Engagement at Windsor

Engagement at Windsor. Action on the Cashie River. To disrupt Confederate recruiting efforts here in Windsor, the Bertie County seat, three Federal transports steamed from Plymouth on the night of January 29, 1864, under U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles W Flusser. USS Whitehead and USS Bombshell headed up the Cashie River by way of the connecting “Thoroughfare.” USS Massasoit steamed up the Roanoke River to Cedar Landing below Hamilton and disembarked five hundred 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry soldiers at daybreak on January 30. Co. E, 2nd North Carolina Volunteers (US.) landed from Bombshell on the river’s eastern side and marched north. A 1,000-man detachment of the 15th Connecticut Infantry disembarked near here from Whitehead., Capt. Byron B. Bower commanded Co. B, 62nd Georgia Cavalry to defend Windsor and to guard the approaches to the vitally important Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. The Federals attacked down King Street, engaging the Georgia cavalrymen and driving them north, where they encountered the other Union forces and fled. Windsor native Henry Vaughan Dunstan, a well-known physician here, fought among the Georgians., The Federals captured three Confederates, and about forty slaves escaped to the Union army. Several staunch Southern supporters were taken hostage for the safe return of certain Unionists imprisoned in Richmond, Virginia. They included the St. Thomas Episcopal Church’s rector, the Reverend Cyrus Waters, who later died in captivity, and bank cashier Lorenzo Webb, the church’s senior warden., “Saturday, January 30, 1864 We land at 4 oc [a.m.] … 500 strong and 1 piece Marine artillary. Marched 8 miles and come upon 300 Rebs at Windsor and Route them completely taking 3 prisoners and Instruments of a Brass Band. Burn their Barracks and return to the Boat at 5 oc. [p.m] Arrive at Plymouth at 9.” – Pvt. Charles Lepley, 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry, “Yesterday morning with forces of 200 men and mountain rifled piece, after fight of two hours with 1,200 of enemy and three pieces artillery, the Yankees were driven from Windsor, N.C., to their boats. We lost 6 men; enemy not known.” – Col. Joel R. Griffin, 62nd Georgia Cavalry, Jan. 81, 1864, (captions) , Lt. Cmdr. Charles W. Flusser - Courtesy Library of Congress , USS Massasoit - Courtesy Library of Congress , Dr. Henry V. Dunstan Courtesy H. Cullen Dunstan, Major funding for this project was provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, through the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century.