Kinston, North Carolina

“ PINK HILL, the third largest town, is located in the extreme southern part of the county, 17 miles from Kinston, on a paved highway and served by the Kinston Carolina Railroad. It has an excellent county consolidated school, and many facilities similar to those found in larger towns. It is in the center of a section which produces the highest grade of tobacco in the belt, and is adapted to the profitable production of peaches and dewberries as well as general crops. One growing bank provides for the financial needs. ”

“ New Jersey were deployed as skirmishers to the left of the road, and advancing under fire, they crossed the creek on a mill dam, flanked the rebel battery, and, taking it by storm, captured a rifled six-pounder and several prisoners. The rebels retreated hastily and succeeded in saving the other six-pounder, but left six killed and wounded. Three hours were consumed in the reconstruction of the bridge. When completed the infantry and artillery crossed and marched towards Kinston, about three and a half miles, and halted for the night, in line of battle, with strong pickets out. ”

“ Preparations have for some time been carried to enable the force which was to engage in the attempt to push it to a successful issue. The time has now come when the object and the means of execution of this movement may be safely revealed. The object of the expedition was to capture Kinston, and then to take Goldsboro, thereby cutting the Wilmington and Weldon railroad, which would isolate Wilmington and effectually cut off its supplies and reinforcements. ”

“ The road lay through a section of country hilly and comparatively poor. During the day we came upon the enemy's pickets and drove them in, taking three or [Pg 24] four prisoners. By sunset we had marched seventeen miles. We then bivouacked for the night. This day's march was considered a very good one, considering the fatigued condition of the troops. On marching out of Kinston and recrossing the river the bridge we so fortunately saved the day previous was totally destroyed, in order to defeat any design on the part of General Evans to follow up and attack us in the rear. ”

“ Their loss is heavy in killed, wounded and prisoners, five hundred of the latter having fallen into our hands. Our loss is one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty in killed, wounded and missing.
The principal fight was a few miles beyond Kinston, where the enemy had intrenched themselves. The Third New York Cavalry, Colonel Mix's, had a hand to hand conflict with the Second North Carolina Cavalry. The New Yorkers routed the North Carolinians after a hard fight. All the Union troops are reported to have behaved well, exhibiting in many instances great courage and fearlessness. ”

“ Twelve miles beyond Kinston, at a place called Mosely Hall, the enemy have a battery of ten heavy guns, so planted as to deal a very destructive fire upon an advancing foe.
In the attack upon Lieutenant-Colonel Manchester's transports in the Neuse River the rebels suffered severely as reported by a deserter this morning. The shells from the Allison fell directly in the midst of the battery, killing and wounding several, and, for a time, dispersing the working force of the battery, together with an infantry reserve of some two hundred men, with two regiments at hand. ”

“ However after a renewed fight, lasting nearly two hours, we again silenced the enemy's fire, and pursued our retrograde movement. In the last fight the rebels opened from two batteries instead of one—their iron plated car—and brought into action their infantry on both sides of the river.
In the battle of this bridge the rebels had, as prisoners report, between eight and ten thousand troops engaged. We never had over one-third of our force engaged. About nine o'clock p. m. our army bivouacked for the night, between Whitehall and the Goldsboro railroad bridge. ”

“ She can be raised with but little trouble. Her guns have been taken off, as well as the crew, coal, provisions, etc., and she will soon be afloat. What effect this had on Gen. Foster's fortunes has not yet been ascertained. It probably prevented some rebel troops from meeting his forces. [Pg 77] If the river had been up, the flotilla would have been of great service in aiding in the capture of Kinston ”

“ An expedition, consisting of the gunboats Delaware, Seymour and Shawsheen, of the navy, under the command of Commander Murray, United States Navy, and the [Pg 72] steamboats Ocean Wave, Allison, North State, Port Royal, and Wilson, manned by the Marine Artillery and commanded by Colonel Manchester, left this point on Thursday last, the 11th inst., to proceed up the Neuse River to co-operate with the land forces under General Foster in his advance toward Kinston, or more properly to effect a diversion in General Foster's favor. ”

