250 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

thirty. I marched my entire command, with very few ex-
ceptions, in good order back to your camp..
I am sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
Wuarton J. GREEN,

Lieutenant-Colonel Second North Carolina Battalion.

To Colonel H. M. Shaw.

In my report to Colonel Shaw should have been stated
the fact that I strenuously protested against surrender
without a further effort to resume our original lines, pledg-
ing my command to hold the enemy’s advance in check a rea-
sonable time if he would come to our assistance with the
other troops. This I certainly understood him to promise to
do. A mistaken sense of courtesy or delicacy to the officer in
immediate command to whom report was submitted, forbade
its insertion at the time. Sure I am that the survivors of the
gallant gentlemen who were present at that interview, and
there were many, will vouch to the accuracy of the statement.
The Second North Carolina Battalion was in unbroken line
of battle with the enemy advancing in full force, but hoping
reinforcements, when the white flag of surrender passed.
In reply to my expressed purpose to double quick it back
to the transports with an eye to escape, the answer came,
“This island and all upon it has been surrendered. You will
make the attempt on your peril of breach of terms.”

A little incident of juvenile heroism surpassing that of
“the boy on the burning deck,” may not be out of place.
Whilst awaiting the enemy in force, a little lad scarcely mid-
way in his teens, walked down the front of the line, his right
arm dangling at his side but still clutching his trusty double-
barrel with his left.

“Colonel,” he said, “they have broken my arm. Can I go
to the rear and let Dr. Patterson look after it?”

There was no more perturbation in his voice than if he had
been asking or answering a question on parade. There was
incipient hero there, and would that I knew him to-day. Vil
stake my life that that boy has never proved recreant to past
manhood duty, or gone back on early promise then made.

Srconp BATTALION. 251

A few days after the surrender, we were transferred to the
steamer S. R. Spaulding with Fort Warren as objective
point. But through the efforts of General Burnside, who
impressed us then with his courtesy and soldierly treatment,
as he did those who knew him after the war, imprisonment
was changed into parole. Fortunately for the Confederacy
later on, his reach of requisite for the chief command to
which he was assigned against the greatest soldier of his age,
fell something short. But better far than the reputation of
a second-class commander, he bore “the grand old name of
gentleman.” The writer is thus pleased to acknowledge
more than one civility received at his hands, including an ex-
change of body servants, his and mine, the first being then
confined at Richmond. Mine, Guilford Christmas, was with
me before and during the war and has been with me ever
since, a faithful servant and a true friend, once exchanged as
said, and later escaping after a second capture. Had not
racial interdict precluded his enlistment, the Confederacy
would have had few more devoted servants, for his heart was
in it.

The disparity of force in this, the second great battle of
the war, was too great to admit of hope for the weaker after
the other side had secured a foothold. Colonel Shaw gives
his entire available force exclusive of those in the water bat-
teries at 1,434, rank and file, previous to the arrival of my
own and Major Fry’s commands. Loss 23 killed, 58
wounded and 62 missing. General Burnside puts his, not
counting the gunboats, at 12,829, loss 264. To make the dis-
parity the greater they were commanded by educated soldiers
like Burnside, Foster, Parke and Reno. That inequality
was a little too much so, even in those early days, when to
paraphrase Harry of England, some did “think upon one
pair of Southern legs did march five Yankees.”

Later on, and after better acquaintance, few objected to

having the carrying capacity of those locomotors reduced to
three or even two blue coats.

Eight or ten to one, was out of all reason. On 21 Febru-
ary the battalion was paroled at Elizabeth City. We were