Carolina Watchman

              carolina watchman wkekly vol xx salisbury n c july 28 1862 numb kit 10 1 1 brunkr ■ 1 ill hi and riti.l'kiic'iok col vance's official report i no honest man in north caroline doubts i hal col vance behaved with great cool i ness and bravery in lhe batlle of nessbern i hi enemies who seem to be lost to all i shame have charged that he wm " not in i the figllu for the gratification of our i readers we have at length been able to ub i tain col vance's official report and annex i it lieiiio let his hb-'ilei'.s and enemies i ad it and cover ih.ir laces — tal stan i iiuaih.i siiikiis i.tii kr.u n . ('. vols ) i kiuston a (-'.. march 17 1889 i i.i:m hu li h'll bit a cn h commanding district pamlico .- general : i have to report in accord i anoe with military usage the share of my i command in the operations of last friday i l whilst in the temporary command of i the post of newbern on thursday my re i giment was ordered to croat in works i under command of lieut colonel burg h wyn to as*isi colonel sinclair's regiment i should the enemy land below those works h learning soon after that col campbell i was al bis post i instantly transferred io i him my temporary command and pro i ceded to croatoit to assume command of i my regiment when near there 1 met h col sinclair retreating who informed me i that the enemy were landing in force at h fisher's lauding and nearer still to the i work i met col campbell who had just i ordered inv regiment to take the cars and i return to fort thompson before my re i turn they had been posted by lieut col i burgwyn in the series of redans construct i ed in uie on the right of the railroad in i the rear of bullen's branch extending from i the railroad to the swamp about ,")()()■ yards from the road by weathorby's at i this road as you svill remember i bad con i strtlcted the night before a breastwork i commanding the passage o the swamp i with the assistance of mr hawks a gen 1 tleman whose skill in engineering untir i ing energy and zeal t take pleasure in no i ticing favorably ami there was placed a i section of capt bretn's artillery lieuten i ant williams commanding capt mcrae's i company of infantry with a portion ofthe i companies of captains hays and thomas i 2nd n c cavalry dismounted fl ala it two o'clock friday morning in i compl nice with orders received i pushed i companii - e kami b of my right wing i across the small swamp alluded to so as i to make my extreme right rest on the bat i tery at the weatherby road thissvasb our position on friday morning which re i mained unchanged during the day except fl that two companies of the 33d regiment i under lieut * lol hoke came to my assist i anoe about nine o'clock who were placed fl in the red ins vacated by my right com pa 1 nies who were thrown beyond tbe swamp b you will perceive that my forces covered i almost as much ground as all the rest of i our troops together taking my own po 1 sition near tiie centre a little nearer to the i right under lieut col burgwyn about i whose position 1 was considerably uneasy i owing to the unfinished state of our works i there 1 placed the left under command of i major t larmiclmel ami awaited the engage ment it begau on my left wing about ten minutes lo eight o'clock extending to ward my right by degrees until about half past eight when all tbe troops in ray com mand were engaged so far as the swamp referred to the beve est lighting was on my exti me left the enemy advancing un der shelter of the woods te within easv range ol our lines whenever they left the won is and entered among the fallen timber of the swamp in our front they were driven back in confusion by the most deadly and well directed tire from our lines who with the greatest coolness watched for their appearance the light was kept up uutil about twelve o'clock when informa tion was brought to me by captain j t young in quartermaster svbo barely es caped with life in getting to me that the enemy in greal force had turned my left by th railroad track at wood's brick yard had pillaged my camp were bring in resets on my left wing and were sev eral bund red yards up tbe railroad be tween in and n.wberu also that all the troops on the held were in full retreat ex cept nn command ibis being so there was ii all niitive left me but to order an immediate retreat or be completely sur rounded by an overwhelming force with out ie il ition i gave the order my men oped out of the trenches rallied and formed in the woods without panio or con on : and having first sent a messenger withlan order lo lieut col burgwyn to follow svith the forces on the