OPERATIONS IN N. C. AND S. E. VA. [CHAP.XIII.

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 28th of October Colonel G. W. C. Lee, aide-de-camp to the President, arrived at Goldsborough with a regiment and a battalion of Georgia volunteers. The Secretary of War directed that these troops be held in reserve, and not sent to the coast until a landing was effected. Generals Hill and Anderson called out the militia of the neighboring counties, and such other preparations were made to resist the enemy as our limited means would permit. The fleet, however, had sailed, not for our coast, but that of South Carolina, and upon the fall of Hilton Head and other defenses of Beaufort, S. C., assistance was asked for by Governor Pickens. By authority of the Secretary of War General Anderson sent to South Carolina Moore's battery, with Clingman's and Radcliff's regiments. At the time this force was considered but temporarily detached from this department, but it did not return to it until after the fall of New Berne. When it was ascertained that the fleet had passed our coast Colonel Lee's command returned to Virginia.

The defensive works in both districts were pushed forward during the months of November and December. General Hill, who had done much in a short time to place his district in a proper state of defense, was, by direction of the Secretary of War, relieved by Brigadier General L. O'B. Branch the latter part of November. The force in the District of the Pamlico was increased by the addition of Spruill's regiment of cavalry; and the Thirty-first Regiment, which had been ordered by the governor to Beaufort County to complete its organization, was ordered to Roanoke Island to relieve the Third Georgia Regiment. It arrived at its destination on the 12th of December. A number of companies of infantry, artillery, and cavalry, for local defense and special service, had been raised. The year closed with rumors of another fleet being in course of preparation for a descent upon the Southern coast.

Being satisfied, from the reported character of the vessels to be used in this new expedition, that it was designed for our sounds, I addressed a letter to the War Department on the 3rd of January, 1862, drawing attention to the want of troops in this department, and urged that a large reserve force be sent to Goldsborough and placed at my disposal. I also wrote to Governor Clark on the same day, requesting that the newly-formed regiments, though put partially armed and suffering much from sickness, be sent to me. Soon these regiments were reported in readiness to break up their camps, and on the 8th of January the movement commenced. The Thirty-third, Thirty-fifth, and Thirty-seventh were sent to New Berne, and the Thirty-fourth Regiment halted at Golsborough, to wait for its arms, which had been promised by the War Department.

On the 17th of January I received information from General Branch of the arrival at Hatteras of forty-two steamers and a number of sail vessels, and after information confirming me in the opinion that Burnside's expedition was assembling at that point, on the 24th of January I again addressed the War Department, stating that the expedition was of such a magnitude that to resist it successfully our forces should be largely increased, and drew attention to my letter of the 3rd of January relative to a reserve force being placed at Goldsborough.

On the 22nd 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