392 Norru Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

tion of his company, undertook to man the guns, which they
did very successfully and did good service. In about an hour
the coast was cleared, the enemy returning to their vessels, ex-
cept a captain and a few men who had been captured by the
boys. The battalion remained under arms in a cold rain all
night. The enemy after that night abandoned the attack on
the fort and drew out to sea: Adjutant Brown was wounded
in this engagement and was never with the command any
more. Private Chapman, of Company A, and Private Carri-
gan, of Company D, were wounded.

COLERAINE.

The enemy having abandoned their attack and withdrawn
from before Fort Fisher, the battalion returned to Camp
Lamb on the 27th, where they had another short respite from
active service. It lasted but a short time, however. The en-
emy had possession of New Bern and were threatening to
overrun all of Eastern North Carolina. Along in January,
1865, they had entered Albemarle Sound and had gone up
Chowan river with one or more gun boats and a small force
had effected a landing at Coleraine. The battalion was again
ordered to leave Camp Lamb, for the last time, and were sent
by train to Halifax. It was a cold, uncomfortable trip. For
want of room inside the cars some of the boys were compelled
to ride on top the train and it was so cold that one of the boys
froze and fell off the car on the trip. Arriving at Halifax
we were placed with the Seventy-first Regiment (Second
Juniors) and some other troops, under Colonel John H. An-
derson, of that regiment and marched down the Roanoke and
across the country to Coleraine, encountering flooded streams
and other obstacles, to meet the enemy at that point. They
did. not hold their ground to give our boys the glory of an en-
gagement with them, but at our approach they went back
aboard their gun boats and evacuated the place.

From Coleraine the battalion returned to Goldsboro and
took up camp there for a few weeks. On or about 12 and 13
January, while in camp at Goldsboro all the boys in the bat-
talion over 18 years of age were transferred to regular Con-
federate regiments to fill up their depleted ranks.

TWENTIETH BATTALION, 393

BATTLE OF SOUTH WEST CREEK.

A short time after this the enemy coming out from New
Bern was advancing toward Kinston. The battalion was
ordered away from Goldsboro to move to Kinston and was
attached to General Hoke’s Division. A few miles below
Kinston General Hoke’s force met and engaged the enemy,
whom they repulsed. Some 1,500 or more of the Federal
forces were taken prisoners. In this fight, 8-9 March, the
battalion was actively engaged and sustained considerable loss
in killed and wounded. While supporting General Hoke’s
left wing a portion of the enemy’s force advanced upon and
engaged our boys. In thé morning we held a position on the
south side of the railroad, but in the afternoon were ordered
to change position to the north side, crossing very near where
the enemy were advancing. As soon as we crossed over the
enemy attacked our boys, to which they promptly responded
and a sharp engagement followed. Here for the first time,
the boys were ordered to make a charge, which they did ef-
fectively, and drove the enemy back. Companies © and E
were particularly exposed by being in the road without any
shelter, and suffered considerable loss in wounded; Captain
Lane, of Company ©, was shot through the breast and seri-
ously wounded; Lieutenant Liner, of Company C, received
two slight flesh wounds; Lieutenant Douthit (who is named
in Major Moore’s “Roster” as Lieutenant Danthel), and
Lieutenant Lineberry, of Company E, were both mortally
wounded. This company, E, had nine men wounded in this
engagement. Corporal W. R. Hill, of Company D, was
killed and several others of that company wounded. The
other companies had some of their men wounded, but I am
not able now to give names and number. Major Millard,
being absent from the battalion since leaving Wilmington,
Captain Hall, a brave and courageous officer was in com-

mand.
BENTONVILLE.

After the engagement at Kinston, the battalion was as-
signed to the brigade of Junior Reserves, which already em-
braced the Seventieth, Seventy-first and Seventy-second Reg-