Dear BallgarCo_Galway;
Per your posted inquiry; I like to refer you to the
Official Records of the Rebellion O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME 9 [S# 9]
FEBRUARY 8, 1862.--Battle of Roanoke Island, N. C.
New Berne is mentioned frequently throughout but, searching just as
"New Berne" doesn't snag the amount of hits as it does for "Battle of Roanoke Island, NC". You can find the Official Records at
www.e-history.com. For easier reading for me, in snips it took 36 pages. [Chuckles]
But, this may be interesting snips for you--
PORTSMOUTH, VA., October 18, 1861.
General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General:
SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the condition of the defenses intrusted to my care:
Fort Macon has but four guns of long range, and these are badly supplied with ammunition, and are on very inferior carriages.
New Berne has a tolerable battery, two 8-inch columbiads and two 32-pounders. It is, however, badly supplied with powder. This is also the condition of Washington.
Hyde, the richest county in the State, has ten landings, and only one gun--an English 9-pounder, of great age and venerable appearance.
Roanoke Island is the key of one-third of North Carolina, and whose occupancy by the enemy would enable him to reach the great railroad from Richmond to New Orleans. Four additional regiments are absolutely indispensable to the protection of this island. The batteries also need four rifled cannon of heavy caliber. I would most earnestly call the attention of the honorable Secretary of War to the importance of Roanoke Island. Its fall would be fully as fatal as that of Manassas.
I came up last night to this place to get rifled guns, but none can be procured without an order from the Secretary of the Navy. I have written to him on the subject, but fear that no attention will be given by him to the matter. With ten additional rifled guns and a few more regiments I trust to be able to hold the line intrusted to my care. At present I must pronounce my entire inability to do so.
With great respect,
D. H. HILL,
Brigadier-General, C. S. Army
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O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME IV [S# 4] CHAPTER XIII.
AUGUST 20, 1861-JANUARY 11, 1862.--Affairs, generally, in North Carolina.
Report of Brig. Gen. Richard C. Gatlin, C. S. Army, including operations to March 19, 1862.
About the 7th of September, Brig. Gen. J. R. Anderson arrived at
New Berne, with instructions from the War Department to report to me, to take charge of the coast defenses of the State. He was accordingly placed on that duty.
[excerpt]
At this time the force under my command was as follows, viz: The Eighteenth and Twentieth Regiments and Edmunston's company of cavalry at Wilmington; Singeltary's battalion, Brem's battery, and Whitford's artillery at
New Berne; the Seventh and Twenty-sixth Regiments on Bogue Banks; three companies of infantry and four companies of artillery at Fort Macon; two companies of the Seventeenth Regiment at Washington; and the Third Georgia Regiment and a detachment of the Seventeenth Regiment at Roanoke Island. Moore's battery was at Raleigh, Lane's and Parker's regiments encamped above that city, and Clingman's regiment at Asheville. These three regiments and the battery were sent by the governor to Wilmington, where they arrived early in October. He also sent the Eighth Regiment to Roanoke Island, where they arrived the latter part of September. Colonel McMillan's regiment, Georgia volunteers, ordered to report to me, arrived at Goldsborough on the 21st September, and was sent to Washington.
I urged upon the Department, in letters dated the 1st and 7th of October, the propriety of establishing the District of the Albemarle) and placing it under an experienced officer, but this was not permitted. Had it been acceded to at the time, it is fair to conclude that the island would have been placed in such a state of defense as, with a reasonable force, it might have been successfully defended against General Burnside's attack in February, and thus all our after-misfortunes on the coast avoided. I may dispose of this subject by stating that the district was finally established on the 21st of December, General Wise placed in command, and the district transferred to General Huger's department. General Hill's was named the "District of Pamlico," General Anderson's the "District of Cape Fear."
General Hill entered upon his duties about the 4th of October, and acted vigorously in placing his district in a state of defense. On the 21st of October I received notice from General Huger that a fleet was preparing to sail from New York for the South, and tendering assistance should a landing be effected on our coast, and on the 26th of October a telegram from the Secretary of War announced its having sailed, and that it was believed the enemy intended to land a force of <ar4_576> some 15,000 men below Fort Macon with the view of attacking
New. Berne. Having but thirty-five companies in that quarter, including the garrison of Fort Macon, and no reserve, I begged for re-enforcements.
On the 22d of January I requested Governor Clark to call out the militia of Edgecombe, Pitt, Beaufort, Greene, Wayne, Lenoir, Jones, and Craven Counties, and direct them to report to General Branch. The <ar4_577> defensive works in General Branch's district were pushed forward with industry, and that gallant officer spoke hopefully of his ability to defend
New Berne.
With the view of concentrating the forces in the District of the Pamlico the Seventh and Twenty-sixth Regiments were sent to
New Berne. Major Hall's command was withdrawn from Hyde County, and the two companies of the Seventh and the three companies Thirty-third Regiment sent to
New Berne.
I went to
New Berne on the 7th of March, and on the 8th inspected the river defenses in company with General Branch and the board. I had gone to
New Berne with the intention of remaining there for several days, but found myself so unwell on the 9th as to render a return to Goldsborough advisable.
My intention of going to
New Berne was frustrated by a painful attack of sickness, which confined me to my bed.
