Newton County GaArchives News.....MR. MOSS'S DIARY AS KEPT DURING SIXTIES June 15 1916 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Phyllis Thompson mandpthompson@bellsouth.net February 1, 2004, 11:26 pm The Covington News "This Is As I Saw It. It May Be Different As Others Saw It" He Says of 3d Regiment, Company H. BEGINNING WITH THE YEAR 1861 September, 1861 21....The men returned from over the Sound to camps. Col. SHAW arrived with part of _______ ______ _____ _______ North Carolina Troops. 22, 23, 24,....Taken up in drilling on Batteries and Magazine. 8 men from Company H, on Battery. 25....Target Shooting on at Pork Point Battery. 26, 27....I was sick with fever. 28....Went to hospital tent with chills and fever. Major LEE was sent to Portsmouth after our money but did not get it. 29....General Inspection of arms. 30....Preparing to take a cruise toward Hateras. October, 1861 1.....The Steamers, Curlew, Rolly and Jenny Luska started towards Hateras and captured a small steamer, Fannie, with 2 Rifle Guns, the one of them the Little Sawyer. The Fannie was on her way to Chickamacomico Island, where the 20th Indiana Regiment was, but few escaped from the steamer. She was captured in 27 shots, mostly from the Curlew, with 1056 overcoats and a lot of saddles and bridles and blankets. The Yanks went below after raising the white flag and were helping themselves to liquors and champagne. Baskets were broken open and they were having a good time when our men boarded her. 2.....The Steamers returned to the camps with their prise and all hands went to chopping wood for the boats, we had found out that the 20th Indiana Regiment was there on Chickamacomico Island and the steamer did not have time to go to the wood yard after wood. We took a man's fence from around his crop and cut the rails for wood to fire up the steamer. 3.....All was in readiness to go aboard in the evening, all that was able of the Regiment and a portion of Col. PASMORE'S North Carolina Troops went aboard. It was a jolly crowd and a jolly time, some on barges and some on schooners, all in high spirits to meet the 20th Indiana Regiment on the Island at Chickamacomico. 4.....About 1 o'clock in the morning of the 4th they got off and left me and HAL LEE to take care of camps. I had more watches and pocket books than I could take care of and a trunk with instructions that, if they were captured, I was to take them to Kagshead and go to Norfolk. The troops arrived at the Island at 7-1/2 o'clock in the morning. With 2 brass howitzers, the first fire put them to flight. Leaving their camps, ammunition and all camp equipment, all strewn around promiscuously, and their breakfast on the fire, they broke for Fort Hateras. Had the North Carolinians been succesful in landing, none of them would have got away, but , owing to shallow water, they did not land their men. The 3d Georgia pursued them, some say 27 miles. They went near the land battery at Hateras but were compelled to fall back in good order, as there were but few who went that far. Some gave out and could not keep up, some were left with the howitzers. They dragged them some distance, the sand was too deep, they gave up trying to follow, they left one piece until the next day. The 3d Georgia camped that night about, promiscuously scattered like sheep. They took 55 prisoners. 5.....The Steamer Monticello shelled them on their retreat back to our boats. The steamer threw, so Col. WRIGHT said, 441 shells before our boys got out of range. JOSEPH A. RICE was left or volunteered to look after one of the Athen Guards who had given out and was missing. Most of the steamers and other vessels left for Roanoke Island and some of the Regiment. One of the Regiment died from being exhausted. The boys all got back in the night, their feet sore and blistered, and their limbs sore from the long race in the sand. 6.....Nothing written for this date. 7.....The boys lying around sleeping and some writing home to parents and friends about their first adventure with the Yanks. 8.....Col. WRIGHT sent the howitzer to Norfolk to have a wheel made for it; also sent about 85 prisoners, them that were captured on the steamer Fannie and at Chickamacomico Island. Dr. SCOGGINS started for home. There was a division of captured blankets. 9.....JOSEPH A. RICE got back from Chickamacomico. Rain and wind in abundance. RICE got his man from Athens Guard who had been left. 10, 11, 12....Some drilling and great many down with the chills and fever. 13....Col. WRIGHT returned from Norfolk. Two or three steamers went down to the inlet at Hateras to try their guns or to get the range and distance, but accomplished nothing. 14....Two more companies came to us of the new ones which were left at Portsmouth. Several recruits arrived and some steamers. 15....Orders to clean up guns and camp for inspection. 16....General HILL arrived on Roanoke Island. 17, 18....Tremendous rainy days and windy. 19....Took names for overcoats. Heavy rains at night. 20....Received our overcoats and S. H. STARR and ALFORD RAMSEY came to camps to see their sons in Company H. Burial of one of the Burke Guards according to military rules, A. B. WILLIAMS came to camps. He had been at Portsmouth a long time sick. To Be Continued. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb