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H ^
HISTORIES
SEVERAL REGIMENTS AND BATTALIONS
NORTH CAROLINA
GREAT WAR l86l-'65.
WRITTEN BY MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE COMMANDS.
EDITED BY
WALTER CLARK,
(Lieut. -Colonel Seventieth Regiment N. C. T.)-
VOL.
PUBLISHED BY THE STATE.
RALEIGH:
E. M. UzzELL, Printer and Binder.
1901. l-L
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Preface v
Generals from North Carolina, by the Editor xi
Regiments and Brigades, by the Editor xiii
Naval Ofpiobhs from North Carolina, by the Editor xiv
Organization — •
Adjutant-General's Department, by Major A. Gordon 3
Quartermaster-General's Department, by Major A. Gordon— 23
Subsistence Department, by Major A. Gordon 37
Ordnance Department, by Major A. Gordon 39
Pay Department, by Major A. Gordon 45
Board op Claims, by Major A. Gordon 45
Adjutant-General's Department, by Major W, A. Graham 50
Bethel Regiment, by Major E. J. Hale 69
First Regiment, by Colonel H. A. Brown 135
Second Regiment, by Captain Matt. Manly 157
Third Regiment, by Captains John Cowan and J. I. Metis 177
Third Regiment, by Colonel W. L. DeRosset 215
Fourth Regiment, by Colonel E. A. Osborne 229
Fifth Regiment, by Maj. J, C. MacRae and Sergt.-maj. C. M. Busbee, 281
Sixth Regiment, by Captain Neill W. Ray 293
Sixth Regiment, by Major A. C. Avery 337
Seventh Regiment, by Captain J. S. Harris 361
Eighth Regiment, by Drummer H. T. J. Ludwig 387
Ninth Regiment (First Oav.), by General Riifus Barringer 417
Ninth Regiment (First Cav.), by Colonel W. H. Cheek 445, 775
Tenth Regiment (First Art.), Companies B, F, G, H, K (Heavy
Batteries), by Colonel S. B. Pool 489
Tenth Regiment (same Companies), by Lieutenant J. W. Sanders — 499 Tenth Regiment, Company C (Light Battery), by Captain A. B.
Williams 537
Tenth Regiment, Light Batteries A, D, F and I, by Captain J. A.
Ramsay j 551
Eleventh Regiment, by Col. W. J. Martin and Capt. E. R. Outlaw, 583
Twelfth Regiment, by Lieutenant W. A. Montgomery 605
Thirteenth Regiment, by Captain R. S. Williams 653
Thirteenth Regiment, by Adjutant N. S. Smith 689
Thirteenth Regiment, by T. L. Rawley 701
Fourteenth Regiment, by Colonel R. T. Bennett 705
Fifteenth Regiment, by Lieutenant H. C. Kearney 733
Sixteenth Regiment, by Lieutenant B. H. Cathey 751
Sixteenth Regiment, by Captain L. Harrill 771
PREFACE.
More than two thousand years ago Pericles, speaking of his countrymen who had fallen in a great war, said: "In all time to come, whenever there shall be speech of great deeds they shall be had in remembrance." More truly than to the Athenian soldiery can these memorable words be applied to those North Carolinians who for four long years carried the fortunes of the Confederacy upon the points of their bayonets.
With a voting population at the outbreak of the war of less than 115,000, North Carolina furnished to the Confederate cause, as appears from Major Gordon's article herein, 127,000 troops, or more than one-fifth of the men who marched beneath the South- ern Cross, in addition to the Militia and Home Guards who ren- dered useful, though short, tours of duty, under State au- thority. In the first battle of the war, at Bethel, North Caro- lina was at the front and the first man killed in battle was Wyatt from Edgecombe. When the great tragedy was closing at Appo- mattox it was the men of Cox's North Carolina Brigade, of Grimes' Division, who fired the last volley at the foe. The two great pivotal battles of the war were Gettysburg in the East and Chickamauga in the West. Upon them turned the issue of the great struggle, and in both the men who fell farthest to the front, nearest to the muzzles of the enemy's guns, were from North Carolina regiments. This is demonstrated not only by the nar- ratives of eye-witnesses in these volumes but by the monuments which the Federal Government has erected on those great battle- fields to indicate the "high-water mark" to which the tide of Southern success rose, and from which, after those days of historic struggle, it painfully and slowly but surely ebbed away.
Not, therefore, in boast, but in sober historic truth, on the cover of these volumes, has been inscribed the lines which tell the story of North Carolina's fidelity to duty:
VI Preface. .
"First at Bethel.
Farthest to the Front at Gettysburg and
Chickamatjga.
Last at Appomattox."
It is to tell the plain, unvarnished story of the men at the front that these sketches have been written by those who partici- pated therein, and by the authority and at the expense of the State they are now printed in order to hand down to posterity an authentic account of what the soldiery of this State suffered and did in the discharge of their duty. It was inscribed upon the stones piled above the Spartan dead who died at Thermopylae: "Stranger, go tell it in Lacedemon that we lie here in obedience to her command." North Carolina can never forget that in obedience to her command more than 40,000 of her bravest, best and brightest young men fill soldiers' graves from "the farthest north" at Gettysburg to that far Southern shore
" Where the mightiest river runs, mingling with their fame forever."
These dead have not died in vain. The cause of Southern Independence for which they fell has passed forever from among men. Not an advocate remains. But as long as valor shall move the hearts of men, as long as the patient endurance of hardship, and fatigue, and danger in the discharge of duty shall touch us, as long as the sacrifice of life for the good of one's country shall seem noble and grand, so long shall the memory of the deeds recorded in the plain, sober narratives in these volumes, written by men whose gallantry is surpassed only by their modesty, and who were more eager to handle the sword than to use the pen, be preserved and cherished by their coun- trymen.
The story of these volumes is briefly told. At the meeting of the State Confederate Veterans Association at Raleigh, N. C, in October, 1894, on motion of Judge A. C. Avery, seconded by F. H. Busbee, Esq., it was
"Resolved, That a history of each regiment and organization from North Carolina which served in the Confederate Army
Preface. vii
shall be prepared by a member thereof, and that Judge Walter Clark be requested to select the historians from each command and to supervise and edit the work; and further, that the Gen- eral Assembly be memorialized to have these sketches printed at the expense of the State."
On motion of Captain W. H. Day, Judge A. C. Avery, Gen- eral Robert F. Hoke and Lieutenant-Colonel Wharton J. Green were appointed a committee to present this memorial and pro- cure the passage of the legislation desired.
Already at that date (1894) nearly thirty years had passed since the close of hostilities and the steady advance of the years had driven gaps in our ranks wider than those made by the leaden hail of battle. Suitable men for the work were difficult to find for many of the regiments, and when found they often pleaded the press of business, loss of memory and increasing infirmities. But by persistent effort competent historians were secured for each regiment, except the 73d, 74th, 76th, 77th and 78th. (which being Senior Reserves, over forty-five years of age during the war, had few survivors left), and some of the battalions. As to the Senior Reserves, the only resource was to utilize some sketches heretofore written.
But here another difficulty arose. Among those who promised to write the story of their regiments some died and others procras- tinated. The latter class was large by reason of the failure of the General Assemblies of 1896 and 1897 to assume the publication by the State. This, however, was done by the General Assembly of 1899, the bill being introduced and eloquently championed by Hon. H. Clay Wall, member from Richmond county and historian of the Twenty-third Regiment. Upon the passage of the act the vacancies caused by death or declination were filled up and the remaining sketches (with a few exceptions) being in hand by the spring of 1900, and the others promised, publication was begun. The printing was, for certain causes, however, so much delayed that the General Assembly of 1901 passed an act to expedite the completion of the work, which is now guaranteed to be finished during the current year.
VIII Preface.
The work of the several historians and of the Editor has of course been one of love and without pecuniary compensation. We would that our labors could have been worthier of the sub- ject and of our noble comrades living and dead. The State assumed the cost of publication and the work is its property, as the deeds it commemorates are the noblest inheritance of its people and their sure gage of fame.
It was thought that it would add vividness to these pen-and- ink sketches of their deeds to give engravings of as many of the actors in those stirring times as could be readily obtainable. The selection of these was left, of course, to the several regimental historians. No line was drawn at rank. The only restriction has been that each picture shall have been taken "during the war or soon thereafter" — the object being to present the men as they then looked — and that the subject made an honorable record in the Great War. Major C. L. Patton, a Southerner residing in New York City and the head of a great publishing house, kindly and without remuneration undertook the supervision of the engravings and their proper grouping to go with the histo- ries of their respective commands. In this way it is believed that the interest of the work has been greatly enhanced and that this will grow as the years diminish the number of survivors. Many of their descendants, perchance, will look back as a patent of nobility to the men whose names or whose features are pre- served in these volumes. The cost of the engravings has heen defrayed by the relatives or friends of the parties. A few maps have been also added to illustrate the text.
The requirement that the history of each command should be written by a member thereof was to insure authenticity. But as by reason of wounds or other temporary absence few men were every day of the four years present with their commands, and the lapse of time might cause errors of memory, the several historians were requested to refresh their memories by conversation and cor- respondence with their surviving comrades, and they also had access to the publication by the Government of the invaluable series of "Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Preface. ix
Armies." In addition, the sketch of each regiment as sent in was published in the newspaper of largest circulation in the section in which the regiment was principally raised, and sur- vivors were requested to note errors and omissions and to com- municate them to the writer of the regimental history.
This was a heavy tax upon the columns of the press, but with the patriotism which has always characterized the editors of North Carolina this service was cheerfully and freely rendered without charge or compensation. The Confederate Veterans of North Carolina are greatly indebted for this great service in rendering onr histories more full and accurate to the Raleigh News and Observer and Morning Post, the Wilmington Messen- ger and Star, the Charlotte Observer, the Fayetteville Observer, the New Bern Journal, the Asheville Citizen, the Wayuesville Courier, and perhaps others.
During the compilation of these sketches we have, up to this date, lost no less than nine of the writers of these sketches by death. Captain John Cowan, TJiird North Carolina; Captain Neill W. Ray, Sixth North Carolina; Professor H. T. J. Lud- wig. Eighth North Carolina; General Rufus Barringer, Ninth North Carolina ; Colonel Stephen D. Pool, Tenth North Caro- lina; Colonel W. J. Martin, Eleventh North Carolina; Sergeant H. C. Wall, Twenty-third North Carolina; General Robert B. Vance, Twenty-ninth North Carolina; Captain M. V. Moore, Sixth-fifth North Carolina, and there were others who died before completing their sketches and for whom substitutes were had.
