No.
9.
Report
of Capt. William H. Trickey, Third New Hampshire Infantry, of operations January 15.
HEADQUARTERS
THIRD NEW IIANTSHIRE VOLUNTEERS,
Near
Fort Fisher, N. C., January 18, 1865.
CAPTAIN:
In accordance with instructions received from the brevet brigadier-general commanding, I have the honor to make the following
report of the part taken in the affair of the 15th instant by the Third New Hampshire Volunteers: We left our position near
General Terry’s headquarters, with six officers and about eighty men, at 4.30 p. m. of same date, and proceeded to Fort
Fisher, where we arrived soon after dark. I was directed by Colonel Abbott, commanding brigade, to move my regiment to the
extreme advance held by the Second Division and open fire upon the enemy was thus engaged for nearly an hour, having to a
great extent silenced the enemy’s fire- was then directed by Colonel Abbott to take and hold with twenty men the next
traverse in front, the remainder of my command being left in several traverses to keep up the fire upon the enemy. We took
the traverse as directed, driving the enemy out. Thinking we could go farther, we charged and took the next two, with a like
result. After taking the third traverse, having met with considerable resistance, I did not deem it prudent to go farther
with so few men, and opened a vigorous fire upon the enemy, who was rallying for the recapture of the traverses; we held the
enemy in check until the arrival of the Seventh New Hampshire Volunteers and Sixth Connecticut Volunteers, who charged and
took the remainder of the work. I then assembled my command, and, under orders from Colonel Abbott, moved to the inside of
the fort and collected the prisoners there; also assisted in collecting others outside of the fort and sending them to the
rear. After collecting all of the prisoners in the fort I sent them to the rear, remaining with a small portion of my command
until 4 a. m. of the 16th instant, when I was ordered to return to the position near General Terry’s headquarters. Our
casualties were as follows: 1 man killed and 5 wounded.
I
am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM.
H. TRICKEY, Captain Third New Hampshire Volunteers. Comdg. Regiment.
Capt.
E. L. MOORE,
Asst.
Adjt. Gen., Second Brig., First Div., 24th Army Corps.
SOURCE: The
war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume 46 (Part
I); page 413-414.