History of New Bern, (Craven County) North Carolina United States of America

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Local History Notes:

New Berne, N. C., March 14, 1862. Expedition Under Maj.- Gen. A. E. Burnside. The brigades of Brig.-Gens. John G. Foster, Jesse L. Reno and John G. Parke and the unattached commands of the 1st N.Y. Marine artillery and CO. B, 99th N.Y. infantry, all of the department of North Carolina Under Maj.- Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, embarked on transports at Roanoke island on the morning of the 11th and at daybreak on the morning of the 13th landed at the mouth of Slocum's creak on the Neuse River. By the time the last of the troops were disembarked the Head of the column had reached Otter Creek, where it was discovered the Confederates had deserted their intrenchment. From this Point Foster proceeded up the Main County Road and Reno up the railroad Toward New Berne, While Parke followed Foster as a reserve. At 8 p.m. the troops bivouacked in the order of march and during the night some more of the Federal artillery was landed. At daylight on the 14th Capt. Robert S. Williamson of the topographical engineers was sent forward with an escort to reconnoiter the Confederate position, while the brigades formed for Battle. Foster, with Parke in his rear as a reserve, was to attack the enemy's front and left from the County Road, and Reno was to attempt to turn the enemy's right from the railroad. The heads of the columns had gone but a short distance before they were within range of the Confederate artillery. Foster immediately placed the 24th and 25th Mass. on the right of the road, 6 navy boat howitzers and 2 other naval batteries on the road, and the 23rd and 27th Mass. on the Left. Reno, on arriving near the line of intrenchments, ordered a charge up the railroad on a brick-kiln well within the enemy's line. The move was successfully executed by part of the 21st Mass., but the Confederate right extended some three-quarters of a mile beyond the railroad, so that Reno was kept busy and was unable to send support to the advanced detachment of the 21st, which was obliged to fall back to the main line of the brigade, now disposed with the remainder of the 21st Mass., the 51st N.Y. and the 9th N.J. on the left of the railroad and the 51st Pa. in reserve. By this time the engagement had become General. Parke was ordered across the railroad to strike the extreme Confederate right from a strip of timber. While he was crossing the railroad he was met by Lieut.-Col. William S. Clark with the detachment of the 21st Mass. which had been compelled to fall back and was informed that by regaining possession of the brick-kiln with a sufficient force the Confederate rear could be gained. Parke immediately ordered a charge, which was made by the 4th R I., supported by his whole brigade, and the Union colors were planted on the parapet. The column then turned to the right and while it was thus fighting the enemy behind his own intrenchments Foster charged, clearing the whole line of the breastworks from the railroad to the river of Confederates. Parke then reversed his command and a similar movement was executed on the left of the railroad, Reno Charging in Front While Parke attacked the enemy behind his works. By the time this coup was completed Foster had succeeded in getting one regiment to the Confederate rear, cutting off the retreat of 200 men who surrendered unconditionally. Burnside then quietly took possession of the city. His loss was 90 killed, 380 wounded and 1 captured or missing, while the Confederates suffered casualties to the extent of 64 killed, 101 wounded and 413 captured or missing.

SOURCE: The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.

Biographies:

