Description:

BATTLE OF KINSTON
A lengthy and detailed A.L.S. of Herbert Merriam, Private in Co. B, 14th Mass. Infantry, 10pp. 8vo., [n.p.], Dec. 25, 1862, to his mother in Boston, in small part: ‘…I heard it was reported in Boston that [we] were repulsed at Kinston, it was a mistake we experienced quite the contrary, we took the place Sept 9th, 1862. We were ordered to be ready in 36 hours, with overcoats, woolen and rubber blankets with three days provisions…the next day we devoted to washing and packing up our things we were not to take…I was detailed for signal service, and would not have to carry a musket, but would have a signal cartridge box, pistol & cap box, my position in marching & action is by the adjt. My duties are in case we meet a force in the night to signal them by means of rocket or countersigns to ascertain whether they are friend or foes...I stood the march this time very well after marching & we go into camp & stack arms, get our equipment off, which pleases us very much, the first thing is to get rails off of fences for fires the wood being pine mostly…we then proceed to get our coffee & sugar from little bags…often our darkies…forage sweet potatoes, pigs and sometimes beef…The taking of Kinston was really war, seeing the dead and wounded did not shock me as much as I should suppose, I went to the rear of the house near the bridge which led to the town, where they were amputating men's legs, union & secesh together, the most pitiful sight was a rebel colonel in an ambulance…pale from loss of blood, he was a fine looking man, had a neat gray uniform with bullion stripes, he made quite an impression on me. The rebels made quite a resistance to our entering the city, the 45th Regt. losing quite a few men, and the 10th Conn. charges the enemy and lost 100 & over killed & wounded, we formed a line of battle and followed up the 45th through a swamp but, did not lose any men. Sergt. Howe of our mess got wounded in the finger slightly, when the 10th Conn. and other regiments charged; the enemy was running across the bridge trying at the same time to burn it, but did not succeed. After getting our knapsacks…we crossed the bridge and entered the town taking some cannon & a little way out of the town we took six pieces of cannon all loaded…We saw some quite pretty ladies, quite a treat to us soldiers…The soldiers foraged considerably in the city, the secesh apples were particularly nice…The next morning we marched in the direction of Goldsboro encamped, started the next morning soon, heard cannon firing when our regiment arrived the enemy were posted on the opposite side of the river, the artillery were firing on them besides infantry, we soon took position behind a rail fence on this side of the river and commenced firing, as we marched to take our position a shell come over our heads and soon another struck two men in our right wing and killed them instantly, two of the wounded have since died. Quite a gap in the regiment, in the afternoon we marched again at night encamped…The next morning parties were out to forage…We soon began to hear cannon again, but this time our regiment took no part in the fight, it being done mostly by artillery and cavalry we arrived at a large open field…our object here was to burn a railroad bridge and tear up the railroad track. We succeeded but the rebels opposed us, they made a very daring charge on one of our batteries and were very much cut up by grape and canister, we soon got news that the object of our expedition was accomplished…we took position in the woods, but were soon ordered to march again…by way of Kinston, the bridge by this time being burnt by our troops, we made two night halts more before reaching New Bern…'. The Dec. 13-14, 1862 Battle of Kinston was the first major Confederate opposition to the advance of John G. Foster, who had set out to disrupt the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad at Goldsborough. Despite the stiff opposition alluded to in this fine letter, the Confederates were outnumbered and withdrew north of the Neuse River. Once across the river, Foster's army entered Kinston. In the end, Confederate casualties were 125 killed and wounded and 400 captured, and Kinston was thoroughly looted – as described! -- by Union troops. With original transmittal covered bearing his mother's address imprinted. Penned in a neat, very legible hand, with full transcript. Fine.

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January 18, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

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