Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[303] bushels of corn, were fired, and the Major was carried away prisoner. Guided by the captured muster-roll, all the dwellings belonging to guerrillas within four miles were burned, when General Wild returned to Indiantown, not so well satisfied with his morning's work as he would have been had the villains dared to face his colored troops.

By three P. M., the column was in motion toward Currituck Court-House, followed by an immense train of contrabands, more than a mile in length. We pushed on rapidly, sending scouts ahead to notify the slaves to be ready to “fall in” when the train should pass.

The country through which we passed was as level as a floor, with vast corn-fields stretching away into the forest. Many of the fields, however, were overgrown with weeds, showing where the slaves had run away before the spring-work was done. The houses were generally closed, and a Sabbath silence brooded over the land. It was evidently one of the richest agricultural regions in the State, and even now was filled with plenty. But next year, with their slaves all gone, these wealthy planters must starve, or else put their own shoulders to the wheel.

Some time after dark we came in sight of Captain Fry's picket-fires, and half an hour subsequently entered Currituck, having marched sixteen miles in five hours. The weather was exceedingly cold, and camp-fires were speedily blazing about the three houses constituting the village.

The next day Colonel Draper obtained permission from the General to attempt the capture of Captain Grandy's guerrilla camp, concerning the location of which he had obtained reliable information. Taking with him one hundred and sixty men, he proceeded back on the road travelled last night as far as Sligo. Here, turning into the woods, and following an obscure country road four miles, with his revolver he impressed a farmer to act as guide the rest of the way. The camp was finally found on an island in the interior of a dense swamp, the path to it for a long distance leading over felled trees, as in the case of Sanderlin's. It consisted of nine loghuts, containing bunks for seventy-five men. These were burned, together with a quantity of pork, beef, and tea. Several muskets, a large quantity of bayonets, cartridge-boxes, belts, shoes, and rebel army clothing were brought back as spoils. On the way home Colonel Draper burned two distilleries where the guerrillas were accustomed to procure their whiskey.

The same day the gunboat Flora Temple arrived here. The captain had been ordered to report to General Wild at Elizabeth City; but, on landing there, he found that the place had been evacuated, and received such a reception from the inhabitants as induced him to leave instanter; two transports also lay at anchor off the village. These the General loaded with contrabands and sent them to Roanoke Island. The next day Colonel Draper was sent with two hundred men across Currituck Sound to Knott's Island, with orders to burn all the houses of guerrillas he could find, and to destroy if possible the camp of the company existing in that neighborhood. As the men were much fatigued, it was not proposed to hurry home, but, starting the next day, to march very slowly toward Norfolk, “canvassing” the country on the way. This plan, however, was destined to be suddenly changed. About the middle of the afternoon, Major White, of the Eighty-first New-York, stationed at North-West Landing, with a cavalry escort, arrived in haste at the headquarters of General Wild, with a despatch from General Ledlie, in charge of the district of Currituck, containing the information that a large rebel force had been sent down from the Blackwater to intercept the return of the colored troops, and that he was very solicitous for General Wild's safety. Under these circumstances, General Wild deemed it imprudent to remain any longer here. In half an hour the column was in marching order, and at four P. M. was under way. As we left the village, smoke was seen rising from several points on Knott's Island, showing that Colonel Draper was carrying out the order of the General, “to burn pretty freely.” Our train consisted of nearly a hundred teams, and the men were worn out and foot-sore, but under the circumstances we marched very rapidly. Flanking parties were sent out at all suspicious points, and no straggling was permitted. When a halt was made, the men would drop upon the ground and instantly fall asleep. Thus pushing on, about ten o'clock we encountered the pickets of the Eighty-first New-York, a half a mile from North-West Landing, and an hour later the whole train was over the bridge, the Union line was crossed, and we were safe. Three days subsequently the entire expedition returned to Norfolk, having been absent just three weeks.

The material results of the raid may be summed up as follows: Between two thousand and three thousand slaves were released from bondage, with whom were taken along about three hundred and fifty ox, horse, and mule teams, and from fifty to seventy-five saddle-horses, some of them valuable animals. The guerrillas lost thirteen killed and wounded; ten dwelling-houses, with many thousand bushels of corn belonging to them,were burned, besides the two distilleries; four of their camps were destroyed, and one of their number was hanged; and one hundred rifles, uniforms, infantry equipments, etc., fell into our hands as spoils, with a loss on the part of the brigade of twelve killed and wounded and one man taken prisoner. Beside this, fourteen rebel prisoners and four hostages were brought in. A comparatively small number of men were enlisted — not more than one hundred in all — a large proportion of the able-bodied slaves having previously left their masters, the facilities for escaping being especially great in the region visited.

In regard to its moral and political results, however, the importance of the raid cannot be over-estimated. The counties invaded by the