Battle of Goldsboro, N. C. | Spared & Shared 23

The following letters were written by John Quincy Adams Johnston (1836-1906)—known to his comrades as “Quince”—who served as 1st Sergeant in Co. A, 17th Massachusetts Infantry. He enlisted in May 1861 at Amesbury and was discharged for wounds on 10 September 1863. He was married to Lucy Stevens Moody in 1857 but she died a little over two years later in 1860.

Quince’s first letter describes the Goldsboro Expedition in December 1862. His 2nd letter concludes with a brief recap of the expedition made with other troops of the 18th Army Corps to the relief of the besieged garrison at Washington, North Carolina. When they engaged the enemy at Blount’s Creek on 9 April 1863, they found them strongly entrenched and finally withdrew and returned to New Bern.

Quince wrote the letters to his brother William Johnston who served in the US Navy during the Civil War.

Colonel Thomas Jonathan Coffin Amory, 17th Massachusetts Infantry. Albumen print likely taken at New Berne, N.C. He commanded the 17th Massachusetts Infantry at the time this letter was written in March 1863. (Dale Niesen Collection)

Letter 1

Newbern [North Carolina]
December 26, 1862

Dear Brother,

I take this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am all right. I said we were all right. I meant to say that we had got back from the expedition alive and with the exception of a very few that were wounded are quite well. I suppose you have been [ ] to hear the result of the last expedition. I will attempt to give you a kind of an account of it.

Weleft Newbern on the 11th, marched 17 miles & camped for the night. The next morning, the 12th, we again marched ten miles. Again camped for the night. 13th marched 8 miles and camped again On the 14th marched 4 miles and came up with the rebs in force. We fought them 4 hours & gave them particular fits. We then flanked them and they skedaddled. This was the first time that I ever had a fair chance at them & you better believe I improved it. I gave them pills as long as they was in sight. We then took possession of the town [Kinston, N. C.] which is quite a pretty place. I tell you that there was some amusing scenes. Some of them were crying, some laughing, and more of them were drunk. I am now speaking of the prisoners for we took about 800 and I should judge killed as many more. We got one fellow that I named Alvin Martin.

We stayed in the place on the night of the 14th and the morningof the 15th we took up again the line of march. Went about 16 miles and bivouacked again. On the 16th, marched 6 miles and came up with them again & fought them at a place called White Hall. The battle lasted two and a half hours and when all at once they took a notion to run and we started for Goldsboro. Marched until dark & went into camp.

On the 17th, marched 6 miles & came up with them again. Here was the tug of war. This was the object of the expedition—to destroy a railroad bridge here. The rebs seemed to make a stand & the 17th [Mass.] Regiment was ordered to go down the railroad and dislodge them. In the meantime, several of the battery men got into position till within about 20 rods of the bridge where the rebs opened a volley from the works on the left which made us [ ]. About 25 men were shot at once. I was struck in the left leg between the knee and thigh by a spent ball but I kept on firing until the fight was over. We rallied & in less than half an hour we cleared them out. When the excitement was over, I found that I could not stand on my leg. I got a board [rest of letter is missing]

— Quince

Letter 2

Newbern [North Carolina]
March 10th 1863

Dear Brother,

I thought perhaps you would like to hear a word from me. I have little or nothing new to write. My health is very good and I hope this will find you enjoying the same blessing.

There was an expedition left here last Thursday morning but the 17th was left behind although we have been under marching orders since they left. But I think it was only to be in readiness in case they came across a force too large for them. But today they have returned, or a part of them. They say they did not fire a gun. They took some ten or twelve prisoners.

There is a report here that there has been another call for troops and I am glad of it although I don’t want any of my friends to get into the army. Let some of the lazy bummers that have got plenty at stake as well as liberty. You and I have dine enough for nothing. If they want my services as much longer, they will have to give me a better berth. I have heard within a few days by way of a [ ] that I was to have the next promotion. I hope it is so. We have got the best captain in the regiment. He is a perfect gentleman. He has the most influence of anyone in the regiment and he improves every opportunity to use it for [his] men. At the Battle of Goldsboro, I was wounded in the first volley but I kept on firing as long as the battle lasted and the captain tells everybody of it and also tells them that I am an abolitionist or I never would have such hatred towards the Rebs. When I got through fighting, my leg was so swollen that I could hardly get my pants off but it is as well as ever now. We shall whip them at last. The Rebs must come. Uncle Sam is good for them.

