429 Series III Volume V- Serial 126 - Union Letters, Orders, Reports
Page 429 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |
Saturday, March 18.-Left camp 6.30 a.m.; arrived near Rainer's Mill 8 p.m.; distance, 8.56 miles; weather fine; roads corduroyed. The plan adopted to-day of repairing the roads was new, and it was good. Not a wagon was allowed to proceed until the road was made good. The consequence was, when they commenced drawing into camp they were all closed up, and kept continually coming in.
Sunday, March 19.-Left camp 6.15 a.m.; arrived at Canaan Church 6 p.m.; distance, 10.50 miles; weather fine; roads corduroyed. Left Wing had a severe fight to-day, the enemy suddenly falling on the Fourteenth Corps, driving it and making some captures from them. The Twentieth came to their relief. Corralled in small compass to-night, and extra precautions taken to guard train.
Monday, March 20.-Left camp 4 p.m.; arrived near Falling Creek 8 p.m.; distance, 4.30 miles; weather fine; roads corduroyed. General Geary started at 2 a.m. with First and Third Brigades for the front, Captain Sloan's battery following. All ammunition and ordnance wagons and empty wagons for wounded sent to front-135 wagons. At 6 a.m. ordered to move train to an adjoining field, park close; run the wagons in twenty deep, close up-ten feet between rows-getting in 600 or 700 wagons in twenty acres space by 11 a.m., and by 1 p.m. a good and efficient breast-work inclosed the trains. As soon as we were all properly cared for orders came to pull out and march toward Goldsborough. Commissary wagons sent to front with supplies.
Tuesday, March 21.-Left camp 6.30 a.m.; arrived at Grantham's Store 3.30 p.m.; distance, 5 miles; weather, rained hard all afternoon; roads corduroyed half way. At 12 m. came upon the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Corps* marching on a road intersecting ours; managed to fall in on same road, going on it a mile and a half and camping. From 2 until 7 p.m. a furious engagement going on our left; incessant cannonading and tremendous volleys of musketry could be distinctly heard, supposed to be Fifteenth Corps engaged. Received 200 wagon and ambulance loads of wounded to-night. Ordered to dispatch all the entrenching tools and pioneers to the front. Ordered to march to- morrow six miles to the junction of the Everettsville and Goldsborough road with the Dead Fields and Goldsborough road, and there establish a depot for supplies to be drawn from Kinston. Colonel Mindil, of Second Brigade, Second Division, to command post.
Wednesday, March 22.-Left camp 6.15 a.m.; arrived at Murphy's plantation 1.30 p.m.; distance, 10 miles; weather delightful; roads good. The country around here surpasses anything we have yet seen in North Carolina for food and forage.
Thursday, March 23.-In camp; weather fine, but tremendous winds. Organizing permanent quarters.
Friday, March 24.-In camp. Received orders to move; cannot, our wagons being sent to Kinston for supplies and to the front. Sent for 125 wagons from corps headquarters. The hospital left here to-day, crossing the upper pontoon bridge at 3 p.m. after attempting to get over all day. Seventeenth Corps slaughtering mules by hundreds on the banks of Neuse River. Wagons arrived from corps at 8 p.m. Ordered to load up and concentrate Fourteenth, Twentieth, Fifteenth, and Seventeenth Corps trains here now; entrenched in small space; four brigades and some artillery protect them in case of
---------------
*Reference is to the Provisional Corps, commanded by Major General Alfred H. Terry and consisting of troops detached from the corps named.
---------------
Page 429 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |