696 Nort Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

bank of the river, came down to the water’s edge for the pur-
pose of getting water, with torches and other lights in their
hands, and some of their cavalry which was in force on their
side of the river appeared on the banks. All at once the
sharpshooters on our side opened fire upon them with deadly
effect and they soon scattered back to the rear. We were
falling back, but the men were cool and deliberate, not hur-
ried at all in their marching and ready at all times to face
about and meet the foe. The Sixty-sixth Regiment, part of
the time, acted as rear guard of the division and did its full
duty in retarding the approach of the enemy’s cavalry.

We remained a short time near Northeast river, when we
fell back toward Goldsboro and stopped at what was then
called “Duplin Cross Roads.” Here we remained some
days, the division expecting, during its stay here, to receive
orders to march to Fayetteville for the purpose of joining
General Hardee’s army and impeding the army of Sherman
in his march northward. But these orders never came,
and the division was ordered to Kinston to meet the army of
General Schofield, who was moving from New Bern to join
forces with General Sherman.

While at Duplin Cross Roads, Lieutenant-Colonel C. G.
Wright was taken sick and sent to his home in Greens-
boro, where he died about the 13th of the month, and
Major D. S. Davis was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in his

stead, and Captain W. P. Robinson was recommended for
Major.

BATTLE OF SOUTH WEST CREEK.

We arrived at Kinston on 7 March, and immediately
crossed the Neuse river and took position on the railroad some
two or three miles below. On 8 March a flank movement
was made by Hoke’s Division to our right and around the
left of the enemy’s forces, near Cobb’s Mill. We took them
completely by surprise, and after a gallant attack we effectu-
ally routed them, capturing a large number of prisoners and
inflicting a great loss upon them. After having driven the
troops back upon their lines, we faced about and started to
make another attack upon them over the samo ground from

Srxty-Sixra REGImMent. 697

which we had shortly before routed them. The field was cov-
ered with dead and dying, broken guns, empty saddles, dis-
mantled caissons and artillery and cavalry horses in great
numbers. The field officers were afoot, the regiment being
commanded by Major Davis, Colonel Nethercutt during this
fight, being familiar with the ground, acting as Chief on Gen-
eral Hoke’s staff. Seeing two fine looking black horses stand-
ing side by side, the commanding officer, Major Davis, and
the writer left the line and ran with all their might to cap-
ture these horses, and imagine their surprise to find that their
ham-strings had been cut and the animals could not move out
of their tracks. Some very fine horses, however, were ob-
tained by some of the more fortunate ones.

On 9 March a similar attempt was made upon the left
flank, but for some reason it was not carried out; I suppose,
because the situation of the country would not permit of it.
We, therefore, retired at night to our old position in the line
near the railroad and slept comfortably, dreaming of what
would be before us on the morrow.

On the 10th another attack was made upon the enemy’s
left flank, at or near Wise’s Fork. For some reason our lines
were not extended sufficiently far to our right and his left,
and an order was given too soon to charge the enemy’s line,
and when the charge was made we found that the enemy had
prepared for us with his breastworks facing both ways, and
the same protected by small pines, which had been cut down,
lapped over each other and their limbs trimmed and point-
ing in our direction. When the Sixty-sixth was within about
fifty yards of the enemy, it was ordered to lie down to pro-
tect itself from the galling fire from the breastworks. The
troops on the left of our line did not seem to take in the situ-
ation, and did not come to our support, and we were com-
pelled to fall back, leaving a large number of the men of the
regiment dead and dying on the field. How many were
killed or how many were taken prisoners, we were never able
to find out. We only know that at least one-half of the regi-
ment was left upon that field, and the balance of it, under the
command of Major Davis, was cut off from the rest of the
army and was in the rear of the enemy’s position. But