If errors or omissions of importance are discovered by any of our comrades as these volumes successively issue from the press, they are requested to promptly communicate the needed correc- tion to the historian of the regiment concerned, that proper amendment maj' be made among the Errata in the last volume. The most scrupulous and exact accuracy is earnestly desired in these volumes.
North Carolina has grandly known how to make history. She has till now always left it to others to write it. Hence she has
X Preface.
never had full justice done the memory of her sons. With these volumes the reproach is taken away. Herein the historian will find authentic, reliable material, compiled by the gallant men who saw the deeds they narrate. From these volumes some yet unborn Thucydides or Macaulay of the future may draw some of his material for that history which shall transmit to all time the story of this most memorable struggle, and the historians in these pages shall have thus contributed their share in per- petuating the fame of their State and of their comrades to the most distant times. Walter Clark.
Raleigh, N. C,
26 April, 1901.
GENERALS FROM NORTH CAROLINA.
By WALTER CLARK, LiEUT.-Coi,. Seventieth N. C. T.
From General Ainsworth, Chief of the Eecord and Pension OflBce at Washington, in whose custody are the "Archives of the War Depart- ment of the Confederate States," I have procured the following certified list of the Generals appointed from North Carolina, with the date of com- mission of the highest rank attained by each, and graded accordingly to seniority of commission:
LIEUTENANT-GENERALS. ^^ame. Bate of Rank.
1. Thbophilus H. Holmes 10 October, 1862
2. *Daniel H. Hill (not sent to Senate) 11 July, 1863
MAJOE-GBNEBALS.
1. W. H. C. Whiting (killed in battle) 28 February, 1863
2. BoBEKT Ransom, Jr 26 May, 1863
3. William D. Pender (killed in battle) 27 May, 1863
4. Robert F. Hoke 20 April, 1864
5. tSiEPHEN D. Ramsbue (killed in battle) 1 June, 1864
6. Bryan Grimes 15 February, 1865
brigadier-generals.
1. Richard C. Gatlin 8 July, 1861
2. L. O'B. Branch (killed in battle) 16 November, 1861
3. J. Johnston Pettigrew (killed in battle) 26 February, 1862
4. James G. Martin 15 May, 1862
5. Thomas L. Clingman '---17 May, 1862
6. George B. Anderson (killed in battle) 9 June, 1862
7. Junius Daniel (killed in battle) 1 September, 1862
8. James H. Lane 1 November, 1862
9. John R. Cooke 1 November, 1862
10. Robert B. Vance 1 March, 1863
11. Alfred M. Scales 13 June, 1863
12. Matthew W. Ransom 13 June, 1863
13. Lawrence S. Baker 23 July, 1863
14. William W. Kirkland 29 August, 1863
15. Robert D. Johnston 1 September, 1863
16. Jambs B. Gordon (killed in battle) 28 September, 1863
17. tWiLLiAM R. Coz (temporary) 31 May, 1864
XII Generals from North Carolina.
18. tTHOMAS F. Toon (temporary) 31 May, 1864'
19. tW. Gaston Lewis (temporary) 31 May, 1864
20. RuFus Baheinger IJune, 1864
21. fJoHN D. Bakey (temporary) _. ,3 August, 1864
22. Aechibald C. Godwin (killed in battle) 5 August, 1864
23. William MacRae 4 November, 1864
24. CoLLETT Leventhoepe 3 February, 1865
25. William P. Roeeets 21 February, 1865
This is a full list of the Generals appointed from North Carolina. There were several other Generals who were born in North Carolina but who went into the service from other States of which they had become citizens and which justly claim them, as Generals Braxton Bragg, Cad- mus M. Wilcox, Jeremy F. Gilmer, Gabriel J. Rains, Felix ZollicOfFer, Ben. McCullough, and possibly others. On the other hand. General D. H. Hill, born in South Carolina, had long been a citizen of this State, and General W. H. C. Whiting, born in Mississippi, and General John R. Cooke, of Missouri, threw in their lot with us and were appointed from this State and commanded North Carolina troops the whole war.
General James Conner, of South Carolina, and General Alfred Iverson for a whilecommanded North Carolina brigades, but they were appointed from their respective States and do not figure properly in a list of Gen- rals from North Carolina.
It is worthy of note that one-half of the Major-Generals and one in four of the Brigadier-Generals from this State were killed in battle or died of wounds during the war.
The parole lists at Appomattox were signed by Bryan Grimes, Major General, and by James H. Lane, John R. Cooke, Matt. W. Ransom, William R. Cox, William MaoRae and William P. Roberts as Brigadier Generals. " Official Records of Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 95, pp. 1S77-1S79." The parole lists at surrender of Johnston's army were signed by Daniel H. Hill and Robert F. Hoke as Major-Generals, and Thomas L. Clingman, W. W. Kirkland and Lawrence S. Baker, Briga- dier-Generals. " Official Records of Union and Confederate Armies, Vol.
*Por some unexplained reason, President Davis did not send in General Hill's appoint- ment as LieatenantGenerat to the Senate and he was never confirmed as such by'that body, though at the President's request and by virtue of the President's appointment he served in that capacity. As LieatenantGeneral he commanded a corps in the Army of the West at Chicbamauga in 1863. Later he resljmed his rank of Major-Genera!.
fMajor-General Ramseur was a temporary Major-General, and Brigadiei'-Generals Cox, Toon, Lewis and Barry were temporary Brigadier-Generals. These temporary appoint- ments were peculiar to the Confederate army. They were made to a command whose head was absent in prison or wounded, upon whose return It was contemplated that the temporary appointee would go baoli to his previous rank, though while occupying Iiis temporary grade he had the same rank and authority as if permanently appointed. In point of fact, each of such appointees held his rank to the close save General Barry," who went back to the colonelcy ot the Eighteenth Eegiment, being disabled by wounds' very soon after his appointment, whereupon General Conner was temporarily placed in com- mand of the brigade until the return of General Lane, the permanent Brigadier who had been absent wounded. '
Generals from NoiiTH Carolina. xiii
98, pp. 1061-1066." The other general officers from North Carolina above named were at the time of the above surrenders either dead, or ■wounded, prisoners or on detached service.
REGIMENTS AND BRIGADES.
North Carolina furnished seventy-eight full regiments and some twenty battalions to the Confederacy, besides a few scattering companies and a large number of individuals who served in commands from other States, of both which latter we have no data recorded in these volumes. The composition of brigades was so often changed that it was found useless to record it here. Of the regiments the Tenth, Thirty-sixth and For- tieth were artillery, and the Ninth, Nineteenth, Forty-flrst, Fifty-ninth, Sixty-third, Sixty-fifth and Seventy-fifth were cavalry regiments. Most of the battalions were artillery or cavalry.
The Seventieth, Seventy-first and Seventy-second Regiments and three battalions were Junior Reserves — boys seventeen years of age, who, however, did good service at the battles of Southwest Creek and Benton- ville, and a portion of them at the bombardments of Wilmington and of Fort Branch on the Roanoke, and in other minor actions. They were brigaded and were commanded first by Colonel F. S. Armistead, then by Colonel Nethercutt and later by General L. S. Baker, and composed one of the brigades of Hoke's Division. They also aided at Belfield, Va., to repulse the enemy's advance southward.
The Seventy-third, Seventy-fourth, Seventy-sixth, Seventy-seventh and Seventy-eighth were Senior Reserves, between the ages of forty-five and fifty, and rendered good service, a portion of them being under fire.
All the above, being regularly in the Confederate service, have a part in these volumes.
Besides these there were regiments and battalions of Home Guards, composed of those exempt from Confederate service by reason of being State officers (as justices of the peace, county officials, etc.), or for other causes, who rendered service from time to time, for short tours of duty, under the orders of the Governor. Also, in the early part of 1862 there was service rendered by Militia ordered out for short periods, in emer- gency, notably those under- Brigadier-Generals David Clark, Collett Leventhorpe and Jesse R. Stubbs for the defense of the Roanoke after the fall of Roanoke Island, and a regiment of Militia shared in the battle of New Bern. There was also doubtless valuable service rendered by the Militia in other parts of the State. But from the scope of this work, and the dearth of material at this late date, no adequate account is herein given of the services of our Militia and Home Guards, though at the time their aid was valuable.
XIV Generals from North Carolina.
NAVAL OFFICERS.
The following appear, in the Confederate Archives, as the highest officers in the Navy, appointed from North Carolina, though there were many others of lesser rank:
Name, Date of Rank.
James W. Cooke Captain 10 June, 1864.
John N. Maffitt Commander 13 May, 1863.
James Iredell VVaddell First Lieutenant 6 January, 1864.
Captain Cooke commanded the ram "Albemarle" at the capture of Plymouth, 20 April, 1864, b}' General E. F. Hoke, for which victory General Hoke and himself, with the officers and men under their com- mand, were voted thanks by the Confederate Congress. General Hoke's commission as Major-General bears that date in recognition of his service.
Lieutenant James Iredell Waddell, as commander of the "Shenan- doah," was the last to bear the Confederate flag, not having heard of the fall of the Confederacy till August, 1865, when he was in mid Pacific.
Commander J. N. Maffitt' s services were also conspicuous and are well known.
Walter Clark.
Raleigh, N. C.,
26 April, 1901.
ORGANIZATION OF TROOPS.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT; QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT; COMMISSARY DEPARTMENT; ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
By major, a. GORDON.
ORGANIZATION OF TROOPS.
THE ADJUTANT-GENERAIv'S OFFICE.
HOW GOVERNOR ELLIS RAISED THE FIRST TEN REGI- MENTS OP STATE TROOPS FOR THE WAR, AUTHORIZED BY THE LEGISLATURE — THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE — ORGANIZATION OF OTHER REGIMENTS DURING THE WAR — THE STATE'S CARE FOR ITS TROOPS.
By MAJOR A. GORDON, Staff of Adjutant-General of North Carolina.
