TwEntTy-SixtH REGIMENT. 3809

Brigade to advance up the county road, and attack our front
and left; Reno’s Brigade to march up the railroad with orders
to turn our right; and Parke’s Brigade to follow along the
county road at convenient distance as a support either to Fos-
ter or Reno as there might be need.

General Burnside’s advance appears to have met no oppo-
sition; the Croatan breastworks above Otter Creek he found
abandoned, and at night his entire command bivouacked in
easy striking distance of the Confederate lines of defence,
which we will now describe.

About five miles below New Bern on the right bank of the
Neuse River the Confederates had constructed a strong fort,
called “Fort Thompson,” manned by thirteen siege guns of

 

 

good size, supported by ten field pieces, with three navy 32-
pounders on its rear face.
‘ From the fort in a straight line to the railroad leading
22> yeenulan " i from New Bern to Morehead City, was the main line of de-
ase ek, \ fense, consisting of a strong breastwork about one and one-

quarter miles in length.

Through the centre of these breastworks the Beaufort

County road leading to New Bern passed, and intersected the

railroad about two miles behind the works; thence crossed the

Trent river on a wooden bridge about a mile and a half above

New Bern. Where the breastworks met the railroad there

was a brick kiln, and this proved to be the cause of all our

woes in this battle. Instead of continuing the breastworks

: straight across the railroad into the swamp beyond, to make

== Confederate the line as short as possible after reaching the railroad, the
om Vederat re. line was thrown back about 150 yards to the banks of Bullen’s
Creek and thence, a series of small breastworks conforming

to the features of the ground, ran off in the direction of a

swamp. To guard this gap of 150 yards in which was this

brick kiln plant, General Branch ordered the brick kiln to be

loopholed; and the evening before the battle, had ordered

down two 24-pounder guns which were being mounted when

the party was fired into in the beginning of the action and

the work was stopped never to be resumed. The timber in

front of the breastworks had been felled for some 350 yards.

General Branch’s disposition of his troops had to be made