all of which were hotly contested;
a siege as long and severe as any undertaken by the con-
federates during the war; the losses, in proportion to the
numbers engaged, as great as in most of the other Depart-

 
 

 

[ 56 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
NNN

ments; and the Massachusetts regiments, which for a long
time represented the larger part of the force in the state,
displayed as much endurance, courage and patriotism, as
any that came from the Old Bay State, many of them later
winning additional laurels in Virginia and elsewhere.
Massachusetts may well feel proud of her sons who served
in North Carolina, and she has not only honoredthem buthas
honored herself by erecting a monument to their memory.

Note [See page 39]. Colonel Henry Splaine writes under date
of June 28, 1909, [the account of the battle of Goldsboro had then
been printed ]:—

““ Even at this late day, I deem it proper to correct an erroneous
statement about the burning of the railroad bridge at Goldsboro,
N. C., December 17th, 1862.

“Your history, and some others, have it that Lieutenant Graham
burned that bridge. I know, for I was there and saw it, that Lieu-
tenant Barnabus N. Mann, of the 17th Massachusetts, burned the
bridge in obedience to orders from Colonel John F. Fellows, com-
manding the regiment: Two of my own Company, ‘‘A,’’ Edmunds
and Besse, with others from other companies, were detailed with
Lieutenant Mann for the work.

“‘Lieutenant Graham had been detailed by General Foster to fire
the structure, and although he wore the uniform of a confederate
officer, made the attempt, failed, and came running from the bridge,
exclaiming, ‘no use, it cannot be done.’ Shortly afterwards Lieu-
tenant Mann and party fired the bridge, Mann being wounded in
the abdomen, a wound which resulted in his death a few years
afterwards.

““The 17th Massachusetts had the advance that day, and was the
the only regiment engaged at or very near the bridge.

“The writer was within one hundred feet of the bridge in com-
mand of hiscompany and could have fired it, if ordered. The
bridge was not fired until after the 17th was swung back from the
railroad bed and placed in rear of the sand pits, supporting Captain
Morrison’s battery.’’

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
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AN ACCOUNT OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT ; DESCRIPTION
OF THE GROUNDS; AND CERTAIN STATISTICS
REGARDING THIS AND OTHER NATIONAL
CEMETERIES

<a

Very soon after the outbreak of the war, Congress
realized the need of securing suitable burial places for
such Union soldiers and sailors as were killed in action
or died of wounds or disease and whose bodies could not
be sent home to be cared for by friends.

By Section 18, of ‘“An Act to define the pay and emolu-
ments of certain officers of the army, and for other purposes,”’
approved July 7, 1862, the President of the United States
was authorized to purchase cemetery grounds, and cause
them to be securely enclosed, to be used as a National
Cemetery for the soldiers who shall die in defense of their

By Section 1, of ‘‘An Act making appropriations for
sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year
ending June 30, 1867,’’ approved July 28, 1866, fifty thou-
sand dollars were appropriated for the establishment of
National Cemeteries, and for the purchase of sites for the
same at such points as the President of the United States
may deem proper, and for the care of the same.

April 13, 1866, a joint resolution was passed by Con-
gress authorizing and requiring the Secretary of War to
take immediate measures to preserve from desecration the
graves of the soldiers of the United States who fell in
battle or died of disease in the field, and in hospital, during

 
 

 

 

 

[ 60 } Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
a

the rebellion, to secure suitable burial-places in which
they may be properly interred; and to have the grounds
enclosed, so that the resting-places of the honored dead
may be kept sacred forever.”” Part of these burial-places
were obtained by purchase; part were donated; part were
on the original military reservation; and part were ob-
tained by appraisement under the Act of February 22,
1867.

On December 19, 1867, Brevet Major General D. H.
Rucker, acting Quartermaster-General, U. S. A., made a
report to the Secretary of War, offering several suggestions
regarding head stones, fences, lodges for the superintend-
ents and other matters. This report was returned
January 3, 1868, endorsed: ‘‘Erect the fences and lodges,
but do nothing about the head stones.”

From a ‘‘List of National Cemeteries,” issued by the War
Department, giving data to June 30, 1908, it appears there
were then eighty-four National Cemeteries under charge
ofthatdepartment. Of these, seventeen were in Virginia;
eight in Tennessee; six in Kentucky; four each in Illinois,
Louisiana and North Carolina, (New Bern, Raleigh, Sal-
isbury and Wilmington); three each in the District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas; and
one each in Alabama, California, Iowa, Mexico (Mexico
City), Montana (Custer Battlefield), Nebraska, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

The total area of these cemeteries is fifteen hundred
and ninety one and a half acres, of which eleven hundred
and ninety nine and a half acres are enclosed. ‘The largest
cemetery is that at Arlington, Virginia, four hundred and
eight and one third acres, all of which are enclosed; and
the smallest, fifty seven ten thousandths of an acre, or less
than two hundred and fifty square feet, is at Ball’s Bluff,

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 61 ]

Eee

Virginia, where twenty five Union soldiers have found

their final resting place.

The total number of burials in all these cemeteries was,
on June 30, 1908, three hundred and fifty thousand, three
hundred and thirty two, of which one hundred and fifty
two thousand, two hundred and seven, or a little more
than two-fifths of the whole number, are classed as
‘“Unknown.”’

The largest number of burials in any one cemetery is
at Arlington, Virginia, where repose the bodies of twenty
one thousand, one hundred and six; and the smallest
number, eleven, at Andrew Johnson Cemetery, Tennessee.
Of the interments reported, about ninety three hundred
are of Confederates and mostly in the cemeteries in the
northern states.

The deed conveying the land occupied by the National
Cemetery at New Bern was signed by William P. Moore
and wife, and was dated March 13, 1869, the area of the
land being stated as seven acres and five hundred and
eighty nine thousandths. On July 1, 1874, Isaac N.
Hughes and wife deeded an additional strip of land the
area of which is not stated. The “‘official” area of the
cemetery is given as seven and six tenths acres.

March 28, 1870, the Legislature of North Carolina
granted to the United States Government absolute juris-
diction over this land; and on November 26, 1888, the city
of New Bern gave a perpetual right of way, sixty feet
wide, from the City to the Cemetery. The government
has constructed a shell road over this right of way and it
forms a strong contrast to most of the roads in and around
New Bern.

The New Bern National Cemetery is situated about an
eighth of a mile from the Neuse River, on the northern
edge of what was formerly the old ‘Fair Ground” and

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ 62] Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors

A ce eS enn

which was used in 1862 and 1863 by the regiments of
Stevenson’s brigade as a drill field. It is within a few
feet of the creek that emptied into the Neuse at the upper
end of this field. The bridge that crosses this creek is
known as ‘“‘Jack Smith’s Bridge,’’ and is on the direct
road to Swift’s Creek and “Little’? Washington. ‘The
cemetery is approximately a mile to a mile and a half
from the+business part of the city. It is rectangular
in shape, the length being double the width; there
is a broad drive-way from the gate, through the middle of
the grounds, extending to the rear of the cemetery. The
graves are arranged in sections on either side of this drive-
way, the sections being separated by quite wide paths.
At present there are laid out nine sections on each side.
Each section contains five rows and each row about forty-
five graves. The Massachusetts men are laid principally
in the fifth and sixth sections on the right, and in the fifth
section on the left, from the entrance. The monument
which was erected by Massachusetts is placed about six to
ten feet from the drive-way on the right and between the
fifth and sixth sections. There area few small monuments
but the only ones erected by states or organizations, in
addition to that of Massachusetts, are those of New Jersey
and the 15th Connecticut Regiment. As far as possible,
the soldiers from each state are laid in the same section.
Each grave is marked with a neat, simple headstone giving
the number of the grave and, when known, the name of
soldier and the state from which he enlisted.
John A. Reeves, superintendent of the cemetery, to
whom the committee feel under great obligation for the
many kindnesses he has shown them and the strong
personal interest he exhibited in his endeavor to make the
dedication of the monument a success, has sent a list of
the Massachusetts soldiers buried in the Cemetery as taken

 
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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 63 |

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from his ‘‘register of interments.”” That shows the bur-
‘als from the different Massachusetts regiments to have

beén as follows:
3d Inf’y, 2. 5th Inf’y, 5. 8th Inf’y, 4.
sue 97. 2d a at ~ 2
pam 86. atk 81, Pa
cee” Oe. Sa ‘a x
43a.“ 3. 44th “ Hi 45th ‘ 46.
SO ss as 3.  67th(?) 1
2nd Heavy Artillery, 104. Unknown 42.
Total, 497.

Several Massachusetts men who served in the navy are
laid in this cemetery. When the writer was in New Bern,
February 21, 1908, he counted five hundred and twenty
three graves marked as being those of Massachusetts men.

