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service, as well as to myself.
He was a gallant officer and a firm friend, and the kindest-hearted comrade I ever had, and I am sensibly affected by the casualty.
I have detailed Sergt.-Major Daniel Johnson to accompany his remains home to his family, and they will be sent by the first vessel.
It gives me great pleasure to say that the regiment under my command behaved gallantly, and particularly companies A, B, C, D, F, G and H, and their officers and men deserve the thanks of their countrymen.
With sentiments of high regard, I have the honor to be,
Your Excellency's most obedient servant,
John Kurtz, Colonel Twenty-third Massachusetts Volunteers.
P. S.--I omitted saying that Major Elwell and Adjutant Chambers both behaved in the most gallant manner, and rendered me the most efficient aid during the whole engagement. J. K.
I have just learned that the intrenchments above referred to were nearly a mile in length, and that the battery on the right had twelve guns, the one on the left fifteen guns, and the front fourteen guns. J. K.
New-York Tribune narrative.
Newbern, N. C., March 15, 1862.
Our arms have again been crowned with victory.
The city of Newbern with its entire line of defences has been captured, and the routed enemy have fled to Goldsborough, leaving their cannon, camps, immense quantities of ammunition, equipage, horses, provisions, and stores of all kinds in our hands.
The battle has been more severe than that at Roanoke, the victory more important.
The field of operations was so extensive that, with every desire to be fair and in giving a comprehensive sketch of the whole to do justice to each of the brave regiments engaged, it is simply impossible to avoid errors.
Every man of the division is jaded and worn out by the long march and the desperate battle, and we are to be allowed barely a few hours of rest before our forward march is to be resumed.
Burnside fights like no sluggard, and now that he has tried the mettle of his troops in two such battles as Roanoke and Newbern, his blows are likely to be struck as quickly as prudence dictates and circumstances permit.
At daylight on Thursday morning the rain was falling heavily, and it seemed as if we were to have every disadvantage of weather added to the obstacles which lay in the path of our advance on the city.
By eight o'clock, however, patches of blue sky were to be seen here and there, and in a little time the rain ceased.
The signal to prepare for landing hoisted on each of the brigade flag-boats was greeted with cheers throughout the fleet, and it was not long before the different regiments were in the launches, ready for the signal to land.
At nine o'clock the Patuxent, laden with troops, headed for the mouth of Slocum's Creek, followed by the Alert with fourteen boats in tow, the Union, with the Fourth Rhode Island aboard, the Pilot-Boy with twelve launches, Levy with thirteen, and the Alice Price, Gen. Burnside's flag-boat.
The Price, steaming past the others, led the advance, and, running to within a few yards of the shore, stopped and signalled the Pilot-Boy to follow in her wake.
From the transport fleet to shore the boats sailed in a long, graceful sweep, with flags flying, bands playing, and five thousand bayonets flashing in the sunshine, which now streamed over the fleet.
The picture was really beautiful, artistically speaking, while the solemn nature of the business before us lent to the pageant an air of grandeur peculiar to itself.
It was almost ten o'clock when the Alice Price stopped near the shore.
Her paddles had hardly ceased their revolutions when a small boat, containing Sergeant Poppe and three men of Capt. Wright's company of the Fifty-first New-York, put off from her side, and carried the Stars and Stripes to land.
When the Color-Sergeant planted his colors, and the dear flag was given to the breeze, one long, loud shout went up from the flotilla and fleet.
The signal to cast off tows was now given, and the swarm of boats made the best of their way to the beach; but the water shoaled so gradually to the westward of the creek that they grounded while yet sixty yards away.
In a moment the soldiers were over the gunwales, and the water was swarming with them, as they waded to land, carrying their pieces and ammunition under their arms to keep them dry. The crowd was so great, that some boats containing portions of the Eighth Connecticut and one of the Massachusetts regiments headed for the opposite bank of the creek, and the men were all ashore before the error was seen and an order could be sent them to land with the others.
Back to their boats they had to wade, and thus before they rejoined their regiment, they had had to go three times further in water than if the foolish mistake had not been made.
In view of the long, muddy march of sixteen miles, from Slocum's Creek to Newbern, it seemed a great pity that a way had not been provided to land the troops dry-shod.
Here, if anywhere, it would seem as if Field's floating-bridge could have been easily and profitably employed, and as it was on a schooner in the fleet, the failure to use it was an oversight.
In the boat-flotilla there were six navy barges with mountain howitzers, the whole battery being under command of Lieut. McCook of the Stars and Stripes, and the guns respectively of J. B. Hammond, (Acting Master,) of the Hetzel; E. C. Gabaudan (Commodore Rowan's clerk) of the Delaware; Lieut. Tillotson, (Union Coast-Guard,) of the Perry; Lieut. T. W. B. Hughes, (Union Coast-Guard,) of the St. Lawrence; C. H. Daniels, of the Decatur, and Mr. E. P. Meeker, (Commodore Goldsborough's secretary,) of the Ohio.
Each gun was drawn by twelve sailors, assisted, as occasion required, by soldiers who stepped from the ranks and lent a hand with cheerful alacrity.
Beside this battery of navyguns, two Wiard rifled twelve-pounders were 