and demand was made for a surrender. The officers present, including Captain Chapin, were consulted before replying. A large force was known to be between the redoubt and the town, cutting off communication. The cartridges were nearly expended, only half a dozen grenades were left, our gunners were disabled, the prisoners were a great embarrassment; there were no means of spiking the guns or of making signals. There appeared in the darkness no hope of efficient help from the gun-boats or from the town batteries, and the ire received from the gun-boats, if repeated, left no safe place in the work. It was unanimously decided to be a useless waste of life to continue the contest longer, and that it wa best to surrender. Possession of the work was given about 11 p. m.

The total casualties in Company K, Eighty-fifth New York Volunteers, were Captain N. Chapin mortally wounded, 1 sergeant killed, and 3 other enlisted men wounded (1 mortally); and of Company H, Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, 6 wounded (2 supposed mortally).

I cannot speak too highly of the spirit and conduct of the men of my own company, to whom, in the subordinate position I held during the greater part of the engagement, my attention was principally confined. No fear of their readiness to fight as long as required was among the consideration leading to the surrender. Wagoner Dana E. Allen and Private Nason F. Chace were especially worthy of praise for their bravery in helping to man the guns when partially deserted, the first, after he was himself wounded.

For the details of the operations of the artillery of the redoubt, and a report of the conduct of the men of that service, I refer you to the report of Lieutenant Clark.

I am able to learn no more of Captain Chapin after he was left in care of the enemy than that he died at some temporary hospital, or on his way to one, before morning.

The force making the assault was Kemper's brigade and the Twenty-first Georgia Regiment, all led by Colonel Mercer, of the Twenty-first Georgia, who was killed before the redoubt. We were told that the enemy lost before the redoubt 60 in killed alone, and a large number of wounded. Appearances in the vicinity, so well as we could judge in the darkness, indicated that they had lost severely. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. A. BUTTS,

First Lieutenant Eighty-fifth New York Volunteers.

Brigadier General H. W. WESSELLS,

Late Commanding District of the Albemarle, N. C.

Numbers 5. Report of Brigadier General Innis N. Palmer, U. S. Army.

HDQRS. ARMY AND DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
New Berne, N. C., April 22, 1864 - 10 p. m.

MAJOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, by Captain Martin, of the communication from the commanding general of the department of yesterday, the 21st instant.

As the vessel which carries this dispatch is about to proceed to Roanoke for the purpose of bringing back the First U. S. Colored Troops, and as I wish to have her sail as speedily as possible, I will simply state, viz, that it was not until the evening of the 20th that