Superintendent Reeves reports the burials from other

Connecticut 137 Florida 1 Illinois 42
Indiana 70 Iowa 18 Kentucky 7
Maine 7 Maryland 1 Michigan 31
Minnesota 4 Missouri 2 N. Hampshire 24
New Jersey 61 New York 641 NorthCarolina 79
Ohio 88 Pennsylvania 144 Rhode Island 55

South Carolina 26 Vermont 31 Wisconsin 22

eral no doubt from)

U. S. C. a 239 U. S. Navy, (i Srassachusette 181
Total number 1,911.

Reeves does not report number of ‘‘unknown,’’ but in
the four sections devoted mostly to the U. S.C. Ti; ae
writer counted 744 headstones. A very large majority of
these troops are marked unknown. The report of the

 
 

[ 64 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

War Department, which has been quoted above, gives
the full number of interments as three thousand, three
hundred and sixty-six.. Two women were laid in this
cemetery, the headstone of one being marked *‘ Laundress,
U.S.AL"

Most of those who died in New Bern during the war
and whose bodies were not cared for by friends, were buried
in the old New Bern (city) cemetery and elsewhere, but
after the establishment of the National Cemetery, all these
bodies, as far as possible, were removed tothe latter. Gen-
eral David W. Wardrop, colonel of the 3d Massachusetts
(three months), and later of the 99th New York, was ap-
pointed to superintend moving the bodies to the new cem-
etery. He was assisted by George W. Nason, formerly of
the 5th Massachusetts (three months service), and later of
the 23d Massachusetts, who looked after most of the details
of the work. Comrade Nason remained in New Bern for
several years after the war, and for ten years he was Post-
master. In 1864, he was Chief of the Fire Department.
In consequence of the attack on New Bern in the spring of
that year he was ordered to arm and equip his men as a
regiment which was sometimes called the 3d North Car-
olina, but which was officially known as the Fire De-
partment regiment. Nason was made colonel of this organ-
ization. In talking with him he states that one civilian,
David Heaton, who he thinks received his title of colonel
from service in the Ohio militia previous to the war, and
had been for some years active in the politics of that state;
who was a warm friend of President Lincoln, had served
two terms in Congress as Representative from the New
Bern district and who was supervising agent of the Sixth
Special Treasury Agency, was buried in this cemetery,

*If there was a name on this stone the writer neglected to record it.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 65 |

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special permission having been granted by the Secretary
of War, at Washington. A beautiful headstone has been
erected by his family.

When the cemetery was established it was bare of trees
or verdure of any description. Comrade Nason, at his own
expense, planted the first trees.* This first attempt was
a failure but the second was a success and many of the
trees planted by Colonel Nason are today from eighteen to

twenty inches in diameter. Today the cemetery is

rather attractive, Superintendent Reeves keeps it in excel-
lent order, and the party who attended the dedication of
the monument felt pleased that the comrades who had leit
them could lie in sucha pleasant place and that they could
rest there assured that their graves would never be neg-
lected so long as the Nation existed.

*An amusing incident is connected with this first attempt. Nason had hired
a negro to obtain these trees and set them out, specifying they should be not
less than two inches in diameter at the ground, and telling the man that when
he had selected the trees he would go with him to attend to setting them out.
About ten days later, to his surprise, the negro informed him they were all
planted. Nason visited the cemetery and the trees were there, many of them
much larger than he had specified and the job looked extremely satisfactory.
Nason paid the bill. Shortly after New Bern was visited by a violent wind and
rain storm. Nason went to the cemetery soon after and found most of the trees
lying on the ground. The negro had cut them off above the ground and stuck
them in like so many fence posts. Nota single tree had any roots.

 
 

 

 

 
 

ial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

te A EE A RA SR a en ne

1ovement for the erection of

‘tion, for no one cou!

and disinterested

CURTIS GUILD, JR.

Governor of Massachusetts

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 67 ]

jhe -Monument

THE IDEA SUGGESTED. LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
DESCRIPTION.

In the late summer or early fall of 1906, Joseph E.
Shaw, chief of the District Police of Massachusetts, for-
merly a member of Company C, 17th Infantry, gratified
the desire felt by most old soldiers of re-visiting the scenes
of their army life by spending his vacation in North Car-
olina. While there he was strongly impressed with the
feeling that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should
erect a monument in the National Cemetery at New Bern
to the memory of her sons who were there buried. On his
return he spoke of this to Colonel Henry Splaine and Cap-
tain Joseph A. Moore, former comrades of the 17th regi-
ment, who were also associated with him in the District
Police. The suggestion met their hearty approval as it
did that of others to whom it was mentioned.

Among these were General Jones Frankle, late colonel
of the 2nd Heavy Artillery, and Major Charles B. Amory,
of the 24th Infantry, whose brother, General Thomas J. C.
Amory, had died in New Bern, as has previously been re-
lated. General Frankle became very enthusiastic on the
subject and as the senior in rank, as well as in age, and
as commander of the regiment having the largest number
of men laid in this cemetery, was requested to head the
movement for the erection of such a monument. It was a
wise selection, for no one could have put more enthusiasm,
and love, and disinterested effort into any project than did

CURTIS GUILD, JR General Frankle into this. Almost every comrade to whom
ee the idea was mentioned gave it his unqualified approval,
as did also several others who were not in the service.

 
 

 

 

 

 

[ 68 | Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

= name <n

As a result of this feeling, the following petition was
prepared and signed by as many of the old soldiers as could
be conveniently reached :—

“To THE HONORABLE SENATE AND HouskE oF REP-
RESENTATIVES OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHU-
SETTS, IN GENERAL CourT ASSEMBLED :—

The undersigned petitioners, citizens of the Common-
wealth of Massachusetts, respectfully request that the Com-
nonwealth of Massachusetts appropriate the sum of five
thousand dollars, to be expended under the direction of the
Governor and Council, for the erection of a suitable monu-
ment in the National Cemetery at New Bern, North Caro-
lina, in memory of the members of the various regiments
of Massachusetts who lost their lives in the North Carolina
campaign during the civil war, and respectfully pray for
the passage of the following resolution :’’

[NoTE.—This resolution was substantially the same as that passed by the
Legislature; see the resolution below. ]

This petition was presented in the House of Represent-
atives and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
On Thursday, February 21, 1907, this committee gave the

petitioners a hearing, which was largely attended, at which
General Frankle, Captain A. A. Putnam, Captain J. Waldo
Denny and others spoke advocating the project. A favor-
able report was made by the committee and in due course of

ime the following resolve was passed by the Legislature :

‘“RESOLVE TO PROVIDE FOR THE ERECTION OF A Monu-
MENT IN THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT NEW BERN,
NorTH CAROLINA.

‘* Resolved, That there shall be allowed and paid out of
the treasury of the Commonwealth, the sum of five thou-
sand dollars, to be expended under the direction of the
governor and council, for the erection of a suitable monu-
ment in the national cemetery at New Bern, North Caro-
lina, in memory of the members of the various regiments
of Massachusetts troops who lost their lives in the North
Carolina campaign during the civil war.’’ ‘The resolution
was approved March 22, 1907.

It was generally understood that the Governor desired
the selection of the design and the general details

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

COMMITTEE ON MONUMENT
Major Charles B. Amory

RR. Sprague

! Jones Frankle, Chairman Vajor Dani tmmond

al James B. Gardner, S¢ retary

 
 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 69 |

should be placed in charge of those who had served in

North Carolina and that he wished a number of names
suggested from which he might select a committee for that
purpose. Accordingly the following invitation was sent
to several representative men from each of the regiments
interested:—

33 BROAD St., Boston, 25 May, 1907.

The Legislature of Massachusetts having appropriated
five thousand dollars for a monument in honor of the
Soldiers and Sailors of that State, to be erected in the Na-
tional Cemetery at New Bern, the Governor will appoint a
commission to attend to all the details, and he wishes to

select its members from those who served in the Old North
State.

A meeting of representatives of the regiments which
served there will be held in the G. A. R. room, at the
State House, on Saturday, June 1, 1907; at 1 Boe. to
select names to be presented to the Governor for members
of that Commission, and you are cordially invited to attend
as a representative of your regiment.

JONES FRANKLE,
Please reply to (Late Colonel 2nd Mass. H. Artillery.)
JAMES B. GARDNER,
33 Broad St., Boston.

