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From: "DonLinda" <>
Subject: [NY-WESTERN] Aug 11-1863: Great Cavalry Raid in NC
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:11:04 -0500

Republican Advocate - Batavia NY
July 29-1863

THE GREAT CAVALRY RAID IN N. CAROLINA

Correspondence of the Republican Advocate.
Newberne, N.C., July 29, 1863.

Mr. Editor : Having a few leisure moments to spare, I thought I would
address you a few lines in regard to the Old Third New York Cavalry,
thinking you would, perhaps, like to know what we have been doing down here.
However, I dare say you have heard all the particulars, ere this, of
what I am about to write you
The Old Third is to-day what she always has been - up and awake. She has
proved herself to be one of the first in the service, and has, probably,
made one of the largest raids of late, of its length of time and for the
amount of destruction of property, that has been made by any cavalry in the
service - of which I will give you a brief description :
On the morning of the 18th inst., an expedition of cavalry was fitted
out of eighteen companies - the Third, commanded by Lieut. Col. Lewis,
Majors Coles and Jacobs - and two companies of Mix's new cavalry, three
companies of the 13th N.Y. cavalry, and the North Carolina company; also,
two pieces of the 3d cavalry regimental howitzers; two pieces of the 3d N.Y.
artillery; and Captain Wilson, of the Pioneer Corps, with some fifty
thousand colored soldiers armed with axes, spades, and irons, prepared for
destroying railroad track.

FIRST DAY'S ADVANCE.
We started under the command of Brig. Gen. Potter, for a raid up in the
country, in the direction of the Wilmington & Weldon railroad, with six
days' cooked rations - three of them on our saddles, and the other three
carried upon pack horses and mules fitted out for the purpose.
We were all ready and formed in battalion line, in front of Fort Totten,
by 6 o'clock A.M. The sun was shining hot; but before we were all embarked
across the river, (Neuse,) which took the whole forenoon, we got a good,
thorough sprinkling, which wet to the hide. We marched only eighteen miles
that afternoon - as far as Swift Creek bridge - most of the way nothing but
swamp. We encamped there for the night, in the woods and thick bushes, and
it was so dark that all the fiends of the Southern Confederacy could not
have found us, even if they had tried. Here numerous fires were built, and
each man made his own coffee, and ate his own hard case with a relish, too.
We laid down on the ground with nothing but a poncheo[sic], and got a few
hours of sleep which was sweet to be remembered.

SECOND DAY'S ADVANCE.
We were up, our horses saddled and fed, as well as ourselves, and all
ready for a start by daylight. We were again on the move for Greenville,
frequently capturing horses and mules, also rebel pickets. About 10 o'clock
A.M., we captured a confederate paymaster with $20,000 in confederate scrip;
and at about 1 o'clock P.M. we charged on a rebel camp, six miles from
Greenville, and captured 17 out of 20 of Whitworth's guerrillas, killing
one. We charged into Greenville about 3 o'clock P.M., but met with no
opposition, there being only six cavalry pickets there, which we captured.
The place was fortified by a line of breastworks all around the town,
which was built since the first of June last. Greenville is a very
nice-looking and pleasantly situated little village.
Its chief and about the only productions, are some very pretty ladies,
who were much admired by us all. Ladies are somewhat of a rarity down here;
but secession was stamped on every feature of the birds, especially when we
demanded the keys to the smokehouses, and took out the many nice hams,
honey, &c., and the numerous stores which were opened and the contents
destroyed as we liked. All this led them to feel delightful towards the
Yankees; but it couldn't be helped.
From Greenville we marched till midnight, and stopped at Sparta till
about 3 o'clock A.M. of next day, when we were divided.

