day and night. March 16, left camp at 8 a.m., this regiment leading brigade; the rain still falling heavily, the roads were in a very bad state. At first we were assigned to the train, but the Third Division, which had the advance, having come upon the enemy in force, we were ordered to leave the wagons and hurry forward as fast as possible. Marching rapidly about three miles we reached the scene of the engagement, and having filled our boxes with ammunition we turned to the right into the woods and marched in rear of line of battle until we came to General Kilpatrick's cavalry on the extreme right. Then, by direction of General Jackson, the brigade was formed in two lines, this regiment and Fifth Connecticut making the first line and the One hundred and forty-First New York and Forty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers the second line. Colonel Selfridge, commanding brigade, directed me to take charge of the first line and move forward and connect with the Third Brigade, Captain George Hall's company (E), of this regiment, being first deployed as skirmishers. Advancing in line we passed a little to the right of the Third Brigade (the men of which were lying down) without perceiving it, and came upon their skirmishers some distance in front. Here I halted, and while arranging the line Captain Hall reported a column of the enemy's infantry moving to the right, with the evident intention of turning that flank. At the same time the cavalry posted on our right commenced falling back. I immediately sent this information to Colonel Selfridge, and deeming the occasion warranted the liberty, without waiting for instructions, moved the front line some distance farther to the right, and at the same time directed Major Griffith, commanding Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, of the second line, to move his regiment up at once on the right of the Fifth Connecticut. He promptly complied, and barely had the movement been completed when the column of the enemy emerged from a marshy piece of woods in our front not a hundred yards distant, and was met by a simultaneous volley from the whole brigade. This was evidently unexpected, as. seeing the cavalry fall back, it is not probable they had looked for a line of infantry there. Our fire threw them into confusion, and after a few volleys they fell back in disorder. Upon receiving my message Colonel Selfridge came up, and the whole brigade being in line I returned to my regiment. We were then ordered back some half a mile on a line with Third Brigade, but an hour later the whole division advanced nearly a mile, driving the enemy's skirmishers before it through the marsh. The line was then halted and we were directed to throw up breast-works, which was done, and the regiment lay here in the swamp until morning, the ground being nearly overflowed and the rain falling heavily all night. In this engagement the regiment lost only 4 men wounded, and the brigade less than 30, while on the other hand I am informed by the Colonel commanding that 44 dead rebels were found in the front of the fire of this brigade, where first engaged-a mournful record of the accuracy of our aim.

March 17, the rebels having fled in the night we moved out at 9 a.m. half a mile to the cross-road leading to Goldsborough. Here we lay until dark waiting for the Fourteenth Corps and train to pass. From dark until midnight this regiment with rest of brigade worked at pulling the wagons, which got fast in the mud, out by main force and pushing them along. At 12 p.m. we went into camp less than two miles from yesterday's breast-works. Next morning (18th) the regiment was sent back three miles to help through some wagons, which sent across from another road had stuck fast in the mud. Having performed this