eral Branch's district. If such is the case, I beg that it may be laid before him.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. GATLIN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF NORTH CAROLINA, Numbers 51.
Goldsborough, March 14, 1862.

I. Colonel James H. Lane, Twenty-eighth Regiment North Carolina troops will assume command of all troops in this vicinity, who have escaped from New Berne, and proceed with them to Kinston.

* * * * * *

By order of Major-General Gatlin:

JOHN W. GRAHAM,
Aide-de-Camp.

RICHMOND, VA., March 14, 1862.

General JOSEPH R. ANDERSON,

Wilmington, N. C.:

Send such re-enforcements as you can, to report to General Gatlin immediately. Halt, if necessary, in their stead Radcliffe's and Clingman's regiments, on way from North [South] Carolina.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

RICHMOND, VA., March 15, 1862.

Gov. HENRY T. CLARK, Raleigh:

Large re-enforcements are immediately requisite for the defense of your State. The regiments of Clingman and Radcliffe have been ordered back to Wilmington. Call on your people to arm in defense of their homes. Send all the men you can to Weldon as rapidly as possible. I will find means to arm them all. I pray you to allow no time to be lost.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Raleigh, March 15, 1862.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of War, Richmond:

SIR: On Wednesday, the 12th, the Burnside expedition appeared in large force below our batteries on the Neuse, opened fire on the next morning about 8 o'clock a. m., and in latter part of the day effected a landing of a large body of troops, estimated about 25,000.

On Friday our force, about 5,000, engaged them in the morning, and after a service conflict of two or three hours were outflanked and nearly surrounded.

In the mean time the fleet had passed the river batteries and entered the Trent River off the town and behind our troops, who were on the