The Legislature met May 1, 1861, and authorized Governor Ellis to raise ten regiments of State Troops for the war before the State Convention met. An Adjutant-General and other staff officers were authorized for these troops. Major James G. Martin, on his arrival at Raleigh, after his resignation from the United States Army, was appointed by the Governor Adjutant- General of this corps. Most of the officers of these regiments were appointed by the Governor prior to this, and several of them were well advanced in recruiting. The first six regiments were put in camp and were soon armed, drilled and equipped, and sent to Virginia. The Fifth and Sixth participated in the first fight at Manassas. The Seventh and Eighth were not ready for some time afterwards. When fully recruited and equipped the Seventh was sent to New Bern, N. C, and the Eighth to Roanoke Island. The Ninth (First Cavalry) was camped at Warrenton and everything done to equip it for service as fast as circumstances would permit. There was considerable trouble in getting this regiment ready for service. Horses were purchased in Kentucky, and after getting the horses neither the State nor
4 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Confederate States could furnish saddles and sabres. An agent of the State was dispatched to New Orleans to purchase saddles to make up the number wanted ; this done, there still remained a deficiency in sabres, which could not be purchased. The Second Cavalry, formerly Spruill's Legion, was camped at Kittrell Springs, both of these regiments having about sabres enough to do for one. In this condition of affairs the Governor and Gen- eral Martin appealed to the officers of the Second Cavalry to give up enough of their sabres to equip the First Cavalry, which they did with some reluctance, and with the assurance of the Adju- tant-General that the State would do everything in its' power to equip the Second Cavalry as soon as possible. The First Cav- alry was soon after this ordered to Virginia. Every effort was made to get the Second ready for service, which was done late in the fall of the year, and it was then> ordered to New Bern, N. C. The Tenth Regiment State Troops was artillery. Five com- panies of this regiment were light batteries — Eamseur's, Reilly's, Brem's, Moore's and Sutherland's : the first two were sent to Virginia, the other three remained in the State till later. During the first year of the war the other companies were assigned to duty in the forts below Wilmington. These regiments were all transferred to the Confedei-ate States, and the State had very little to do with them from that on, except to furnish clothing to the men and horses to the cavalry regiments and light batteries.. The Adjutant-General's office of North Carolina was practically done with them on their transfer to the Confederate States.
Now, let ns look at the volunteers and see what had been done in that line. Colonel John F. Hoke was Adjutant-General under the old laws of the State, and it was through his office that the volunteers were organized. The First Volunteers were organized ahead of any other regiment in the State; the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh soon followed. The first six were sent to Virgina, the Seventh to Hatteras. The Eighth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Volunteers were organized between the 15th of June and 18th of July, 1861. All of these regiments, when organized, armed
Organization of Troops. 5
and equipped, were transferred to the Confederate States. Colo- nel John F. Hoke was elected Colonel of the Thirteenth Vol- unteers, and he resigned the office of Adjutant- General. The Governor ordered General Martin to take charge of both offices, that of the State Troops and Volunteers, until the Legislature met, when that body elected General Martin Adjutaut-Geueral of the State, and conferred upon him all the military power of the State, subject to the orders of the Governor. It con- solidated under him the Adjutant-General, Quartermaster-Gen- eral, Commissary, Ordnance and Pay Departments.
The double sets of Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.. State Troops, and 1, 2, 3,. 4, etc.,Volunteers created some confusion, especially at Rich- mond, where they were unable to keep up the distinction. This led to an understanding between the two offices that the State Troops should retain the nun^bers 1 to 10, and the First Volun- teers to be numbered Eleventh Regiment North Carolina Troops (First Volunteers), etc. This caused some little dissatisfaction at first among the volunteers, but it soon passed away. There was some irregularity about the election of field officers of the Ninth Volunteers, and the Governor withheld the commissions. Into this vacant number was placed Spruill's Regiment, the Nineteenth North Carolina Troops, Second Cavalry.
The next regiment organized was the Twenty-fifth at Ashe- viile on the 15th of August, the Twenty-sixth at Raleigh on the 27th of the same mopth, and the Twenty-seventh soon followed. Most of the companies of this regiment were intended originally for the Ninth Volunteers. The Twenty-eighth Regiment was organized at High Point, September 21st. We are now in Sep- tember, 1861, with twenty-eight regiments organized and twelve or thirteen more in sight at the Adjutant-General's office, and as yet neither the Convention nor Legislature had made any pro- vision for clothing the troops; and if it was expected that the Confederate Government would furnish clothing, it was getting very plain that the troops would suffer before the winter was over. In this state of affairs the Legislature directed General Martin, late in the month of September, to provide winter cloth-
6 NoETH Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
ing, shoes, etc., for the North Carolina Troops. The time was very short, and it was no small task, and he went about it with his usual energy. He organized a clothing manufactory in Ral- eigh, under Captain Garrett, an efficient officer in that line of business ; every mill in the State was made to furnish every yard of cloth possible, and, in addition, Captain A. Myers was sent through North Carolina, South Carolina, and as far as Savannah, Ga., purchasing everything that could be made avail- able for clothing the troops. In addition to what the State fur- nished on such short notice the ladies of North Carolina, God bless them, nobly came to the assistance and furnished blankets, quilts, etc. Many carpets were torn up, lined with cotton, and rqade into quilts; by the combined efforts of the ladies and State officers the troops of North Carolina were clothed during the first winter of the war, if not exactly according to military regu- lation, in such a manner as to prevent much suffering; and after this winter the State was in better condition to supply the wants of her troops. Mention will be made of this subject hereafter, when we come to the fall of 1862.
We will now take up the organization of the troops. Next comes the Twenty-ninth at Asheville, September 24th; the Thir- tieth, October 7th, at Weldon; the Thirty-first soon followed at Haleigh, and before it was well armed was sent to Roanoke Island. From a combination of circumstances, which could not be overcome at the time, this regiment was the worst armed that the State sent to the front. The State did not have the arms to furnish, and the Confederate States declined to furnish any more arms to twelve-months volunteers. Great trouble was experi- enced in furnishing arms from this time till late in the spring of 1862. The Thirty-second was organized with six companies of North Carolina infantry, that went to Norfolk, Va., without the formality of going through the State offices. Additional com- panies were added by the State to make up the regiment. The Thirty-third was composed of companies enlisted for the war. Some of them were intended for the first ten regiments of State Troops, and being slow in recruiting, were left out; but enough
Organization op Troops. 7
were added to make a full regiment. The Goveruor appointed the field officers for this regiment. When armed and equipped it was ordered to Newbern. The Thirty-fourth was organized, as far as my memory serves, at High Point, October 26th, and when ready for service was sent to Virginia. The Thirty-fifth was organized near Raleigh, November 8th, and in January was sent to New Bern. The Thirty-sixth was made up of artillery companies. Serving in the forts below Wilmington, they were all in service several months before being organized into a regi- ment. The Thirty-seventh was organized at High Point, No- vember 20th. When the officers recruiting companies for this regi- ment tendered them to the State they were told that arms could not be furnished by the State. They then proposed to come to camp with their private rifles, and, if necessary, go to the field with them. They brought them tp camp. When they were supplied with better arms I am unable to state. The Thirty-eighth was organized at Raleigh, January 17, 1862. When ready it was sent to Virginia.
The Thirty-ninth was organized at Asheville, and when armed and equipped went across the mountains to Tennessee (Decem- ber 1, 1863). The Fortieth was heavy artillery, and thecompa-, nies forming this regiment were on duty in the forts below Wil- mington several months before its organization as a regiment (September, 1862). The Forty-first was a cavalry regiment, and the companies put in this regiment were also on duty many months before a regimental organization. This was the last of the twelve-months volunteers. The dates given in Moore's " Roster " of the commissions of the field officers of the Thirty- ninth, Fortieth and Forty-first are not correct. These regiments were organized soon after the Thirty-eighth, which is given cor- rectly, and before the Forty-second, which took place April 22, 1862. The State had in January, 1862, forty-one regiments armed and equipped and transferred to the Confederate States Army; twelve of these for the war, one for six months, twen- ty-eight for twelve months, and, in addition, several battalions and independent companies. The above is what was accom-
8 North Caeolina Troops, 1861-65.
plished between the passage of the ordinance of secession and the middle of January, 1862. The Forty-second, although mentioned above, belongs to the troops raised in the spring of 1862, and will be mentioned hereafter with them.
The foregoing narrative is well known to all those who have kept up with the military history of the State. We will now take up matters not so well known — official business between the Executive office and the Adjutant-General's office; also mat- ters relating to the defense; all of which are so blended to- gether that the history of the one cannot be given without the other. This is more particularly the case, as the Adjutant-General of North CaroHua was for several months in command of the defenses of the State, while Adjutant-General also.