THIRD DAY'S ADVANCE.
Six companies of us, under Maj. Jacobs, went to Rocky Mount, about
twenty miles from Sparta. The remainder of the expedition went to
Tarborough, a distance of eight miles. We arrived at Rocky Mount at 9
o'clock A.M. and charged into town, capturing a train of cars, a Major, a
Captain, a Lieutenant, and a Paymaster with $25,000 in confederate scrip.
We burned the cars and depot, containing a large amount of ammunition and
shells, which made a splendid cannonading. There was, also a large amount of
government stores and cotton burned. We burned a covered railroad bridge
over 400 feet long, and the engine we run into the water.
We burned the telegraph office, also, and cut the wires. From thence we
went to Tarborough and joined the regiment. We captured and destroyed, at
Tarborough, a train of ten wagons loaded with baled hay. The remainder of
the expedition had destroyed two steamers and a flat-bottomed iron-clad
gunboat which were in process of building. In addition, they destroyed an
arsenal, a new fort by Gen. Haup's plan, about two miles of railroad track,
and burned a large amount of cotton and government stores.
Tarborough looks the most like our northern cites of any place I have
seen since I have been to the Sunny South.
The rebels spiked three 32 pound siege guns and retreated across Tar
river, tearing up the bridge after them, and planted some artillery and
shelled the town all the time our forces were in it. We left there at 4:30
P.M. on our return home, by the same road we went there; and when about ten
miles south of Sparta, the rebels cut us off be destroying a bridge and
planting artillery. This was late in the evening, and quite dark, and we
supposed we were in a pickle. But Gen. Potter is not a man to be fooled
every day. We took a lane and forded the stream above them, and managed to
get in the rear of them with our whole column. The rear guard charged upon
them, and lost three or four men. They had infantry in the woods lying in
ambush for us if we charged.

FOURTH DAY'S ADVANCE.
In the lanes, roads and by-paths through which we passed until 4 o'clock
A.M., we occasionally received a volley from a cornfield or from the bushes.
We traveled at double quick, and were so tired and sleepy that half the
regiment lost their hats while sleeping on their horses' necks. Our
battalion, Maj. Jacobs, marched 95 miles that day. You would have laughed
if you could have seen us. But none of us were so tired that we could not
destroy over a hundred dollars worth of melons and peaches. Who couldn't be
a soldier?
After a short rest, we once more resumed our march, and went as far as
Hookerstown, a small village about forty miles from Newberne. We charged
into town after dark. It was very wet and rainy. Here we met with another
halt.
The rebels had destroyed the bridge across a creek, (I did not learn its
name,) and when we came to it a dozen shots or so were fired at us from the
opposite bank of the stream, and then they left. We were more than an hour
getting the bridges so we could cross; but before we could get the whole
train across the rebels attacked our rear with cavalry and artillery, and we
had to leave a train of about 500 darkies, with mules and wagons, in order
to burn the bridge to cut off the rebels. Again we marched almost all night,
and it seemed as though we marched round and round, from the distance we
went through the dark and mud; but we were obliged to keep on the tramp or
lose our ducks. We arrived at Swift Creek the next morning at about 9
o'clock and took and destroyed a camp of Whitworth guerrillas.

FIFTH DAY'S ADVANCE.
From Swift Creek we marched to Street's Ferry, ten miles from Newberne,
where we encamped. Gen. Potter sent a squad of cavalry to Newberne as
messengers. The rebels again attacked us before we had hardly got our
dinners. They were reported to have a brigade of cavalry, artillery, and
infantry. They charged down upon one of our regimental howitzers, commanded
by Lieut.. Alice, and when in good range he gave them a dose - a double
charge of grape and canister - keeling over 42 of the grey jackets at one
lick. About 100 of us were immediately sent to support the piece and to
act as skirmishers. They shelled us "right smart," but did no hurt. In the
evening the steamers Port Royal and Allison, and the gunboat Bombshell, came
up and brought some flats and built a pontoon bridge. I suppose the rebels
did not like the looks of the gunboat, for they left during the night.
Everything was crossed in good order next morning, all arrived in Newbern
about noon, and each man went to his quarters, thankful to take up even with
a bachelor's fare, after having made a march of about 250 miles inside of
five days. After having had one good night's sleep we are up and ready for
another move. Only let the ball keep rolling on.
Yours, &c.,
C.N.D. Mead, Co. I
*
*transcribed & submitted by L.Schmidt, January 27-2007

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• [NY-WESTERN] Aug 11-1863: Great Cavalry Raid in NC by "DonLinda" <>