528 NortH Caro.ina Troops, 1861-65.

gade was placed in camp near the city and for several months
went through a rigid course of instruction and discipline from
“squad drill” to “evolutions of the line” and became as well
drilled as a corps of regulars, and as well clothed and equip-
ped as a Confederate brigade could be. No enemy appeared
in front of Wilmington, but when General George E. Pickett
was sent with his division to Kinston and ordered to attack
and recapture New Bern—on 2 February, 1864—\General
Martin was sent from Wilmington on an expedition to cut
the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad and destroy the
bridge at a village called Shepperdsville, now known as New-
port, a few miles west of Morehead City. General Pickett’s
demonstration was feeble and completely failed, but Martin
successfully accomplished the task assigned to him after a
very long and fatiguing, but energetic march, most skilfully
concealed from the enemy, and a spirited battle with the
forces protecting the railroad bridge. His force consisted of
two regiments of his brigade, the Seventeenth and Fortx-sec-
ond, a squadron of cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffords, and
a battery of artillery, Captain Paris. Finding White Oak
river bridge destroyed, General Martin’s Commissary, Cap-
tain Starke, acted as engineer and quickly constructed with
pine trees a sort of dam over the stream, without nails—over
which the command passed going and returning. The enemy
was surprised, vigorously attacked, driven out of his forts and
block houses, abandoned his quarters and lost cannon, arms
and a large quantity of supplies and many prisoners. The
bridge was burned. But as Pickett had' failed, Martin was
compelled to return to Wilmington.

When the Confederates from Lee’s army under General
Robert F. Hoke assaulted and captured Plymouth, N. C., af-
ter a bloody engagement (with the valuable aid of the iron-
elad ram Albemarle, which was built at Edwards’ Ferry on
Roanoke river under contract with the Confederate States
Navy Department by Lieutenant Gilbert Elliott, of the Sev-
enteenth North Carolina Troops, detached), Martin’s Bri-
gade was ordered to relieve Hoke’s command, which made an-
other demonstration against New Bern without material re-

sults.

 

THe Martin-KiRKLAND BRIGADE.

PETERSBURG.

Soon after this all available forces in the Carolinas and
at South Atlantic posts were concentrated at Petersburg
and south of the James to resist Butler’s army. Martin’s
Brigade (except the Fiftieth Regiment which was left in
North Carolina) reached Petersburg and reported to Major-
General W. H. C. Whiting on 14 May, 1864. The com-
manding general Beauregard, was then fighting Butler’s army
near Drewry’s Bluff. Having driven the enemy towards the
river Beauregard planned a great general battle to “bottle him
up’’—and directed Whiting to co-operate. General Whiting’s
infantry consisted of the brigades of Martin and Wise. He
had the valuable assistance of Major-General D. H. Hill,
then without a command, and Brigadier-General Roger A.
Pryor was serving with him as a mounted scout. As some
of General Whiting’s staff officers were left in Wilmington
and General Martin had a full staff, he directed me to offer
my services to General Whiting, and I rode with him part of
the day when his unfortunate failure occurred. Butler’s
army having seized the main road between Richmond and
Petersburg, General Beauregard sent a staff officer by a long
detour through Chesterfield County to ride with a battle order
to Whiting. TI saw General Whiting have the order and
heard him read it It plainly ordered him to advance from
his position, which was then across Swift Creek, on the morn-
ing of 17 May and “move rapidly forward in the direction of
the heaviest firing”—along the Petersburg & Richmond road
and towards Port Walthall Junction—the point where a road
crosses the former and leads to James river. Had this junc-
tion been seized Butler’s army would have been cut off. But
General Whiting would not advance after forming his line of
battle, because he did not hear heavy firing. There must
have been a condition of the atmosphere to prevent it, for the
sound of the firing was not heavy. From this General Whit-
ing claimed that Beauregard had ceased to fight and feared
that he would endanger Petersburg and expose his own right
flank—if he moved forward. General Pryor told him he had
been seven miles down the Appomattox and there was no en-

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