708 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

emy were soon driven back with the loss of one of the gun:
boats.

In January, 1865, the enemy made a demonstration in
force from New Bern, on Kinston, and came within four or
five miles of the town, but were promptly driven back by the
Sixty-seventh and other troops then at Kinston.

Nothing else of importance occurred in that district until
the latter part of February, 1865, when General J. D. Cox,
with a large Federal army advanced from New Bern on Kin-
ston, with the purpose of making a junction, at some point
further west, with Sherman, who was coming from South
Carolina in that direction.

General Braxton Bragg, with such Confederate troops as
could be spared from other points, was sent to meet him. The
two armies met at South West Creek four and a half miles
east of Kinston, where for two days, 8 and 9 March, 1865,
there was sharp fighting and several hundred prisoners cap-
tured, mostly by the division of General R. F. Hoke, to which
the Sixty-seventh was attached. On the first day of the battle
General Hoke, with his command, the Sixty-seventh, being
in front, executed quite a brilliant manceuver by which he
surprised and after a short fight, captured about 700 Federals.

The next. day General Hoke made another attempt to out-
flank and surprise the enemy on another part of his lines.
This time the Federals were on the alert and gave him such a
warm reception that he withdrew to his own side of the creek.
After contesting the advance of the enemy four days, General
Bragg withdrew to the north side of the Neuse, destroyed the
bridge over the same and marched in the direction of Golds:
boro. General Hoke with his division, remained in the vicin-
ity of Kinston two or three days longer and then joined Bragg
at Goldsboro. At Goldsboro the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-
eighth, the latter commanded by that brave officer and ex-
cellent gentleman, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward ©. Yellowley,
were formed into a brigade and placed under command of
Colonel John N. Whitford, of the Sixty-seventh. At that
time the Sixty-seventh reported 700 for duty and the Sixty-
eighth 300; total 1,000, 99 Vol. Official Records Union and
Confederate Armies, p. 1424.

Stxty-SEvVeENTH REGIMENT. 709

The Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth were ordered from
Goldsboro to a bridge over Neuse river a short distance east
of Bentonville. We reached the bridge about noon, when
the enemy appeared in large numbers on the opposite, the
south side. On that side the river is bordered by a swamp
about half a mile wide. After posting a strong skirmish line
on the south side, in the swamp, the balance of the brigade
formed a line on the north side above and below the bridge
and near the river. Early next morning the enemy attacked
in force and gradually drove our skirmishers back, who, when
near the bridge, quickly crossed over, setting fire as they did
so to some combustible material which had been placed there.
The brigade remained near the bridge until it was nearly con-
sumed and then withdrew, the object having been accomplish-
ed which was to prevent the enemy from crossing to the north
side of the river during the battle of Bentonville. We then
joined General Johnston’s army at Smithfield a day or two
after the battle of Bentonville. We remained at Smithfield
one day and then marched Eastward by way of Wilson and
Tarboro. Our purpose was to get to the rear of the enemy
and interrupt and destroy as much as possible the enemy’s
transportation, which was by both river and rail from New
Bern via Kinston and Goldsboro.

The Sixty-eighth remained near Tarboro. The Sixty-
seventh proceeded to Greenville and went into camp in the

grove at the north end of the Greenville bridge. These two

regiments were accompanied by a battalion of the Thirty-
sixth North Carolina (Second Artillery) acting as infantry,
and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John D. Taylor.

IN REAR OF THE ENEMY.

From Tarboro a small company of cavalry was sent over
to Greene county in the direction of Kinston, which had sev-
eral skirmishes with the enemy’s forage parties, in one of
which Lieutenant Titus Carr, in consequence of the falling of
his horse, was captured. From Greenville Company A, of
the Sixty-seventh, a large and fine company, commanded by
Captain James H. Tolson, was dispatched to Neuse river, be-
tween New Bern and Kinston, with instructions to operate