There is a report here now that our gunboats have got up past Fort Sumter. I hope it is true, If it is, they will soon break Charleston into a cocked up hat. We heard heavy cannonading last night and I think it was a bombardment of either Wilmington or Charleston.

About those boots that Rowe sent me, I sold them the next day after they arrived for $29. They cost me $18.13—a very good profit. I wrote to Rowe for a case of twelve pairs. I was glad to hear that you had got a job on the Navy Yard but don’t say in the next [letter] of being drafted. If it should happen that you should have to go at all, go in the Navy, but be sure and not get into the army. It is enough to kill anybody, these long marches made in [ ], I tell you. — Quincy

April 11th. We have just returned from an expedition just as I finished this letter and before I had time to send it. We had the order to march this way. At 9 o’clock on Monday evening and 10 o’clock we were on the way to what is called Bay [Blount’s Creek]. We had a fight with the Rebs and had some 12 men wounded in our regiment, four in Company A slightly by a rebel shell. I will give you the particulars in my next. I will give you the names of the wounded [on 9 April 1863]: G. Rezen, S. Reed, T[homas A.] Murray, F[rancis] Peabody

— Quincy

*I could not find an image of Charles, but here is one of Thomas G. Stevenson who also served as an officer in the 21st Michigan.*

This letter was written by Charles S. Brown (1846-1904) of Co. K, 21st Michigan Infantry. He enlisted on 28 March 1864 and mustered out of the regiment on 8 June 1, 1865. He was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant on 1 September 1864 and made the adjutant of the regiment.

In 1850, the Brown family lived in Homer, Will county, Illinois. His parents were Rev. David Ebenezer Brown (1796-1873) and Harriet Jones (1806-1892). His sister, Esther (“Etta”) was born in 1839. By 1860, the Brown family had relocated to Flint, Genessee county, Michigan. The 1860 census enumerates Charles father as an Episcopal Clergyman. Charles was enumerated as 14 year-old student.

This letter is no longer in private hands. It is one of several letters written by Lt. Brown that were donated to the Duke University Library. See Charles S. Brown papers, 1864-65. It was transcribed and posted on Spared & Shared at the request of Ruth Stanton.

Transcription

Headquarters 21st Michigan Voluntary Infantry
Near Haywood, North Carolina
April 18, 1865

Mother and Etta,

As I have not heard or written in some time and a mail leaves in the a.m. (the 1st on this march), I thought I might interest you some. We have had an awful time from Goldsboro up marching like thunder & hard work for two days. Had to be sort of train guards & help them along. The morning of the 14th we got up at 1 a.m. & started for Raleigh which we entered about 9 a.m. after marching so that the horses almost trotted. We beat everybody into town & our 1st Brigade had the pleasure of hoisting the Stars & Stripes first over the surrendered city as old Gov. Vance surrendered not only the city, but the whole state. Bully for Vance.

We heard the announcement of Lee’s surrender [when we were] at Smithfield and it was given to the whole division at the same time. You can imagine the noise made by 15 regiments giving three times three & a tiger. Well that was just “old pison” & the hats went up some. Also at Goldsboro, N. C., while on review, the fall of Richmond, &c. &c. gave us a chance to waste breath. By jove, I never thought men had such lungs. [It] beat the yell with which we charged at Bentonville all to nothing.