At this meeting nearly every regiment interested
was represented by one or more comrades. The
character of the proposed monument and various other
matters in relation to it were thoroughly discussed. A
nominating committee was appointed and it was decided
to suggest to the Governor the following names: General
Jones Frankle, 2nd Heavy Artillery; General A. B. R.
Sprague, 51st Infantry; Major Daniel W. Hammond, 23d
Infantry; Major Charles B. Amory, 24th Infantry; Cap-
tain Joseph A. Moore, 17th Infantry; Sergeant Ephraim
Stearns, 45th Infantry; and Corporal James B. Gardner,
44th Infantry. (Comrade Shaw, with whom the idea of

 
 

[70] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

eee i ga ct ai a cst

the monument originated, had died the previous April).
This committee met immediately on the adjournment of
the general meeting and chose General Frankle, chairman,
and Corporal Gardner, secretary. It also appointed as a
sub-committee to procure designs and estimates, General
Frankle, Major Amory and Corporal Gardner. ‘These
names were immediately sent to the Governor by the sec-
retary. ‘It was discovered, however, that owing to the
wording of the resolution the former had no authority to
delegate this duty to a committee, that is, officcally, and
the committee was so informed; but he requested the sub-
committee, as a personal favor, to attend to procuring de-
signs and estimates and to other necessary details, report-
ing the results of these endeavors to him, thus relieving
him of the necessity of giving his personal attention to
these matters. The committee, of course, willingly acceded
to his request. Invitations were sent to about twenty firms
and individuals to submit proposals. Several did not re-
spond, but a number of very appropriate designs were
submitted. The general committee held several meetings,
and, although during the discussions there were many
differences of opinion, as there always will be in such mat-
ters, when it came to action the decision was generally
unanimous.

The design finally reported by the committee, and ac-
cepted by the Governor and Council, was one submitted by
Mr. Melzar H. Mosman, of Chicopee, a former member of
the 46th Massachusetts. While the committee were unan-
imous in their opinion that his design was the best and
most satisfactory, they were pleased, as a matter of senti-
ment, that the contract should be given to one who had
actually served in the Department and would naturally
have a strong personal as well as professional interest in
producing the best of which he was capable. Several who

 

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attended the dedication and who were familiar with such
works, both in Europe and America, pronounced it one of
the most beautiful they had ever seen; the proportion,
modeling and poise were excellent and the artist had
caught and expressed the full meaning and sentiment of
the design.

The monument consists of a base seven feet square, a
second base five feet square, and a die three feet six inches
square, the whole six feet high, made of hammered Barre
granite. On the front of the second base the word
‘“ MASSACHUSETTS”’ is cut in block letters, the face of
the letters flush with the face of the base. On the front of
the die is a bronze tablet securely fastened to the granite,
with the dedicatory inscription :

‘THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ERECTS
THIS MONUMENT IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF
HER SOLDIERS AND SAILORS WHO DIED
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NORTH
CAROLINA, 1861-1865.’’

On either side is a tablet bearing the numbers of the
Massachusetts regiments that served in North Carolina.
On top of the die is a bronze female figure clad in classic
costume, her head crowned with a wreath of laurel, repre-

)

senting “‘PEACE.’’ Her left arm rests on a pedestal and
supports a shield on which is inscribed, *‘ArTrER LoyaL
CoNnFLICT, UNION AND PEACE.’’ The whole monument
is about thirteen feet high.

Soon after the awarding of the contract it was thought
advisable that some member of the committee be sent to
New Bern to decide on its location and some other neces-
sary details, and the secretary, Corporal James B. Gardner,
was selected. He reached New Bern Friday, February

Mreredatiasadiie!

 
 

 

 

72) Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

21, 1908, and was most cordially greeted by Mr. James,
who was then superintendent of the cemetery, as well as
by many of the old confederates, who, when they learned
the object of his visit, did everything in their power to
make it pleasant and tried and succeeded in obliterating
any disagreeable memories of the late ‘* Unpleasantness.”’
He found New Bern, so far as the city proper was con-
cerned, not much changed though somewhat improved, but
it had grown very much and what were formerly open fields
were now covered with factories and railroad tracks. He
took advantage of being in New Bern to make a trip to
‘* Little’? Washington, where he was stationed during the
siege of that place, and there, as at New Bern, received
the kindest treatment from his one-time enemies.

An incident occurred during this visit to Washington
which is worthy of mention. It chanced to be February
22, Washington’s birth-day. Dr. J. M. Gallagher, who
was a boy at the time of the siege of this town, and who,
notwithstanding his youth, was a very efficient confederate
spy, had a large American flag displayed in front of his
drug store. Every man as he passed under that flag re-
moved his hat; if not voluntarily, Dr. Gallagher invited
him to do so. In response to a remark by the writer
Dr. Gallagher said: ‘‘ Although only a boy, I bitterly de-
tested that flag for years, but today I honor it above every-
thing else in the world and no one shall pay it disrespect
in my presence.’’*

*Dr. Gallagher was present at the thirty-third annual reunion of the 44th
Massachusetts Regiment Association, at Young’s Hotel, Boston, January 21,
1909, as guest of the Association.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

HON. WILLIAM D. CHAPPLE

President Massachusetts Senate

 
Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 75 ]

ITINERARY. List OF VISITORS. DEDICATORY

EXERCISES.

It was felt that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
and the regiments that served in North Carolina should
be properly represented at the dedication of the monument,
so during the session of 1908 an application was made to
the Legislature for a suitable appropriation to defray the
necessary expense. One or two hearings were had and the
result of these was the passage of the following resolution:

Tecan bey sns ns es4etsaedo daastuatasdcaeestiieiats snug neneeetttitnnatiaal

““RESOLVE TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPRESENTATION OF
THE COMMONWEALTH AT THE DEDICATION OF THE MONU-
MENT TO BE ERECTED IN THE NATIONAL CEMETERY AT
NEw BERN, NorTH CAROLINA.

** Resolved, That there shall be allowed and paid out of
the treasury of the Commonwealth a sum not exceeding
four thousand dollars, to be expended under the direction
of the governor and council for a proper representation of
the Commonwealth at the dedication of the monument to
be erected under the provisions of chapter thirty-four of
the resolves of the year nineteen hundred and seven, on
the grounds of the national cemetery at New Bern, North
Carolina, by the following officials:—His excellency, the
governor; the lieutenant governor; two members of the
governor’s staff; two members of the executive council ;
the president of the senate; the speaker of the house of
representatives; the clerk of the senate and the clerk of
the house of representatives; the joint committee on mili-
tary affairs; the monument committee; two members from
each regiment which served in the department of North
Carolina, one of whom shall be an officer, and one of whom
shall be an enlisted man, to be selected by the different or-
ganizations, or by the senior officer when no regimental
association exists, or if it has no regular meeting before
the appointments must be made, except that a member of
any such regiment who is also a member of the monument
committee shall be considered as one of the members se-
lected from that regiment: all to be approved by the gov-
ernor; and such other guests as the governor may person-
ally invite.’’ ‘This resolution was approved March 23, 1908.

eT

bdidiessescdd it

 
 

 

i 76,3) Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors °

Subsequently the Sergeant-at-Arms, in connection with
the Finance Committee of the Executive Council, was au-
thorized to make all necessary arrangements for the visit
to New Bern. A contract was made with the Raymond &
Whitcomb Company, and the Official Party left Boston at
8 p. M.,on Monday, November 9, 1908, via. the New York,
New Haven and Hartford R.R. Four Pullman sleepers
were placed at their disposal and remained with the party
during the entire trip.

Governor Guild had expected to accompany the party,
but owing to his not having recovered from a severe illness,
his physician absolutely forbade his going. It was a great
disappointment to him personally as it was, not only to
the delegation, but to our southern friends who were so

desirous of meeting the Governor of our Commonwealth.

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [77]

Official Party

ON BEHALF OF THE COMMONWEALTH

Hon. William D. Chapple President of the Senate
Brig. General William H. Brigham, Adjutant General... )
Major Ira Vaughn, Aide-de-camp

Hon. Albion F. Bemis,

Hon. Seward W. Jones,

Henry D. Coolidge ....Clerk of the Senate
James W. Kimball Clerk o ouse of Representatives
Hon. William R. Salter, Senator

Daniel E. Denny, (2d Mass.) Representative..
John F. Cook, Representative

James Oliver (27s¢ Mass.), Representative

Governor’s Staff

\ Joint
~ > . > anreceantativ oy
John H. McKenney, Representative Vide swen dee eed ip) ME tary

Andrew R. Linscott, Representative...... ; Committee
Charles F. McCarthy, Representative. .

Charles T. Holt, Representative

J. J. Madsen, Representative

J. H. Schoonmaker, Representative

Captain David T. Remington (37s¢ Mass.)............

Henry Grant Weston (57h Mass.)..........

GUESTS INVITED BY THE GOVERNOR

Mrs. Laura A. Dugan ) 2 aaa s
Mise Alice dMden @ecdaie ( Assisted in Unveiling the Monument

Lieut. Charles H. Porter, (39th Mass.)...... Recorder of the M.O. L. L. U.S

».

