Today in History:

998 Series I Volume XLVII-I Serial 98 - Columbia Part I

Page 998 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. G., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.


HDQRS. SECOND Brigadier, SECOND DIV., DIST. OF BEAUFORT, In the Field, March 11, 1865.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report the casualties in this brigade since a. m. of the 8th instant, as near as can be ascertained, as follows:

On the 8th instant killed, wounded, and missing, 23 officers and 861 enlisted men; on the 10th instant, wounded, 4 men; killed, 2 men; total, 890.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHAS. L. UPHAM,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Captain H. H. THOMAS,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Div., Dist. of Beaufort.


No. 268. Report of Colonel Charles L. Upham, Fifteenth Connecticut Infantry, of operations March 2-8.

HDQRS. FIFTEENTH CONNECTICUT VOL. INFANTRY, Kinston, N. C., April 15, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following as a partial report of the operations of this regiment during the month of March:

Leaving Company K temporarily as provost guard, I marched from New Berne on the 2nd with 20 officers and 700 men, reaching Core Creek about noon of the 3rd, and picketed the crossing. The troops having come up, we were assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, District of Beaufort, of which brigade I assumed command. The Fifteenth, having a large number of recruits belonging to General Shermans' Army assigned to it temporarily, was divided into two battalions for field service - the companies of the right wing and attached men forming the First Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Tolles; the companies of the left wing and attached men the Second Battalion, under Major Osborne. On the 6th the army marched on Kinston, the Second Division, with the Second Brigade in advance, taking the Dover road. This road most of the way lay through swamps and was heavily blockaded by felled trees, which had to be cut through to allow the passage of the Artillery and trains. No enemy was found until near Southwest Creek, when it was evident that they intended to dispute the passage of that stream, and held the crossing with the Artillery and infantry well intrenched. About 2 p. m. of the 7th I was ordered to the left to relieve a portion of the Second Brigade, Second Division, then at Jackson's Mill. Arriving there, Companies A and I of the First Battalion were deployed as skirmishers, the remainder of the battalion furnishing the support and the picket-line, connecting with the troops on our right, three-quarters of a mile distant. The other brigades of our division went into camp at Wise's Forks, a mile and a half in our rear; our left was covered by cavalry, who were directed to picket as far as the upper road, which would preclude the possibility of the enemy's passing our left unknown to us. There was occasional firing on both sides from Artillery and on the skirmish line until dark. During the night the skirmish line, under Lieutenant-Colonel Tolles, was pushed forward to within 100 yards, of the enemy's works and intrenched.

About 10 a. m. of the 8th the enemy opened upon us with Artillery, which was returned by our guns, and the skirmish line became briskly


Page 998 OPERATIONS IN N. C., S. C., S. G., AND E. FLA. Chapter LIX.