The State was invaded by a large military force under Gen- eral Buruside, who captured Roanoke Island on the 8th of Feb- ruary, 1862. It was very plain to military men that the object of the Buruside expedition was the capture of New Bern, Golds- boro and Raleigh, which it was expected to do, while McClel- lan's army was to do the same at Richmond, Va. Both armies expected to move at the same time. The Adjutant-General of North Carolina was very much concerned about the safety of New Bern, N. C. He sent an officer of his staff to look at the forts and find out the number of troops available for the defense. That officer was shown the defenses by Major Robert F. Hoke, then of the Thirty-third, serving at New Bern, afterwards Major- General. After inspecting the forts, etc.. Major Hoke remarked that unless greater energy was displayed in the near future than in. the past the place could not be successfully defended, all of which was plainly to be seen. This state of affairs was reported to the Adjutant-General. He in turn reported the matter to the Governor. The Legislature, at the fall session of 1861, directed the Adjutant-General to reorganize the militia of the State, and appointed him Major-General of the same when called into ser- vice. General Martin believed that the Legislature expected something more than a paper organization of the militia, and he requested the Governor to call out ten thousand State militia to
Organization of Troops. 9
help defend New Bern. This the Governor declined to do, on the ground that he expected the Confederate Government to defend the place. Whether he wrote to the Government or not for re-inforcements cannot be stated positively, but the impression in the Adjutant-General's office was that he did. No re-inforce- ments were sent, and on the 14th of March, 1862, New Bern fell into the hands of Burnside. On the following day General Martin went to Kinston to confer with General Branch, to find out the actual condition of his army, and see if the State could render any assistance. That day the writer went to the Govern- or's office, the Adjutant-General doing this daily, to receive the Governor's orders, if any. While there the defenseless condition of the State was discussed by ex-Governor Bragg, who was pres- ent, and at this time aide to Governor Claris. Governor Bragg was in favor of calling out the militia, and somewhat urged the Governor to do so. This Governor Clark declined to do, but authorized the Adjutant-General's office to write to the militia captains of the State "to have one-third of their command in readiness." This order was somewhat changed in the Adjutant- General's office — made more effective. The captains were ordered to detail (draft was probably the word used) one-third of their men; the men so drafted, or any others, were given permission to volunteer for the war. This order struck a wave of patriotism that was floating over the State from east to west, which was almost dormant for some months on account of the Government refusing to furnish arms to twelve-months volunteers. Promi- nent men in every county of the State vied with each other in raising troops, and many of those not actually going to the field were as busy helping as those going. Instead of getting one- third, the writer believes that fully two-thirds of those liable to service volunteered under this call. In all, twenty-eight regiments and several battalions promptly volunteered. The Adjutant- General's office was daily crowded by men offering companies for service. The Eleventh Eegiment (Bethel) was reorganized at High Point, April 18th; the Forty-second at Salisbury, April 22d, and at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, were organized the
10 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
Forty-third, Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty-sev- enth, Forty-eighth, Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, Fifty-second, Fifty- third, Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth, all between the 21st of April and 19th of May. The Fifty-first was recruited in the Cape Fear district and organized at Wilmington. The State had now in a very short time fifteen splendid regiments organized and ready for service, except the arms, which will be mentioned later. All the military departments of the State were taxed to the utmost to clothe, feed and equip this large number of troops who so promptly came to the defense of the State, In addition to those mentioned above twelve or thirteen more regiments were in sight at the Adjutant-General's office, to be taken care of when fully recruited. On or about the 15th day of May, 1862, General Martin was surprised by receiving a letter from General R. E. Lee and a Brigadier-General's commission in the Confederate States Army, and informing him that he was expected to take command at Kinston on or about the first of June, relieving General Rob- ert Ransom. This commission at first General Martin declined, and wrote General Lee that he had a commission from the State of North Carolina, and as the troops to be commanded would be from the State, he would prefer to serve with the commission he had. To this General Lee replied that the Government did not wish to call him out under his State commission, and that every available man in North Carolina was to be moved to Virginia except four regiments, which he was to take from camp at Raleigh to Kinston, and that "he was expected to take com- mand during the emergency." These were the words used by the great chieftain. Under the circumstances he accepted, though not a very agreeable position to be in, the command of a large State, with only four or five available regiments, and an enemy esti- mated at upwards of twenty thousand in his front. On or about the night General Martin received his commission as Brio-adier- General the Governor of North Carolina received a communi- cation from the War Department of the Confederate States Army giving him in full the plan of the campaign to crush McClellan's army, and asking his co-operation with the North Carolina Troops
Organization of Troops. 11
in camp not yet turned over to the Confederate States. This was to reconcile him to the moving of all the troops then in the State to Virginia. The statement above, that the War Depart- ment would communicate the plans of one of the most famous battles of the world more than a month before a shot was fired might, without explanation, seem incredulous. The State of North Carolina had at this time fifteen regiments, each near a thousand strong, not yet turned over to the Confederate States. These troops were raised on the Governor's call for the defense of the State, as shown in this narrative, and he could have kept them for that service if so disposed. This was the only body of reserve troops in the Confederacy, at least no other State had anything approximating it, and it was very important for Gen- eral Lee to receive this re-inforcement, hence everything was made fully known to the Governor of North Carolina. In brief, the plan, as told me by my chief, was to concentrate everything that could be taken out of North Carolina and elsewhere on McClel- lan's army and crush it before Burnside could move from New Bern. It seemed to be understood that the 1st of July was the time fixed for the movement of Burnside's army ; this was given by the Confederate States War Department from Richmond. The Governor of North Carolina was informed that the defense of his State would be an easy problem after the defeat of McClellan's army, and would not be overlooked. The Governor and Adjutant-General of North Carolina went into the plan heart and soul, and did everything in their power to make it a success; they, and they alone, knowing what the Con- federate Government and'General Lee expected North Carolina and them to do.
About this time the State received a shipment of arms from England, landed at Wilmington, exact number not recollected now, probably two thousand. They were given, to the troops now waiting for them. The Confederate Government now came to the assistance of the State in arming the troops at Camp Mangum, and before the 1st of June every one of them was armed and ready for service. The troops serving
12 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
in the State were quietly and gradually withdrawn and sent to Virginia. General Holmes, who was in command, moved to Petersburg. Branch's Brigade was withdrawn and Daniel's Brigade also; the latter had a brigade, though not yet a commis- sioned brigadier. Ransom's command moved on the 2d of June to Eichmond, and on that date General Martin took command at Kinston. His brigade consisted of the Seventeenth, Forty- fourth, Forty-seventh and Fifty-second. The Fiftieth was ordered to Plymouth and the Fifty-first was still at Wilming- ton. This left six regiments of infantry in the State. The Sec- ond Cavalry was on picket duty as close to New Bern as possible. The three artillery regiments, Tenth, Thirty-sixth and Fortieth, were on duty in the forts below Wilmington, except the light batteries of the Tenth, which were in Virginia ; this was the force in the State on the 2d of June, 1862. The Twenty-ninth and Thirty-ninth were in the Army of Tennessee; all the rest in Virginia. Everything-passed off quietly for two or three weeks — a calm before the desperate struggle. When the struggle com- menced at Richmond, General Lee was fearful that Burnside would find out the defenseless condition of North Carolina, and move forward. Every night he telegraphed to General Martin at Kinston, "Any movements of the enemy in your front to-day?" On the night of the sixth day's fighting at Richmond the War De- partment telegraphed to the Governor of North Carolina, "Any troops in your State that can be spared?" The reply was, "None but Martin's Brigade at Kinston; you can move it if wanted." It was ordered to Virginia that night and left early next morning, but the seven days' fighting was over before it got there, and it was ordered to camp near Drury's Bluff. The State had now left in it two regiments of infantry, the Fiftieth and Fifty-first, the last ordered from Wilmington to Kinston. One cavalry regi- ment and three artillery regiments, the Twenty-ninth and Thir- ty-ninth, as already stated, were in the Army of Tennessee, the other forty-seven regiments in Virginia — that was North Caro- lina's contribution to the spring campaign of 1862. And if the defeat of McClellan's army was not as complete as expected, it
Organization of Troops. 13
certainly, from the foregoing showing, was not the fault of North Carolina or North Carolinians. From the Governor down to the humblest private, all nobly did their duty. The Governor exposed his own Capital to save that of the Confederacy and a sister State; only one regiment of infantry, one of cavalry, two or three batteries of artillery between him and an army estimated about twenty thousand strong. The risk taken in North Caro- lina at this time was very great. After the battles at Richmond matters remained quiet for a few weeks, both in Virginia and North Carolina, and the i^djutant-General of the latter State, with his brigade, was camped near Drewry's Bluff. In a short time the enemy commenced raiding in North Carolina, and the Governor telegraphed to the War Department to send General Martin and his brigade back to North Carolina. General Lee ordered General Martin to take command of North Carolina, but would not let the brigade return. On showing him the con- dition of the State, he allowed one regiment to return, and directed General Martin to organize more troops for the defense of the State. General Martin returned to Raleigh, assumed his duties as Adjutant-General of the State, and also commanded the troops on duty.
We will now glance at the organization of more regiments. The Fifty-sixth was organized at Camp Mangnm, July 31st; the Fifty-seventh, if memory serves right, was organized at Salis- bury ; the Fifty-eighth, Sixtieth, Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth were organized west of the Blue Ridge, and when armed and equipped went to the Army of Tennessee. McDowell was the first Colonel of the Sixtieth, not Lieutenant- Colonel, as put down in Moore's " Roster." The Fifty-ninth and Sixty-third were cavalry regiments, and were raised and organized in the East. When ready for service, both of them went to Virginia. The Sixty-first was organized at Wilmington. All of these regi- ments volunteered for the defense of the State, as originally called for by the Governor in the Adjutant-General's order of March 6th or 7th; also the Sixty-sixth and Thomas' Legion. The Sixty-sixth was formed out of Nethercutt's and Wright's
14 North Carolina Teoops, 1861-65.
Battalions. Some of the companies of this regiment had been on duty since 1861, but the regiment was not organized till 1863. The next regiment is the Sixty-seventh, Whitford's. Captain Whitford had a company in the Tenth Regiment, which was raised in the East, and was probably on duty at New Bern when that place fell into the hands of the enemy. At all events, when he was in camp at Swift Creek, in June, 1862, he kept a com- plete system of picket duty all the way to New Bern, and some- times brought communications from there. These services were considered so valuable that his company was detached from the Tenth and another company put in its place, and he was authorized to raise additional companies, which he continued to do till he had a large regiment. It was principally recruited near the enemy's lines.
Here the writer will branch off a little and state that the peo- ple of the East, under the trying circumstances in which they were placed, were loyal to the State and Confederate Govern- ments. Every person that could move from New Bern did so when it fell into the hands of the enemy. The young men and old men also from the surrounding country flocked to the nearest camps, hence the raising of the Sixty-seventh Eegiment. The Sixty-eighth was raised in the extreme eastern counties of the State under the same circumstances as the Sixty-seventh. The Sixty- eighth was not transferred to the Confederate States, but remained in the State service till the end of the war. Moore's "Roster" does not give the strength of this regiment. The writer was on duty in it for a short time in ] 864. It might safely be put down at one thousand then, perhaps more before the surrender.
It was well known that there were many prominent men in the East opposed to the war. The so-called Governor Stanly, when in New Bern, tried to communicate with them, and proba- bly succeed in getting letters to some of them. He also made a trip up the Pamlico to see some of the prominent men there. This was reported by scouts at the time. He did see one or more prominent men of that section, but he got no aid or encourage- ment there. He was plainly told that there was no Union senti-
Organization of Troops. 15
ment in the State, and it is more than probable that the plain truths told him at there interview led him to resign and leave the State soon afterwards. The writer found out accidentally about this interview after the war was over.
One prominent man of the East lost his life trying to serve the Confederacy in a diplomatic way. I allude to the Hon. James Bryan, of New Bern. In June, 1862, he applied to the Commanding-General for permission to go North by flag of truce; it was at a time when no flags were permitted, consequently Mr. Bryan's application was sent to the War Department. In a few days an answer was returned that President Davis wanted to see Mr. Bryan. He was informed of this, and promptly went to Richmond. He was requested by President Davis to go to Washington and sound the public men there upon what terms they would be willing to a separa- tion. This was all the writer learned of the mission. He went to Washington, remained there some time, and then returned to New Bern, which place he was not permitted to leave, and died there of -yellow fever. This is a case of which nothing was ever known in the State. There are some doubts in my mind as to his own sons knowing of the mission he had from the President.
We will now get back to the Adjutant-General's work proper. The next regiment is the Sixty-ninth; this was originally Thomas' Legion, and had been on duty since 1862. Two battalions belonged to this organization ; both of them were detached in Virginia, and with the view of getting more efScient service, the legion organization was discontinued in the winter of 1864 and the regimental adopted. This regiment was raised in the West, and remained on duty there till the end. The next and last regiment of the line is what Moore puts down as the Seventy- fifth. This was the Seventh Confederate Cavalry, and was originally recruited by orders from the War Department. Two companies of this regiment were from Virginia, two from Georgia, six from North Carolina.
The f ,d officers of this regiment were appointed by the War Department. At the request of General Martin the Hon.