“ They are a valuable arm of the service, and merit better treatment than they have received from the authorities. It seems about time to recognize them as a corps, now that they are performing all duties contemplated in their organization. Justice ought to be done them.
Commander Murray is displaying an immense deal of energy in conducting naval operations in North Carolina waters, and is greatly aiding General Foster in his operations.
LOSSES IN THE THREE BATTLES:
Those of Kinston, Whitehall and the Goldsboro Bridge consolidated. ”

“ Whitehall, and made a rapid march (a distance of over twenty miles) to Mount Olive Station, a small place situated on the line of the Wilmington and Goldsboro railroad. While Major Garrard was away, in order to cover his operations, General Foster entered into a regular engagement at Whitehall.
The enemy, having destroyed the bridge over the river, showed that he labored under the impression that we would attempt to cross at this point; whereas, if he had not been so fast, he would have discovered that it was our intention to burn the bridge on the previous evening. ”

“ I fell in for a stray piece, and computed that the flesh I was then devouring, had fifteen minutes before formed a portion of an animate pig, careless of sorrow, and only seeking some innocent pieces of garbage or succulent root wherewith to tickle his palate and satisfy the cravings of hunger. How rapid are transmutations, sometimes! Little did that pig dream that on the morrow he would stimulate the nerves of many a soldier in the defeat of rebels and the capture of Kinston. ”

“ When a ration of cornfield peas was issued, the boys were in “high jinks” indeed. But never was there collected together more uncomplaining men. They recognized the fact that the Confederacy was doing for them its best.
BATTLE OF SOUTH WEST CREEK.
Upon the discovery of the advance of the enemy from New Bern, whence they set out early in March, General Hoke’s Division was ordered to Kinston. On 6 March, the Junior Reserve Brigade, consisting of the First Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Charles W. Broadfoot ”

“ Upton, was raised in the western part of the State, and left Camp Lincoln, Worcester, to join Burnside, and take part in his expedition. Little need be said, save that this regiment has inscribed on its banners such names as 'Roanoke Island,' 'Newbern,' 'Kinston,' 'Whitehall,' 'Goldsboro,' &c., &c. This regiment did the first provost duty in North Carolina. The 25th has taken part—together with the 23d and 27th—in the late brilliant advance of Gen. Butler on Richmond, where it has come in for its share of glory and hard knocks. ”

“ Captain Cole attempted to surround the fort and capture what there was remaining in it, when the guard discovered his force and decamped for the woods without firing a shot. Company K charged on the fort and took possession thereof, capturing everything in it. The armament remaining was found to consist of seven guns, including one eight-inch columbiad, two thirty-two-pounder iron guns, and four six-pounder iron guns. The four latter were found to be loaded, primed and ready to [Pg 70] be fired ”

“ Resolved, That the example of our patriotic forefathers is too plainly set before us to be unmindful of our duty. We know the cause of the Confederate States to be the supreme interest of North Carolina ”

“ INDEX Ainsworth, Major, 86 Allen, Ex-Gov., 86 Allison, 60, 72, 73 Allis' Flying Artillery, 17, 32, 42 Ammon, Captain John H., 44, 91 Ammon's Battery, 44 Amory, Colonel Thomas J. C., 80, 90 Amory's Brigade, 50, 55, 80 Angel, Captain James R., 81, 91 Angel's Battery, 42 Ashby, Lieut. G. E., 81 Arnold, Job Col. B., 78, 79 Atlantic and North Carolina R. R., 58
Ball's Bluff, 54, 59 Baltimore, Md., 85 Belger's Battery F., First Rhode Island Artil'y, 39, 51, 66, 79, 90 Belger, Captain James, 44, 79 Belknap, Col. ”

“ The city of Newbern bears the appearance of some age, is regularly laid out, the streets intersecting each other at right angles, and well protected from the merciless heat of summer by fine old elm trees, intermixed here and there with the chaney and other trees the names of which I do not recollect. The city is located at a point of land formed by the junction of the Trent river with the Neuse, and has altogether an imposing appearance viewed from the approach by water.
The Mass. 23d Reg't, Col. Kurtz, (who was provost marshal,) was then doing provost duty in the city. ”