The news of the fall of New Berne reached me on the evening of the 14th of March. General Branch's report of that affair has been published. As it was evident that we had been overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers, I dispatched General Anderson to Richmond on the 15th of March.
"--...and thus admitted Burnside's fleet without a contest; we failed to put a proper force on Roanoke Island, and thus lost the key to our interior coast; and we failed to furnish General Branch with a reasonable force, and thus lost the important town of
New Berne. What I claim is that these failures do not by right rest with me.
R. C. GATLIN,
Brigadier-General, Provisional Army C. S.
-----------------------------------------------
HDQRS. FOURTH BRIGADE, DEPARTMENT NORFOLK,
Camp at Nag's Head, February 7, 1862.
Major-General HUGER, Commanding, &c. :
SIR: I send you, by direction of General Wise, copies of the dispatch of Lieutenant Loyall to Colonel Shaw with the colonel's note forwarding the same to these headquarters, and of the dispatch of Colonel Shaw, <ar9_428> received about daybreak this morning. The officer who brought the dispatch first above mentioned reports that of the
enemy's fleet twenty-eight are gunboats, seven are towing steamers, and the rest transports.[excerpt]
At 20 minutes past 10 a single gun was heard, which the general supposed to be the signal gun of Flag-Officer Lynch. At 16½ minutes past 11 o'clock of this day firing on Croatan Sound commenced, and from that time to the period of closing this dispatch from 250 to 300 guns have been heard, showing a furious battle to be ruing between our forces and the enemy. It is now 25 minutes past 12 o'clock, and the firing is very rapid and heavy.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. B. DUFFIELD,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
P. S.--1 o'clock p.m.--The firing still continues most furious. A cannon is heard every second.
C. B. DUFFIELD,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
This may be what you are seeking Indorsement
PORK point, February 6, 1862.--1 p.m.
COLONEL: The fog has cleared away from below, and I can distinctly see that the enemy is about 8 miles from us, in full force. I can make out more than fifty vessels, either at anchor or under way in tow of steamers. I believe that they are at anchor. I am of opinion that they have stopped to consider, but it requires a bright lookout to keep the run of them.
Very respectfully,
B. P. LOYALL,
Lieutenant, C. S. Navy.
-----------------------=----------------
NORFOLK, February 9, 1862.
President JEFFERSON DAVIS:
Ammunition was dispatched to Commodore Lynch, who is at Elizabeth City. On the afternoon of the 9th, on meeting the boat stating Roanoke Island was captured, the steamer returned. Commodore Forrest will try and send it by Dismal Swamp Canal, the lower end of which is broken.
I have no news of the enemy. I have ordered troops to move at once and protect the different approaches. Should the enemy attack in front I must be re-enforced.
BENJ. HUGER.
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HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Roanoke Island, March 5, 1862.
Brig. Gen. LORENZO THOMAS,
Adjutant-General, Washington, D.C.:
[Excerpt]
If possible I shall leave here with three brigades to-morrow night and make a hasty descent upon
New Berne, the result of which will be reported to you at once by a dispatch ship.
I send to New York by the vessel carrying this dispatch all the sick and wounded that will not be fit for duty in sixty days. The command generally is in good health. I have moved since my last dispatch from Hatteras Inlet the three regiments and Belger's battery of light artillery, leaving there the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania and Captain Morris' company of First Artillery. I propose to take with me a portion of this company, which has been used to man two 32-pounder field howitzers, for which horses and harness were issued a month since, and it is now a very efficient section of artillery.
The order relieving General Williams from this department has been received, and he will leave Hatteras Inlet for his new field of duty by the first opportunity.
I have the honor to be, general, your very obedient servant,
A. E. BURNSIDE,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Department N. C.
-----------------------------------------------
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF PAMLICO,
March 15, 1862.
OFFICER COMMANDING U.S. FORCES AT NEW BERNE:
SIR: Lieutenant-Colonel Crossan, who bears this flag of truce, is instructed to propose to you on my behalf a cessation of hostilities, so far as he and the men under his command are concerned, for such length of time as may be necessary to enable him to have interred the bodies of those of my command who were killed in the action of yesterday. (++)
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. O'B. BRANCH,
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FORT MONROE, June 9, 1862— 5 p.m.
Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War:
Three regiments on Roanoke Island, one at Washington, one at Newport on railroad, and one and a half at Beaufort and Fort Macon;
fourteen at New Berne. One regiment artillery and one regiment cavalry and three batteries divided along the different commands. A large portion of the force at New Berne is on picket duty. Regiments average 600 effective men. I leave for McClellan's at once. Will telegraph you before I return to New Berne.
BURNSIDE.
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Please understand majority of what I have posted are excerpts and not the complete reports; so please consult the Official Reports on the web site offered above. Hope this helps your Band connection. Every second a firing--has to be a drum roll to my non-musically trained ears. I also took the liberty of searching Mr. Gilmore and all I got was Q.A. Gilmore and R. A. Gilmore; both officers --so, perhaps this Band member was not a commissioned officer that made it into the reports. And, if Mr. Gilmore conducted the music for the Govenor-elect Hahn; he would have been in the Union section of Louisiana.
Just some thoughts.
Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf
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