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REGIMENTS

General Jones Frankle, (2d Mass. H. A.) ) Sub-Com-
Major Charles B. Amory (2¢¢h J > mittee on
Corporal James B. Gardner (g¢th 4 Monument

Capt. Theo. K. Parker.... 2d Mass. Lieut. Nathaniel Morton.. 3d Mass.
Corp. John EK. Foye Priv. George A. Grant Me

 
 

 

[ 78 | Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
—— rE eee ee eee

Capt. Edwin F. Wyer,.... Sth Mass.
Priv. George E. Mitchell. sn

Gen. Benjamin F. Peach.. 8th Mass.
Gen. A. Hun Berry is

Capt. Joseph A. Moore... .17th Mass.
Sgt. John W. McKnight.. *

Lt. Col. Theo. S. Foster ..21st Mass.
Priv. Luther E. Stewart.. ny

Maj. Dan’! W. Hammond.23d Mass.
Com. Sgt. Thos. Swasey.. ot

Capt. William F. Wiley...24th Mass.
Priv. John C. Cook si

Gen. A. B. R. Sprague....25th Mass.
Priv. Edwin Wilbur fy

Capt. Henry C. Dwight...27th Mass.

Asst. Surg. M. E. Webb...33d Mass.
Corp. Albert C. Stacy

Maj. Everett Lane 43d Mass.
1st Sgt. Brainard Cushing. me

Capt. Charles Hunt 44th Mass.
Priv. Horace Forbush.... z

Priv. Edwin P. Longley...45th Mass.

“

Lieut. Joseph G. Noble... .46th Mass.
Priv. Melzar H. Mosman.. a

Capt. John S. Baldwin....5lst Mass.

“a

Priv. Albert W. Hersey...

Capt. A. A. Putnam. .2d Mass., H. A.

“6 “

Priv. Warren Lee Goss

ACCOMPANYING THE OFFICIAL PARTY AT THEIR
OWN EXPENSE

Robert G. Amory, (2d Mass. H. A.)
C. J. Batchelle1

George W. Brooxs, (g¢th Mass.)
Loammi B. Carr, (57st Mass.)

Mrs. Daniel EK. Denny

Charles O. Fellows, (77th Mass.)
Perley Goddard

Charles G. Gould, (8## Mass.)

Rev. Edw. H. Hall, D.D.,(¢gth Mass.)
Mrs. Daniel W. Hammond

Augustus C. Jordan, (43d Mass.)
Mrs. Augustus C. Jordan

Augustus S. Lovett, (g5th Mass.)
Albert W. Mann, (45¢4 Mass.)
Horace E. Marion, M.D., (5th Mass.)

Edw. W. Mitchell

Mrs. George E. Mitchell

Mrs. M. H. Mosman

Miss Mosman

Richard J. Nichols, (8th Mass.)
Horace W. Otis, (5¢ Mass.)
Ward M. Otis, (5¢# Mass.)

Mrs. Benjamin F. Peach
George F. Putnam, (77th Mass.)
Mrs. George F. Putnam

Bailey Sargent, (2d Mass. H. A.)
Henry Splaine, (77¢h Mass.)
Mrs. A. B. R. Sprague

Samuel O. Staples, (57st Mass.)
J. W. Wixtead

Fred K. M. Jones and W. F. Smith, of the Raymond & Whitcomb Co.

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 79 J
ea at ae A ap HG Raa Tt ia aa ap Cn oe aie ewe

'
I'wo other excursions were organized. The first was

arranged by George E Marsters, and the party was com-
posed of

Frank M. Alley, (23d Mass.)

William S. Bowden, (8th Mass.)

A. Otis Chamberlain, (23d Mass.) William EK. Murdock, (25¢h Mass.)

William A. Chaplin, (27d AZass.) George W. Nason, (5th & 23d Mass.)

Andrew J. Clark, (gth and 23d Mass.) William P. Plimpton, (45th Mass.)

A. Walter Clark James T. Pool, (8¢4 Mass.)

George F. Clark William W. Ricker

Joseph W. Day, (77th Mass.) Louis L. Robbins, (23d Mass.)

Mrs. Joseph W. Day William S. Sterling, (23d Mass.)

*Guy B. Flanders, (8th and 27th Mass.) Henry Stone, (8¢# Wass.)

William A. Gray, (¢gth Mass.) Charles F. Tenny, (25th Mass.)

Mrs. Thaddeus Griffin re. Re ee Ce
Owen T. Whitney, (3d Mass.)

Albert T. Hills, (23d Mass :
F e Hills, (23d Mass.) M. T. Drummey, (Conductor of party)
Fred L. Jones, (23d Mass.)

Caleb W. Marsh
George E. Marsh, (5¢h Mass.)

*Returned with the Peirce party.

This party left Boston Sunday, November 8, via the
Fall River Line, reaching Washington, D. C., at 1.15 Pp.
M., Monday. It left Washington at 6.30 p.M., via the
Potomac River Steamer, arriving at Norfolk Tuesday morn-
ing and New Bern the same evening. Its quarters were
at Hotel Hazelton. It left New Bern Friday morning,
November 13, returning by the same route, arriving at
Boston Sunday morning.

The other party was organized by the Peirce Tourist
Company. ‘This party left Boston on Saturday afternoon,
November 7, for Providence, where it took a steamer of
the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company for
Norfolk, Va., reaching there Monday morning, and ar-
riving at New Bern the same evening. This party was
quartered at the Gem Hotel. It returned by the same

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ 80 | Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors

el

route, leaving New Bern Friday morning and reaching
Boston Sunday afternoon. ‘The members of this party
were :

Nahum Brewer W. C. Richardson

Jos. P. Eaton, (25th Mass.) *Fred W. Stackpole, (4574 Mass.)
George A. Howard, (2gth Mass.) Melvin O. Walker, (45th Mass.)
Joseph R. Kendall, (ygth Mass.) George P. Walcott, (zgth Mass.)
Fred A. Kent, (g¢ih Mass.) William S. Wellington, (ggth Mass.)
Freeman H. Lothrop, (45th Mass.) John D. Whitcomb, (45¢4 Mass.)
Hosea J. Marcy, (25¢h Mass.) Henry C. Whitcomb

Edward A. Mason, (45th Mass.) Henry Wheelock, (45th Mass.)
Edward F. Reed, (45th Mass.) Albert Whitney (g5¢h Jass.)
Charles F. Peirce, (574 Mass.) Gershom C. Winsor, (45th Mass.)
F. A. Richardson Francis Wright, (25th Mass.)

*Returned with the Marsters party.

Additional to these were Edward R. Blanchard (g¢ch
Mass.) and son, and E. Perez Smith, (gg¢/h Mass.) who
went independently.

The ‘‘ Official’? party arrived at Washington, D. C.,
Tuesday forenoon. ‘Three or four “‘ sight-seeing ’’ automo-
biles were at the station waiting their coming and for about
three hours they had a most enjoyable ride around Wash-
ington. ‘To some of the party the city was very familiar ;
to many the trip was a succession of delightful surprises ;
while to all it was extremely interesting. The conductor
of one of the cars was a ‘‘ play bill’’ boy at Ford’s Thea-
tre the evening President Lincoln was assassinated, and his
account of that event and of many incidents occurring in
Washington during the war was exceedingly graphic.

After an appetizing dinner at Congress Hall, a compara-
tively new hotel, near the Capitol, the party returned to
the train and resumed their journey. At Petersburg they
were joined by General Julian S. Carr, of Durham, N. C.,
the state commander of the C. S. A. camps in North Caro-
lina, who had been especially invited by Governor Guild

 
 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial t tr Soldiers and Sailors

 

 

 

vy

8 ae
very familiar ;

1 } + 1 - = = .
delightful surprises ;
The conductor

Ford’s Thea

te 14°11

any inci
ieton during the war was exceedingly gra]

an appetizing dinner Congress Hail, a compara-

a

new hotel, near the Capit he party returned to

 

° “ee A T Sens 1 y
train and resumed their journey \t Petersburg they

2 4 . Q oT 1 . ae
e joined by General Julian Carr, of Durham, N. C.,

LAL

state commander of the C. S. A. camps in North Caro-

had been especially invited by Governor Guild

ila

 

 

 

COL. J. J. WOLFENDEN

yee arige HON. JAMES A. BRYAN

Zi , New Bern

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

assachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [81]

Massachusetts Memorial to Her SS ———__-———

to attend the dedication. General Carr was most cordially
welcomed and proved to be as strong a Union man today
arty; and a fine specimen of the typical old-
Goldsboro was reached early

dof waiting for the regular

ew Bern, reaching there

‘he train did not stop at the station,

f a mile from the hotel, but continued

as any of the p
style southern

some three-quarters ©

on to South Front street, a little over a block from the
Gaston House, which was the headquarters during the

ty walked to the hotel. Rooms

visit, so most of the par
ast served immediately after

were assigned and breakf
arrival.

About 10 A.M., the Mayor of New Bern, Hon. James A.
Bryan, an ex-confederate, called at the Gaston House where
he held a reception and gave the visitors a most cordial as

well as official welcome to the city of New Bern.
Mayor Bryan was much disappointed when he learned
that Governor Guild was not with the delegation, and

immediately sent him the following telegram :

Curtis GUILD, TR;
GOVERNOR,
State House, Boston.

