Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/69

 The F<>i'fi/-ninth North On-ofinn Inf-intry.

by a considerable force of the enemy, and, after losing about 170 prisoner-, tin- remainder of those two commands barely escaped rapture l>y tig ting their way through the surrounding forces. During this movement Companies (', I), ami H, of the Forty-ninth, were picketing at Mosley's Creek, a parallel road from Newbern, the halaure of the regiment being moved from Kinston to the support of the troops at (iuin Swamp, and by their timely arrival stayed the retreat and checked the attack.

The invasion of Pennsylvania during the summer of this year by General Lee occupied the attention of most of the Federal troops, and movements elsewhere were generally of slight importance.

During the presence of our army across the Potomac a demon- stration in considerable force, probably with the hope of recalling some of the troops in his command to oppose it, was made towards Richmond from the direction of the Chickahominy; and Ransom's brigade was hurried by rail to meet the threatened raid. At Bottom's Bridge the Federal column was encountered; but after two days of brisk skirmishing its commander declined to attempt the passage of that stream. Some losses in killed and wounded were sustained by our forces, and the enemy suffered to as great an extent, with the addition of some prisoners captured by us. The return of the raid- ing column to York river was precipitated; and after a few days our command was back at its old duties in North Carolina. During the residue of the summer and succeeding fall and winter it was con- stantly on the move.

On June Qth, 1863, Thomas R. Roulhac was appointed sergeant major from Manly 's battery, which was then in the army of Northern Virginia. In the latter part of October he joined the regiment at Garysburg, and served in that capacity and as acting adjutant until appointed first lieutenant of Company D, in June, 1864.

On January 28th, 1864, the command left Weldon for Kinston, and there became a part of the forces under Generals Pickett and Hoke in the movement against Newbern. General Pickett pro- ceeded down the Dover road from Kinston with Corse's brigade of his own division, and those of Hoke and Clingman, of North Caro- lina, and attacked a camp of the enemy at Batchelor's creek, cap- turing about four hundred prisoners, two pieces of artillery, a large number of small arms, horses and camp equipage, and drove the entire Federal force precipitately towards Newbern.

Ransom's brigade, with Barton's and Kemper's Virginia brigades.