344 Norru Caroitina Troops, 1861-’65.

vice at Fort Fisher, was the animated chase of a Confeder-
ate blockade-runner by the ever vigilant ships of the enemy.
The vessel, commanded by the late Captain John N. Maf-
fitt, was saved only by the skill and bravery of this famous
commander, and a detail from Starr’s Battery was sent off ix
boats to aid in taking off part of the cargo, that Captain Maf
fitt might proceed up the river.

About this time Colonel Wm. Lamb, now of Norfolk, suz-
ceeded Lieutenant-Colonel John J. Hedrick in the commard
of Fort Fisher, and a short time afterwards Starr’s company
went into camp outside the walls of Fort Fisher, a short dis-
tance up the beach.

Throughout the whole of the late summer and early fell
of 1862, the yellow fever raged with unabated violence in tie
city of Wilmington ; so that when, in September, orders were
received by Captain Starr to report immediately with lis
command to the commanding officer at Kinston, N. C., it was
necessary to make a detour of the plague-stricken city, ad
to march overland to North East, a station on the Wilmiig-
ton & Weldon Railroad, to take the train for Kinston.

But the men made the long march through oppressive lat
and heavy sands with cheerfulness, nay, alacrity. They wire
going into active light artillery service for which they Ind
enlisted, and their zeal was intense. And here the historan
deems it but just to say that while Starr’s Light Artillery vas
condemned to service throughout the war to the eastern pirt
of North Carolina, it over and over asked to be transfered
to the sphere of action in Virginia. It rests content wth
having done its duty where its country called for the exerese
of its self-denial and patriotism.

At Kinston the company found a battery of six-poundes,
with a full complement of excellent horses, and went into
eamp, taking quarters in what was known as “The Old Ca-
tle,” a huge ruinous, half dismantled building in the southen
part of the town. ee

On 17 Deeember, 1862, took place the battle of Neue
river bridge, a short distance below Goldsboro, General G. V.
Smith commanding the Confederate forces. About sunrie
the enemy were reported by scouts to be advancing in heaw

a a SR sR naw

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THIRTEENTH BATrALIon. 345

foree from the direction of Kinston on the county road, and
Colonel Marshall, of the Fifty-second Regiment, North Car-
olina Infantry, was ordered by General Clingman to proceed
with his command to the railroad bridge, and hold it at all
hazards. linmediately on taking position this regiment was
attacked by the enemy in such heavy force, by two simul-
taneously approaching columns, that our left was hurled
back and doubled up on itself, while the Federal infantry
rushed on, and applied the torch to the railroad bridge. The
Fifty-second Regiment was then moved rapidly up the bank
of the river in the direction of the county bridge, half a mile
above, where Starr’s Battery was in line a short distance from
the county road. Just before reaching this point the gallant
Fifty-second, which had fought so bravely, was fired into by a
company of the Fifty-first North Carolina Infantry, who
mistook their comrades for the enemy.

The Union troops, having effected the destruction of the
railroad bridge, fell back to a position on a commanding hill
on the east side of the railroad, about 600 yards above the
bridge. This position, during the afternoon, was assailed
by General Clingman with a column of the Fifty-first and
Fifty-second Regiments, under the immediate command of
Colonel Marshall, while those in reserve in the skirt of woods
were subjected to a galling artillery fire from a Federal bat-
tery of four guns.

At about 4 o’clock General Clingman ordered two pieces of
Starr’s Battery to proceed on the right, supported by Colonel
Shaw’s Eighth Regiment, down the county road, and attack
the enemy in flank, while Colonel Marshall was instructed to
advance at a charge on the enemy’s right as soon as Starr’s
artillery should open fire. In the meantime, the enemy’s ar-
tillery on the hill had been reinforced by four other guns,
making in all eight pieces, which raked the road along which
our section of the battery was advancing, making the fire so
heavy that the gun under the immediate command of Lieu-
tenant Rush did not advance, that officer halting it some dis-
tance from the scene of action.

In the meantime, General Evans, of South Carolina, had
ridden up on the left of our line; and, seeing that part of