182 NortH CaroLina Troops, 1861-65.

noyance from the gunboats. This morning General Ransom
is ordered to take the Twenty-fourth and Fifty-sixth Regi-
ments te the right of the Lee’s Mill road, and make a demon-
stration against the enemy’s works from that quarter. The
other three regiments of his brigade, with Branch’s artillery,
are held by General Hoke to support an attack, if after
thorough reconneissance, he shall determine to make an as
sault with Hoke’s and Kemper’s Brigades from the direction
of Fort Sanderson, captured the night before. Heavy firing
between the artillery is kept up with an occasional shot
from the ram Albemarle now below the town, and also the
guns from Fort Sanderson are turned against the enemy, and
the skirmishers are pushed close to the works at various
points.

After this reconnoissance, General Hoke determined not to
make this attack, and the three regiments and Branch’s artil-
lery are sent to rejoin General Ransom; and the Virginia

THE CaprurE oF PLyMouTH. 183

After dark we reach Conaby creek, about a mile or more
from the town, and the skirmishers thrown forward find the
enemy in strong position on the opposite side, and the bridge
destroyed. Three pieces of artillery under Captain Blount
are advanced to within 300 yards, and the enemy soon dis-
lodged. Our sharpshooters again advance and the enemy
reappear. Some gallant member of the Twenty-fourth
plunges into the creek, swims across and brings back a skiff
and a party soon crosses in it. The pontoons which are in
charge of Lieutenant-Colonel S. D. Pool, of the Tenth, are
hurried to the front, placed in the creek, and three or four
companies pass over and are deployed as skirmishers and
drive the enemy back.

The pontoons are then swung around, and a bridge rapidly
constructed on which the infantry pass over, and are formed
into line about a mile from the enemy’s forts on the (Colum-
bia) road, the right flank resting on the Roanoke and the left

 

brigade, except a small portion left near Warren’s Neck, is extending beyond the road in the following order: Fifty-

brought around to the south of the town. This brigade had sixth, Colonel Faison, on the extreme right; then the Twenty-

fifth, Colonel Rutledge; Eighth, Colonel Murchison ; Thirty-
fifth, Colonel Jones, and then the Twenty-fourth, Colonel
Clarke, successively to the left. It is now near midnight,
as we had thrown up a slight breastwork, and the men lie
down to sleep on the bare ground, covered with their blankets

by its sharpshooters, prevented the enemy from working the
guns at the fort up the river, either upon the ram Albemarle —
or upon our forces to the left of the town. Ransom’s Bri-
gade is ordered in the afternoon to cross Conaby creek to the

east, and make a detour of four or five miles around to the
Columbia road. Colonel Dearing, with some cavalry and in groups of two or three for warmth, as the air is sharp and

artillery, comes up, and is allowed to pass the brigade in the piercing, so as to get some rest for the morrow and the terri-
road. That intuitive perception, with which the private sol- 9 ble work ahead. The enemy keep up a shelling through the
diers could often foretell the intent with which a move is night, but without much effect. Our gunboat, Albemarle,
made, now comes into play, and through the brigade the feel- now on the right of our line, exchanges shots with the 200-
ing becomes universal that it has been determined to make the pound gun at the upper end of the town. The night was
final assault from the'east side of the town, and that Ran- perfectly calm and cloudless, with a full moon lending beauty
som’s Brigade would be required to perform this duty. to the scene and the skirmishing is at times sharp and ter-
Laughing and joking almost cease, and a grim determination rifie, but the enemy are kept off at some distance from our
to do all that could be expected seems to pervade the ranks. oI line. Just as the moon is going down (and day breaking)
Although marching at will, there is no straggling, and the the troops are aroused and the line of battle formed, and the
companies close up and each soldier is glad to feel the touch signal rocket gives notice to General Hoke, who is with his
of a comrade’s elbow. A sereen of woods hides the move- Brigade near Boyle’s Mill, on the west side of the town, that
ment from the enemy. “About sunset the column strikes Ransom is ready to advance. The skirmishers under the
the Columbia road and now turns west towards Plymouth. gallant Captain Cicero Durham, the fighting quartermaster