“ But the great fact form which the complainant draws all his arguments, namely, that the Cherokees has not, in 1779, any other lands but those below the mouth of the Tennessee, is not true. From their western line, striking the Cumberland forty miles above Nashville, they did own the lands on that river, and between that and the line dividing North Carolina from Virginia, and they owned lands between that river and the Cumberland mountains ”

“ About the first of July the reg't was ordered to camp on the south side of the Trent river near the county bridge, to do picket and outpost duty, which consisted of sending a company to Bray's Ferry and plantation about three miles out, and another to Evans' Mills—seven miles down the railroad towards Beaufort. ”

“ In North Carolina, in the absence of the governor, I am governor! Don’t look so shocked; when I say I, I mean I—me! Do you understand what I said?”
“I heard what you said, Miss Dangerfield.”
“I mean what I said, Mr. Ardmore. I have taken you into my confidence because I don’t know you. I don’t [76] know anything about you. I don’t want to know anything about you. I’d be ashamed to ask anybody I know to help me. The people of North Carolina must never know that the governor is absent during times of great public peril. And if you are afraid, Mr. Ardmore, you had better not accept the position.” ”

“ Only the General Assembly shall have the power to classify property for taxation, which power shall be exercised only on a State-wide basis and shall not be delegated. No class of property shall be taxed except by uniform rule, and every classification shall be made by general law uniformly applicable in every county, city and town, and other unit of local government. ”

“ Their property is, nevertheless, often of considerable money value, consisting mainly of negroes, who, associating intimately with their masters, are of superior intelligence to the slaves of the wealthier classes.
Some of the larger proprietors, who are also often cotton [Pg 190] planters, cultivating the richer low lands, are said to be gentlemen of good estate—intelligent, cultivated, and hospitable.
North Carolina has a proverbial reputation for the ignorance and torpidity of her people; being, in this respect, at the head of the Slave States. ”

“ North Carolina has much to be proud of. She was first at Bethel, she went farthest at Gettysburg, she was last at Appomattox, her dead and wounded in battle exceeded in numbers those of any other two States of the Confederacy together. But, her last and most precious offering to the cause of Liberty were her boy-soldiers, who at her bidding willingly left their homes, and marched, and fought, and starved, and froze, and bled, and died that she might live and be free. God bless the Junior Reserves. Their memory will ever be cherished by the Old North State they loved so well. ”

“ She spoke of her friends, as Southern people have a way of doing, as though every one must of course know them—a habit that is illuminative of that delightful Southern neighbourliness that knits the elect of a commonwealth into a single family, that neither time and tide nor sword and brand can destroy. Ardmore’s humility increased as the names of the great and good of North Carolina fell from her lips ”

“ Under its leafage he read the constitution of the new colony. It would be too great a stretch of fancy to call it a democratic document, for it was not that, except in deft phrases. Power was certainly declared to be vested in the people; but the substance of power remained in the hands of the Proprietors.
Terms for land grants were generous enough in the beginning, although Henderson made the fatal mistake of demanding quitrents—one of the causes of dissatisfaction which had led to the Regulators' rising in North Carolina. ”

“ Every citizen of this State owes paramount allegiance to the Constitution and government of the United States, and no law or ordinance of the State in contravention or subversion thereof can have any binding force. ”

“ No convention of the people of this State shall ever be called by the General Assembly, unless by the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members of each House of the General Assembly, and except the proposition, Convention or No Convention, be first submitted to the qualified voters of the whole State, at the next general election in a manner to be prescribed by law. ”

“ Billings, of Bronx Loan and Trust, here in a great fury over bond matter. Do you know governor’s whereabouts?
“Things are certainly growing more exciting,” was Ardmore’s comment. “I suppose even a gifted liar like Collins can’t muzzle the press for ever.”
“You can’t go on fooling all North Carolina all the time, either,” said Jerry, “and I suppose when papa gets tired of being scared he will turn up in Raleigh and tell some plausible story about where he has been and what has happened. When it comes to being plausible no one can touch papa.” ”