A Georgian Recalls the Chicamacomico Races

Writing back to his brother in Fosters, Alabama, Private Joseph Maharrey of Co. H of the 3rd Georgia Infantry described a little known engagement remembered as the "Chicamacomico Races" which took place near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on the North Carolina coast in early October 1861. 

    After roughing up the camp of the 20th Indiana on Chicamacomico Island, the 3rd Georgia pursued the Federals by boat and by foot for over 20 miles until closing in on the Federal position near Cape Hatteras. "Our company took the lead all the time. I do not know whether I killed any or not, but I assure you I did my best and kept old “Bettie” pretty warm at times," Maharrey wrote. "I helped take some prisoners. There was only about 150 of us in the advance and when we came near the lighthouse, the others having broken down. We did not eat anything until we commenced a retreat which we were compelled to make from the bad condition we were in, having eaten nothing and having marched so far under such great disadvantages." 

    The tables turned when a Federal gunboat appeared offshore and began to shell the Confederates, compelling their retreat which gave the engagement its name. "We saw Old Abe’s war vessel lying in about 300 yards of the island in the Atlantic and we were in less than half a mile of her and could get no farther on account of the narrowness of the island and no place for shelter," Maharrey continued. " She commenced throwing bombshells at us with all vengeance. She followed us along up the side of the island for 18-20 miles and bombarded us the whole day, or from noon until night she would pitch her bombs right in our ranks, but every time she would shoot, we would lay down flat on the sand to avoid them."

          Private Maharrey’s letter first saw publication in the November 20, 1861, edition of the Pickens County Herald and West Alabamian published in Carrollton, Alabama.

 

Three identified soldiers from Co. D of the 3rd Georgia Infantry pose in Richmond, Virginia during the first winter of the war wearing oval Georgia belt buckles and (presumably) overcoats captured from the Federals during the Chicamacomico Races in October 1861. From left to right:  Columbus C. Taylor, James D. Jackson, and James H. Porter. Of the three men pictured, only the one on the right (James H. Porter) would survive 1862, the others being killed in action July 1, 1862, during the Battle of Malvern Hill. 

Roanoke Island, North Carolina

October 10, 1861

Dear brother,

          I have the pleasure of saying to you that I have been in one fight which took place last Friday and Saturday on Chicamacomico Island 20 miles southeast of here. We learned that the 20th Indiana regiment was encamped at that place and we concluded we would give them a brushing, which we did in good style. We left here on Thursday night [October 3rd] and reached Chicamacomico about 9 a.m. Friday, landing in the face of the enemy. The water was so shallow that our boats could not get nearer the island than a mile.

          The Young Guards, of which I am a member, and two other companies jumped overboard and waded out up to our arms in the water and landed within 75-100 yards of the enemy with but little or no opposition by them. But I assure you we had a rough time of it before we got through, though we did not lose the first man by the balls of the enemy. They began retreating towards Fort Hatteras, but we dogged them 27 miles, occasionally overtaking them and having some very sharp fighting. The island is a perfect sand bed from 8-10 inches deep with not one foot of solid ground on it. We pursued them all that day and all night and until 10 o’clock the next morning, carrying with us two brass pieces drawn by ourselves as we had no horses to pull them.

          We pursued them to within 1-1/2 miles of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, at which place we found the enemy about 1,800 strong drawn up in line of battle. Our company took the lead all the time. I do not know whether I killed any or not, but I assure you I did my best and kept old “Bettie” pretty warm at times. I helped take some prisoners. There was only about 150 of us in the advance and when we came near the lighthouse, the others having broken down. We did not eat anything until we commenced a retreat which we were compelled to make from the bad condition we were in, having eaten nothing and having marched so far under such great disadvantages.

          Our colonel [Ambrose R. Wright] ordered us to fall back to a small woods where he said we would get breakfast, get all the men together, rest and give them a fight at the lighthouse. But when he found that a great many of our men were unable and unfit for duty from fatigue, that it would not do. We had but about 500 men on the island, having sent the rest down below to cut them off from Fort Hatteras. But the channel of the sound was so bad that our boatmen failed entirely of landing them, which was very unfortunate for us, if they could have landed, we would have killed or captured every one of the Yankees. There would have been no possible chance for their escape.

