Battle of Goldsboro Bridge
End of Foster’s Raid
(Preface):
Late in 1862. Union Gen. John G. Foster’s garrison was well entrenched in New Bern and made several incursions into the countryside. On December 11, Foster led a raid from New Bern to burn the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Bridge over the Reuse River at Goldsboro and to demonstrate in support of Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s attack at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Foster’s force consisted of 10,000 infantry,
640 cavalry, and 40 cannons.
The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Bridge stood one-half mile to your front, three miles from Goldsboro. Supplies transported by rail
from the port at Wilmington had
to cross the bridge on the way to
the Army of Northern Virginia, making the bridge and the city of Goldsboro vital links in the Confederate supply chain. Foster’s command reached this area on the morning of December 17, after engagements at Kinston and Whitehall.
A small Confederate force under Generals Gustavus W. Smith, Thomas L. Clingman, and Nathan G. Evans defended the bridge. Foster’s men attacked from the other side of the railroad to your
right and, after pushing back the Confederates, succeeded in setting the bridge on fire.
The Federal artillery then bombarded the burning structure to prevent
the Confederates from extinguishing the blaze, while infantrymen
destroyed the railroad tracks atop
the embankment to your right.
Late that afternoon, as Foster marched back to New Bern, Confederate forces crossed these fields
and attacked the Federal rear guard
on the other side of the railroad
to your right, but were repulsed by
a heavy fire of small arms and artillery. The Confederates suffered about 150 killed, wounded, and missing during the battle, while Union
losses were fewer than 100. The Confederates repaired the bridge within a few weeks.
Marker is on Old Mt. Olive Highway just south of U.S. 117, on the left when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
