An expedition, consisting of the gunboats Delaware, Seymour and Shawsheen, of the navy, under the command of Commander Murray, United States Navy, and the 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. Owing to lack of water the gunboats were unable to go up the river more than fifteen or eighteen miles, and were compelled to stop and allow the affair to be carried on by the Marine Artillery flotilla alone. Colonel Manchester a.s.sumed command of the expedition from that point, and resolutely pushed up toward Kinston, determined to reach the village and partic.i.p.ate in its capture. The low state of the water alone prevented Commander Murray from carrying his heavy gunboats to the town.
Colonel Manchester met but little resistance going up, a few scattering shots being fired at him by guerrillas on the banks. He experienced much difficulty, however, in getting ahead rapidly, because of the bars and shoals, upon which the boats grounded. But all obstacles being overcome, they reached a point within two miles of Kinston on Sat.u.r.day afternoon, when they suddenly found themselves under the fire of an eleven gun battery, which opened on the Allison, the leading boat, as she rounded a point of land and appeared full in view of the enemy"s formidable work, and not over 1,200 yards distant. The river was here only about one hundred feet in width, with shoals on either side of the channel, and it was found to be utterly impossible to turn the boat. To back out of the sc.r.a.pe was the only resort, and as soon as that could be effected it was done; but not until the Allison had been twenty minutes under an exceedingly hot fire, in which she was repeatedly struck by sh.e.l.l and shot. She returned the fire from her thirty-pounder Parrott gun forward, and occasioned the rebels considerable loss. The Allison was seriously damaged in the fray. The top of her pilot house was torn off, her smoke stack pierced by a sh.e.l.l, and her steam safety pipe cut away. It was a miracle she was not sunk. Finally extricating herself from her perilous position, also backed around the point of land and came to anchor with the rest of the flotilla, screened from the rebel battery by woods, but in short range. There they laid all night, prepared at any moment to repel any attempt on the part of the enemy to capture them by boarding. Several times during the night they fired upon the rebel reconnoitering parties, who became very bold in their advances.
All night long our men could hear the rattle of trains over the railroad, evidently conveying reinforcements to Kinston, against which General Foster had steadily pushed his advance, fighting for every inch of ground. The blows of axes, as the rebels felled trees to block up the avenues of approach to the town, the calls of soldiers, barking of dogs, and other sounds, were heard all the night long proceeding from the wooded sh.o.r.e. But no serious attempt was made to capture the boats, which might have been successful if well planned. On Sunday morning the boats turned, and descended the stream, as the water in the river had fallen nearly fifteen inches during the night, and promised to leave them high and dry, prizes to the rebels, if they much longer delayed their return. On their way down they were fired upon from the sh.o.r.es by guerrillas, who followed them a distance of twenty miles, killing one of our men (Edward J. Perkins, Company H, Marine Artillery), and wounding three others, none very seriously. The Ocean Wave, and, indeed, all the boats, were more or less injured by musketry and field pieces. Bullets were found on the Ocean Wave dipped in verdigris, to poison the wounds they inflicted, and others had copper wire attached, for the same purpose. The rebels evidently have been taking some new lessons in warfare from the Sepoys or Chinese; They are apt pupils. It would also appear that about 150 of these guerrillas were the attacking party, and thirty of them were killed and wounded before they relinquished the idea of taking the boats, as we have since learned. The attempt to pen in the boats, by felling trees across the river, was thwarted by the rapid movements of the boats.
On our return the Ocean Wave was unfortunate enough to stave a hole in her bottom by running on a stump, and sunk in three feet of water. 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. If the river had been up, the flotilla would have been of great service in aiding in the capture of Kinston; but lack of water prevented it. Colonel Manchester and the officers and men of the Marine Artillery have earned a still higher reputation for their gallantry and indomitable perseverance on this expedition. 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.
Ninth New Jersey, Col. C. A. Heckmann, 2 killed, 32 wounded, 2 missing.
Battle of Whitehall, 44 wounded. Battle of Goldsboro, 11 wounded.
Fifth Rhode Island, Capt. J. B. Arnold, 1 killed, 4 wounded.
Third New York Artillery, Capt J. J. Morrison, Battery B, 2 wounded.
Capt. E. S. Jenney, Battery F, 2 wounded.
Twenty-fourth New York Independent Battery, 1 killed.
General Wessell"s Brigade--Eighty-fifth New York, 3 wounded.
Ninety-sixth New York, Col. Charles O. Gray, 1 killed, 6 wounded.
Twenty-second New York, 2 killed, 16 wounded.
One Hundred and First Pennsylvania did not lose any in killed or wounded.
Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania, 9 wounded.
One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania. When this regiment went into action it had about 450 men, and after the action it was found that it had 14 killed and 58 wounded.
Casualties in Second Brigade, First Division, Department of North Carolina, Col. Thos. G. Stevenson commanding, at Kinston, Whitehall, Everettville, December 14, 16 and 17, 1862:
Tenth Connecticut Volunteers, Lieut.-Col. Robert Leggett commanding, 11 killed, 86 wounded, of whom 10 have since died.
Twenty-fourth Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteers, Major Robert H. Stevenson commanding, 1 killed, 7 wounded.
Forty-fourth Regiment Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteers, Col. Francis S. Lee commanding, 8 killed, 13 wounded.
Fifth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, Capt. Job Arnold commanding, 1 killed, 3 wounded.
Battery F, First Regiment Rhode Island State Artillery, Capt. James Belger, 1 killed, 8 wounded; 10 horses killed and wounded.
Report of the casualties in the Third (Col. H. C. Lee"s) Brigade. The expedition to Goldsboro:
Fifth Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteers, Col. Geo. H. Pierson, 7 wounded.
Third Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteers, Col. Silas P. Richmond, 2 wounded.
Twenty-seventh Ma.s.sachusetts Regiment, Col. H. C. Lee, 3 wounded.
Forty-sixth Ma.s.sachusetts Regiment, Col. George Boler, 2 killed, 3 wounded.
List of killed and wounded in the First Brigade, first division, commanded by Colonel Amory:
Seventeenth Ma.s.sachusetts Volunteers, 1 killed, 29 wounded.
Forty-fifth Ma.s.sachusetts, Col. Chas. R. Codman, 6 killed, 38 wounded.
Twenty-third Ma.s.sachusetts, 14 killed, 52 wounded.
Fifty-first Ma.s.sachusetts, Col. Abram B. R. Sprague, 2 wounded.
Forty-third Ma.s.sachusetts, Col. Chas. L. Holbrook, 2 killed, 1 wounded.
Artillery Brigade, Col. J. H. Ledlie, commanding, 2 staff wounded.
Battery B, Capt. James J. Morrison, 4 wounded.
Battery F, Capt. E. S. Jenney, 8 wounded.
Battery E, Lieut. G. E. Ashby, commanding, 3 wounded.
Battery I, Lieut. George W. Thomas, commanding, 1 killed.
Battery K, Capt. James R. Angel, 2 killed, 5 wounded.
Twenty-fourth Battery, Capt. J. E. Lee, 1 killed.
Casualties in Third New York Cavalry: Company A, Capt. W. S. Joy, 3 wounded; 7 horses killed.
Company B, Capt. John F. Marshall, 7 wounded; 10 horses killed.
Company E, Capt. F. Jacobs, Jr., 2 wounded.
Company K, Capt. Geo. W. Cole, 2 wounded.