          One of our men dropped dead in the pursuit from exhaustion and fatigue, and several others were found almost in a similar condition who are very low yet. A great many of us are scarcely able to walk from blistered feet and soreness. Our colonel had his horse shot from under him, the ball missing his leg by about six inches. He captured the Lincolnite that did it and three others at the same time including a sergeant major. You may believe the balls whistled over our heads, but I did not care for it, as I just felt like God was with us to protect and to save. I got so I loved to hear them and would not have missed being there for anything in the world. I was sick until I saw the Lincolnites when I felt as well as I ever did in my life and was among the first to plunge into the water and wade out to the Yankees. I believe it cured me as I feel tolerably well now, only my feet and limbs are very sore.

Colonel Ambrose R. Wright
3rd Georgia Infantry

          We killed seven Yankees, captured 33, and took about $65,000 worth of property consisting of tents, clothing, provisions, etc. We got all they had and followed them within 9-1/2 miles of Fort Hatteras. We rested only two hours the whole time we were pursuing the enemy. So you know how tired we must have been. As I would pass along I could see our men, lying by the wayside on the sand fast asleep. As for my part, I was so tired that I could not sleep. We suffered a great deal for water and the only way we could get it was by digging little holes in the sand and get what would rise, which was not fit for anyone to drink, but we had to drink it or perish.

          This island is not quite half a mile wide, the Atlantic Ocean on the east side and the Pamlico Sound on the west. It is level sand plain and every five or six miles there is an acre or two of woods in which we would find a few fishermen living. As I stated, our colonel ordered us to retreat back to a small woods and o get our breakfast which we did and rested until about 12 o’clock [noon] when we commenced our retreat.

But we had not gone more than a mile, just outside the woods, when we saw Old Abe’s war vessel the Harriet Lane [Ed note: also reported as the Monticello] lying in about 300 yards of the island in the Atlantic and we were in less than half a mile of her and could get no farther on account of the narrowness of the island and no place for shelter.  She commenced throwing bombshells at us with all vengeance. She followed us along up the side of the island for 18-20 miles and bombarded us the whole day, or from noon until night she would pitch her bombs right in our ranks, but every time she would shoot, we would lay down flat on the sand to avoid them. I had sand thrown in my face several times by them. Only two of our men got hurt and they very slightly by pieces of bombs.

As for throwing sand in our faces or the pieces passing within a foot of our heads to be such a common thing that we scarcely noticed it. It was one of the most miraculous escapes that was ever made and it was evident that God was watching over and protecting us. And every soldier that was there could not help acknowledging that it was the great protection and powder of God and Him alone that saved us. They threw 441 shells at us. We conducted our retreat with the greatest coolness and bravery. We at one time planted our flag in the sand and discharged our muskets at them, which seemed to increase their rage and they would commence on us with a renewed vigor.

In our pursuit, we caught some of the Yankees who had run themselves nearly to death, and I expect some died from it. Some told us they had rather be captured or killed than run another step. They say they call us the “Bloody Third” and view us with the greatest terror. You never saw the like of knapsacks, coats, pants, shirt, drawers, hats, caps, cartridges, cartridge boxes, belts, and almost everything else that they threw away, when they were running from us. I think some of them must have reached Fort Hatteras stark naked.

A contemporary depiction of the Chicamacomico Races shows a Federal gunboat firing upon the fleeing Confederate column. 

From the prisoners and letters of the officers captured we learned that they were going in a few days to make attack here on us at Roanoke, and I suppose, if we had not attacked them when we did, we would have had it here before this. Two of our gunboats went down the Sound some ten miles below here and captured one of Old Abe’s gunboats, 47 Lincolnites, 1,100 overcoats, and a great many other things worth about $35,000. They were going to this regiment that we gave such a rout, making in all 80 prisoners and about $120,000.

We have a great many spies among us. The prisoners told us they knew everything we were doing and all about our fortifications said they heard from us every day. We would like to catch them so we could hang them higher than Haman.

Regimental historian Charles H. Andrews stated that “the captured clothing and shoes made the 3rd Georgia comfortable, and the army overcoats did good service with many till the end of the war.” To learn more about the 3rd Georgia Infantry, please check out the History of the 3rd Georgia website- an amazing resource. 

Source:

Letter from Private Joseph Aaron Maharrey, Co. H (Young Guards), 3rd Georgia Infantry, Pickens County Herald and West Alabamian (Alabama), November 20, 1861, pg. 1

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