1862 December 17 near Kinston, N.C.

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F., 25th Massachusetts]

Wednesday
Dec 17
Had a very good sleep as I had part
of Dadmuns blanket and husks to lie
on.  Started about eight, our brigade in the
advance, about the middle of the forenoon the
seventeenth who were out as skirmishers, discovered
the enemy on the railroad and our artillery
shelled them.  We were led through the woods
up near the railroad, closely following the twenty
seventh, and a brisk cannonading was commenced
we were brought round to support a battery and
lay down behind it with our left resting on
the railroad.  I put on my overcoat as we were
lying round and it was pretty cold, and there
was a very raw wind.  We were just his side
of the river from Goldsboro and our men burned
the bridge of the railroad and tore up a good
deal of the track and sleepers and and set
them on fire, it was on the Wilmington and Weldon
railroad, As we lay there the round shot of
the enemy passed over our heads.  About the middle
of the afternoon, we had silenced the
enemy and retired to a house back of the
field where we were waiting for the batteries
to come up, when the enemy suddenly charged
on one of the batteries, and we and the twenty
seventh were ordered back to the field, and
the battle was renewed with redoubled fury.
Our battery mowed them down,and we marched
down to the front, the shell and grape coming over
our heads and wounding Hagar in the shoulder
We lay down and our battery fired over us and
the rebels at us for some time till dark, killing
one of Company H. and making a big hole through
the dipper of Barrett of our company. Finally the
enemy were silenced, and we then started
back again, but the rebels had flooded a small
stream, so that when we went back, we had
to wade to the waist in the cold water and then
stand till we were almost chilled through
but we finally reached the place where we staid
last night and again we encamped.  I thank
God that He has kept me through so many perils
this day.  as I lay there under the fire of the grape
and shell, I prayed for success and for the
mercy of God. George clasped my hand and I
directed him to God.  We are now going
back as we have accomplished our object.

MSS 11293