16 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
E. R. Bridgers, of the Confederate Congress, got a law passed through that body that the North Carolina Troops in the Sev- enth Confederate Cavalry should be detached with the view of organizing a full regiment of North Carolina Troops. The com- panies from Virginia and Georgia were very weak in men and horses, and as the regiment was on duty in North Carolina in the summer and fall of 1863, it was recruited so as to make it almost, if not altogether, a North Carolina regiment. Besides above, through the Conscript Bureau of the Confederacy, there was organized the Seventieth, Seventy-first and Seventy-sec- ond (Junior Reserves), who were nearly twelve months in service, and the Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth (Senior Re- serves), who rendered short tours of service. There were also a number of battalions, but the writer is not able to give much of a history of them. They seem to be pretty well accounted for in Moore's "Roster," except Henry's Battalion. This had six com- panies in it, and was probably five hundred strong. Lieutenant- Colonel Kennedy's Battalion was composed of Georgians and North Carolinians, as Moore states. Kennedy was a. native of North Carolina, moved to Georgia, raised some of his command in the State of his adoption, moved with them to North Caro- lina and raised more. These irregularities the Adjutant-Gen- eral's office tried to prevent, but sometimes they were in service before anything was known of the case. Some companies went to Virginia without reporting to the Adjutant- General's office. This, if memory serves right, was the case with the First Bat- talion, and perhaps others.
We will now try to give a history of the clothing of this large army the State put in service. When the Legislature in 1861, directed General Martin to furnish clothing for the North Carolina Troops, there were then only about thirty regiments in service. In less than a year that number was more than doubled and it became very plain to General Martin that the resources of the State were not adequate to the demands of the army. la August, 1862, he laid the matter before Governor Clark and asked permission to buy supplies abroad and a ship to transport
■Okganization of Troops. 17
them. The Governor's term of service being near an end, he declined to give any orders, and requested the matter to lie over till Governor Vance was inaugurated. Soon after Governor Vance's inauguration General Martin brought the matter to his attention. The Governor- took it under advisement for a few days. Soon his attention was called to the subject again, and he requested General Martin to come to the Executive ofBce that night and meet two or three prominent men, when the matter would be discussed on both sides. The Hon. B. F. Moore was the leader of those present. He took the ground that the Governor and Adjutant-General had no authority by law to pur- chase a ship, and that they would both be liable to impeachment if they did so. General Martin took the ground that the laws of North Carolina made it his duty to furnish clothing to the troops, and voted funds to do this; that the resources of the State were not equal to the demand ; that transport ships were used in all modern armies, and that they were as necessary as wagons, mules, etc., of which the law made no mention. The Gov- ernor reserved his decision that night, but when asked for it the next day he authorized General Martin to buy the ship and clothing for the troops, and signed sufficient bonds for this purpose, which were afterwards placed in the hands of the State agent sent abroad. The next thing for the Adjutant-General to do was to get a man of ability and responsibility to be sent as agent to England. The Governor made no suggestions on this point. On the recommendation of Major Hogg, Mr. White, of Warrenton, was selected as State agent to go abroad to purchase the ship and supplies, and Colonel Thomas Crossan was sent to command the ship, and well did they perform this and every other duty intrusted to them by tlie State. In due time the steamer "Lord Clyde" was purchased, afterwards named "Ad- Vance," and arrived safely in Wilmington with supplies for the troops. Governor Vance got a great deal of credit for this, while General Martin, who was the real author of it, got practically none. From this time forward it is certain that the North Carolina Troops were better clothed than those of any other State. In March, 2
18 North Caeolina Teoops, 1861-65.
1863, the Legislature declared the office of Adjutant-General vacant for the reason that General Martin had accepted a commis- sion from the Confederate States. He never drew any salary from the government for the services he rendered while Adju- tant-General of North Carolina. After this he resumed com- mand of a brigade, and the duties of the office were next per- formed by General D. G. Fowle for a few months. The troops of the State were practically organized before General Martin left the office. The only regiments that were raised afterwards were the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth, and perhaps two or three battalions besides the Junior and Senior Reserves.
In March, 1863, the writer's connection with the Adjutant- General's office ceased, and he is not able to give any detailed history of what took place afterwards. Major Graham, who was assistant to General Gatlin, can su|)ply this part of the nar- rative. There is nothing said here of the troops who took the forts on the coast and the Fayetteville Arsenal early in 1861. Major Graham Daves, who was Private Secretary to Governor Ellis, could furnish this. No man in the State is more able or better qualified to do it. The three reports would give as com- plete a history as can be secured at this late date.
The three war Governors of the State, Ellis, Clark and Vance, are dead. The four war Adjutant-Generals are also dead, Hoke, Martin, Fowle and Gatlin, and with them a great deal of the war history of the State is lost, but the secretaries of the former and assistants of the latter are still living, and enough can yet be collected to make a I'espectable showing. Governor Vance is known to history as the War Governor of the State. The rec- ords show that fifteen regiments were organized before Governor Ellis' death, and there were at least fifteen more in active state of recruiting. All the other regiments of the North Carolina Troops were organized during Governor Clark's term, with the exception of the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth and some two or three battalions — exclusive of Reserves organized under the Conscript Bureau.
It was Governor Vance that authorized the purchase of the supplies from abroad and a ship to transport them. This act
Organization of Troops. 19
endeared him to the people of the State more than any other act of his life, perhaps more than all the others combined, numerous and creditable as they were.
Something might be expected here as to the probable .number of troops sent to the field. The writer, stating facts as known to him,- does not like to go into the realms of conjecture. Major Moore has devoted a great deal of time and attention to the matter and, although his work is unfortunately not complete, it is the best there is. He furnishes the names for several regi- ments that had from fifteen to eighteen hundred men. It is almost certain, from what is known of the rest of the regiments, that if a correct list could be had the whole line of seventy-three regiments would average sixteen hundred each ; the battalions, eight thousand, total. This would give a total of nearly one hundred and twenty-five thousand men actually in the field dur- ing the war. Add to this the Senior Reserves, etc., and there is an aggregate of one hundred and twenty-seven thousand men, a very moderate estimate, probably. The exact number will never be known unless an effort is made in the near future to get the names of those missing before their comrades are dead.
A few words in regard to the records in the Adjutant-Gen- eral's office. When troops were mustered into service the origi- nal muster-rolls were deposited in the Adjutant-General's office. Soon after the first troops were transferred to the Confederate States the Adjutant-General requested them to send copies of their muster-rolls to Raleigh. Several of the commanding offi- cers objected, as involving too much clerical work in time of war. The matter was dropped by the Adjutant-General, as he had no power to enforce this request. He, however, requested a copy of the monthly regimental returns, which most of the command- ing officers sent.
Here it may be proper to say something in regard to the cloth- ing furnished by the State. All the clothing was manufactured by the State and then turned over to the Confederate Quarter- master at Raleigh, his receipts taken for the same and the issues made by him. So hard pressed was the Confederacy that on one
20 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
or two occasions during the writer's service in Raleigh it had to draw on this depot for the troops of other States. The State presented claims to the Confederate States for the clothing fur- nished, which were paid, if there were any funds on hand to pay with.
The Convention appointed a Board of Auditors at Raleigh to audit the war accounts of the State. The board consisted of the Hons. B. F. Moore, P. H. Winston and S. F. Phillips, who audited all the accounts of the diiferent war bureaus of the State. During General Martin's term of office they never found a mis- take in a single voucher or disbursement, as everything was strictly according to law, something extraordinary in time of war. This they were at all times ready to admit, although not very ardent admirers of the military policy of the State.
It is conceded by all that the State of North Carolina put more troops in the field during the war than any other Southern State. We can go further, and claim that these troops were bet- ter armed and equipped before leaving the State, and certainly better clothed during the entire war, than those of any other State. The State of North Carolina was the only one thait fur- nished clothing for its troops during the entire war. It was the only State that engaged in direct trade with England, purchas- ing its supplies and transporting them with its own ship. In this respect it was not only ahead of its sister States, but also of the Quartermaster's Department Confederate States Army, for that department never owned a transport ship during the whole of its four years' existence, although its credit abroad was ample for years. It is probably true that it got some supplies through the blockade, by the " Sumter " and other vessels, before they were turned into armed cruisers, but it is here asserted, without fear of successful contradiction, that the Quartermaster's Department Confederate States Army never owned or purchased a transport ship during the war. And, as a matter of history, it was in the fall of 1863 before any regulations were adopted by the Con- federate States in regard to getting supplies by blockade-runners. An order was issued then requiring all vessels to take out and in
Organization of Troops. 21
one-third of their cargoes for the Confederate States. This was one year after North Carolina was running the blockade in full blast with its own steamer. That ought to be sufficient proof of our claims.
Now, if our claims are correct that the State furnished more troops, and that they were better equipped and clothed than those of our sister States, there must be some reason for this. All of these things could not happen by accident. In the opinion of the writer there were three reasons :
1st. When the Legislature elected General Martin Adjutant- General of the State it conferred ample power on him and voted him sufficient money. He had power and money combined, both very essential in war.
2d. General Martin brought to the discharge of this office a great deal of energy and mature judgment, which a long expe- rience in the line and staff of the United States Army gave him, and he went into it heart and soul, expecting to win, and so well did he lay the foundations of the business at Raleigh that none of his successors, so far as known, made the slightest change in the methods adopted by him.
Third and last reason. The intense loyalty of the people of the State made the matter much easier for the success of the cause desired. There was no staying inside the enemy's lines in North Carolina. These were the causes of North Carolina's superior military establishment.
Mention has been made here of the loyalty of the people of the East; it would not be just to the West if omitted. The great majority of the people of the West were equally as loyal and true as their brethren of the East. No taint of disloyalty was attached to any prominent man in the West: this the writer knows well, as he was on service there the last eight months of the war. It is, however, true that there was a streak of disloy- alty in a few of the counties bordering on East Tennessee. This was not occasioned so much by Unionism as a dislike to be con- scripted into the army. Several men from that section went across the lines to Tennessee and joined the notorious Kirk's command.
22 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Three or four companies of North Carolinians were in that com- mand, which gave a great deal of trouble during the last months of the war, and in one of these raids killed the Hon. W. W. Avery, of Burke, while he was at the head of a band of citizens pursuing the raiders.
The War Department, at the suggestion of General Martin, who commanded this district at the close of the war, suspended the conscript law, and there were no more runaways. Major A. C. Avery was also authorized to raise a regiment for local ser- vice. Some progress was made in recruiting several companies for this regiment, but the Major was captured during Stoneman's raid. The regiment was never organized, and, as far as known, the Major did not get his colonel's commission. This was the last effort made to raise troops in the State before the war closed.
