Siege Of Suffolk

As Taken from a Comrade's Diary.

To The Editor:

On April 12, 1863, Gen. Longstreet made a move to attack the Union forces at Suffolk. He began to drive in the cavalry pickets. Co. D, 11th Pa. Cav., being on the Simmonton road, fought the advance of Gen. McLaw's Brigade until Gen. Foster's Brigade of infantry got to the outpost with a battery of artillery and checked the rebel advance. Gen. Hood's Division came in on what was called the South Quay road, and was met by Col. Spear's cavalry and howitzer battery of two brass 12-pound guns, and quite a fight at railroad crossing of the Seaboard & Roanoke Railroad. Longstreet in person came in on the Edenton road, extending his lines so as to take the Petersburg road, best attacking our forces on the four roads at one and the same time. Gen. Peck was in command of Suffolk at this time, and our forces were composed of two regiments of cavalry, viz., 11th Pa. Cav., Col. Spear; 1st N.Y. Mounted Rifles, Col. Dodge; Gen. Corcoran's Irish Legion-- 69th, 155th, 164th N.Y.; Gen. Terry's Connecticut Brigade, Gen. Foster's Brigade, Gen. Harlan's Brigade and also Gen. Getty's Brigade in all about 35,000 men. We had Fort Corcoran on South Quay road, Fort Connecticut on Petersburg road, and Fort Nansemond on Edenton road, all formidable earthworks, and on the other side ran the Nansemond River, that was so gallantly defended by our gunboats. Allow me here to give some extracts of my diary made at this time:

April 13. Heavy fighting all day from our forts, and the enemy appear in strong force on South Quay road. Heavy fighting along the river. The gunboats shelling the woods to keep the enemy from crossing. <See Official Report for this day below>

April 14. Picket firing. No engagement yet. A few prisoners taken to-day. They say Gen. Hill's Division has come to the support of Longstreet.

April 15. Still firing between gunboats and rebel artillery. The enemy trying to build a fort or earthworks near the Nansemond River.

April 16. Our pickets driven and on Simmonton road, and a heavy skirmish. Our loss 13 killed and 20 wounded, but finally drove the enemy to his lines.

April 17. Picket firing, etc.

April 18. A compromise between pickets. There is to be no picket firing on three roads but on the Edenton road, Corcoran's Legion pickets and the Mississippi and South Carolina troops do not like one another, and they still keep up shooting day and night.

April 19. Getty's division crossed the river and took six pieces of artillery and 160 prisoners, and only lost a few men.

April 20. All quiet.

April 21. Capt. Murphy, officer of the day, went to advance our picket line on the Edenton road and ran into a hornet's nest. A sharp fight was the result.

April 22. Sharp firing on river and Edenton road. Some killed and wounded brought in.

April 23. Some sharpshooters tried to shoot our gunners at Fort Corcoran. Our loss not over 150 since Longstreet came. The enemies loss for greater, besides over 300 prisoners, and we only lost 10 prisoners, all out of 11th Pa. Cav.

April 24. At 2 o'clock p.m. Gen. Corcoran in command of two divisions, started to advance on the Edenton road and opened on the line with four fieldpieces, and advanced a strong line of infantry on each side of road to drive the enemy out of the woods, and Col. Spear to Co. G, 11th Pa. Cav., and one company of the first N.Y. M't'd Rifles, and charged the main road in column of fours; we ran into a masked battery of four guns, and the opened on us. We fell back behind the 69th and 164th N.Y. For some time the field was raked with shell, but finally we carried their first line of works, Foster's brigade, on the right, driving the enemy over and through the woods with a yell and bayonet charge. The loss on our side was not heavy, some 35 or 40 killed and wounded.

April 25. Not much firing.

April 26. Nothing of importance occurred to-day. All quiet.

April 27. Still some firing between gunboats and rebel battery.

April 28. The firing on our left at Fort Nansemond.

April 29 and 30. Some cannonading and sharpshooters firing from both sides. Not good to put your head too far above ground.

May 1. Hood's Division made an advance this evening, but our forts and infantry raked his men. His loss was heavy and he did not drive back our sharpshooters.

May 2. The 99th N.Y. went over the South Quay bridge to drive Hood's sharpshooters from their pits but they were soon supported, and are loss was 44 killed and wounded, and the 99 N.Y. driven back. Four men of the 11th Pa. Cav. shot while on picket to-day.

May 3. A brigade of our rifle men---artillery and the first N.Y Rifles---went across the Nansemond and fought all day; our loss about 50. We drove them back.

May 4. The 11th Pa. Cav. started at 3 o'clock this morning, along with Gens. Corcoran, Dodge and Foster, and when we got to the enemy's works on Edenton road, found that Longstreet had begun to retreat in the night. We followed on at a gallup and soon ran into his rear guard, and fought his rear for some miles. Our infantry could not overtake him. We succeeded in capturing some 500 prisoners thus ended one of Longstreet's failures. He had over two men to our one, but it showed the difference of men fighting behind works and in the open.