Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 4.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[93] three pieces of artillery, were to the rear precisely at the cross-road, which lay four hundred yards behind the first. Those companies had pickets right and left, but with the order to do no firing to the front, and in case of an attack to act as support.

We stood all night without fire, and raining all the time. None of the men slept, and every half-hour I made the companies fall in with the greatest silence. All officers and men of the regiment, without exception, comported themselves with remarkable patience and endurance during twelve hours of darkness and raining. Not a word of grumbling, not an expression of weariness. At half-past 6 o'clock, a small scouting-party which I sent a little beyond my pickets, returned. I permitted my men to light fires in order to dry themselves as much as possible. At seven o'clock A. M., an aid of Gen. Foster came and ordered me to allow the First brigade to pass through my line of pickets.

The brigade came half an hour later, headed by the General himself, in the following order: Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, Twenty-third Massachusetts, Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, Fifth battalion Rhode Island, and Tenth Connecticut, and immediately upon your arrival we followed them, following your order to defile through swamp and water to the rear and to the left of the Twenty-fifth, and then halting, I took the two flank companies, D and G, armed with Harper's Ferry rifles and sabre-bayonets, and after having assured myself of the position of the battery of the enemy, and, by the different shots of their guns, of the extension of the ground which they could sweep on our left, (their right,) I ordered the two companies to jump into a deep swamp, and commanded them to open fire by file, marching slowly to the front and left. I forbade those two companies to waste any ammunition, and fire only when perfectly sure of their aim.

We had soon in front the infantry of the enemy which supported the right flank of the battery. It was then that the fire began to be really hot, and I had many men put hors du combat. Among those, I regret to say, Capt. T. S. Foster was shot by a bullet through the left leg; but we steadily kept up the firing for more than two hours, advancing toward the front and left at the same time. At this moment, the Twenty-fifth having changed their position, two of my companies formed in line, and in a few minutes all the rest of the battalion advanced by my order, guided by Major Clark. At the edge of the swamp, and in front of me, was an exposed ground of one hundred yards.

The regiment once in line, I charged that distance and ordered the men to lie down and load, covered by a small natural elevation. During that march we suffered four or five minutes a very thick fire, and lost fifteen men. The battery was already flanked. You came and said to me: “Charge and take it!” We arose and did so. At our left flank were three companies of the Fifty-first New-York. Our State color was the first on the battery, afterward the flag of the Fifty-first, then immediately after our regimental flag. One of our men found in the battery a rebel flag, with the motto: “Aut vincere, aut-mori.” After a few moments of joy, I put again in line the regiment in the road behind the battery, and, led by you, we proceeded toward Camp Georgia. Company E, of my regiment which was in front, found the enemy retreating; they turned and fired, but were soon repulsed, with loss of three dead and some wounded. They sent a flag of truce and surrendered.

I am glad to say that I never saw any better behavior by any soldiers, young or veterans. I do not believe that it was possible, in such a ground, (if a continued swamp and pond of water can be so called,) that any one could surpass the brilliant and gallant conduct of all my command. If I should mention the names of those officers who have distinguished themselves, I should be obliged to send you the names of all, beginning from the Major to the last second lieutenant, as every one of them deserve it. I shall mention two--Capt. T. S. Foster and Lieut. F. A. Stearns, Acting Adjutant--not because they fought more bravely, but because they were, by the force of circumstances, obliged to stand for a longer time in a more dangerous position than any others.

The last two had been, during all the fight, coolly and bravely at my side from the beginning till the end. Both have been wounded — the first by a bullet in the left leg, and the second slightly in the right temple and in the neck. And also, I would call your attention to the faithful services of Surgeons Cutter and Warren, and the Chaplain, who bravely followed the troops through the fight, to bear back the dead and wounded. All the wounded were conveyed to the hospital, and our dead were immediately buried. I send you a list of the killed and wounded.

I have the honor to be, your obedient subordinate,

General order, No. 3.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Militia of the Commonwealth has received from the Twenty-first regiment of Massachusetts volunteers, Lieut. Col.-Albert C. Maggi Commanding, a flag of the “Confederate States,” captured by that regiment on the redoubt, in the gallant and victorious charge, led by Col. Maggi, at Roanoke Island, on the seventh day of February.

He has also received from the Twenty-fourth regiment, Col. Thomas G. Stevenson Commanding, the regimental colors of the Eighth regiment of North-Carolina “State troops,” surrendered, as one of the results of the victory, to Col. Stevenson's regiment, which bore a gallant part in the fortunes and trials of the day.

He has also received from the Twenty-third Massachusetts volunteers, Col. John Kurtz Commanding, the regimental colors of another rebel