“We... marched two or three miles down towards the river, right to Allen’s farm (Curl’s Neck) where we could see the Gunboats some mile or two off.� Two batteries of Artillery & a large force of Cavalry had gone on before us & by the time we reached this place, the Yankees had opened upon them with a land battery & their gunboats.� They immediately turned around & came up the road as fast as they could.� The enemy, seeing the dust that they made as they passed by us, drawn up on one side of the road, commenced shelling vigorously all about us.� I felt very calm, altho’ the shells were bursting all around us.� The batteries passed by in great confusion, some 3 pieces being left & the loose horses rushed by, some wounded and seeming mad.� One Caisson was turned over right by us, & if it had exploded we would all have been killed.� The Cavalry made a perfect stampede & in a short time all had passed by.”�
“One of the N.C. Regts. exposed to the same fire that we were, turned around & ran..."