HOKE BESIEGES WESSELLS IN PLYMOUTH.

533

was intensely hot; the dusty roads | batteries scarcely 100 yards distant. lined by thick brush, which excluded Those batteries opening upon her, air, yet afforded little or no shade; while she had no steam up, the capso that marches of barely 5 or 6 miles tors could do no better than fire and per day were accomplished with great destroy her. Pickett now drew off, fatigue and peril. Our men had no without trying his strength against cannon. A Rebel battery, well sup- the defenses of Newbern; claiming ported, was found in position three to have killed and wounded 100 of miles north-west of Legaréville; our men, captured 280, with two which the 26th U. S. Colored was guns, 300 small arms, &c., and definally sent" forward to take, and stroyed a gunboat of 800 horse-power, made five spirited charges upon, los- mounting 4 heavy guns—all at a cost ing 97 killed and wounded. But they of 35 killed and wounded. were 600 without cannon, against an equal force strongly posted, with 4 guns; so they were worsted, and their Col. (Silliman) falling from sunstroke, they were called off; and the expedition returned," after parading about the islands for another week. What it meant, if it meant any thing, or why force enough was not sent up to take the Rebel battery, if that was deemed desirable, remains among the mysteries of strategy. The foolish, wasteful fight was called by our men 'The Battle of Bloody Bridge.'

In North Carolina-our forces here having been slender since Foster's 12,000 veterans were made over to the South Carolina department in 1863-the initiative was taken this year by Gen. Pickett, commanding the Rebel department, who suddenly struck" our outpost at Bachelor's creek, 8 miles above Newbern, held by the 132d New York, carrying it by assault, and making 100 prisoners. Following up his success, he threatened Newbern; and a force under Capt. Wood actually carried, by boarding from boats, the fine gunboat Underwriter, lying close to the wharf, and under the fire of three July 14.

15 July 7.

The next blow was struck at Plymouth, near the mouth of the Roanoke, which was held for the Union by Gen. Wessells, with the 85th New York, 101st and 103d Penn., 16th Conn., and 6 companies from other regiments-in all 2,400 men. It was a fairly fortified position; while the gunboats Southfield, Miami, and Bombshell, were anchored in the river opposite. Gen. R. F. Hoke, with three infantry brigades, a regiment of cavalry, and 7 batteries-in all, at least 7,000 men-advanced against it so stealthily that he was within two miles before Wessells was apprised of his danger. The mailed ram Albemarle, coming down the Roanoke, took part in the attack.

18

the enemy's infantry, with their guns but 200 yards distant, that it was forced to surrender.

Hoke vigorously pressed the siege. Soon, the Albemarle, Capt. Cooke, ran down by Fort Warren and engaged our two remaining gunboats, of 8 guns each, striking the Southfield, Lt. French, so heavily as to sink her; then, turning on the Miami, killed Lt.-Com'r Flusser, and disabled many of her crew; when she fled down the river. The Albemarle then shelled the town with her rifled 32s, doing considerable execution.

Capt. Cooke, of the Albemarle, being naturally somewhat inflated by his easy triumph ever two unmailed gunboats, our remaining gunboats in those waters, under Capt. Melancthon Smith, were disposed to tempt him to a fresh encounter, on more equal terms. They had not long to wait for it. The Mattabesett, Sassacus, and Wyalusing, were lying 20 miles off the mouth of the Roanoke, when our picket-boats, which had been sent up the river to decoy the ram from under the protecting batteries of Plymouth, reported her coming;" and soon she was descried bearing down, accompanied by the river steamboat Cotton Plant, and what was lately our gunboat Bombshell. The former-being too frail for such an encounter-put back, with her 200 sharp-shooters and boarders, to Plymouth; and the contest began. The Albemarle was heavily iron-clad and armed with very large Whitworth guns; and our vessels of course played around her, seeking to inject their iron into her weakest quarter: the Sassacus taking occasion to pour one broadside at close range into the Bombshell, which compelled her to strike her flag and fall out of the range of fire. After a spirited cannonade at short range, the Sassacus struck the Albemarle at full speed, crowding her hull under water, but not sinking her. And now these life-and-death wrestlers exchanged 100-pound shots at five or six paces; the gunners of the Sassacus watching for the opening of a port by the Albemarle, and trying-sometimes with success-to fire a shell or shot into it before it could be closed again; as, from the ram's mailed sides or deck, 20 April 28.