Edward Graham Daves, educator, was born in New Bern, N.C., March 31, 1833; son of John Pugh and Elizabeth Batchelor (Oraham) Daves, and grandson of Capt. John Daves of the 3d regiment, North Carolina Continental infantry, and an original member of the North Carolina society of the Cincinnati. He was fitted for college at the New Bern academy and by private tutors and was graduated from Harvard in 1854, second in his class. He was graduated from Harvard law school in 1856, entered the law office of Brown & Brune, Baltimore, Md., and was admitted to the Maryland bar in the same year. In the fall of 1856 he accepted the chair of Greek in Trinity college, Hartford, Conn., and remained there until 1861 when he went abroad. He studied and travelled in Europe until 1871, attended lectures at the University of Bonn, and kept a private school for American boys at Vevey, Switzerland. On his return to Baltimore he devoted his time to lecturing and private teaching. He organized the Roanoke colony memorial association which purchased and preserved Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island, N.C.; was the organizer and first president of the Harvard alumni association of Maryland; one of the charter members of the Society of the sons of the Revolution in Maryland, and a member of the Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland. He was married June 29, 1855, to Mary Grace Foster of Cambridge, Mass. Trinity college conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. in 1857. He is the author of numerous monographs and contributions to periodical literature, relating to Colonial and Revolutionary history. He died in Boston, Mass., Aug. 1, 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Francis Lister Hawks, educator, was born in Newbern, N C., June 10, 1798; one of nine children, and grandson of John Hawks, who came to America with Gov. William Tryon of North Carolina in 1765. He was graduated at the University of North Carolina, A.B., 1815, with honors, and received the degree of A.M. from Yale in 1818 and from his alma mater in 1824. He studied law under Judge William Gaston of Newbern and practised there and in Hillsboro, N.C. He was reporter of the supreme court of the state, 1820-26, a member of the house of commons of the state in 1821, and an orator of note. He was married in 1823 to Miss Kirby of New Haven, Conn., who died in 1827. He abandoned the law to study divinity under the Rev. William Mercer Green, then rector of St. Matthew's church, Hillsboro, and later bishop of Mississippi. He was lay reader at St. Matthew's, Newbern; organized a church at Hillsboro, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Ravenscroft in 1827 and priest in 1828. He was assistant to the Rev. Harry Croswell, rector of Trinity church, New Haven, Conn., 1829; assistant to the venerable Bishop White at Christ church, Philadelphia, Pa., 1829-30; professor of sacred theology in Trinity college, 1830-31; rector of St. Stephen's church, New York city, 1831; and of St. Thomas's church, 1831-43. He declined the appointment as missionary bishop of Louisiana, Arkansas and Florida in 1835. The same conventionmade him historiographer of the church and he visited Europe in 1836, where he obtained eighteen large folio volumes of MS., giving important data concerning the early church in America. After preparing two volumes, including the church in Virginia and Maryland, he declined to continue his work, as it had been adversely criticised. With the Rev. Caleb S. Henry, D.D., he founded the New York Review, which continued to be published, 1837-43. In 1839 he established St. Thomas's Hall, Flushing, N.J., which school flourished for a time but finally met with reverses and largely involved Dr. Hawks in debt. This misfortune led him in 1843 to resign the rectorship of St. Thomas's church and he removed to Holly Springs, Miss. The diocesan convention elected him bishop of Mississippi, but the general convention assembled in Philadelphia, Pa., in October, 1844, made opposition to his confirmation on account of the financial troubles at Flushing, L.I. John Macpherson Berrien defended him from the charges, and he spoke in his own behalf with the effect to carry the majority of the convention, and the matter was left in the power of the diocese of Mississippi, but before it could convene to take action he declined the bishopric and removed to New Orleans, La., where he had been chosen rector of Christ church, and he served, 1845-49. He was an original trustee of the University of Mississippi, serving 1844-45; helped to found and was elected the first president of the University of Louisiana, serving 1845-49, and in 1849 returned to New York city as rector of Calvary church. His friends in that parish discharged his financial obligations, amounting to $30,000, and he gave the the church a period of unusual prosperity. He was elected bishop of Rhode Island in 1852, but declined to serve. He also declined the chair of history in the University of North Carolina in 1859. In 1862 he resigned the rectorship of Calvary church, and removed to Baltimore, Md., as rector of Christ church. In 1865 he returned to New York and gathering about him a congregation began the Chapel of the Holy Saviour on Twenty-fifth street. He officiated at the laying of the corner stone, Sept. 4, 1866, his last public act. He was president of the American geographical and statistical society, 1855-61, and vice-president of the American ethnological society, 1855-59. He received the degree of S.T.D. from Columbia college in 1832 and that of LL.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1847. His publications include: Reports of the Supreme Court of North Carolina (4 vols., 1823-28); Early Church of Virginia (1836); Contributions to the Ecclesiastical History of the United States of America (2 vols., 1836-39); Commentary on the Constitution and Canons of the P. E. Church in the United States (1841): Adventures of Captain, John Smith (1842); Adventures of Henry Hudson (1842); Adventures of Daniel Boone (1844); Auricular Confession, etc. (1850); Egypt and Its Monuments (1850); History of North Carolina (2 vols., 1858-59); and The English Language (1867). He translated Antiquities of Peru (1854); and edited State Papers of Alexander Hamilton (1842); Perry's Expedition to the China Seas and Japan (1852-54); Appleton's Cyclopedia of Biography (1856); and Romance of Biography (12 vols. ). With the assistance of the Rev. W. S. Perry he prepared Vol. I. and II. of Documentary History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States (1863-64). A memorial volume with sketch of his life by the Rev. N. L. Richardson was issued in 1868. He died in New York city, Sept. 27, 1866.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor