248 Norra CaRroLina Troops, 1861-’65.

Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Wharton J. Green, Second
North Carolina Battalion:

On Boarp Steamer 8. R. SpavuLpine,
Orr RoanoxeE Isuanp, N. C.,
February 18, 1862.

Srr:—I herewith submit a report of the skirmish in which
my battalion (Second North Carolina) was engaged on Sat-
urday, the 8th instant:

In obedience to orders from Adjutant-General Cooper, re-
ceived on the evening of 30 January, I struck camp in the
vicinity of Wilmington on the morning of the 1st instant, and
proceeded hither with all possible dispatch. Owing to the
want of transports, we were detained two days and upward
in Norfolk, leaving that place on Wednesday, the 5th instant,
in tow of the canal tug boat White.

On Friday when about thirty miles distant from the
Island, continued discharges of artillery informed us of the
progress of a fight between the F ederal fleet and Confederate
batteries. Being entirely ignorant of the topography of the
Island, and not knowing where or to whom to report, I left
our transports about twenty miles hence and came on in the
steamer for information. Having obtained which, I re
turned to my men and crowded them on the smallest number
of transports that would contain them, and then started.
The night was very dark and stormy, with the wind against
us, consequently our progress was slow.

After beating about until midnight our pilot declared that
he had lost his reckoning, and as we had only a fathom and a

half of water, thought it safer to wait for daylight.

About 2 a. m. Saturday, a number of Confederate gunboats
passed us from the direction of the island, one of them run-
ning into the schooner Beauregard (one of our transports)
and seriously injuring her. In reply to our challenge and
statement of our condition, all the answer we could get was
that one of the boats was the Beaufort, the other the
Had they stopped in their flight long enough to exchange
pilots with us, or even to give ours the necessary instructions
as to his course, my battalion would have reached the island
in time to have participated in the entire action.

Seconp BarTatLion. 249

Failing to do so, it was 10 a. m. when we reached the island
and 12 o’clock before the men, arms and ammunition could
be got on shore, owing to their having to be-taken on lighters.
Having distributed all of my ammunition, I started for the
scene of action, but soon met scores of stragglers, who re-
ported everything lost and the Confederate forces entirely
dispersed.

Notwithstanding these discouraging reports, my men kept
in good spirits and pressed on with animation. On reach-
ing your camp, and having the worst reports confirmed, I
called upon you for orders, and was told to proceed to a point
some mile or two distant, under the guidance of Major Wil-
liamson, and take position.

After proceeding about half a mile we came suddenly upon
a Federal regiment, which I have since learned was the Twen-
ty-tirst Massachusetts. The two advanced companies of the
respective commands were about seventy-five paces apart, I
being some twenty paces in advance of mine. I gave the
command, ‘“‘By company into line,” when the officer in com-
mand of the Fedéral regiment threw up his hand and eried
out: “Stop, stop, Colonel; don’t fire; you are mistaken !”
Believing it to be a trick, I repeated my command. There-
upon the Federal officer gave the command, “Fire.” My
advanced companies returned the fire, firing at will after the
first volley. Finding that there was some confusion, and not
knowing the ground, I soon became satisfied that I could not
form my men in line of battle to any advantage on the ground
that they then oceupied, so I ordered them to fall back a short
distance and form behind the log houses occupied by Colonel
Jordan’s Regiment as quarters. This they did in good order.
The Federals fell back immediately after. Immediately
after forming behind the houses, Lieutenant-Colonel Fowle,
of the Thirty-first North Carolina, passed by with a white
flag, and stated that a surrender had been determined upon.

My loss was three men killed and five wounded, two of
whom have since died. I am happy to be able to report fa-
vorably of the action of both officers and men. The enemy’s
loss, as I learned from themselves, was between twenty and