We greatly regret your absence and extend to you our
hearty sympathy in your illness and trust that you will be
speedily restored to health. North Carolina sends greet-
ing to Massachusetts, as a loving sister and a child of our

common country. JAMES A. BRYAN,
Mayor of New Bern.

At 1.30 P.M., the procession formed in front of the Gas-
Many former confed-

ton House, 00 South Front street.
e in the ranks, among them General Julian Ss.
onel J. J. Wolfenden and Colonel Wilson G.

ore the old gray uniform but they all
d sympathy with the occasion

erates wer
Carr, Col

Lamb. Several w
showed as much interest an

 
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[ 82 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

ee

as if they had worn the ‘‘Army Blue.” It was hard to
realize that almost half a century ago we were on opposite
sides in the civil war.

The day was a holiday in New Bern, most of the stores
and offices being closed. A special train had been provided,
and headed by the Kinston band of the N. C. N. G., the
procession proceeded to the cars. Early in November,
Colonel Wolfenden had written, ‘‘there are two or three
military companies a little way up the State that have ex-
pressed a willingness, and not only a willingness but a
desire, to come on that occasion (at their own expense) to
help do honor to the dead.’’ The secretary immediately
replied, ‘We should welcome the military companies most
cordially. * * * Such expressions of kindly feeling are
conclusive evidence that the antagonisms engendered by
the war are being rapidly forgotten and that the North
and South are now united as never before.’’ Just as the
train was ready to start the Kinston company of the North
Carolina National Guard, Captain Henry Harper, came up
on the double quick (their train was late in reaching New
Bern) and joined us. They were a body of fine looking
young men, clad in khaki uniforms, and their good will
and sympathy were appreciated by all the visitors.

The special train landed its passengers within a few
rods of the cemetery gate when the procession reformed
and, with the Kinston company as escort, entered the
grounds. A space around the monument was reserved for
the school children and their teachers, who, through the
kindness of Colonel J. J. Wolfenden had consented to take
part in the exercises, and directly opposite Superintendent
Reeves had built a platform for the speakers. The monu-
ment was concealed by American flags, and after the ladies
who were to assist in the unveiling, Mrs. Dugan, Mrs.
Hartsfield and Miss Sprague, had taken their positions,

 

 

 
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3 Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 83 ]

Massachusett
apn seo olga LORE =<". came ranma

r teachers seated on benches

around the reserved space; and the speakers escorted to the
platform, the exercises opening with singing by the child-
ren. Among the songs rendered by them were the ““Star
Spangled Banner,’’ the “Blue and the Gray,’’ and many

others of equal significance.
General Frankle, as chairman of the general committee,

led the assembly to order and introduced the Rev.
all, D.D., formerly chaplain of the Forty-
s, who offered an eloquent and touch-

the school children and thei

then cal
Edward H. H
fourth Massachusett
ing prayer.”

Mr. Mosman, the sculptor, then rose and addressing

General Frankle, said: ‘‘As chairman of the committee
appointed to receive from my hands the monument erected
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, now resting upon
this sacred ground to commemorate the deeds of the heroic
dead, I present it to you and hope it may stand there to
testify to the faithfulness and patriotism of the Sons of
Massachusetts who in this distant land, far from home,
laid down their lives to preserve the nation.”

Miss Sprague then drew the cord releasing the pins
which confined the flags and Mrs. Dugan and Mrs. Harts-
field those which were attached to the latter and the beau-
tiful monument was displayed to the company, the band

playing an appropriate selection.
General Frankle, turning to Mr. Mosman, said :

Comrade :

It is highly gratifying
intrusted the execution 0
receive it from you with feeli

In doing so, they desire gt
-ndebtedness to you for interpre

to the Committee to whom was
£ this monument to be able to
ngs of entire satisfaction.

atefully to acknowledge their
ting in bronze and stone,

*It is to be regretted that owing toa misunderstanding the prayer could not

be reported.

 
—

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[ 84 ] Massachusetts Memorial to her Soldiers and Sailors

through this noble work of art, their sentiment and design.

That you had been yourself a soldier and a comrade of
those who, after heroic struggle, found here their final
resting place, would, in the opinion of the Committee,
lend additional inspiration to your brain and skilful hands.

That they judged rightly, the unveiling of this statue
today has fully proved.

He then requested the secretary to read the following
letter from His Excellency, Governor Guild:

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Boston, November 5, 1908.

General Jones Frankle,
153 Milk Street, Boston.

My DEAR GENERAL FRANKLE:

I regret extremely to say that my physicians have
decided that I cannot, without certainty of a physical re-
lapse, endure the fatigue incident upon five nights in a
sleeping car and fare other than the carefully selected diet
to which at present I am restricted.

I shall, therefore, be debarred from the privilege of
assisting at the dedication of the monument at New Bern.
As the Governor is not in this case to be the orator of the
day, I have accepted this to me most unpleasant verdict
with the assurance that I shall not be greatly missed.

The delegation of the staff and the members of the

Council will accompany the party and the State color bearer
will also go with the colors of Massachusetts. The accept-
ance of the monument by the Commonwealth and its trans-
fer to the United States authorities will be made by
President William D. Chapple of the Senate. You can
 

 

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nell

a

et

her Soldiers and Sailors

<2 A A en NN ca —

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ee ee ee

ieir final

ittee

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en

ue

neral Jones Frankle,

1 >

153 Milk Street, Boston.
t my physicians have

bVdiCa

e, be debarred from the privilege of

I

‘

he dedication of the monument at New Bern.

* 1 2) =" £ ha
ernor 15 not 11 lis case to be the orator of the

accepted this to me mo inpleasant verdict
urance that I shall not be greatly mi
lelegation of the staff and ths embers of the

npany the party am the State color bearer

a comrade of

MELZAR H

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MOSMAN

 
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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 85 ]

Se areca whet etioeeiapeneseuiivatatasiplivesineiiader aie edie ies tess ee ain

rest assured that in his hands that duty will be gracefully
and patriotically performed. I have been looking forward
to this trip with the keenest pleasure, and that I should be
barred from it is a bitter disappointment, I can assure you.
Nothing but sheer physical inability to endure such a
strain could keep me away. Will you explain this to your
comrades and believe me, with deep regret,
Faithfully yours,
Curtis GumLp, JR.*

Addressing the Honorable William D. Chapple, Presi-
dent of the Massachusetts Senate, who in the absence of

the Governor represented the Commonwealth, General
Frankle continued:

And now, may it please your Honor, the Committee to
whom was intrusted the duty of designing and procuring

the monument to be erected by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts at this National Cemetery, in memory of

her sons who, while serving in the Department of North
Carolina during the Civil War, laid down their lives in
defense and for the preservation of our Union, have accom-
plished their allotted task. The monument, completed

and in its proper position, awaits dedication under your
direction. While others may speak of the gallantry of

*In reply the following letter was sent to the Governor :

Boston, 6 November, 1908.
To His Excellency, Curtis Guild, he
DEAR GOVERNOR:

We have learned with deep regret, through your letter to General Frankle,
that you would be unable to be present at the dedication of the monument at
New Bern. We were afraid that the condition of your health would prevent
your attendance, but have been hoping that you might feel strong enough to
make the trip.

Your absence will be a great disappointment not only to the party from
Massachusetts but also to those of the South who have been taking so much
interest in this matter.

With the hope that you may soon recover your normal condition of health,
we remain, most sincerely yours,

JAMES B. GARDNER, Secretary.

 
 

 

 

SY ry ee et

 

 

 

[ 86 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
a Rar eee ate re ee

our comrades who found their last honored resting place
in this sacred spot, it is for this committee to refer and
point to the results achieved by their heroism and sacrifices,

In this regrettable, fratricidal conflict, each side—in ac-
cordance with its conception of right and duty—served
the cause to which it was committed and for which with
equal heroisnr and sacrifices it battled. The result of this
deadly struggle was Union and Peace, as yonder monument
proclaims to all who now and in the future may behold it.
The inscription on the monument reads:

Me eR OV AL Sat Ree ran
UNION: AND -PBACE”

happily now acknowledged by all our land, East, West,
North or South. And it is for this reason that, as the
events of this unhappy period of our national life recede
into the dimness of history, the survivors of this gigantic
struggle can look into each other’s faces with pride, stretch
out their arms toward each other, grasp each other’s hands
in friendship and call each other comrades instead of foes
—forming a united front against any foes of our beloved
country, striving unitedly under our glorious banner of
the Stars and Stripes, for justice, right and liberty.
Comrades of the Union Camp and of the Confederate
Camp, it is much to be regretted that our Governor,
whose letter expressing his own regret you have just
heard, can not be with us today. He would, by his pres-
ence, have been a living illustration of the sentiment here
and on our monument expressed; for it was he, a North-
ern citizen soldier, who side by side in comradeship with
the famous Southern soldier, the gallant General Fitz Hugh
Lee, battled for justice, right and liberty in bringing inde-
pendence to our Sister Republic of Cuba. But in his ab-
 

 

 

 

 

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Confederate

a Not th

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bringing inde-

 

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MISS ALICE ALDEN SPRAGUE MRS. J. L. HARTSFIELD

 
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Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 87 |
sc ace none cep sm ane -etey-ents sess ena cp

sence it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you his
representative, Hon. William D. Chapple, President of the
Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In accepting the monument for the Commonwealth, Mr.
Chapple said:

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:

By reason of the illness of His Excellency, Curtis Guild,
Jr., Governor of Massachusetts, which we all so much re-
gret, it devolves upon me to accept for the Commonwealth
from the committee having charge of its construction this
beautiful monument erected to the memory of those sons
of Massachusetts who laid down their lives in her behalf,
and who are now sleeping in this peaceful cemetery.

