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running them back over our works in great confusion delivering a deadly fire as they went over the top of the breastworks. We took one prisoner there. This regiment behaved well. But after our centre was broken through, & we were flanked right & left there was no use in fighting any longer against such tremendous odds. Our force was not quite four thousand The enemy landed twenty seven thousand. Our loss as near as we can ascertain is about two hundred, killed wounded & prisoners. Their loss, according the the statement of a prisoner taken since the battle, was about six hundred. Though some of them say it was fifteen hundred. I think the former is more correct.
The enemy landed below our works on thursday evening. The fight commenced about sunrise next morning, It was very foggy which was greatly in the enemy's favour as they could come very near to our works before they were discovered. We could not see their maneuvers well.
The enemy opened the fight along the whole length of our lines but pressed the militia hardest, & after they fled, pressed our regiment terribly during the whole of the fight. Gen Burnsides told the bearer of a flag off twice, he knew our exact numbers & how they were posted, & that the result would have been the same ; it made no difference where the militia had been posted, as he would have attacked them anyhow. They made no attack on our water batteries, but as soon as the infantry retreated, they ran their gun boats up to New bern without hinderance, as our batteries were evacuated of course. The guns were spiked & dismounted. The least of a company from Maryland sunk one gun boat as it was passing, & then retreated.
The enemy shelled us all thursday evening, throwing one hundred powder shell with great precision, considering they were entirely out of view. We have a good many reinforcements & can make a good stand near here. If we had had the troops we have here, we would never have been whipped.
Gen Branches should not be censured, as he certainly did the best he knew how. The best general in the world could not have held our position with the same numbers & kind of troops [begin underline] militia won't do. Please [end underline] send this to Kemp when you get through with it. Yours truly W.G. Lewis
[this is the same as page 23 of the documents, already transcribed]
Wilmington, March 28th 1962
My Dear Judge,
You deserve & receive my thanks for your suggestions with regard to the postponement of the time of meeting of the Convention. Never did I so much need the counsel of the faithful judicious members of the church, and you are one of the first to whom I would apply. There is great force in all you say of the importance of our next Con -vention and of the desirableness of having it well attended. And yet I think it would be best not to change the time of meeting for these reasons 1st we made such a change last year. Continued changes would destroy all confidence in our appointements. 2nd the machinery of the Diocese is adopted to be bound up about that time each year, & it is put out of order when this is not done. 3rd if we had not a Quorum or the number in attendance seemed unfit for the transaction of such weighty business, we could hold an adjourned meeting. 4th as to providing for the accommodation of those in attendance, it must be understood that none are to come but members & if the private houses are too crowded, rooms probably could be gotten in the college buildings, & meals be taken at the Hotel. It may yet be that
the state of things in the country will be such, as to require that the meeting be not held as appointed. In that case I could when the emergency came, direct a postponement. I hope however for a better result. If you think these reasons insufficient, I hope you will write again, & let me know your views of the matter more fully. I shall be glad to accept your hospitable invitation. With kind remembrances to your family I remain faithfully your friend. Thomas Atkinson
Hon Wm H Battle [close parenthesis mark]
[in top margin] The standard is trying to run Col Vance for Govenor, on its strength of the late fight. Col Vance has too much sense & high toned honor to attempt to run for any office, under false colors. Col Vance is a brave & high toned gentleman, but he had no chance ^at the newbern battle & he knows & confesses it. G.
Camp near Kinston April 1st 1862
Dear Kemp [1862]
I write to let you know of my whereabouts, & how I am getting on. We have just started on a most active campaign, & marches & counter marches, I think will be my portion for a while.
I would write to you some of the facts of the late battle, but suppose you have found out by this time that accounts in the newspapers are very eroneous.I will correct two or three mistakes only. Col Avery's regiment was [begin underline] ordered by Gen Branch [end underline] into the action about fifteen minutes after the engagement opened, & was under fire the [begin underline] whole [end underline] of it, during the entire fight Col Vance had only three companies under command of Maj Carmichael in the fight as the action did not extend as far down to the right as he was posted. There is no doubt his regiment would have done gallant fighting if it had had a chance.
Maj Carmichael fought bravely & has not by any means received due praise. The papers are making political capital out of that fight, & care not whether they tell the truth,or give just praise or not. I had a separate command of about four companies of our regiment. My left rested