right we struck across the weatherby road for bri bes creek with the intention of getting iu to the pol locks ville r..;i on arriving at i the cre.k we fiunnl only one small boat i capable if carrying only three nun in which to puss over the civ k here is too i deep i ford nnd tli<uit 7fi yards wi.it sumo plunged ii an i swam over and sis iiiiniiiio >>\ it ni v-elf i rode to captain i whitl'inl's house nn ihe tr lit ami through the kindness ot mr kit foy m citiaeii iro cured three uioro small boats carrying i otic on our shoulders from the trent with which we hurried up to the mossing in the meantime lieut col burgwyu arrived with th force ofthe righl wing in excel lent condition nnd assisted me with the i greatest coolness and efficiency in gating it l troops across which after four hours lof hard labor and the greatest anxiety we m h succeeded in doing lieut col h sasv it he last man over before he entered the i boat i regret to sav that three n.eti were liit svin-.l in crossing 1 must here men in ui favorably the good conduct of the h i troopt under these trying circumstances a large yankee force being drawn up in view lot our scouts about one mile away and itheir skirmishers appearing just ns the liear trot over musician 15 f johnson i icompuny b deserves particular mention h i for his exertions having ferried over the h greater portion of the troops himself as h isistcd by a negro boy once over we l\ve,ie joined by jjieut col hoke 33d reg limeiit with ;» large portion of his com linainl and ook the road for trenton h we marched night and day stopping at i lito time for rest or sleep more than four llioiirs we arrived at this place safely it itiooii ou the lgih the loyaltv and hos i ipitalitv of the citizens greatly facilitau'd h lout march furnishing us oheerfully with h provisions wagons shelter and guides 1 h ireget to say that many of our men des i ipairiiig of the hunts at the creek and de i itermined not to he taken threw away their h iguns to ssviin over ; a serious loss o our h i govern men but scarcely blamable under liln circumstances this concludes the i inarralioii ofthe principal matters connect i led wiih my command during the engage i inietit and retreat the number of my i ikilied and ssoiiiided has nut vet heen as i h bcertained our baggage of course was i blot hut our sick were safety brought away ll remains for nn to speak of the noble i idea we i ft upon the field major a b i bcarmichael fell about 11 o'clock a m by i i i shot through the head whilst gallantly i iholding his post on the left under a most i bgalltug fire a in aver nobler soldier ne h flver fell n the field of battle generous i land opeo-hearted as he was brave and i bchivalrous — he was endeared to the whole i i regiment honored be his memory soon i b after captain v p martin of co ii also fl h loll near the regimental colors highly i i respected as a man brave and determined i las a soldier he was equally regretted by i ihis command and all who knew him the i b'ioth regiment are justly proud of their i bglorious fall the fate of cnjit hand of i i co d is as yet unknown when last seen llie was almost surrounded by a large force i ihut disdaining to fl or surrender he was i i lighting desperately svith lieut vinson band a large portion of bis company who b refused to lease him lieut porter of co i i a was also left behind wounded capt i i a n mcmillan was badly wounded but i i got away safely i in regard to the behavior of my regi i in nt generally i am scarcely willing t i iin-ntiiiii particular instances of gallantry i where all did their duty observing a large h portion of the regiment myself and raak hing diligent inquiry as to the rest i could i i u ii of but one man in all my command iwlio remembered that he had legs until hatter the command to retreat was given h they were the last of our troops to leave i the field h i cannot conclude this report without i mentioning in terms of the highest praise i the spirit of determination and power of i endurance evinced by the troops during i the hardships and sufferings of our march hi benched svith rain blistered feet without i sleep many sick and wounded and almost i naked they toihd through the day and all i he weary watches of the night without i murmuring cheerfully and with subordi i nail ti evincing most thoroughly those i high qualities in adversity which military i un ui learn to value still more than courage i upon the field h 1 have the honor to be i most respectfully h your obedient servant ■ /. li vance h col commanding 26th n c vols h texiis is said to be in a better condition i than any state in the