North Carolina for its assistance today deserves the
thanks of Massachusetts, as it did in days of old when the
colonies were struggling for liberty.

For while Massachusetts was resisting the Stamp Act
and sacking the home of Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson,
the men of North Carolina were surrounding the home of
their royal governor, taking from his very presence the
comptroller of the province, and compelling him to make
oath that he would not enforce that unjust law.

When the blood of Massachusetts was spilled in 1770,
at the Boston massacre, it was followed in 1771 by a battle
with the royal authorities in which two hundred of the
North Carolina patriots, who had been driven into revolt
against the British by extortion and unlawful imprison-
ment, lost their lives. As Sam Adams coolly locked the
door of the chamber in which the Massachusetts Provincial
Legislature was sitting at Salem, denying admittance to
the royal governor’s secretary who had arrived with a writ
dissolving the assembly, thereby enabling it to designate
the meeting place of the first Continental Congress and

 
 

 

 

[ 88 | Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
eS  —

elect delegates to represent Massachusetts, so did your Pro-
vincial Assembly, meeting at New Bern in defiance of
Governor Martin’s prohibition, elect delegates to represent
North Carolina at that Continental Congress.

It needed but the news from Massachusetts of the battles
of Lexington and Concord for the citizens of North Caro-
lina to meet on the 20th day of May, 1775, and declare
the country independent of Great Britain, sending a copy
of the resolutions by special messenger to the Continental
Congress, a date, which to this day is proudly borne upon
the seal of your state, and it was North Carolina first of all
the colonies that by formal resolution, adopted on the 12th
of April, 1776, instructed its delegates in Congress to vote
for independence.

In 1861, and the terrible years which followed, it was
the proud command of our state that Massachusetts ex-
pects every man to do his duty, and what more could she
demand of her sons than that they should be willing to
give up their lives for her sake, and more than forty years
ago these old soldiers who surround us were willing to
make even that sacrifice, for they were within the borders
of North Carolina as northern soldiers fighting for a cause
they loved as you men of North Carolina love your own
fair state ; today they return as friends to do homage to the
beloved comrades they left behind them, with no more
malice in their hearts than is in yonder figure symbol-
izing Peace, whose calm eye looks down upon the graves
of six hundred sons of Massachusetts, who will remain
resting in the soil of North Carolina till time shall be no
more.

And now in behalf of Massachusetts, I accept this beau-
tiful memorial to her soldier dead, and in her behalf as
well, (turning to Mr. Reeves, superintendent of the ceme-

tery), I tender it to you, Sir, representing the government
 

ROLE Wb SFr Ty verte tear We

 

 

 

 

 

the care an eae seroma a

so did your Pro-
in defiance of
to represent
North Caroll

It needed but the news from

— ae
r Lexingt ind Concord for the citizens

lina to meet on the 20th day of May, 1775, and

)
t

the country independent of Great Britain, sending a copy
of the resolutions by special messenger to the Continental

Congress, a date, which to this day is proudly borne upon

e seal of your state, and it was North Carolina first of all
|

1e colonies that by formal resolution, adopted on the 12th

of April, 1776, instructed its delegates in Congress to vote

tor independence.

In 1861, and the terrible years which followed, it was

the proud command of our state that Massachusetts ex-
pects every man to do his duty, and what more could she
demand of her sons than that they should be willing to

1 me:
han torty year:

give up their lives for her sake, and more t

go these old soldiers who surround us were willing to

¢
1

lake even that

of North Carolina

they loved as u men of North Carolina love your own
fair state ; today they return as friends to do homage to the
beloved comrades they left behind them, with no more
malice in their hearts than is in yonder figure symbol-
izing Peace, whose calm eye looks down upon the graves
of six hundred sons of Massachusetts, who will remain

B | | Ub

1 time shall be no

resting in the soil of North Carolina til
more.

And now in behalf of Massachusetts, I accept this beau-
tiful memorial to her soldier dead, and in her behalf as
well, (turning to Mr. Reeves, superintendent of the ceme-
tery), I tender it to you, Sir, representing the government

CAPT. A. A. PUTNAM

Orator of the Day

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 89 ]

of the United States and typifying as you do our common
country, one nation and one flag.

Mr. Reeves, on behalf of the United States Government,
accepted the charge, saying:
“In behalf of the Department which I have the honor

to represent, I cheerfully assume the duty of caring for
and preserving this beautiful monument from now on.”’

The Orator of the Day, Judge A. A. Putnam, formerly
captain in the 2d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Colonel
Frankle’s old regiment, was then introduced by the latter.
Captain Putnam spoke as follows:

Ladies, Comrades and Gentlemen -

In common with all of you who are here, cherishing
remembrance of old regimental associations, I rejoice ever
so much in the erection at last of a monument in memory

of our Massachusetts soldier dead here in this southern
state. To you as to me it must seem right, salutary and
beautiful. As it was said by Webster upon the completion
of Bunker Hill Monument, so may we also not inappropri-
ately now say, ‘‘A duty has been performed.” If so, then
may we all rejoice here together, whether we be of the Old
Bay State or of the Old North State.

Assuming, as perhaps we may, that there prevails here
such an unanimity of sentiment nothing can be much more
impressive, gratifying and heart-gladdening than this sim-
ple occasion. A single thought beyond all others at this
hour must needs possess us as we recall the sanguinary
and tempestuous past and then consider our mission here
today, so peaceful, and our treatment here received today,
so hospitable and fraternal under this Carolina sky. Two
score and more years it is since I toiled beneath it in the
hot, sultry summer of sixty-four and almost I am over-

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ 90 J Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

come as thought comes over me of the measureless dissimi-
larity of conditions now and then.

Verily, it is one of the happiest signs, rather it is the
happiest of all signs, of the fraternal solidity of our country
that the people of the northern states, through their rep-
resentatives, can come down here among the people of the
southern states for the purpose of erecting and dedicating
memorials in memory of their soldier dead and feel that
they come among friends.

Looking back three and forty years and recalling the
relations of the two great sections of the land, northern
and southern, then fresh from a fiery conflict of four years
duration, how little did we dream that at any time hence
the country would be so cemented in the bonds of complete
union as it is today! ‘Then, to be sure, there was peace;
arms had ceased to clash; campaigns were no longer in
contemplation; soldiers, weary, were retiring to their

homes and glad, glad to retire and but one flag was recog-
nized to be in authority. But oh! what sores were bleed-
ing, what animosities were still alive, what disappointments

were still felt and above all, what convictions still remained
on the one side and the other that the one was right and
the other wrong in the tremendous struggle.

How out of so much soreness could there come friendli-
ness? How out of so much antagonism could there come
unity? How out of states discordant, if not dissevered,
acrimonious, if not still belligerent, should there come a
republic one and indivisible? None could quite say.
None could forecast. It was beyond the ken of man to see,
beyond the scope of statesmanship to devise.

Nevertheless, all the while from the inception of the
conflict, through all its entanglements and flaming fields,
down to the season of ultimate reconciliation, there was a
divinity shaping our ends, rough hew them how we might.

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 91 ]

a

If we cannot point to this, that or the other measure of
human device or any number of human devices combined
which led us to feel and believe it far better that we should
dwell together in peace as a people of one blood, we can
yet somehow understand what manner of Providence it was
that wrought the consummation. Who shall say that we
were. not inspired by the God of hosts to contemplate afresh
this continent of our denizenship, so washed by oceans on
the east and the west, so laved by incomparable lakes on
the north and bounded so much on the south by the grand
old gulf; with mighty rivers coursing from their mountain
sources in every direction, with manifold mines of untold
wealth still asleep in their rocky beds, with a soil leaping
for culture and forests primeval beckoning the axe, and all
to tempt the hands of a common industry; and thus con-
templating, to see and know that Nature herself, here as
nowhere else, had fashioned a land and bountifully stocked
it for the abode and growth, the power and happiness of
one people under one government, the Stars and Stripes
for its ensign, no star henceforth to be erased, no stripe to

be polluted, its motto evermore to be, ‘‘ Liberty and Union,
now and forever, one and inseparable.’’

