Captain Sawyer, of Company H, had his left leg taken off by a round shot. Major Elwell behaved in the most gallant manner, and is a most capital and efficient officer, and performs his duty without ostentation, and can be depended upon.

Annexed please find a list of my killed and wounded.*

Very respectfully,

JOHN KURTZ,

Colonel, Commanding Twenty-Third Massachusetts.

Captain SOUTHARD HOFFMAN, A. A. G., First Brigadier, Coast Division.

Numbers 7. Report of Colonel Thomas G. Stevenson, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry.

CAMP NEAR NEW BERNE, March 16, 1862.

SIR: I beg leave to report that on the morning of the 13th instant my regiment was on board the transports Guide and Vedette, which were at anchor in Neuse River, off the mouth of Slocum's Creek. Early in the morning I received the signal to prepare to land, and in accordance with the order of General Foster filled the boats belonging to my transports with a part of my men and fastened them to the stern of the steamer Pilot Boy, which came alongside the guide and took the companies that remained on her. There was no opposition to our landing, and as soon as the men reached the shore I formed them in line of battle. By order of General Foster I then advanced my regiment in rear of the Massachusetts Twenty-first as far as the railroad, when I took the advance on the county road, sending Company E forward as an advance guard. I pushed forward as rapidly as the condition of the road would permit until night-fall, when, in accordance with General Foster's orders, I filed my regiment into the woods on the right of the road and bivouacked for the night. The men were somewhat worn-out by their exhausting march, but made themselves as comfortable for the night as circumstances would permit. I sent forward Company A, E, K, and F as a picket guard, and we remained undisturbed during the night.

Early in the morning of the 14th instant a small party of the enemy's cavalry appeared within sight of our picket and was fired upon, where-upon I immediately ordered my regiment to fall in. By order of General Foster I then advanced up the main road, with Company E as an advance guard, until within sight of the enemy's intrenchments, and then filed off to the right of the road, where I formed my regiment in line of battle and advanced forward to within about 50 paces of the edge of the woods, where I halted until my advance guard returned from the road. It was at this time the enemy opened fire, wounding of my men. I immediately advanced my regiment out of the woods, where I ordered them to lie down and open fire. The men behaved very well in this position, keeping up incessant and well-directed fire on the enemy for over two hours.

Owing to the rain and wet to which the guns had been exposed many of my men experienced great difficulty in firing them, and in many cases had to draw the charges before their guns were of any use. Fort Thompson, on our right, which I supposed to have no guns on the land side, opened on us with grape and canister from their guns as soon as

---------------

*Embodied in statement on p. 211.

---------------