134 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

ber of prisoners by Colonel Dearing, in command of the cav-
alry, and the capture of Norfolk threatened. This march
was made in very severe weather in the early part of March,
1864. It was immediately succeeded by the attack on and
capture of Suffolk, on 9 March, 1864. This was a most ex-
citing little affair, in which our troops met negro soldiers for
the first time. Quick work was made of their line of bat-
tle, and their retreat was soon converted into a runaway.
Their camps were hastily abandoned, arms thrown away, and,
discarding everything which could impede flight, they made
their way to the swamps. One piece of artillery and a large
number of horses captured, and a loss in killed and wounded
of several score of the enemy were the results. It was here
that our Quartermaster, Captain Durham, placing himself
at the head of a squad of cavalry, charged into and put to
flight a regiment of the enemy’s horse. A number of them
took refuge in a house in the suburbs of Suffolk, and began a
brisk and hurtful fire upon Durham’s men. He charged the
house and succeeded, after a surrender had been refused, in
setting fire to it. They continued the fight, until the flames
enveloped the building, and all of its occupants were de-
stroyed. The firing of our artillery was excellent, every shot
taking effect among the fleeing ebony horsemen. At a swift
run, by sections, Branch’s Battery kept shot and shell in their
midst as long as the fleeing cavalry could be reached.

The brigade held Suffolk all that day and the next. A
heavy column was moved from Norfolk and Fortress Monroe
to meet us; but, though we offered battle, no attack was made,
and when we advanced, with Companies D and K, of the
Forty-ninth, in the brigade front as skirmishers, the enemy
fell back to the swamp. On the evening of the 10th we re
turned via South Quay and Murfree’s Station, to Weldon.

On 30 March we began our march from Weldon, by way
of Murfreesboro and Winton, the latter place having been
totally destroyed by the Federals in one of their raids, to
Harrellsville, in Bertie county.

At this place and Coleraine and on the Chowan and beauti-
ful Albemarle Sound the month of April, 1864, was spent in
the fullest enjoyment of all the delights of springtime, beau-

Forty-Ninto REGIMENT. 135

tiful scenery on sound and river, and in the opening life of
woods and flowers. The fish and other delicacies of this fa-
vored region touched a tender spot in the make-up of veterans,
and cause us much congratulation that we had been chosen to
cover this flank of the attack upon and capture of Plymouth ;
and the period spent here marked a green spot in the memo-
ries of officers and men as the last space of repose and com-
fort, which fell to our lot during the struggle.

On the 30th we marched through Windsor and the lovely
Indian Woods to Taylor’s Ferry, on the Roanoke, which we
crossed at this point; thence through Hamilton to Greenville,
where it was reported that on the fall of Plymouth Little
Washington had been evacuated by the Federals, after burn-_
ing a considerable portion of the town. Pushing on from
Greenville, we crossed Contentnea creek, the Neuse and Trent
rivers to Trenton, thence to Kinston, and back to Weldon.
Immediately on our arrival there, we were sent to Jarratt’s
Station, on the Petersburg Railroad, to drive back the raid,
and open up the road from there to Stony Creek. A raiding

column of Federal cavalry had the day before succeeded in
cutting the road and tearing up the track after a hard fight
with the small force defending it. On 10 May we reached
Petersburg, and were at once hurried to Swift Creek, on the
Richmond pike, where fighting had been going on for some
time. We were now a part of Beauregard’s army, and while
he remained in Virginia continued under his command.

DREWRY'S BLUFF.

At the date last mentioned (May, 1864), Butler’s move-
ment on Drewry’s Bluff, with Richmond as the objective
point, had begun; and from this date until Five Forks every
day was a day of battle for us. Butler had seized the Rich-
mond pike, when we reached Petersburg, and had thrown a
considerable force across to the railroad and Chesterfield
Court House. But the advance of Hoke’s Division with the
brigades of Ransom and Hagood, under the command of that
sterling North Carolinian, Robert F. Hoke, caused its with-
drawal to the river side of the pike. At Half-Way House
Hoke offered battle, but the enemy slowly retired before him,