The exercises concluded with singing and at the close a
salute was fired by the New Bern company of the N. C.
N. G., Captain C. J. McSorley.

Most of those present then returned to the train which
had been held in waiting, and went back to the city while
many of the visitors took advantage of the few hours of
daylight to revisit many of the localities so familiar to
them forty-five years ago.

 
 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 93 ]

cINew Bern Re-visited

INCIDENTS. RECEPTIONS. HOMEWARD TRIP.

After the conclusion of the exercises at the cemetery on
Wednesday afternoon, the visitors occupied themselves in
various ways until evening. Many visited the ruins of
old Fort Totten; many tried to locate their old camp
grounds and other familiar spots ; while others enjoyed a
ramble around the old town.

Upon invitation of Mayor Bryan, Adjutant General
Brigham and some twenty or thirty others called on the
former at his residence, which during the war was occu-
pied by General Burnside as headquarters. They had a
most enjoyable reception, meeting many of the leading
citizens of New Bern. ‘The refreshments, both solid and
liquid, were particularly appetizing. The reception was
very informal; there were but two or three brief speeches,
and those who were present speak of the occasion as one
long to be remembered with great pleasure.

Chaplain Hall was very desirous to visit the camp
ground of his old regiment, and piloted by the Secretary
who had located it during his visit the previous February,
his wish was gratified. The scene had materially changed
during forty years of absence but some few familiar land-
marks still remained. On their way back to town they
met Mr. Stewart, one of the most influential of New Bern’s
citizens, who kindly placed his horses, carriage and driver
at their service, and until it became too dark to see clearly
they enjoyed driving around the city.

On November 7, two days before we started for North
Carolina, a letter was received from Colonel Wolfenden,

in which he said that New Bern Chapter, Daughters of

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[ 94 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
SEE Renee

the Confederacy, wished to give. the Northern visitors a
reception at their hall on Wednesday evening, and in-
quired if it would interfere with any of our contemplated
arrangements. The secretary immediately replied that
it would not interfere with any proposed arrangements;
but that a circular had been issued, which it was now
too late to recall, stating that evening dress would not
be required; that many of us felt that out of proper
respect for our hostesses we should appear at such a func-
tion appropriately clothed, but if the ‘Daughters’? would
kindly overlook the informality we should only be too
happy to accept their courtesy. Accordingly, at about
eight o’clock most of the visitors assembled in front of the
Gaston House and piloted by General Brigham and Sar-

geant-at-Arms Remington, proceeded to the hall which
was but a short distance from the Hotel.

The ‘‘ Daughters’? occupy a pleasant, commodious room
and were present in large numbers to welcome their
‘Yankee’? guests. In the receiving line were Mrs.
Charles L. Stevens, (president of the New Bern chapter,
who had been visiting at quite a distance and came home
in order to be present at the reception), Mrs. R. B Nixon,
Mrs. S. W. Hancock, Mrs. George Henderson, Mrs. F.S.
Duffy, Mrs. T. G. Hyman, Mrs. J.J. Wolfenden, Mrs. i,
L. Hartsfleld, Mrs. George Henderson, Jr., Miss Eulalia
Willis, Miss Annie Foy, Miss Carrie Arendall, Miss Janie
Stewart, Miss Katherine Street, Miss Sara Whitehurst,
Miss Margaret Bryan and Miss Henrietta Hancock.*

It was the universal opinion of all the visitors that this
reception was one of the pleasantest functions of this des-
cription that any of them had ever attended. After the
actual ceremony of the reception was over, there was the

*To this young lady are we indebted for the names of those who were in the
receiving line.

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 95 ]
—— ee

utmost informality, introductions were regarded as entirely
superfluous, the ‘‘Daughters’’ vied with each other in
their wish to make their visitors feel ‘‘ at home’’ and their
reception was even warmer, though of a different kind of
warmth, from what they would have liked to have given
us forty years ago. As one of the ladies (and not one of
the seniors—we are timid about speaking of any of them
as old) remarked in the course of the evening: ‘‘I have
always been one of the ‘un-reconstructed,’ but you Yan-
kees are much better fellows than I ever thought you were
and if I should meet a few more of you I’m afraid I should
become as strong ‘ Union’ as you are yourselves.’’ Light
refreshments were served; many of the ladies officiated at
the piano, there was singing in which all joined and there
was no lull in conversation. It was close upon the ‘‘ wee
small hours’’ before the last guest had left the hall. All
who were there will ever recall this reception as one of
the pleasantest memories of their lives.

Thursday was devoted to general sight seeing. Through
the kindness of Hon. C. R. Thomas, Representative in
Congress from the New Bern district, the revenue cutter
‘‘Pamlico,’’ stationed at that city, was placed at the dis-
posal of the visitors and a large number enjoyed a sail, or
perhaps more correctly speaking a *‘steam,’’ for from fif-
teen to twenty miles up the Neuse River, towards Kinston.
Major Amory and a number of others who were present at
the battle of New Bern visited the old battlefield. Brooks
and Forbush, of the 44th Massachusetts, drove out to
Batchelder’s and Bryce’s Creek. Many spent part of their
time at the studio of Mrs. Bayard Wootten who was by
general consent adopted as the ‘‘official photographer,’’
and secured views of the places in which they were most
interested. Others visited the houses which they occupied
while doing provost duty when they were able to locate

 
 

 

 

 

 

[ 96 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
SE aa

them. Many rambled around the city and others spent
their time in visiting some of the acquaintances they had
made since their arrival. In the afternoon, under the
guidance of Mr. W. T. Hill, of New Bern, several went to
the Masonic Hall, which during the war was for a time
used as a hospital. To the members of the Masonic fra-
ternity this was one of the most interesting events of the
trip. The lodge is one of the oldest in the state, if not in
the country, and it has preserved many documents dating
back to the eighteenth century. The Bible has been in
constant use for nearly, if not quite, one hundred and fifty
years and shows unmistakeable signs of wear. The writer
regrets exceedingly that he failed to make notes of the
various papers shown us as a list of these would be of
much interest to the craft wherever dispersed.* The fres-
coing of Masonic emblems on the ceiling of the hall was
practically the same when the building was devoted to
hospital use, although they have been repainted. One of
the party recalled having visited a comrade who had been
very ill and was lying on a cot in the north-west corner.
Almost the first remark he made as he greeted his visitor
was: “‘I think itad d shame to put a man as sick as
I’ve been where every time he looks up he sees a coffin
hanging over his head.’’ It is needless to say that the
comrade at that time was not a member of the fraternity.

On their way back to the hotel they visited the ‘‘ Elks”’

building, one of the finest in the city, beautifully ap-

pointed, and which would be a credit toa city many times

larger than New Bern.

Shortly after six o’clock Thursday evening the train
backed down to South Front street and the “official
party’’ prepared to start on their homeward journey.

*A request was made for a list of these papers but noreply had been received
before it was necessary to go to press.

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [97]

ae

Many of the friends whom they had made during their
brief stay accompanied them to the train. Colonel Wolf-

enden, to whom the delegation was under many obliga-

tions for the great interest he had taken in the dedication

from its inception was, unfortunately, unable to meet us,
but Mayor Bryan and others were present, among them
Mrs. Stevens, president of the New Bern Chapter, Daugh-
ters of the Confederacy, who presented many members of
the delegation with a small confederate flag as a memento
of their visit to “Dixie.” General Carr accompanied us on

our return as far as Petersburg.

Reaching Washington shortly after ten A.M., an appe-
tizing breakfast was enjoyed at the Congress Hall, when
the members separated to ramble about the city. One
party visited the new Senate and Representative buildings
and Congressional Library, and under the escort of Mr.
James A. Cuthbert, assistant engineer at the Library,
formerly of Company A, 44th Massachusetts, were given
an unusually good opportunity to inspect these buildings,
being admitted to many rooms which are ordinarily closed
to the general public. In the afternoon President Roose-
velt gave the delegation a reception at the White House
which was attended by most of its members who were glad
of the opportunity to greet their “strenuous’’ chief mag-

istrate.
Before leaving New Bern the following telegram was

sent:
NEw BErN, N. C., Nov. 12, 1908.

To Hon. C. R. THOMAS,
Greenboro, N. C.

The Massachusetts delegation thank you and the officers
of the ‘‘Pamlico’’ for a most delightful trip on the cutter.
The citizens of New Bern have fully demonstrated the true
meaning of the term ‘’ Southern hospitality.’’

Wo. D. CHAPPLE,
President Mass. Senate.

 
 

 

 

[ 98 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

From Washington Mayor Bryan was telegraphed :

WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 13, 1908.
To Hon. Jamzs A. BRYAN, Mayor,
New Bern, N. C.

The Massachusetts delegation begs to assure you and
the citizens of New Bern, of its appreciation of the great
hospitality and the many graceful courtesies that have so
materially helped to make its visit an event long to be re-
membered. Wo. D. CHAPPLE,

President Mass. Senate.