The writer has now given all the information that memory can furnish at this late date; but one secret remains, and that has been sealed in his breast since July, 1861, and here it is:
On the day after the battle of the first Manassas Governor Clark got a telegram from the War Department informing him that there was not powder enough in the Confederacy for another day's fight, and requesting him to put nitre agents in the field. This state of affairs was known only to five men in North Caro- lina, Governor Clark, Colonel Barringer (his aide). General Mar- tin, Mr. Pulaski Cowper, the Governor's Secretary, and the writer. Here, as elsewhere, the Adjutant-General's office of North Caro- lina promptly came to the rescue and appointed several nitre agents throughout the State. Their names cannot be given at this late date or any detailed history of their operations, though they were considerable, and continued until the end of the war. It was at the request of the Adjutant-General's office of North Carolina that Colonel Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance Confederate States Army, took possession of the Salisbury Machine Shop, which was turned into an arsenal, and also the Cranberry Iron Works both of which were so serviceable to the Confederacy. It is prob- able that mistakes were made of omission and commission, but who could have guided such a revolution without making them? If
MAJOR JOHN DEVEREUX,
Quarter Master General.
Okganization of Troops. 23
we consider the condition of the State and the Confederacy, both entering the war without a supply of arms and only one day's supply of powder, as stated above, it is a wonder to those who topk an active part in the war that so much was accomplished with such slender means to begin with, and it must remain a wonder to future generations also. Such was the condition of affairs at Raleigh in the spring of 1862 that spears had to be manufactured and put in the hands of several of the new regi- ments coming to Camp Mangum. No guns of any kind or pat- tern could be obtained. No doubt some of these spear-heads are lying around Camp Mangum yet, if not eaten up by rust.
I have now complied with the request made of me, and regret very much that this history is so meagre, particularly in regard to the organization of the troops, but I have not a scrap of mili- tary history of any kind except Moore's " Roster," and cannot give anything like a full history. It is the best I can do from memory.
Following this will be given a history of the operations of the Quartermaster, Commissary, Ordnance and Pay Departments of the State.
QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL' S DEPARTMENT.
The Quartermaster's Department of the State of North Caro- lina at the commencement of the war was under the direction of Colonel L. O'B. Branch, Quartermaster-General, Lieutenant- Colonel Samuel J. Person, Majors A. M. Lewis, T. B. Venable, Wm. S. Ashe and John W. Cameron, Captains Abraham My- ers Robert Rankin and Moses A. Bledsoe.
There are very few records of the early operations of the department available for this report; in fact, it seems few. have been published. This is probably owing to Colonel Branch's resignation from the department to accept command of the
24 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Thirty-third Regiment North Carolina Troops during the sum- mer of 1861; but that it was ably and well managed, as was every- thing else that Colonel Branch and the officers associated with him had anything to do with, is well known to the writer ajid those who had any business transactions with the department. The rapid and satisfactory equipment of the troops hurriedly called into service fully attest this. Most of the officers of the department followed the example of their chief and took service in other positions.
On the 20th of September, 1861, the department was reorgan- ized according to the law passed on that date, and General James G. Martin was elected chief of all the war departments of the State. Major John Devereux was appointed Chief Quarter- master, which position he kept from that date to the end of the war. It was under his immediate direction and supervision that the operations of the department were so ably conducted during the rest of the war. He was assisted by Captain Moses A. Bledsoe, in charge of transportation and other duties; by Captain Abra- ham Myers, in purchasing supplies, and Captain I. W. Garrett, the latter in charge of the clothing manufactured by the State. After Captain Garrett's resignation Major Dowd was put in charge of that business. In addition to the above there were two State agents, Captain W. H. Oliver in the eastern and Captain •James Sloan in the central part of the State. The names of these agents do not appear on the " North Carolina Roster," as they were not staff officers, but both of them performed valuable services, and should not be lost sight of here. By the law of September 20th the Governor was required to furnish clothing to the North Carolina Troops in the field, then about thirty thousand men. The officers of the department and the resources of the State were taxed to the utmost to accomplish this before severe weather, as no preparations had been made for it by the State and no law on the subject prior to September 20th, probably supposing that the Confederate States would supply the troops after they were transferred, but it was getting plainer every day that the Government was not able to do it. The unpleasant
Organization op Troops. 25
truth must be stated that the Government did not realize what was ahead of it, and lacked energy to supply the troops from the beginning. In confirmation of this statement the views of the Hon. Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of War, will be given under the head of Ordnance Department. Everything that could be made available in the State for clothing the troops was purchased, and the factories cheerfully furnished every yard of cloth they could. Major Devereux and his assistants were quite busy collecting and Captain Garrett equally so manufac- turing. As fast as the articles were received every effort was made by all the officers of the department to furnish the troops with clothing before the severe weather of winter set in. With the large and valuable help given by the ladies of the State, who furnished blankets, quilts and carpets to be cut up into the size of small quilts and lined, and many other articles, the troops of North Carolina were clothed during the first winter of the war in such manner as to prevent much suffering.
In the spring and early summer of 1862 the department was again severely tried to furnish supplies to the large number of troops who volunteered for the defense, of the State, but with good management and energy it provided for them all, about twenty-five new regiments and several battalions, putting at that date the number of regiments up to sixty-five. In the fall of 1862 it was getting plain that the resources of the State were not adequate to the demands of such a large army, especially as the Confederate Government was also drawing supplies from the State, although the Quartermaster-General of the Confederate States Army agreed to withdraw his agents and let the State purchase everything and turn over to the Confederate States what was not needed for the North Carolina Troops. This agreement was not kept. It is probable that the necessities of the Quartermaster's Department compelled it to break the agree- ment— we will be charitable on this point.
General Martin, in his report to the Governor in November, 1862, says: "Some articles are very difficult to be obtained at any price', especially blankets and shoes. In regard to shoes.
26 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
there are materials enough in the State to supply all that are required for our own troops and citizens at reasonable prices, provided the agents of the Confederate States do not come into competition with us and speculators can be prevented from tak- ing them out of the State."
Governor Vance, in his message to the Legislature in Novem- ber, 1862, says in regard to clothing: "I beg to call your atten- tion to the great and almost insurmountable difficulties encoun- tered by the Quartermaster's Department in providing clothing, shoes and blankets for our troops. During the administration of my predecessor an arrangement was entered into, according to a resolution of the General Assembly, with the Quartermas- ter's Department Confederate States Army, by which North Carolina was to receive commutation for clothing her troops, and clothe and shoe them herself. And on our agreeing to sell to the Confederate States all the surplus supplies that could be pro- cured in the State, they agreed to withdraw their agents from our markets and leave the State the whole field without com- petition. This would have enabled the State to clothe and shoe her troops comfortably, and it could have furnished to the Confed- erate States all that was to be had anyhow at reasonable rates; but it was immediately violated. The country was soon and is still swarming with agents of the Confederate States, stripping bare our markets and putting enormous prices upon our agents. This is especially the case in regard to shoes and leather. The consequence has been our troops could not get half supplies from home and nothing at all from the Confederate Government be- cause of our agreement to furnish them ourselves."
Notwithstanding the difficulties encountered, as above stated, the operations of the Quartermaster's Department for the twelve months commencing October 1, 1861, and ending September 30, 1862, were very large and, all things considered, very satis- factory.
General Martin, in his report to the Governor, says the dis- bursements for the year are as follows (we omit cents):
Organization or Troops. 27
|
Clothing, .... |
$1,263,042 |
|
Camp and garrison equipage, |
269,404 |
|
Mules, wagons and harness, |
20,600 |
|
Forage, |
15,630 |
|
Horses for two regiments of cavalry, |
142,459 |
|
Wood, |
3,114 |
|
Miscellaneous, consisting of trans- |
|
|
portation, buildings, hospital ex- |
|
|
penses, etc., .... |
213,304 |
|
Pay of troops. |
1,032,427 |
|
Bounty, ..... |
1,572,745 |
|
$4,532,725 |
Showing a total for the department for the year of over four and a half million dollars.
We will now copy a statement of the issues of clothing, camp and garrison equipage issued by the Quartermaster's Depart- ment at Raleigh, N. C, to North Carolina Troops during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1862:
"Hats 8,918, caps 61,949, coats 27,380, jackets 48,093, over- coats 22,598, pants 85,779, drawers 85,597, shirts 110,723, pairs socks 47,155, blankets 28,185, pairs shoes 75,809, pouches 927,. guard-caps 627, knapsacks 33,471, canteens 25,598, canteen- straps 9,676, haversacks 30,264, camp kettles 3,156, mess pans 6,703, spiders 597, pots and ovens 1,227, oven lids 161, hatchets 784, axes 1,919, axe handles 1,739, picks 938, pick handles 933, tents 4,282, officers' tents 531, hospital tents 287, tent flies 452, pounds nails 6,012, spades and shovels 1,583, drums 215, fifes 82, flags 22, flag-staffs 11, pounds castings 1,734, pairs boots 32, knapsacks 935, tin cups 340, plates 220, buckets 15, yards wool cloth, 11,810, yards cotton cloth 2,178, dozen buttons 14,023, pounds thread 89, yards carpeting 521, frying-pans 25, blank books 2, bed sacks 220, stoves 3, coffee-pots 21, saws 5, augers 2 broom 1, cap-covers 418, oil-cloth caps 45, yards oil-cloth 20,
28 NoETH Cakolina Teoops, 1861-65.
letters 6,000, figures 4,000, mattresses 9, camp-stools 42, buckets 38, bedsteads 112."
All of these articles were manufactured in the State, and showed plainly that the department was quite busy and energetic. It is here due to the memory of three able, faithful and efficient offi- cers, who had charge of the business under their chief, to state that most of the purchases and payments for these supplies were made by Major John Devereux, the articles of clothing were manufactured by Captain Garrett, except shoes, which were made in different establishments and issued to the troops by Major Pierce.
This brings us down to the operations of the department in getting supplies through the blockade. To General Martin be- longs the credit of engaging in this business. He tried to get Governor Clark's consent to it, but on account of his official term expiring soon he left the matter to his successor. Soon after Governor Vance's inauguration General Martin explained to him everything about the supply of clothing, etc., and asked his approval of the scheme to purchase a ship in England and get supplies from there. The Governor took the matter under advisement. His attention was called to the matter again a few days later. On that occasion he asked General Martin to call at the Executive office that night and he would call in two or three lawyers, as he would like to have both sides of the question discussed. The meeting that night was quite warm, that is, the discussion of the law between the Hon. B. F. Moore, the spokesman of those present, on one side, and General Martin on the other; the law and everything connected with the mili- tary supplies being discussed. The Hon. B. F. Moore took strong grounds against the State entering the blockade business, and finally told Governor Vance and General Martin that if they engaged in the business they would both be liable to im- peachment. General Martin took the ground that the laws of the State made it his duty to supply clothing to the troops in the field; that a large sum of money was appropriated for the pur-
Organiza.I'ion of Troops. 29
pose without any restriction as to where purchases were to be made; that the supplies of the State were not adequate; that the Con- federate States were paying the State large sums of money for clothing; that the Confederate notes could be turned into cot- ton and with cotton bonds buy the ship and clothing without any additional expense to the State, the cotton bonds and cot- ton itself used simply as bills of exchange, where neither the State notes nor Confederate currency would be available. As to the purchase of a ship, General Martin took the ground that he had as much right to do that as to purchase many other articles not mentioned in the law, it being well known that transport ships are a part of the equipment of all modern armies. The Governor reserved his decision that night, but next morning, when called upon for it, decided to support General Martin in his effort to sustain the army. The Governor at no time expressed any opinion of the law until his final approval came, although he had called in able and influentiallawyers to hear their opinions. The facts of the case are that the law did not authorize or prohibit blockade-running. The manner of getting the clothing was left to the discretion of the Quartermaster-General, subject to the approval of the Governor. General Martin did not want to violate the law — no man was more particular in that respect — and if it had looked like a violation Governor Vance would not have approved it. This was the only law on which there was any difference of opinion during the war. Governor Vance approved General Martin's construction of it, the Legis- lature approved the Governor's action, and that ended the legal question raised. Governor Vance received a great deal of credit for the blockade-running, but it is safe to say that had it not been for the energetic manner in which General Martin advo- cated this measure it would not have been commenced, although he got very little credit for it, except from the few who were aware of the facts. It is true that Governor Vance deserves credit for his approval of the liberal construction of the law which authorized it, after hearing the opinions of able and inilu- eutial lawyers against it. In addition to their opinions there was
30 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
the influence of an able and unscrupulous politician at Raleigh, who at this time tried to throw every obstacle in the way of the success of the Confederate cause. He thought he could control Vance, as he had been influential in nominating and electing him. Vance, however, sided with the army. This was the first step in getting away from that influence.
The above is the inside history of what took place before the Governor's approval of the blockade business. After the Gov- ernor's approval of the scheme, General Martin appointed Mr; John White, of Warrenton, N. C, State agent to go abroad, and also Colonel Thomas N., Crossan, formerly of the United States Navy, both of whom were to act together for the purchase of the ship. The Governor promptly signed the bonds for the pur- chase of the ship and supplies, and they were placed with Major John Devereux, who, as chief disbursing officer of the Quarter- master's Department, had charge of the matter from that time forward. In due time they' were turned over to Mr. White, when ready to go abroad. It is proper here to state that Mr. White and Colonel Crossan purchased a first-rate steamer, the "Lord Clyde," a splendid vessel in every respect. All the busi- ness intrusted to Mr. White and Colonel Crossan was ably and satisfactorily done ; no better agents could have been selected. Colonel Crossan made two or more trips in charge of the "Ad- Vance" and then retired. The '"Ad-Vance" made seven or eight trips to Wilmington and took in a large amount of military supplies for the North Carolina Troops and for the Confederacy also.
The writer has tried to get the exact amount of army supplies imported by the State, but regrets to say that he has not been able to do so, although kindly assisted by Mrs. Hinsdale, who placed her father's papers (Major John Devereux), or rather "what was left of them not captured by the Yankees," at his disposal. The papers wanted could not be found. The fol- lowing report from Major Devereux to the Governor is pub- lished :
Organization of Troops.
31
STATEMENT OF BLOCKADE OPERATIONS.
Sum raised on cotton bonds
Advanced by parties in England
Disbursements now due in Wilmington
Sum raised on rosin bonds
Cash balance
Sterling —
One-half steamer "Ad- Vance" on hand — original cost £35,000, less 10 per cent, tear and wear __
One-fourth interest in three steamers — ■
3,788,066 pounds cotton at 5d.
Sale of 4,080 bales cotton at £50
|
£. |
s. |
|
119,700 |
|
|
98,969 |
1 |
|
250 |
|
|
47,500 |
|
|
47,248 |
18 |
|
£313,668 |
|
|
15,750 |
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
78,918 |
|
|
204,000 |
|
|
£313,668 |
The report says: "Orders have been sent out by the Governor for scythe-blades, railroad findings and other articles not charged in the above account, no bill of them having been received. Mr. White's salary as commissioner has not yet been settled, and is not charged. Owing to the difficulties of communication, Colonel MacRae has not settled his account for the transaction by which rosin bonds were issued. It is believed that £6,000 would be the utmost extent of any further charge to be made. There is a large amount of goods, consisting of cloth, blankets, shoes, cot- ton and wool cards, card machines and factory findings now on the way and in the islands, of which no account has been taken. The goods are paid for, and, when received, will much increase the above balance. The purchase money of the "Ad- Vance" was partly paid in bonds, as entered above, and partly in cotton. The cotton is added to the stock on hand."
Major Devereux's report above shows plainly that the fears of the Hon. B. F. Moore and others that the State might sustain loss were groundless. The cotton paid for the ship and supplies without drawing on the State Treasury. At all events, what was not paid at the date of the above report was paid after- wards.
32 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Mr. White's report, which accompanied the Governor's mes- sage in May, 1864, was not published, and cannot be given here.
The writer asked Captain William H. Oliver, who took an "active part in purchasing supplies for the blockade-running, for a statement. He says :
"Early in 1863 I was commissioned by Governor Z. B. Vance an agent for the State of North Carolina to purchase cotton for blockade-running purposes. The instruction which I received through Major John Devereux, Chief Quartermaster for North Carolina, was to buy every bale of cotton that I could purchase, and to pay a stipulated price of twenty cents per pounds. I went at once to the sections nearest the Federal lines, so as to get all the cotton out of the reach of the Federal troops if a raid should be made by them.
" In a short time I purchased about seven thousand bales and paid for the same about seven hundred thousand dollars. On account of the scarcity of railroad accommodation it was a tedious matter to get the cotton moved.
"Arrangements had been made to ship the cotton as fast as possible by running it through the blockade at Wilmington, N. C. A large portion of the cotton was taken to Graham, N. C, it being unsafe to leave it in the eastern part of the State.
"Mr. John White, of Warrenton, N. C, was appointed agent for the sale of it in England. Mr. White sailed from Charles- ton, S. C.,on the steamer "Leopard" on the 15th day of Novem- ber, 1862. A number of cargoes were shipped to him, and from a report of his to Governor Vance it will be seen that he pur- chased with the proceeds of cotton and North Carolina cotton bonds —
"The steamship "Lord Clyde," afterwards known as the "Ad- Vance," at a cost of £35,000— $175,000. 150,115 yards gray cloth 6-4 wide. 11,023 " " " 3-4 " 28,582 " " flannel 6-4 " 83,173 " " " ^3-4 "
Organization op Troops. 33
2,978 yards brown canvas padding. 25,887 pairs gray blankets. 37,692 " woolen socks. 26,096 " army shoes. 530 " cavalry boots.
1,956 Angola shirts.
7,872 yards gray flannel shirts.
1,006 cloth overcoats.
1,002 " jackets.
1,010 pairs cloth trousers. Quantity of sole and harness leather. 20,000 pairs army shoes. 10,000 " gray blankets.
1,920 " flannel shirts.
5,800 yards army cloth 6-4. 10,000 " " "
7,000 pairs cotton and wool cards.
5 machines for making cotton cards, with wire sufficient to keep them running twelve months.
"A large quantity of the cotton was delivered by order of Gov- ernor Vance to Messrs. John Newland & Sons, at Saxapahaw Factory, to be manufactured into cloth and yarn. The cloth was delivered to the Quartermaster for the use of the army and the yarn was exchanged in Virginia for leather, which was made into shoes. The card machines were put up in Mr. William H. Willard's factory, and a large number of pairs of cards were made and distributed by me all over the State.
"At the close of the war about two hundred bales of the cotton were at Graham, N. C, and it was taken by Colonel D. Heaton of the United States Treasury Department. " Very respectfully,
"William H. Oliver."
We give Captain Oliver's statemeut with the full knowledge and understanding that it is by no means complete. It embraces only a portion of the articles received. 3
34 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
The Governor, in his message to the Legislature in Novem- ber, 1863, says: "The enterprise of running th< lockade and importing army supplies from abroad has proven a most com- plete success. You will see from the report that large quantities of clothing, leather and shoes, lubricating oils, factory findings, sheet-iron and tin, arms and ammunition, medicines, dye-stuifs, blankets, cotton bagging and rope, spirits, coffee, etc., have been safely brought, besides considerable freight for the Confederacy. Two thousand and ten bales of cotton have been sent to Liver- pool, the proceeds of which were deposited to the credit of the State, less the amount of the expenses of the vessel. With what we have imported and the purchases in our home markets I think I can safely say that the North Carolina Troops will be com- fortably clothed to January, 1865."
It will be seen that the Governor mentions several articles not in Captain Oliver's -statement, such as "arms, ammunition, medi- cal supplies," etc. In fact, neither of the reports are complete, for the State continued to bring in supplies for twelve months after the date of the Governor's message.
The most complete and trustworthy report we have on the subject is Governor Vance's address before the Association of the Maryland Line, delivered in Baltimore, February 23, 1885. He said :
"By the general industry and thrift of our people, and by the use of a number of blockade-running steamers, carrying out cot- ton and bringing in supplies from Europe, I had collected and distributed from time to time, as near as can be gathered from the records of the Quartermaster's Department, the following stores: Large quantities of machinery supplies, 60,000 pairs of hand cards, 10,000 grain scythes, 200 barrels bluestone for the wheat growers, leather and shoes for 250,000 pairs, 50,000 blan- kets, gray-wooled cloth for at least 250,000 suits of uniforms, 12,000 overcoats (ready-made), 2,000 best Enfield rifles (with 100 rounds of fixed ammunition), 100,000 pounds of bacon, 600 sacks of coffee for hospital use, $50,000 worth of medicines at gold prices, large quantities of lubricating oils, besides minor
Organization of Troops. 35
supplies of various isinds for the charitable inatitutions of the State. Not only was the supply of shoes, blankets and clothing more than sufficient for the supply of the North Carolina Troops, but large quantities were turned over to the Confederate Grov- ernment for the troops of other States. In the winter succeed- ing the battle of Chicamauga I sent to General Longstreet's Corps 14,000 suits of clothing complete. At the surrender of General Johnston the State had on hand, ready-made and in cloth, 92,000 suits of uniforms, with great stores of blankets, leather, etc. To make good the warrants on which these pur- chases had been made abroad the State purchased and had on hand in trust for the holders 11,000 bales of cotton and 100,000 barrels of rosin. The cotton was partly destroyed before the war closed, the remainder, amounting to several thousand bales, was captured, after peace was declared, by certain officers of the Federal army."
