Additional particulars from the Plymouth fight.
We gave on Saturday morning some of the particulars of the fighting which resulted in the capture of
Plymouth.
Our forces arrived in front of
Plymouth on Sunday afternoon about 4 o'clock, and succeeded in capturing most of the enemy's pickets, which were stationed a few miles from town, and felt their works, and finding them much stronger than was anticipated, the men being exhausted by a long day's march, the attack was postponed until next day. During the whole day Monday the artillery and sharpshooters were engaged with their gunboats and forts, which resulted in one of the former being sunk.--At about dusk on the same evening Fort Sanderson, a very strong earthwork, was assaulted and carried by storm after a spirited resistance.
During this assault a number of our men were killed by hand grenades in the ditch.
After carrying the above-named fort our forces advanced close up to the main works of the enemy, on the west side of the town.
On Tuesday morning at two o'clock the
Albemarle, one of our iron-clad gunboats, commanded by
Capt. Cook, came down the river and engaged the enemy's batteries and gunboats which were lying in front of the town.
The enemy's boats attempted to board her, which attack was handsomely repulsed.
They also attempted to trap her, having stretched a chain under water across the space that intervened between their boats; but instead of running between them
Capt. Cook made direct for the largest, striking her amidships, and sunk her in a few minutes, together with most of the officers and crew, only a few of whom were picked up. He immediately engaged the other, and pursued her some distance down the river, but not deeming it prudent to venture too far down the river, he returned to his former position in front of
Plymouth.
After daylight on the same morning
Gen. Hoke demanded a surrender of the place and its defences, which demand the enemy declined to accede to. During the day their works were reconnoitered and felt at different points.
Tuesday night the position of our troops was moved around through a very difficult route to the east or opposite side of the town.
At daylight Wednesday morning they charged and carried the entire line of fortifications on the east side, driving the enemy at the point of the bayonet completely through the town to the opposite side, where some of our troops were left, who succeeded in capturing a large number of prisoners.
During all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning the
Albemarle, with the gallant
Cook in command, engaged the enemy's batteries, taking them in reverse.
The town now being entirely in our possession, together with all the enemy's works, with the exception of the main fort, a demand was made for its surrender, which was refused, but as soon as our sharpshooters commenced to advance, the enemy began to desert by twos, threes and twenties, coming into our lines and throwing down their arms.
The flag of the fort was then soon hauled down, which resulted in the surrender by
Brig. Gen. Wessels of four regiments of infantry, one squadron of cavalry, a battalion of artillery, and two or three companies of N. C. "Buffaloes," together with the large amount of stores, provisions, siege guns, etc., previously reported in this paper.
Our loss in killed and wounded in the land fight was much larger than that of the enemy, owing to the fact that our troops were exposed to a raking fire, without protection of any kind, while the enemy were covered by their works.
Our total loss was three hundred killed and wounded, while the loss of the enemy in this respect only amounted to one hundred.
The number of prisoners captured was as follows: 2,500 whites and 300 negroes, a portion of the latter being women and children.
A large number of negroes and "buffaloes" (fit associates) escaped by means of boats and canoes, while quite a number plunged into the river, a portion of whom never reached the opposite shore.
The behavior of our troops throughout the whole affair was everything that could be desired, and where all did so well it would be next to injustice to discriminate.
The gallant
Col. Mercer was killed while leading a charge, and thus scaled with his lifeblood his devotion to his country.
He was a native of
Georgia, and the only field officer lost by us during the siege of
Plymouth.
The following named officers and privates wounded in the recent engagement before
Plymouth, N. C., have arrived in
Petersburg, and were assigned to the
S. C. Hospital, Washington street. They were wounded on Monday, while storming the outer line of entrenchments.
Some few of the wounds were severe, but most of them slight:
Pegram's Battery--
Sergt George Trent wounded through the arm;
private Archibald Carmichael, burned by the explosion of a shell;
B. L. Wiltsie' severely in both legs;
Barney Winfree, in shoulder; and
John C. Eckles, contusion from caisson.
Blunt's Battery--
Sergt Thos. M. Ross and
private Wm. Noell.
Fayette Artillery--
Privates Wm. Allen and
Jas. G. Barnes.
First Virginia Regiment--
Privates John Belcher, company H;
Henry Toler, company H;
Washington H. Wood, company G, and
E. W. Callahan, company B.
Eleventh Virginia Regiment--
Privates Abner P. Bateman, company C, and
William Gregory, company G, through the thigh.
The latter is from
Lynchburg.
Twenty Fourth Virginia Regiment--
Private Josiah Dunn, company B.
A Yankee who was wounded and captured in the storming of the first fort was also brought on and placed in the hospital.
He suffered amputation of the right arm at
Weldon.
His name is
Dexter D. Keath,
corporal company H, 2d Massachusetts heavy artillery.
The following also arrived by the same train:
Lieut. Chas. McCann, ordnance officer, severely wounded in arm and back;
Sergt. Booker, of
Pegram's battery, in the hand; and
privates Slaughter and
Wm. C. Wells, of the same company, slightly.
Sergt. Booker is from
Amelia county, and
Wells from
Dinwiddie.
The larger proportion of the wounded were left in
Weldon.
Delaware McMinn, of the 1st Virginia regiment, reported mortally wounded, has since died.