The train left Washington about 3.30 p.M., and reached
Boston at 7 A.M., Saturday. Breakfast was served at the
South station restaurant, a few brief speeches were made,
thanks were tendered to Sergeant-at-Arms Remington,
Messrs. Jones and Smith, of the Raymond & Whitcomb
Company, and some others and the delegation separated
with the feeling that the dedication trip had been in every
respect most enjoyable and successful.

The Marsters party had the great advantage of includ-
ing among its members Colonel George D. Nason, who
for a long time was a resident of New Bern and for several
years was Postmaster of that city. His extensive acquaint-
ance enabled him to materially assist the members of his
party in finding many places of individual interest which
otherwise they would have had trouble in locating.

Some of the members of the Peirce party, especially
those who were present during the siege, stopped for sev-
eral hours at ‘‘ Little’? Washington, where they were most
hospitably entertained by Dr. Gallagher and others. Most
of this party took a trip to Kinston and were piloted over
the battle-field by three ‘‘Johnnies’’ who were in that
action. Although changes had been made in forty-five
years, many of the locations were readily recognized.
Previous to their departure from New Bern they formally
issued the following address :

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
aa ESET

New BERN, N.C., Nov. 12, 1908.

To the residents of the City of New Bern:

Ladies and Gentlemen :
Representatives of the 25th, 44th and 45th Massachusetts

regiments, present at the dedication services of the Massa-
chusetts Memorial to her buried soldiers in the National
Cemetery at New Bern, which regiments respectively,
among others, in addition to their other service in the De-
partment of North Carolina, served as provost guards of
the city of New Bern at various periods during its occupa-
tion by the Federal forces, have, though nearly a half cen-
tury has passed, vivid and especial memories of persons of
former times and of ancient landmarks yet remaining
within the borders of the old and picturesque city.

On the part of the regiments specified, and we are sure,
on the part of all soldiers who have visited the city on this
present occasion in 1908, thanks are due and are hereby
extended for the kindly reception with which all Massa-
chusetts soldiers have been received, and for the courtesies
and hospitalities, so generously extended everywhere and
by everybody in the city of New Bern.

To the United Daughters of the Confederacy thanks are
specially returned for the courtesy of their reception night,
an occasion of unalloyed sociability and pleasure to all
who attended the function. Many of the visiting soldiers
of the Federal forces who attended the reception knew dur-
ing their tour of duty in New Bern the grandmothers and
mothers of the young and lovely ladies whose hospitality
was enjoyed, some of their maternal ancestors being brave
enough to remain during Federal occupation at their own
homes in the city, and to have no fear of the invading
‘“Wankee.’’? In this day their daughters may be assured
that their mothers appreciated the good order kept by the
provost guards of this good city, and that womanly pres-
ence in the city was appreciated by the men of the guards.

Again, thanks! thanks ! and good-bye.

JOSEPH P. EATON,
25th Mass., Chairman.

JOHN D. WHITCOMB,
; 45th Mass., Secretary.

 

[99 ]
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ 100 } Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors

Although the members of the * Official Party” had both
individually and collectively expressed their appreciation
of the courtesies shown them while in New Bern, they
felt a wish to express that appreciation in some perma-
nent and tangible form, so soon after leaving that city a
suggestion was made to that effect. At the breakfast at
the South Station in Boston, on Saturday morning, a
committee consisting of Hon. Wm. D. Chapple, Adjutant
General Brigham, Major Charles B. Amory, Sergeant
Ephraim Stearns, and Private Horace Forbush, was ap-
pointed to carry out the suggestion. Accordingly on Dec.
3, 1908, the following letter was sent to New Bern Chap-
ter, No. 204, United Daughters of the Confederacy :

Boston, Mass., Dec. 3, 1908.

Mrs. CHARLES L. STEVENS, New Bern, PB OS

Dear Mrs. Stevens—The undersigned were appointed a
committee by the Massachusetts Delegation to New Bern
to present to New Bern Chapter, United Daughters of the
Confederacy, a suitable memorial, that they may realize in
a slight degree the deep sense of gratitude which the Mas-
sachusetts Delegation feels toward them; and we have,
accordingly, purchased a sterling silver punch bowl and

ladle, which we are shipping you by express today.
(Signed) Wm. D. CHAPPLE,

Wo. H. BRIGHAM,
Cuas. B. AMorY,

EPHRAIM STEARNS,
HorRACE FORBUSH.

The accompanying engraving will give an idea of the
testimonial. The bowl, which was gold lined, had a ca-
pacity of about sixteen pints, and with the ladle which
accompanied it, was enclosed in a handsome velvet case.

The inscription engraved on the bowl was :

Presented to New Bern Chapter, United Daughters of
the Confederacy, by the Massachusetts Delegation of State
Officials and Veterans of the War of 1861-1865, in grateful
appreciation of the hospitality, kindness and sympathy
shown them at the dedication of the Soldiers’ Monument in
the National Cemetery at New Bern, N..C.;, Nov. 11, 1908.

PUNCH BOWL PRESENTED TO NEW BERN CHAPTER, NO. 204

UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors [ 101 ]

The ‘‘ Daughters’? acknowledged its receipt in the

following letter :

UnrtED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY,
New BERN CHAPTER, No. 204.
New Bern, N.C., Dec. 21, 1908.

Mr. CHAPPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.

Dear Mr. Chapple—On December 19th, at our regular
monthly meeting, the officers of the U. D. C. gave an in-
formal reception to the Chapter in honor of the punch
bowl lately sent them by the Massachusetts Delegation.
This was done that the Daughters might be the first to see
and christen the beautiful gift, for indeed it is a thing of
beauty, and ‘‘ perfect’’ is the only word that any Daugh-
ter could find to express her admiration.

The unlooked-for but much appreciated acknowledge-
ment of the Daughters courtesy to the Union Veterans on
the occasion of their visit to New Bern makes us feel surer
that that visit will help to a clearer understanding between
those of the two sections, hence a fuller appreciation of
each other. Thanking you again, I am very truly,

Mrs. W. P. M. Bryan,
Cor. Secretary New Bern Chapter.

—_

atime

Pisses

A great deal of interest was felt in the erection of this
monument by all who had served in North Carolina,
though but comparatively few were privileged to attend
the dedication. On the evening of December 2, 1909, by in-
vitation of the Historical Committee of the Massachusetts
Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion
of the United States, Captain Putnam gave a detailed and
most interesting account of the excursion to the members
of that body. In speaking of the ladies who assisted in

the unveiling he said:

‘‘Mrs. Hartsfield, a New Bern lady, was invited to par-
ticipate in the ceremony as a representative of the Daugh-
ters of the Confederacy, and from compliment to her
father, Colonel J. J. Wolfenden, commander of the local
Confederate Camp, who had helped greatly in making the
dedication exercises so successful.

Miss Alice Alden Sprague, the fair and youthful daugh-
ter of our commander, General A. B. R. Sprague, (Gen-

OR i TEENS

 
 

 

 

[ 102 ] Massachusetts Memorial to Her Soldiers and Sailors
—

eral Sprague was then commander of the Massachusetts
Commandery), is a lineal descendant of John Alden and
Priscilla Mullens, of the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock.

Of the other, Mrs. Laura A. Dugan, there is a tale at
once pathetic and pleasant. In the time of the yellow fever
at New Bern, 1864, that scourge that so decimated the
ranks alike of combatants and non-combatants, one of the
unwritten chapters, I may say, of the story of the civil
war; at that time Colonel Amory, of the 17th regiment,
together with his wife and four children, were at Beaufort.
Both the father and mother died of the fever, leaving
Laura, a babe five months old. Colonel Frankle, then in
command of New Bern in the absence of General Palmer,
had much to do in caring for the orphan children and more
than once had this infant in his arms, though Mrs. Palmer,
wife of the General, had chief charge of the child. Assoon
as transportation could be provided consistently with the
strict quarantine, the child was taken to her grandparents,
near Boston, where she lived until adopted by her uncle,
Major Amory, of our Order. After forty-four years Mrs.
Dugan returned to New Bern to see her birthplace, even
the house where she was born, and to aid in unveiling the
monument erected in memory of comrades in the same local
service of her gallant father.’’

From the inception of the idea until the completion and
dedication of the monument and return to Massachusetts
of those who visited New Bern, everything connected with
the plan was a complete success. Our opponents of nearly
half a century ago received us with open arms, and the
events of the civil war seemed to be but a memory. The
monument itself is beautiful in design and execution, and
is a fitting testimonial to those in whose memory it was
erected. But beautiful and appropriate as it is, the patri-
otism and devotion displayed by the sons of Massachusetts
whenever required to serve their country or their state
will ever be their most expressive and enduring memorial.

Sor, —
lina a a OOS naa

 
 
 

 

JOYNER

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