Oh! by the way, I don’t remember as I ever gave you a very lucid account of that fight or of the one on the 16th. The one on the 16th we were not much engaged—was mostly the 20th Corps and the 2nd Div., 14th Army Corp. They made the johnnies climb that day. The 2nd Div. only lost about 100. We then took the advance & started for Goldsboro on the 18th and the 2nd Division had a stiff skirmish with them on the a.m. of the 19th. We took the advance and the 1st Brigade. Our advance and Gen. [William P.] Carlin (our Div. Commander) told the “Bummers” if they ran on to the Rebs too strong for them, to report. In about 2 hrs. they were checked & reported the enemy in force & intrenched. Some thought there might be at least 2,000 of them there but [Bvt. Major General] Jeff Davis laughed at the largeness of the estimate & ordered Gen. Carlin to charge with a Brigade. The 1st then “went for them” and took their 1st line. We were ordered up to join on their right & did so. We were not protected by any works as they were. Our skirmishes were advanced in the woods and reported a second line of rather formidable appearance. We were ordered to charge immediately which we did. The Rebels held their line until we were within 3 rods of the works when they opened fire from all sides and gave us an awful volley. We went for them with a yell and got within 5 paces of their works and if we did not pour some lead into them, I am mistaken. We finally were ordered to fall back which was done until the 1st brigade gained their works.

We halted and began to fortify, still in ignorance of our real position & totally without support for about 3/4 of an hour. The skirmishes were driven back & the Rebs came for us. We lay behind our incomplete works & gave them fits. We checked them & held them to it until they turned the left of the 1st Brigade & of course that forced to retreat. They fell back a regiment at a time as they were compelled to & of course our Brigade had to “follow suit.” It was the best thing we ever did for falling back we met a line of Rebs marching straight for our rear and in 15 minutes more we would have been between two lines of the buggers.

We fell back on our support (the 20th A. C.) which had come up by this time & the artillery went for them. There were 8 full batteries going for them as best they knew how & they would average 2 shots a minute to the gun. As the Rebs charged on the batteries, they began to fill up the guns with boxes of cartridges which was too much for Mr Reb.

The 2nd Division in the meantime had fortified to the right of our Division & on them the Rebs charged only 7 times in the course of 2 1/2 hours. The 14th Michigan charged once and got the Reb works when the Rebs came back and took our (the 14th Michigan) works, so Mr. 14th Michigan had to charge back to get their own works. The Rebs sent word for the 14th to surrender (while in that fix) [but] the 14th told them to “go to hell” and charged through and took about 1/2 of them prisoners. We lay under fire for 3 days till the 15th Army Corps and the 17th Army Corps took them in the rear and they had to get out, leaving all of our wounded prisoners & most of their badly wounded. We then went on to Goldsboro & lay until the 10th of April.

We have just heard of the death of Lincoln. May the Lord have mercy upon the country we pass through & the Rebs we catch if we go any further upon this campaign. I never saw a more exasperated set of men than the Army. Honestly the Army had rather experienced another Bull Run affair than to have had that happen. Few men will stop from committing any outrage or crime they may choose to. Sherman and Johnston are meeting now. I hope they won’t come to terms by jove. I would like to see Wm. T [Sherman] turn his army loose over what is left of South Carolina, by jove. I would not give much an acre for it after a corps or two had gone over it. This is the worst news we have ever heard yet. I hope Andrew Johnson will put down the screws tight. By thunder, the army will sustain him if it hangs every man and burns every house in the whole South.

I must close this as I have some work to do. Consider me as ever, — Your affectionate son and brother, — Charlie

We have been out foraging to Haywood & beyond. I found some of the prettiest girls there I have seen in the South. I would like to garrison the place and would have some fun with the four Misses Bryant, and others. I found a good set of chess men which I will try and send home.

We had some fun in Raleigh, although we only stayed one day. I had the pleasure of being ordered to find out who wanted guards &c. in our section and to post them & I tell you, I did. I found out it was fun to hear their questions and some I did scare almost to death. The very name of “Sherman’s Bummers” would cause all of them to turn pale and I made some, I tell you. But “such is life” and now I hope we will soon be out of field duty, which is all very nice but rather annoying when they call you to stand within 5 paces of a 32-pound cannon & a line of Rebs. There is where the fun comes in. I tell you, it is tough to see your comrades piled up about you as we had there. We only lost 81 in all out of 250 who went in and 5 officers out of 14.

Consider me as yours affectionately, — C. S. Brown