confederacy she i has an abundance ot beef corn wheat c i and withal is able and willing to defend i herself against any force the yankees can i bring upon her from the richmond eittjmrer of i'l'/i inst tub heralij on i uk gloom i perva1>inq i the new york herald says the civil i var has cost the u states 1600,000,000 i md the boil of its doad soldiers would i mike a golgotha monument higher than i hat of bunker hill 1 aya : h in return for this immense outlay ill ilood and treasure what have we gained ( i vie the rebels subdued { ou the contra i y they seem stronger than ever is the i ebellioti at its last gasp \ ll has to day i hole soldiers in the field than the union i ■ lave we succeeded in r«'viv.,ii lhe union i feeling at the south . why every day i lhe two sections drift farther and farther i itpart : everv dav we become more and i inore ignorant of the sentiments of the i poutheri people ; every day that this ac i rinsed rebellion is permitted lo continue i lhe number of southern union men be l-oines less as lhe old union seems more i liossetless and remote and the new con i'.'dcracv more powerful and successful — i what then have we gained in spite of h inir brilliant victories our naval superiori i li.s our numerous but isolated triumphs i ive have practically and in results gained i l.-iv little and lost very much i i " what then shall we do next shall i ive give in tbe war disband our arm v nnd i *******! iiavy and let the rebels go in peace { ne h ler it is too late to think of such a i i'ourse the recognition of the southern i confederacy by our own government is no i longer among the contingencies ol t ie svar i lihe rebels may defeat our armies and cap h lure un capital these are possibilities — h lull the rebels can never conquer i heir mde i bieiiileiic the conflict has assumed a i biesv and a sublimer aspect w e have to i blecide bow not whether the rebels can be h flulnlued but whether the country is lo be i flavi-d the question is no longer the put i bmg down of the rebellion but the salva h lion of ih nation we are in cut de sac i yum which our only escape is lhe supples i flioti of the rebellion by force h i in another article it says that this sum h hilt's campaign must end this rebellion or h fl hat this may be a very long and eventful i ****** ~ ************ fl " we call upon the government to sup i i v at once from our troops in the 6eld i bdsesvhere an overwhelming army to mo i hjlellati and pope in virginia and upon i inn loyal states to push forward their vol i inteers or militia if within two or three fl veel.s we can reinforce our virginia armies i |.> the extent of a hundred thousand men i it may save us a vast amount of human i h i ;'< and a thousand millions of dollars i hvhich may otherwise be required for the i huppressioii of this rebellion now i.s the i hime for action if we would save the un i hon we can let action then be the i h we should have regarded the above ex i bract if it had appeared in any other nor i h.bern journal as a slight indication of a fl hieace current ; but in the " herald it i hunounts to but a feeler of a public senti i hiieiil a sounding to find he depth of i hn'oithei'ii feelings after the recent detea h shall we give up the war disband our harinv and navy and let the liobels go in h.eace ''" asks the " herald " never it i the " herald will be the first paper to bdi ut the cry for peace as it svas lie lir i > sound the bugle blast of svar after tie *************'■ hindi had visited its office ever active and higilant the " herald while utt.th un hpriueipled and unscrupulous is tin besl of northern sentiment catet hug to the public no matter how wicked bin popular cry may be that journal leads hall others in quick perception of popular h-.'iiiimeut its tergiversations have always h-.-.-n rapid and regardless of all consisten ■ l ; it has always truly represented the fl . pular excitement of the moment ami naintaiiied its course only so long as us i til gales indicated popular approval hi nit the " herald is just now iu a z flliie tardiness of volunteering and the em that beset the public linaii i indicate if not a change m public sen hineui at least a hesitancy to pursue the isv.-ir policy that has brought di-ti*.-s t inaiiv hearts ami ruin to so mans inn-es libit the " herald is not yet satisfied ami lh ma it adds " the recognition of tin confederacy by our own <•'■> i rnmt nt is no longer among thu eoiitim of this svar but why make so positive an announce of the tact that has been reiterated ifor a whole year by the entire north un less there were indications of a change in ipublic sentiment ? why not leave as taken bfor granted a question that every man at tbe north would have answered y.