542 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

ment, which were confronted by Paine’s Division of colored
.troops and Abbott’s white brigade behind intrenchments and
protected by the great Federal fleet to rake the intervening
space with shot and shell, grape and canister, while Terry
with the white forces stormed Fort Fisher. Bragg moved
Hoke’s two brigades forward to attack. We easily drove in
the enemy’s skirmish line, occupied their rifle pits, and our
skirmishers were making their main line keep their heads
down behind the intrenchments. When we all expected the
order to charge a courier came to Hoke from Bragg ordering
him to withdraw to Sugar Loaf. My recollection is that we
confidently expected to run over the troops in cur front and
drive them in confusion upon Terry’s attacking column. But
we obeyed orders and fell back to the line at Sugar Loaf,
about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and there we laid down,
shelled by the ships, and heard the musketry fire at Fisher
until its brave garrison was overcome at 11 o’clock that night.
The rockets from the fort said, “Come and help us,” but we
were not moved ; and sad was the sight when the rockets from
the ships and display of colored lights and blowing of whistles
announced the surrender of the fort. I felt that all had not
been done to save it.

General Bragg has been severely censured in the official
reports of Whiting and Lamb and by their friends for not
moving Hoke forward. He said he did not think that Hoke’s
small force could succeed with the fleet on their flank; and
General Hoke since the war has told me that he concurred

with Bragg. The impartial reader of history must decide. -

A Federal Colonel, after the surrender at Greensboro, told
me he thought if Hoke had advanced Terry would have been
beaten. TI believe our charge would have been successful, be-
cause the troops in front were blacks.

In a few days Terry advanced, and we slowly fell back to
Wilmington, Kirkland’s Brigade fighting this titae as the
rear-guard, skirmishing behind the pines. The retreat
through the city was gloomy indeed, for we had many streng
personal friends among its kind and hospitable peuple. Stil]
forming the rear guard of the infantry column, our brigade
crossed North East river on a pontoon bridge very near the

 

THe Martin-Kirkbanp BRIGADE. 543

railroad bride, which was burned. I was directed with two
companies of the Seventeenth North Carolina to prevent the
enemy from crossing by the railroad bridge, to cover the with-
drawal of all our cavalry over the pontoon. At this point we
had a spirited affair with the enemy from opposite sides of
the river, but he was not allowed to cross until our forces
were all safely over on our side, when we quietly rejoined our
column on the march to Goldsboro. I remember Lieutenant
Wilson G. Lamb, with one of the companies of the Seven-
teenth, as displaying coolness and conspicuous bravery. In-
deed, the entire command at the burning bridge was efficient
and brave. Our campaign in the barren turpentine peninsula
was very uncomfortable. Food was scarce, and we all got
smutted by lightwood fires.

In fighting Terry’s troops we encountered the first eneuy
armed with repeating rifles, one of his regiments (I believe
the Tenth Connecticut) having Spencer seven-shooters.

SOUTH WEST CREEK.

Soon after reaching Goldsboro we were moved to Kinston,

and General Bragg was reinforced by troops from Hood’s
army, now commanded by General D. -H. Hill.

The enemy came out from New Bern under General Cox,
and Bragg advanced to meet him at or near Wise’s Fork.
Hoke’s Division was put in motion in the night, Kirkland’s
Brigade this time leading, and by a long detour through woods
and swamps completely turned the enemy’s right and ad-
vanced upon his rear.

About uoon on 8 March, 1865, Hoke formed his division
in line for attack, Kirkland’s Brigade on the right, and there
was no sign that the enemy knew we were in the dense swamp
or pocosin behind him. Hoke summmoned all his Brigadicrs
to the extreme right for consultation, and these with their
staff officers made a party of about twenty mounted officers.
The General concluded to extend his line still further to the
right, and, thinking we were not discovered by the enemy,
moved by the right flank—all these horsemen in front, with
no skirmish line out, but followed by Colonel John N. Whit-
ford’s Sixty-seventh North Carolina. Suddenly while the