Next morning," Hoke pushed forward all his batteries, and opened on the town and our remaining forts at 1,100 yards: Ransom, with one brigade, assaulting on the right, and Hoke, with two, going in on the left. By a desperate effort, in the face of a murderous fire, the two outer forts, mounting 8 guns, were carried at a heavy cost, and their garrisons made prisoners. A rush was then made on the town; which was likewise carried; and at length Fort Williams-which was still mowing down the assailants with grape and case-shot-was so enveloped and enfiladed that nothing remained for Wessells but to surrender. The fruits of the victory were 1,600 effective prisoners, 25 guns, at least 2,000 small arms, and some valuable stores. The Rebels admitted a loss here of only 300. Our combatants estimated it at fully 1,000, and say we had but 100 killed and wounded. As a consequence of this disaster, Washington, at the head of Pamlico sound, was soon evacuated by Gen. Palmer;" some of our departing soldiers disgracing themselves and their flag by arson and pillage ere they left. "April 20.

19

21 May 5, 3 P. M.

DESTRUCTION OF THE RAM ALBEMARLE.

535

the largest bolts, fired at this distance, same instant that one of the enemy's rebounded like dry peas. At length, shots crashed through the torpedothe ram put a shot through one of boat, utterly destroying it. The of her adversary's boilers, killing 3 launch likewise was instantly disand wounding 6 of her men, and fill-abled; but Cushing, spurning every ing her with scalding steam, from out which the shrieks of the scalded were piercingly heard. And now the chief engineer of the Sassacus was compelled to call his men to follow him into the fire-room, and there to drag the fires from beneath the uninjured boiler, which was on the brink of explosion; while the engine had become entirely unmanageable.

Out of the thick, white cloud which enveloped the two combatants, frequently irradiated by the flashes of guns, the Albemarle soon emerged, limping off toward her sheltering fort; still keeping up her fire; the Sassacus moving slowly in pursuit, working on a vacuum alone. We had the Bombshell, with her 4 rifled guns, as a trophy; while the siege of Newbern-which the Albemarle had set forth to form the naval part of, while that post had already been summoned by Hoke, on the assumption that "the river and sound were blockaded below"--was indefinitely postponed.

The Albemarle made good her retreat, and never cared to renew the encounter. Months afterward, she was still 8 miles up the Roanoke, lying at a dock, behind a barricade of logs, when Lt. Wm. B. Cushing slipped" up the river in a steamlaunch and, under a fierce fire from the monster, lowered a torpedo-boat, rowed it to and under the overhang of the Albemarle and fired it, at the

22 Oct. 27.

call to surrender, ordered his men to save themselves as they best could; himself dropping into the water and swimming down stream half a mile, when he crawled out at daybreak, and hid in an adjacent swamp; through which he slowly, cautiously worked his way until he found a skiff in a creek, and, at 11 P. M., was on board one of our vessels in the offing. The Albemarle sunk like a stone, and was never more troublesome to friend or foe.

Plymouth-Hoke being busy on the James-was now easily retaken " by our fleet under Com'r Macomb, who captured a few prisoners, some guns and warlike stores.

Of Burnside's extensive conquests in North Carolina, but little more than Newbern and Roanoke island remained to us, after the loss of Plymouth and the abandonment of Washington; and Hoke was intent on reducing our possessions still further, when the pressure of our advance in Virginia summoned the greater part of his force to the defense of Richmond.

Two or three unimportant raiding expeditions were sent out from Newbern during the Summer; and one from Roanoke island, led by Gen. Wild and composed of colored troops, penetrated far into Camden county; bringing off 2,500 slaves, many horses and cattle, and destroying much grain; at a total cost of 13 men.

23 Oct. 31.

XXIV.

THE WAR BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI IN 1864.

BANKS-STEELE-ROSECRANS.

old blunder, so often repeated in our struggle that none could plead ignorance of its oft-tested and certain effect; but braying in a mortar would be effective only with those who do not need it. Had Steele's men been brought down the Arkansas in boats, and added to Banks's and Smith's forces, the issue must almost certainly have been different. But Gen. Steele's demonstration, though designed to be simultaneous and cooperative with Banks's, was entirely independent; while Gen. Smith's quota was only loaned to Banks for a brief period, and was subject to recall in entire disregard of his authority. Had such a movement missed failing, it would have been a disparagement of good generalship evermore.