-a ! in i fore th richmond battles the " herald recognises in the slosv i response to the call for volunteers in the i evident m-cessity to retort to a draft in i th transfer of gold from the country those i indications of a change in public sen ti i ment which foreshadow the revolution from i the extreme of svar to the extreme ot peace i but while ihese are our deductions from i the " herald's article we would not have i our people to abate one iota i lu i i ardor i for a vigorous prosecution of our present i from the richmond ex-miner _____ the accounts which we base o public h sentiment and action in the north with i reference to the prosecution ol the war are i some of them amusing some grave and i some in fact truly alarming the n*i_m i meetings in nesv york boston spring i tield portland ami other places are so i in uch sound and fury 5 ihey signify notb i ing the yankee country is the land of i cheap pageants a mass meeting in the i city of new york is about the cheapest i public demonstration in the world if a i jackass was to be buried in the park and i due notice of it was given in the nesvspa h pets fifty i houssatid idlers bummers bag i gage smashers and gentletneii of leisure | i^h might easily be called to attend his obse i there are graver aspects however nl i public sentiment in ibe north the con i gress at w ashington which is about to i adjourn has under consideration a bill call i itig i.i the militia into the tield this bill i has already passed the senate its provi i sioiis are huge and important ; it proposes i that the president shall call out the mitt i ti.i of the states for nine months and also i authorizes him to call into the tield one i hundred thousand volunteers besides such i number of troops as mav be required to i till up the regiments of infantry now in the i service a bounty of twenty-five dollars i is to be paid to every soldier who enlists i and the additional bounties offered to vol i unteers by states cities and corporations i have raised this sum to an average of at i hast one hundred dollars h that the north is able to raise large ad i ditional forces for its armies and that its i people are determined to prosecute the i svar to the extent of their men means and i resources does not admit of a reasonable i doubt if the _ ankee congress had found uni i i--.-iu.-nt necessary to raise the addi i **_! tional troops asked for by president lin h coin it certainly would not have hesitated h to have leeoiir.-e to it the calls upon the h militia and the temptations ofthe bounties i will undoubtedly raise all the troops the ninth requires and in a few months more h unless some special providence or the mir bin i of an aggressive policy oi the part of i hthis government intervenes we mav ex i h peel to meet these fresh levies in the held i h there is really a good deal of sound i hseiise in the statements of the northern i ni a and the exhortations of their ora i huns to the effect that their defeat before i h kicbmoml has made them stronger than i hover there is force and philosophy in i hthis view as long as the north is con ■ hducling the svar upon the soil of the souih it defeat there involves more money ex i hpeiiditure and more calls for troops it i involves nothing else " it has uo other hor 1 1 his it does not imperil their homes it is he.tsilv repaired by time the north re bcovers from the force of defeat to put forth hits energies anew to take advantage of.*x i tierieiice to multiply i means of success 8 ■ : 1 1 , . 1 to essay new plans ol campaign no hon - can doubt but that tbe celebrated ma i nassas defeat really strengthened the north band there is no candid and logical mind li must admit the same consequence of i l st'coll.l leplllseof tile ellelliv's ulove b men's on richmond if il is to be attended ll>v the same conditions on our part ofln b*iciion and repose h defeat will dot dispirit the north until b-t is brought to her doors until it sows her fli.wii sml with in-r best bioi.il iiiil strikes biii may into her homes where it does i im immediately imperil tin safely of the l,',::ii'i and homes ol the yankees where i gtses time for the recovery and reorgan i izal !< ui f lhe attacking pai ty ami u bei e il h i , , . mi .