LANDING AT SLOCUM’S CREEK. THE MARCH THROUGH THE MUD. THE BATTLE. CASUALTIES.

THE right wing went, 6 Mch, ‘62, on board the Highlander and waited, at anchor, through four days of raw northerly wind. 10th. The Gideon took off our cumbersome deck-load. Some of the fleet got under-way.
  11th. The brisk north wind continued and bothered the steamers when they attempted to turn their tows, of Two or three schooners, to our southern course. Finally, this was accomplished and we started, towing from the port paddle-box of the steamer New York, while hawsers from other transports were made fast to her stern and other paddle-box. This was all very well while we had plenty of sea-room. In passing through the Marshes”The narrow passage from Croatan to Pamlico Sound The New York caught on the bottom and lay helpless under our jib-boom. Capt. Dayton ran and cut our hawser just in time to enable us to sheer clear, except for a parting scratch from our boat-davit. The other tow ran into the steamer. We made sail and ran off. Running free over smooth water showed the Highlander’s best points. With our consort, the Gideon, we overtook and passed all the fleet and reached Hatteras but little after the gunboats.
  12th. Few, who were there, can forget the balmy spring morning on which we moved slowly towards New Berne, enjoying meanwhile a huge mail from home. In the afternoon we got up a larger crew for the 12 pounder.
   13th. through some misunderstanding the 23rd was, half an hour, late in answering the signal to land, but we were not unprepared, and, on receiving our orders, very soon joined the long strings of boats as at Roanoke.
   Perhaps I can not do better than quote from a letter of the time. Getting the whole gun-crew together, at about 11.30, we commenced that eventful twenty-four hours, at end of which our forces had taken all their boasted defenses and driven the rebels I know not how far. With twenty-four men on the ropes, with promise of good traveling and a short road, we started out bravely. Soon we over took the howitzers from the gunboats. A friendly trial of speed ensued. The blue-jackets bantered us with offers to report our progress. Capt. Dayton was determined not to risk being left in the reserve, as at Roanoke, and, when a strip of beach came in our route, turned us on to the hard bottom in ankle-deep water. In that mile of amphibious travel we distanced our friends, who persisted in pulling through the dry sand above high-water mark, and we saw no more of them till they joined us on the battle field.
  A deserted cavalry-camp, with ample stores and breakfast still smoking on the table, was soon passed. Soon after this our troubles began. Persistent rain and the trampling armyturned the road into a mortar-bed. We got some help from companies of the regiment halting on the roadside for other companies to overtake them. I went ahead to find the most available track among the trees and stumps. The real road was by this time marked by the deepest mud. When our own exertions would have been of little avail, we welcomed the aid of a yoke of oxen, sent back for the purpose by officers in advance. They pulled the gun over arise of some ten feet in thirty, with twelve to fourteen inches of stiff, tenacious clay.So the day wore away and darkness found the task incomplete.PART 2