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THE FORTY-FIFTH AT THE BATTLE OF KINSTON.

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held commissions in or had been prominently connected with the First Company of Cadets, First Division, M.V.M. In its roster were the following names:

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For the record of its services, we quote entire the following letter from Col. Codman. The narrative is soldier-like, brief, and to the point, indicating a willingness on the part of the writer, and of the noble band of men whom he commanded, " to be known by their works." Col. Codman writes, under date Nov. 27, 1863,

Orders were received in November, 1862, for the regiment to proceed to Newbern, N.C., and report to Major-Gen. John G. Foster, then in command of the Department of North Carolina; and it accordingly embarked, in company with the Forty-third and Forty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, on the 5th day of November. After a tedious detention by a storm in Boston Harbor, the steamer "Mississippi" arrived at Morehead City, N.C., upon the 14th of November, bearing two companies of the Forty-sixth Regiment and the entire Forty-fifth Regiment. Upon the afternoon of that day, this regiment proceeded by train to Newbern, where I reported to Gen. Foster, and was assigned by him to the brigade commanded by Col. T. J. C. Amory, of the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, which was at that time composed of the Twenty-third and Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers. The Forty-third and Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were subsequently added to the brigade.

This regiment remained encamped on the banks of the Trent, two miles south of Newbern, until the 12th of December. During this time the men were thoroughly drilled, and exercised in battalion and brigade movements. On the 29th of November, Capt. Minot's company was detailed to proceed to Morehead City, and occupy that post. Capt. Murdock's company was subsequently sent to Fort Macon, to form a portion of the garrison of that post.

The remaining eight companies of the regiment marched as a portion of Gen. Foster's force upon the expedition to Goldsborough, breaking camp on the 12th of December. On the 14th occurred the battle of Kinston, in which the rebels, under Gen. Evans, were totally defeated by our forces, and Kinston was occupied by our army. This regiment was hotly engaged, and sustained severe loss; fifteen men being killed, and forty-three wounded. The soldiers behaved with the greatest steadiness and gallantry, and, though exposed to a galling cross-fire, advanced resolutely through a

dense wood and swamp upon the enemy, who were unable to withstand their attack.

Upon the 16th of December, the regiment again suffered, at the battle of Whitehall, a loss of four killed and sixteen wounded. Among the killed was the gallant Sergeant Theodore Parkman of Boston, who bore the United-States colors. The regiment was not actively engaged in the battle of Goldsborough. The railroad bridge over the Neuse was burned, and thus the object of the expedition attained. The army returned to Newbern after the battle of Goldsborough, and the Forty-fifth took possession of its old camp on the 21st day of December.

Upon the 3d of January, 1863, Capt. Rich's company was ordered to relieve Capt. Minot's company at Morehead City; and the latter company rejoined the regiment on the 4th day of January. Capt. Rich's company was subsequently transferred to Fort Macon. On the 17th day of January, the brigade proceeded upon a reconnoissance towards Trenton, which place was occupied; but, after being absent five days, the troops returned to camp without having found the enemy.

Upon the 26th of January, the regiment was transferred to the town of Newbern, where it acted as the provost-guard until the 25th of April. It was then moved out of town, and encamped near the mouth of the Trent, on the south side of the Neuse. Capt. Murdock's company was about this time relieved from duty at Fort Macon, and placed in Fort Spinola, near the regi

ment.

During the month of April, Col. Amory's brigade made a reconnoissance towards Kinston; and this regiment, with the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers, was engaged in a brisk skirmish on the railroad, which is described in the official report of May 1, 1863.

During the remainder of the term of service, the regiment remained encamped near Fort Spinola. Capt. Murdock's company having rejoined the regiment, Capt. Rich's company was transferred from Fort Macon to Fort Spinola.

Upon the 24th day of June, the regiment broke camp, and proceeded to Morehead City, and then embarked for Boston in the steamers "Spalding" and "Tillie." Arriving at Fortress Monroe on the 26th, the vessels sailed for Boston on the 27th, arriving the 30th. On the 8th day of July, the regiment was mustered out of the service of the United States at Readville.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE FORTY-SIXTH, FORTY-SEVENTH, AND FORTY-EIGHTH

Rev. George Bowler's Regiment.

REGIMENTS.

Ordered to Newbern. - Washington and Plymouth. —
Return Home. The Forty-seventh recruited
Col. Marsh's Report. A faithful
Peculiar in Formation..
Returns to the Old Bay State.

Re-enlistment. - Maryland Heights.
by L. B. Marsh, Esq.- Sails for New Orleans. -
Chaplain. Home Again. - The Forty-eighth.
New Orleans. Port Hudson. - Baton Rouge.

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FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.

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HE Forty-sixth Regiment was recruited in the county of Hampden, chiefly through the exertions of Rev. Mr. Bowler, who was subsequently elected its colonel. Its place of rendezvous was Camp N. P. Banks, in the vicinity of Springfield, of which Col. Walker, of Springfield, was appointed commandant.

