| Kinston, N.C., March 8-10, 1865. 23rd Army Corps and
Provisional Division, District of Beaufort. Wilmington was occupied by
the Union troops under Gen. Schofield on Feb. 22, and steps were
immediately taken to open railroad communications between the seacoast
and Goldsboro, in order to get supplies to Sherman's army. It was soon
discovered, however, that communications could be more easily
established from New Berne and the base of operations was transferred
to that point. On Feb. 26, Maj.-Gen. J.D. Cox was ordered to assume
command of the movement. Cox reached New Berne on the last day of
February, organized his forces into two divisions, commanded by Brig.-Gens.
I.N. Palmer and S.P. Carter, and at once commenced the work of
repairing the railroad. A little later he was joined by Ruger's
division of the 23rd corps. The first opposition was met near Kinston,
about 30 miles from New Berne. About 3 miles from Kinston is a stream
called Southwest creek, along the banks of which some skirmishing
occurred on march 7, and the enemy was found to be in greater force
than had been anticipated. Several roads leading to Kinston crossed
Southwest creek. Near the mouth of the stream was the Neuse road,
running almost parallel to the river of that name. Between Kinston and
Southwest creek two roads - the Upper Trent and Dover - branched off
from the Beuse road and followed a general southeasterly direction. On
the east side of the creek, and nearly parallel to it, was the British
road, while the Lower Trent road left the Neuse road a short distance
east of the creek and ran for some distance nearly sue south, crossing
the British and Dover roads a little way south of the railroad. The
crossing of the British and Dover roads was known as "Wise's Forks."
After the skirmishing on the 7th along Southwest creek (q.v.) Cox
placed Upham's brigade of Carter's division at this point to cover the
left of the Federal position, a strong picket line was pushed up to
the bank of the creek, and Ruger's division was stationed at Gum
swamp, where it could move to the support of any part of the line at
short notice.
Cox had received information that Hoke's division was at Kinston,
ad that a Confederate ironclad was lying in the Neuse in front of the
town. He did not know, however, that Gen. J.E. Johnston, who had just
been assigned to the command of the Confederate forces in North
Carolina, had ordered Gen. Braxton Bragg to move with his command from
Goldsboro, unite with the remnant of Hood's army, under Gens. Clayton
and D.H. Hill, at Smithfield, and strike a decisive blow at the Union
column coming up from New Berne, in the hope of cutting off Sherman's
supplies, after which his intention was to concentrate the entire
force at some available point to prevent Sherman from forming a
junction with Schofield. On the morning of the 8th, while Schofield
and Cox were in consultation as to what course was best to pursue, the
enemy suddenly appeared in force between Upham and the rest of the
division. Upham's troops were principally new recruits and could not
be rallied after the first attack in time to meet the second. The
result was that three-fourths of the brigade were captured. Ruger was
hurried to Carter's support and the two divisions, protected by a
light breastwork, held their position against the repeated assaults of
the Confederates. In order to create a diversion Palmer was ordered to
make a vigorous demonstration in his front, as though he intended to
force a crossing. Here a few prisoners were taken, from whom it was
learned that at least three divisions of the enemy were engaged at
Wise's Forks, and that Bragg was in command. Upon receiving this
information Schofield directed Cox to act on the defensive, holding
his position if possible, until the remainder of the 23rd corps could
be brought up. Skirmishing was kept up during the 9th, but no serious
attack was made on any part of the Union lines. A short time before
noon on the 10th Hoke's division made a desperate assault on Cox's
left. McQuiston's brigade of Ruger's division was moved on the
double-quick to Carter's left, and at the same time both Carter's and
Ruger's batteries began pouring a perfect shower of shrapnel and
canister into the Confederate ranks. After an hour they broke and
fled, closely pursued by McQuiston until the latter was recalled to
support the center, where the line was too thin ti successfully resist
an attack should one be made. At 3:45 p.m. Bragg sent the following
despatch to Johnston: "The enemy is strongly intrenched in the
position to which we drove him. Yesterday and today we have moved on
his flanks, but without gaining any decided advantage. His line is
extensive, and prisoners report large reinforcements. Under these
conditions I deem it best, with the information you give, to join you,
which I shall proceed to do, unless otherwise directed."
That night the ironclad was burned and sunk, and Bragg moved to
Goldsboro to effect a junction with the main body of Johnston's army.
Kinston was occupied by the Federal forces on the 14th. The Union
losses in the several engagements about Kinston were 65 killed, 319
wounded and 953 captured, most of the last being members of Upham's
brigade, which was surprised on the morning of the 8th. No detailed
report of the Confederate casualties was made. The number of prisoners
taken was 266, and as the enemy was the attacking party it is quite
probable that their loss in killed and wounded was equal to or greater
than that of the Union army.
Source: The Union Army, Volume 6, Cyclopedia of Battles,
1908 |