--. for the prosecution of the svar i nothing bul more money jobs m congress land a new raking up of tbe scum of the cities the effect of defeat upon the north i wil only be to arouse its passions inflame i its cupidity and multiply its exertions to li.re.'ik and overcome the misapplied power i of our armies scott's bartizan rangers of virginia bgive notice in the richmond papers that i inasmuch as four of their number who were captured have been hanged by the yan i kees henceforth they will give no quarter i the shelling of hamilton n carolina one of our exchanges has a letter dated hamilton july 14 giving a detailed ac count of tbe shelling of that town by the yankee gunboats on lhe oth instant it seems that the gunboat in their progress up the river were attacked by a body of our cavalry who killed live and svoutided eight of their men three of the dead fall ing overboard into the river our caval ry continued to pursue and fire into them until they were within a mile of hamilton when tbe boats began to shell the town they were or pretended to be under the impression that the attack on them had been made by the citizens of the place and on reaching the wharf tbev sent ashore a company of hawkins zouaves svith two pieces of cannon with instructions to de stroy the town hut on some prominent citizens approaching them under a flag of truce and undeceiving them as to their assailants the zouaves were inarched back to tbe boats taking svith them an old cav alry horse the only piece of public pro perty in the place who it is cai'd kicked otic of the zouaves mortally during the return ofthe boats down the river sev eral bouses in the tos\n were very much injured by the enemy's shell but no citi zen was hurt fl our cavalry who uttacked the boats fllid not lose a man killed or wounded — bavc examiner fl we have beard some queer incidents flif the late battles before richmond and fl-otne interesting accounts of interviews be hlsveeti federal prisoners and confederate billicers and citizens fl a couple of gentlemen from this town ■ in a physician recently svent over the hbatue lild a.t one place at a field hos pital they met up with three yankee sur hgeons who had fallen into our hands and been detained to attend to the federal hsvounded left on tbe field by mcclellan in bins strategic movement h these men not knowing from what h hstate our friends were expressed there sur hprise at the ubiquity of the north caroli hia troops and at their determined fighting hllu'v had thought north carolina perfect hy safe for the union when asked how hhey could reconcile the number and deter hnination of north the carolina troops with h lie existence of a union feeling they were hmzzled but said that no doubt they had h en conscripted and made to tight but hidmitted that the style of their fighting 1 1 id not agree with this theory it appears lu lie certain that the federal soldiers have ha mi taught to believe that north carolina is all ready to declare for tbe union and be lincoln h some gentlemen well-known here called hast week to see a pennsylvania colonel hi'.-sv a prisoner is richmond one of the letnen having known him before the h*.:t broke out he was very much sur to hear that north carolina was not li strong union state only waiting for a yankee army to enable her to h brow oti the yoke of jeff 1 avis so they hiad all been assured by governor stanly — hh the newbern paper has assured them huel so they had been convinced by extracts hm the newbern paper from ivaleigh papers hiia there svas a strong party in the state flln.mi uii the confederate government — l journal we surrender all the available space in bin paper this morning to tbe very late fluid interesting news we base from the hs'orth the getli ml impression of these lews is that the north is determined to the war with the most vigorous fluid unscrupulous measures the suppos h-.ai appointment of halleck to take prece ein*e of mcclellan and t assume com ii.*itiil of the armies of the north indicates h igniir and determination general ! la ck is an able coininaiidcr : a quiet ol h-.-ipiinii man bul full of bidden re hii.wn unscrupulous acute severe and des h...,ie the orders of general j'ope in are the best expositions we have he seen of the penalties and horrors we lire to expect from the continued invasion l.i our soil by the enemy legalized plnn hii'i forced contributions slavery of white hi en famine devouring sre are henceforth ho mark the track of the northern armies hti virginia suoh are th lessons of it | a-iun ; such the bitter fruits of the " de policy — rick examiner dr r k speed — we are gratified tn htate that dr 6peed will serve tbe people f elected as senator from pasquotank and mans in tin next legislature dr h is a st.-rliiig patriot and highly intell igent gentleman the interests of tbe peo ple of tbe two counties could not be coufi hied to safer bands — hal standard