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witness on another occasion.
His loss to his regiment, to his State, and to the Confederacy can not be easily compensated.
Colonel Ward, with his regiment, had been detached from
General Early's command in the early part of the action.
I regret that I have not access to the report of
General Longstreet, where, no doubt, may also be found due notice of
Colonel Christopher Mott, whom I knew personally.
In his youth he served in the regiment I commanded during the war with
Mexico.
He was brave, cheerful, prompt, and equal to every trial to which he was subjected, giving early promise of high soldierly capacity.
He afterward held various places of honor and trust in civil life, and there were many in
Mississippi who, like myself, deeply lamented his death in the height of his usefulness.
General Huger, commanding at
Norfolk, and
Captain Lee, commanding the navy-yard, by the authority of the
Secretaries of War and Navy, delayed the evacuation of both, as stated by
General Randolph,
Secretary of War, for about a week after
General Johnston sent orders to
General Huger to leave immediately.
While he was employed in removing the valuable stores and machinery, as we learn from the work of the
Comte de Paris,
President Lincoln and his
Secretary of War arrived at
Fortress Monroe, and on May 8th an expedition against
Norfolk by the troops under
General Wool was contemplated.
He writes:
Being apprised by the columns of smoke which rose on the horizon that the propitious moment had arrived, Wool proposed to the President to undertake an expedition against Norfolk.
Max Weber's brigade was speedily embarked, and, to protect his descent, Commodore Goldsborough's fleet was ordered to escort it. But the Confederate batteries, not yet having been abandoned, fired a few shots in reply, while the Virginia, which, since the wounding of the brave Buchanan, had been commanded by Commodore Tatnall, showed her formidable shell, and the expedition was countermanded.
Two more days were consumed in waiting.
Finally, on the morning of the 10th, Weber disembarked east of Sewell's Point.
This time the enemy's artillery was silent.
There was found an intrenched camp mounting a few guns, but absolutely deserted.
General Wool reached the city of Norfolk, which had been given up to its peaceful inhabitants the day previous, and hastened to place a military governor there.1
Reposing on these cheaply won laurels, the expedition returned to
Fortress Monroe, leaving
Brigadier General Viele, with some troops brought from the north side of the river, to hold the place.
The navy yard and workshops had been set on fire before our troops withdrew, so as to leave little to the enemy save the glory of capturing an undefended town.
The troops at
Fortress Monroe were numerically superior to the command of
General Huger, and could have been readily combined,
