2 July, Co’s A,’ 'B' 'E' ‘F,’ and 'I' were ordered to Washington, N C. They left Carolina City, under command of Capt. Brewster. At New Berne the order was countermanded and the companies quartered in barracks on the Fair Ground. Co D ‘still at Fort Spinola.
   Co’s  'C,'  'G,’ 'H,’ and ‘ K' were ordered to New Berne to take part in an expedition under- Gen. Heckman. Capt. Center of ‘C,’ who brought the detachment back, reported as follows:

   "At 3 1/2 o’clock on the morning of the 4th, line was formed on the Trent road, on the left of Fort Totten, the 23rd detachment taking the advance. About 4 o’clock took up the march,passing over the County Bridge, through Brice’s Ferry, on the road to Trenton. We marched about 19 miles the first day encamping between Pollocksville and Trenton. Started at 3 1/2 A.M. of the 5th, the 23rd in rear of Belger’s Battery, passed through Trenton about seven o’clock, marched some three miles beyond and encamped, say ten miles. About S o’clock on the 6th, received orders to proceed with a section of Belger’s Battery, about two miles to a schoolhouse at a fork of the road. One field piece was placed on the main-road, the other on the road leading to Wilcox Bridge, over the Trent River. Our force consisted of about 140 men. From the detachment at the schoolhouse a picket was thrown out about 50 yds. In advance of the guns. Lt. Col. Chambers, with other officers, made a reconnaissance across the bridge and came upon a body of rebel cavalry. He returned, and then advancing again,

   With Co.‘G,’ to wards the bridge discovered that the rebels had crossed. After a careful reconnaissance of the place and surroundings it was deemed imprudent to attack the rebels with our small force,in as much as we were ordered to hold the two roads Lt. Keith, of the Signal Corps, was dispatched to notify Gen. Heckman of the facts. The road was blockaded, a small guard placed at the barricade, and the rest of the company formed to the right and rear of the gun. Mean while the enemy opened with his field-piece, slightly wounded three men In Co.‘K,’ but did no other damage and called forth no response from our gun. The field pieces, under command of Lt Smith, were ordered forward to about three hundred yards of the enemy with the 23rd Detachment in support. The Adjutant reported the enemy advancing. They soon opened fire from their artillery, which was returned by our Battery, and the rebels retreated to the bridge. The 9th N. J. soon came up. Gen. Heckman and staff, accompanied by Lt. Col. Chambers, proceeded to the front. The enemy opened a third time. A shell wounded Lt Col. Chambers in the left shoulder, inflicting a severe though not dangerous wound. Being notified of Lt. Col. Chambers being wounded, I took command of the detachment. The field-pieces were then advanced to the barricade, supported by the 23rd and a vigorous fire opened on the enemy which soon obliged them to retreat. Soon after, the look out reported a body of cavalry approaching on the other road, which proved to be the 3rd N. Y. Cavy. Returning from their expedition. We then marched back about three miles, where we had bivouacked the previous night, and joined the main body, arriving about 7 1/2 A. M. About nine o’clock, we, together with the main body, took up our march for New Berne. We marched till about three in the morning, bivouacked, resumed the march at seven, and reached New Berne about seven A. M., having marched in all some sixty miles. The men stood the march in the excessively hot sun very well, many, however, are suffering from sore feet and chafing. A day or two will put them all right.
  ADDISON CenTER,
  Captain Co. 'C, 23rd.
To W. H. ABEL, A. A. G.  Commdg. Detchmt. Heckman’s Brigade.

  Col. Chamber’s wound, externally very slight, and caused, probably, by a mere bit of shell,felt, he said, like. The stroke of a sledge-hammer. The tediousness of his recovery was due to injury to his shoulder blade. Some Pieces of the same shell tore the crest of CoL. Chamber’s pet horse. It would perhaps be too much soldier felt his horse’s wounds more keenly then his own, but certainly, they did not add to his equnanimity while undergoing the first dressing in the field.
  Captain Center’s report,does not touch upon the pictureturesque points of the expedition,of which I should put first the extraordinary train brought in by our cavalry.All the horses,mules, asses, bulls and steers, all the wagones,carts, coaches, carryalls and buggies,all the negroes,negresses and pickaninines in a wide stretch of country,had been gathered in the till they formed a procession to which the wildest show of Antiques and Horribles were decorum itself.We had gone out to provide a more accessible base to our raiding cavalry.It was no part of our design to provoke or accept a general engagement so far from our own base Leaving then, a fair start for the queer jumbled cortege,we too took up the line of march,and through the long, cool hours of a brilliant midsunimer night,plodded our homeward way. Not till after sunrise did we stop for a brief repose.
  10 July, ‘63. Capt. Raymond of ‘G’ Lt. Bird of ‘K’ and Sergt. Dodge of‘G,’ Were sent with 100 men to work on Fort Heckman at Morehead City. Each company detailed was to take one tent and cooking utensils for a mess.They remained on this duty till July 24th.
13 July. The Cedar Point expedition. Gen. Heckman reported:
" Started, from Newport Barracks, at 10 A. M., 13th inst. with my command, consisting of the 9th N. J. V. I. , Col. Zabriskie ; 9 compamanies of the 23rd Mass., Capt. Brewster ; one section of Co. ‘ I,’ 3rd N. y. Arty., Lt. Thomas ; and one company of 12th N. Y. Cav’y, Capt. West, taking the Cedar Point road to Broad Creek. Built a bridge over Broad Creek at or near Dennis’ plantation, and proceeded as far as Saunders, where I ordered my command to bivouac ; distant from Newport 12 miles. At 5 A. M., On the 14th, had the column in motion
for Cedar Point, where I arrived at 8 A. M. , distant from Saunders, 9 miles. Having previously ordered the gunboat Wilson, with one company of 81st N. Y. , Capt. Raulston, to proceed down Bogue Sound, arid Communicate with me at Ce4ar Point, upon my arrival there, and not finding them, we encamped on Hill’s plantation and awaited her arrival.
Ordered Capt. West, with his command, to make a reconnaissance to Pelletier’s and Smith’s Mills and report. He returned at 4 P. M. ou the 15th and reported the bridge at Smith’s Mills on the road leads ing to Onslow, partly torn up. Found no pickets of the enemy until he arrived at the bridge, found a small party there whom he routed. In company with my staff, I proceeded as far as Pelletier’s Mills. Found the bridge over Petiford’s Creek In fair condition, and with little labor it could be made safe for artillery. From all the information I could gain, the nearest point from the mouth of White Oak River for crossing, is the bridge at Smith’s Mills.
9 A. M., 15th. Lt. Cook, in command of two boats from the gunboat
Wilson reported the steamer aground about ten miles up the Sound with no prospect of getting off. Sent the boats, with one platoon of Co. ‘ B,’ 9th N. J. In command of Capt. Harris, to take the soundings of White Oak River, for five miles from the mouth. Reports no possible chance for fording. No casualties occurred throughout the march.”

It would seem that this expedition, to the rank and file a useless march, and tedious kicking of aimless heels, was an armed scouting party to settle the question of possible attack or, perhaps, in preparation for a movement on Wilmington. The march back to Newport, Barracks, through the rain, was at a rattling pace, twenty odd miles inside of six hours.