GEN. BANKS was in New Orleans, | them up in detail. It was a very intent on further operations against Texas by way of Galveston and the sea-coast, when he received' a dispatch from Halleck, prescribing (or, as Halleck says, "suggesting") a totally different plan of campaign. Its line of operations was the Red river; its object, the capture of Shreveport, with the rout and dispersion of Kirby Smith's army, culminating in the recovery of Texas and a boundless supply of cotton for our mills and for export. To this end, Admiral Porter, with a strong fleet of iron-clads and transports, was to embark at Vicksburg, 10,000 of Sherman's old army under Gen. A. J. Smith, and move with them up Red river, capturing by the way Fort de Russy, removing all impediments, and meeting at Alexandria Gen. Banks, who, with his 15,000 to 17,000 disposable men, was to march overland from the Atchafalaya to the designated point of junction; while Gen. Steele, with the bulk (15,000) of his Arkansas force, was to move on Shreveport directly from Little Rock. In other words: we were to threaten Shreveport with 40,000 men, so disposed that the enemy, with a compact, mobile force of 25,000, might fight them all in turn with superior numbers, and so cut

1 Jan. 23, 1864.

Banks's own force was to have moved from Franklin on the 7th of March, so as to be at Alexandria on the 17th: but the General was busy at New Orleans, and intrusted the immediate command of his force to Gen. Franklin; who was not ready to start till the 13th, and had not fully reached Alexandria till the 25th; though his cavalry advance, under Gen. A. L. Lee, had arrived on the 19th.

any order to the other. Gen. Smith never made any report to me, but considered his as substan

* Gen. Banks, before the Committee on the tially an independent force. *** It took us 20 Conduct of the War, testified that

"The truth was, that while four forces-Gen. Steele's, Gen. Sherman's (under Gen. Smith), Admiral Porter's, and my own-were operating together, neither one of them had a right to give

days to communicate with Gen. Steele; and then we could only state our own position, ask what ho was doing, and give advice; but we could not tell whether he followed the advice or not, nor what he was doing."

FORT DE RUSSY TAKEN BY SMITH.

537

But here commenced the real difficulties of the undertaking. There was hardly water enough in the river to float our heavy iron-clads up to this point; and here was a considerable fall or rapid, up which about half of them were forced with great effort. Porter wisely left five or six of the heaviest below, though Banks deemed naval cöoperation essential to the success of the undertaking. One hospital-ship was sunk and lost in getting up. As there was but 6 feet water in the channel at the fall, while our vessels drew from 7 to 10

Ere this, Admiral Porter, with 15 | The Eastport had come up the night iron-clads and four lighter steam- before. boats, had reached' the mouth of Red river, where he was joined by Gen. A. J. Smith and his 10,000 men in transports, and proceeded next day, pioneered by the Eastport, up the Red to Simmsport, which was evacuated by the Rebels, who fell back on Fort de Russy. Nine of our gunboats entered the Atchafalaya, followed by the land force; while the residue, followed by the transports, continued up the Red, where the Eastport, in advance, was for hours engaged in removing the Rebel obstructions of piles and chains in the channel, which months had been given to construct-feet, it is not surprising that 7 or 8 ing and strengthening. These being disposed of, the Eastport and Neosho passed them, and pushed forward to Fort de Russy, where Smith had by this time arrived; and he, after a few shots from the Eastport, assaulted and carried the works, capturing 10 guns and 283 prisoners. Smith, who had started from Simmsport at daylight, marched 40 miles, built a bridge that detained him two hours, taken a large and strong fort by assault, after considerable skirmishing and cannon-firing, had his day's work done and the fort fully in possession before sunset. The main Rebel force, about 5,000 strong, under Gen. Walker, retreated up the river. Porter at once sent his swiftest vessels up to Alexandria, which was abandoned without a struggle." ' March 7. • March 11. March 26 to April 3.

March 16.

* March 21

Banks says, in his official report: "The partial disintegration of the several commands assigned to this expedition was a cause of embarrassment, though not entirely of failure. The command of Maj.-Gen. Steele, which I was informed by Maj.-Gen. Sherman would be about 15,000, was in fact but 7,000,

days were spent in getting over those vessels that went higher. During the halt here, Gen. Warner, with four brigades of Smith's corps, surprised' a Rebel post at Henderson's hill, 21 miles westward, capturing 4 guns, 250 men, and 200 horses.

But embarrassments multiplied. Gen. McPherson, now in command at Vicksburg, called for the return of the marine brigade, 3,000 strong, of Smith's corps, to its special duty of guarding the Mississippi from raids; and it had to be sent. Then it was found necessary to make Alexandria a dépôt of supplies, which could not be carried farther; and Gen. C. Grover's division of 3,000 more were left to garrison it. And, as no cooperation could be expected. from Steele,' Banks's 40,000 men

and operating upon a line several hundred miles distant, with purposes and results entirely unknown to me. Feb. 5, I was informed by Gen. Steele that, if any advance was to be made, it must be by the Washita and Red rivers; and that he might be able to move his command, by the way of Pine Bluff, to Monroe, for this purpose. This would have united our forces on Red river, and insured the success of the campaign. Feb. 28, he informed me that he could