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On the 1st of November it received orders to come to Boston, and proceed to Newbern, N.C. This is one of the regiments that were detained in the harbor by a storm; but, like the Forty-third and Forty-fifth, it arrived at Newbern safely, and went into camp near that city, Nov. 15, and was immediately assigned to the brigade commanded by Col. H. C. Lee, of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts.

Companies A and K were detached very soon after their arrival, and assigned to outpost duty at Newport Barracks, a station on the railroad between Newbern and Beaufort. The rest of the regiment remained in camp until the organization of the Goldsborough Expedition in December, in which, and the engagement

with the enemy that occurred in that successful movement, it took part.

After the expedition, the regiment returned to its old camping-ground, where it remained until Jan. 23, when camp was changed to a position near the intersection of the Trent and Neuse Roads, in Newbern. At this time, Company A was relieved from outpost-duty at Newport Barracks by Company F, Capt. R. H. Conwell, and rejoined the regiment. From this time until March 13, the regiment was chiefly occupied in drill; furnishing, however, daily, large fatigue-parties for the work of fortification, then being actively carried on.

On the 13th of March, the enemy commenced what seemed a determined attempt to repossess himself of Newbern, in resistance to which the Forty-sixth was assigned an honorable position, being ordered just at sundown of the 13th, with the Twenty-fifth and Fifth Massachusetts and Belger's battery, the whole under command of H. C. Lee, to hold in check a column of the enemy demonstrating in great force upon the Trent Road, which had already driven in the advance pickets, and gained possession of an outpost at Deep Gully, about eight miles from Newbern. While upon this duty, and when upon the very eve of an encounter with the enemy (the skirmishers of our force being actually engaged), heavy cannonading in the direction of Newbern announced that the enemy had commenced operations in other quarters; and orders almost simultaneously came from Gen. Foster, recalling the main portion of our forces to the city, the enemy having attacked an outpost on the northerly side of the Neuse. Accordingly, this regiment, with the Fifth Massachusetts, was at once withdrawn by Gen. Palmer, commanding our division, and, as speedily as possible, were marched back, and assigned a position within the lines of our intrenchments. They reached their camp about twelve o'clock at noon the 14th of March, and remained under arms until five o'clock, P.M.; when they were again sent out upon the same road to re-enforce Col. Amory, who, with part of his brigade, had an hour before proceeded to occupy the same position held by us in the morning. This time, however, we had only to observe and follow a retreating enemy.

Returning from this pursuit, which lasted three days, the regiment was sent with the twenty-fifth Massachusetts, on the 26th of March, to re-enforce the garrison at Plymouth, N.C., then threatened by a force of the enemy. The whole land-force was under the command of Col. Josiah Pickett of the Twenty-fifth

THE FORTY-SIXTH AT NEWBERN.

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Massachusetts, and applied itself to the work of strengthening the fortifications. Meanwhile, Washington, about twenty-five miles distant in a southerly direction, was besieged by the enemy.

During this eighteen-days' siege, and always within hearing of its cannonading, the force at Plymouth, anxious for the result, and confidently waiting its turn, was occupied in constructing fortifications and preparing for defence against a daily-expected attack; but the defeated and discouraged enemy retired, and Plymouth was thoroughly fortified undisturbed.

Soon after the siege of Washington was raised, the department was districted, and the "District of the Roanoke," including Plymouth, was assigned to the command of Brig.-Gen. Wessels; and our entire force, with the exception of Capt. Lee's battery, was relieved by his brigade, and ordered back to Newbern; where the Forty-sixth went into barracks on the Neuse River, near its old camping-ground. During their stay here, the infantry force was employed in strengthening the fortifications, with the exception of the time occupied by a successful expedition to Gum Swamp, eight miles from Kinston.

During the absence of the regiment at Plymouth, the detachment left at Newbern under command of Major Spooner, consisting of Company A, Capt. Tifft, and Company I, Capt. Leonard, took active part in the defence of Newbern against the second threatened attack. The two companies were also, just previous to the return of the regiment, assigned to outpost duty at Batchelder's Creek, about eight miles from Newbern, being attached to the command of Col. Jones, commanding our line of outposts. The two companies continued on this duty until June 1, when they were relieved by Companies C and H, and rendered most gallant service in holding the position against an attack made by a large force of the enemy on the night of the 23d of May, for which they have failed to receive their full meed of praise, because of the death of the much-lamented Col. Jones, kiHed in their midst in defence of the post. The valor of Capt. Tifft in this affair is mentioned with special approbation. At the head of Companies A and I, he held his position at the extreme front of the line until re-enforced by Col. Jones and part of his regiment. After the fall of Col. Jones, and when the whole force, with the exception of his command, demoralized by the death of the colonel, had fallen back, and taken a position nearly two miles in the rear, Capt. Tifft, not having received orders from any superior officer to retreat, held his position until discovered, and relieved by re-enforcements from the rear. Wrote the colonel,

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