794 NortH Carouina Troops, 1861-’65.

Colonel Brown started with 150 men in small row boats to
surprise the enemy at daybreak. The distance (about twenty
miles), however, proved too great, and at dawn his weary
soldiers were not in striking distance, but too near to re-
treat. Calling a council of his officers, it was decided to con-
ceal the men in the woods and watch the enemy’s movements
until night, when an attack would be made.

The Buffaloes spent the day—Sunday—in target-shooting °

and general carousal. Towards sunset they began going to
their homes, and the pickets, with orders not to fire, picked up
a number of them. However, one fellow spied the pickets,
dashed back to the block-house, and gave the alarm.

Immediately the long-roll rang out, and the plan was frus-
trated for the time being. In a few moments the gunboat
began dropping shells around Colonel Brown’s men, and
they set out for camp, crossing the Chowan before day.
Though foiled, Colonel Brown was by no means discour-
aged, and planned another expedition. Within three weeks
he had surprised and captured the camp at daylight. After
driving off the stock and burning the buildings, the men
were withdrawn.

Making for the row boats, Colonel Brown hoped to recross
the river before the Federal gunboats suspected his presence.
These were patrolling the river, and to be caught in the ene-
my’s country with one day’s rations was a gloomy prospect
to the Confederates. However, the first detachment under
Lieutenant Ellis effected a landing on the Bertie shore,
within easy range of the gunboat. The second, composed
of about fifty men of Company F, with Captain T. J.
Brown, of Company E, and Lieutenant-Colonel J. E. Brown,
was forced to put back into the Rockahock creek. They
were cut off by the gunboat anchoring in the mouth of the
creek. Next morning 200 Federal cavalry, sent from Gates-
ville, were in hot pursuit, and with the gunboat dropping
shells all around him, Colonel Brown reluctantly aban-
doned his boats and set out to meet 450 Federal marines.
These had landed from the gunboats to assist in Colonel
Brown’s capture.

Upon learning that the marines had landed, and were

 

 

Forty-SEconp REGIMENT. 795

coming up to the row boats, Colonel Brown planned an am-
buseade. But the surprise was for the Confederates, who
were fired upon before they knew the whereabouts of the en-
emy. Colonel Brown formed his men on one side of an old
field not more than 150 yards from the Federal troops, who
were concealed in the woods on the other side of the field. The
Confederate advance was as cool as if on dress-parade. The
Federals held their fire until the Confederates were within
60 or 70 yards and then fired a volley. Fortunately, their
fire was too high and a storm of bullets sped over the heads of
the Confederates. A charge was made, with the ‘Rebel
Yell,” which struck terror into the hearts of the Federals, and
they fell back into the swamp. Here Lieutenant W. C. Will-
son and Private E. Collett were wounded, apparently mor-
tally. Both, however, reovered from their wounds. Lieuten-
ant Willson became a minister of the Gospel and still survives.
It was learned afterwards that sixteen Federals were killed
in this fight. Here for the first time the men charged with the
“Rebel Yell,” and one Federal marine swore that there
must have been 500 Confederates charging, as no fifty men
could make such an awful noise.

A relief expedition was formed by the men on the other
shore of the river, and Colonel Brown and his men were
brought out in safety by midnight.

This serious affair was not lacking in the ludicrous. Cap-
tain Leggett (a plain boatman) had been carefully
instructed as to the mode of passing the sentry. If chal-
lenged he must answer “A friend,” when he would
be permitted to give an account of himself. Being in cit-
izen’s garb and unarmed, undoubtedly he would have been
permitted to pass. Having concealed his boats, he set out
to find a Mr. Davis, who would notify Colonel Brown
that the boats were ready to bring him over. Leggett had not
gone 300 yards before the keen click of a rifle and the sharp
challenge of a sentinel stopped him so suddenly, that he for-
got his instructions. In his extremity he cried out, ‘‘Where’s
Colonel Brown ie Fortunately for both sides, Leggett had
fallen into the hands of Colonel Brown’s sentinels, who at

SEER ae

ee