Skirmish at Tarborough - July 20, 1863




North Carolina in the American Civil War

July 20, 1863 -- Skirmish at Tarborough
CSA Commander:	Lt. Col. John C. Lamb	Union Commander:	Brig. Gen. Edward E. Potter
Killed:	-	Killed:	2
Wounded:	25	Wounded:	15
Captured:	4	Captured:	3
Original County:	Edgecombe	Current County:	Edgecombe

This is the third of six (6) actions that took place in the Union "Expedition from New Berne to Tarborough and Rocky Mount, NC" — also known as "Potter's Raid" — from July 18-24, 1863. Per the Field & Staff Muster Roll of July-August 1863, on July 15th (incorrect, it was July 20th), Lt. Col. John C. Lamb of the 17th NC Regiment (State Troops) led a detachment of Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery and attacked the enemy's raiding party under Union Brig. Gen. Edward E. Potter near Tarborough and drove the enemy over the Tar River and through Tarborough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company C's muster roll of July-August 1863 reported that Company C left Fort Branch on July 20th and marched to Tarborough to intercept the enemy on his late raid to that place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Company G's muster roll of July-August 1863 reported that Company G made a forced march on July 20th to the forks of the Williamston and Tarborough Road. About one (1) mile from Tarborough, they skirmished with the enemy's dismounted cavalry and drove them across the bridge. Company G lost four (4) men captured. The enemy attempted to fire the bridge but Company G extinguished it before it did much damage. Muster roll stated that they faced about 400 enemy, and they lost about 25 wounded. On July 24, 1863, Maj. Gen. John G. Foster (U.S. Army, Department of Virginia & North Carolina) reported from New Bern via Fort Monroe, VA to Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck (U.S. Army, HQ in Washington, DC) about the overall expedition named above. Highlights for this engagement include: "At Tarborough two steamboats and one barge, and a fine iron-clad, in process of construction, a saw-mill, a train of cars, 100 bales of cotton, and large quantities of subsistence and ordnance stores were destroyed..." On July 29, 1863, Brig. Gen. Edward E. Potter (U.S. Army, Department of Virginia & North Carolina) reported to Assistant Adjutant General (Lt. Col.) Southard Hoffman (U.S. Army, Department of Virginia & North Carolina) about the overall expedition named above. His notes for this engagement include: "At 5 a.m. the main column moved on Tarborough, arriving there between 7 and 8 o'clock. Charging into the town, we met a few of the enemy who fired some hurried shots, and fled across the river. At Tarborough, I found an iron-clad on the stocks and two steamboats on the river. The iron-clad was of the Merrimac model, and her frame was very heavy and solid. All were burned, together with some railroad cars, 100 bales of cotton, quartermaster's, subsistence, and ordnance stores. "At 5 p.m. the bridge over the Tar River was burned, and the column commenced its return march." On Jul.y 24, 1863, Maj. Floyd Clarkson (12th NY Cavalry) reported from New Bern to Acting Adjutant (Lt.) J. Nourse (Cavalry Expedition) about the overall expedition named above. Highlights for this engagement include: His detachment included 18 commissioned officers and 289 non-commissioned officers and privates. His men left Sparta at 6 a.m. on July 20th, in the advance, and at 9 a.m. charged into Tarborough, while being fired upon by the advance column of Confederate cavalry moving upon Tarborough from Hamilton. Here, his men captured a lieutenant and a sergeant. With permission from Lt. Col. Lewis, he took Companies A, B, and F of the 12th NY Cavalry, with 100 men plus a howitzer under Lt. Clark of the 3rd NY Artillery, about a mile towards Hamilton. After being fired upon by six (6) enemy cavalrymen, he ordered Company B to charge down the road, the rest of his detachment following. After a charge of about half a mile, a volley was received, which wounded 6 enlisted men and forced Company B into the woods on the left side of the road. Riding forward, Maj. Clarkson ordered the howitzer forward and to begin shelling into the woods. Soon, he ordered two compaines to charge. Two officers were wounded and another was missing. Lt. Clark's battery received one volley, by which he lost his seargenat an a rider. He reported his losses as 3 commissioned officers wounded and prisoners, 2 enlisted men killed, 12 wounded, and 16 missing. Before this skirmish, he had sent two (2) squads to take possession of the steamboats just below the bridge. Two — the Colonel Hill and the Governor ________ — were burned by these two (2) squads.
Known CSA Participants		Known Union Participants
Lt. Col. John C. Lamb — Commanding Officer, 17th NC Regiment (State Troops) Detachment: Company C — "Hertford Light Infantry" — Capt. William B. Wise, Company G — Capt. Thomas J. Norman, Unnamed Cavalry Unit(s) — Led by Unknown, Unnamed Artillery Unit(s) — Led by Unknown.		Brig. Gen. Edward E. Potter — Commanding Officer, 12th NY Cavalry Detachment — Maj. Floyd Clarkson, 1st NC Volunteers (Union) Detachment — Led by Unknown 3rd NY Artillery Detachment: 1 Howitzer — Led by Lt. Clark. - -
Sources:
North Carolina Troops: 1861-1865, A Roster, Volume VI, PP.201-202. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume XXVII, Part II, PP.963-977.