This shows that the operations of the blockade-running were a complete success, and fully justified the judgment and expecta- tions of Governor Vance and General Martin when they engaged in it.
We will now drop the blockade-running and look at the issues to the troops. General Gatlin, in his report to the Gov- ernor, under date of May, 1864, says:
" quartermaster's DEPART.MENT.
" This department has furnished clothing, camp and garrison equipage, pay, bounty and transportation for the troops and paid other miscellaneous accounts. The disbursements for the eighteen months ending the 31st of March, 1864, are as follows (we omit cents) :
Clothing, camp and garrison equipage, $ 6,862,043 Mules, wagons and harness, . . 14,147
Forage, 5,593 -
Horses for two regiments of cavalry and
artillery, ' 147,801
36 NoETH Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Wood, $ 6,655
Miscellaneous, 204,143
Pay of troops, .... 432,071
Bounty, 1,669,974
Cotton, 2,150,998
Advances to officers, . . . 186,803
$11,680,128
"The Confederate States have paid for clothing since the 1st of January, r863, the sum of $6,008,373.38, and there is still due for clothing turned over in the first quarter of the present year $1,247,236."
It seems from General Gatlin's report that the State was issu- ing clothing to the army at the rate of nearly five million dollars a year. Notwithstanding all that the State of North Carolina did for the army, it is well known to those who were in the army that it was often greatly in want of shoes and clothing, and it is sad to contemplate what would have been the condition of the gallant Army of Northern Virginia without the great help which North Carolina gave it, ia which most of her troops were. It is well known that the Army of the West was still harder pressed for supplies. It had no State to do for it what North Carolina did for Lee's army, and it appears from Governor Vance's speech at Baltimore that the State had to dispatch "14,000 suits of clothing complete" to General Longstreet's Corps of that army, after the battle of Chicamauga. And after furnishing its own troops and other Confederate troops when necessary, the State had on hand at the surrender "92,000 suits of uniforms and great stores of blankets and leather." The reports fully show that the Quartermaster's Department of the State of North Carolina was ably managed from the beginning to the end. In this respect it was a long way ahead of the Confederacy, which was so sorely pressed all the time.
We have no later reports of what was done the last year of the war, but as the State of North Carolina had an abundant supply of everything, and the Confederacy had not, it is reason- able to suppose the issues were very large.
Organization of Troops. 37
SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.
The Subsistence Department of the State of North Carolina at the comoaencement of the war was under the direction of Colonel William Johnston, Major D. G. Fowle, Captains Wm. W. Morrison, David Schenck, Augustus S. Merrimon and John Devereux. Colonel Johnston was a man of energy, with broad views and enlarged ideas. One of the first things he did after it was plain that the war was coming was to send an agent to Louisville, Ky., to purchase a large amount of supplies at that place, which he had hurriedly shipped to Chattanooga before an embargo was placed on the railroads. By so doing he got a large lot of provisions from an exposed point and saved the resources of the State. Had this example been taken by the Confederate States Commissary the supplies of the Confederacy would not have been so scant. On the 1st of September, 1861, Colonel Johnston resigned to take charge of the railroad of which he was president, and all the other officers of the department accepted other duties.
After the reorganization of the department.in September, 1861, Major T. D. Hogg was Chief Commissary, and continued in charge to the end of the war. The writer tried to get reports of the operations of the department from the officers still living, but failed, except one letter from Major Hogg, in which he says :
"Judge Clark asked me to write out the Commissary Depart- ment, and I told him I did not know there was anything to write. Also, that you told me when we first met that General Martin, when he asked for anything in my department, would expect me to have it. I made up my mind that if .the. people would part with their commissary stores and take paper money for payment General Martin should have what he called for. The conse- quence was that my supplies grew during the whole war, and at the close of it I was feeding about half of Lee's army. Major,
38 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
Carringtou would come to me begging, and I told him to get Yaoce's order and he should have anything I had."
This is not very long, but it is a very important historical .fact that near the end of the war the North Carolina Commissary was, feeding about half of Lee's army.
General Martin's report in November, 1862, says:
SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.
The disbursements for the year are, . $586,767
Sales to Confederate States, . |1 57,412
Value of stores on hand, . . 24,395
181,807
Actual expenses of the department, $404,960
General Gatlin's report gives
The actual expenses of the department, $1,080,958 Sales to Confederate States, . 301,197
Stores on hand, . . . 410,070
711,267
Actual expenses of the department, . $369,691
This is the last published report in May, 1864. As the de- partment had $410,070 in supplies on hand and still adding from March 31, 1864, till the end of the war, it was able to furnish considerable to Lee's army.
No department of the Confederate States Government was so severely criticised as the Commissary. In the army and out of it, in the newspapers, particularly the Richmond Examiner, and even in the halls of Congress, its inefBciency was forcibly pointed out. The soldiers of the Confederacy had for about a year only one-third of a pound of meat ration issued to them. Many believed it was due to want of energy of the department. Presi- dent Davis finally made a change, but, alas, so late that no human being could overcome the disadvantages which surrounded the Confederacy. Therefore, those who are familiar with war events will not be in the least surprised to learn that the better managed Commissary of North Carolina was, before the end of the war, " feeding about half of Lee's army."
Organization of Troops. 39
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
A writer in the Enoydopcedia Britanica, under the head of North Carolina, says: "At the breaking out of the war between the States in 1861 North Carolina, strongly averse to secession, sought by every means to avert the conflict, remaining unmoved after all the surrounding States had seceded, and was forced into the struggle almost last of the Southern States, and when there remained only the alternative of a choice of sides. Being near the seat of war, and yet for the most part outside of it, the State contributed more largely to the commissary supplies of the Con- federacy, and also sent into the field a larger number of troops and lost more men in battle than any other Slate, her soldiers having a conspicuous share in all the great battles from Bull Run to Petersburg." There is the case clearly, correctly and concisely stated. The State so averse to war had to choose sides, and when President Lincoln called for troops Governor Ellis replied, "I can be no party to this wicked violation of the laws of this country, and especially to this war which is being waged upon a free and independent people." Governor Ellis seeing plainly the dangers that threatened the State, a few days later ordered the capture of the Fayetteville Arsenal and the forts on the coast. With the heaven-born inspiration of a great com- mander, he did not delay to give the enemy time to capture or destroy the arsenal, as was done in the two great Southern States of Virginia and Missouri. In the former the arsenal at Harper's Ferry was destroyed by United States soldiers and in the latter it was captured and the guns turned against the brave Missourians. For the following list of arms captured at Fayetteville the writer is indebted to his friend, Mr. Cowper, who obtained the informa- tion from Colonel Pemberton and Major Hale :
[From the Observer, Thursday, April 25, 1861.1 "The arsenal was surrendered on Monday, April 22, 1861, at 3 P. M.
40 ISToETH Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
"The arsenal buildings and machinery have probably cost the United States more than a quarter million dollars. The ma- chinery especially is very perfect for the manufacture of every implement of war. There are four brass six-pounders and two brass twelve-pound howitzers, forming a complete "battery," in military phrase, with all the horse trappings, and two old make iron six-pounders, thirty-seven thousand muskets and rifles, with other military stores and a large quantity of powder. Lieu- tenant John A. Pemberton of the Fayetteville Light Infantry is temporarily in charge of the arsenal."
We beg leave to branch off a little and here state that Colonel Pemberton has now in his possession the first cannon-ball shot from the Federal side at Bethel on North Carolina Troops, which came near killing General D. H. Hill.
The capture of the Fayetteville Arsenal, with its thirty-seven thousand stand of arms, placed North Carolina in the front rank of Southern States. Ten or twelve thousand of these were given to the State of Virginia, not quite so fortunate as North Caro- lina, on account of the destruction of the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, already mentioned. These arms were rapidly placed in the hands of the North Carolina Troops as fast as recruited, and there appeared to be no trouble till it came to the turn of the Thirty-first North Carolina Troops. This regiment was organ- " ized on the 19th of September, 1861, and the writer well recol- lects several interviews from both Colonel Jordan and Lieuten- ant-Colonel Fowle in regard to arms for their regiment. The arms of the State were already issued, and the Confederate Gov- ernment refused to furnish arms to twelve-months volunteers. The officers of the Thirty-first had to collect arras in the counties in which the companies were raised ; as far as memory serves principally from the militia the old arras they had. In this condition the regiment was sent to Roanoke Island, the worst armed up to this date turned over by the State. But it was the best the State could do. From that time till the spring of 1862 the State was greatly pressed for arms. Some old arms were
Organization op Teoops. 41
collected from the militia, altered aad repaired and made service- able. General Martin made contracts with several establish- ments for this kind of work. His report to the Governor shows that contracts were made by which three hundred were to be altered and repaired every month. The Confederate States fur- nished arms for the Thirty-third North Carolina Troops, as that regiment was enlisted for the war; but at present memory can- not recall any other arms received from the Government till the spring of 1862, when the troops at Camp Mangum were armed to go to Richmond.
In the fall of 1861, month not recollected now, the Hon. Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of War, in a letter to the Governor of North Carolina, said it would not be necessary to make large contracts for military supplies for any great length of time, as the war would not last long, or words to that effect. This baneful idea entertained by the head of the War Depart- ment no doubt paralyzed all the departments of the Government, and most valuable time was lost in procuring war materials. With a very imperfect blockade the first year of the war, very little advantage was taken of it by the Confederate Government, and none by the States. It is undoubtedly true that the Gov- ernment imported some war materials, but nothing commensurate ^with its wants. In the fall of 1861 from every Southern State came a call for arms, with the Government unable to supply but very few. The Governor of the great Commonwealth of Vir- ginia, unable to get arms from the Government, sent an officer to the Governor of North Carolina with a request for arms, hoping that some could be furnished. The Governor of North Caro- lina had none to furnish. From " Pollard's Southern History of the War" it appears that the Southwest was equally as bad off for arms as the States of Virginia and North Carolina. The historian, in writing about General A. S. Johnston's army at Bowling Green, Ky., in October, 1861, says: "He repeatedly called upon the Government for re-inforcements. He made a call upon several States of the Southwest, including Tennessee, for a large number of troops. The call was revoked at the
42 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
instance of the authorities in Richmond, who declined to furnish twelve-months volunteers with arms." The fact of the case is, the Government had very few arms to furnish, and volunteering came almost to a stop on that account.
The writer is satisfied that North Carolina could duriug the fall and winter of 1861 have had ten thousand more men iu the field had there been arms to put in their hands. What is true of North Carolina, with its thirty-seven thousand stand of arms to start with, must be equally true in regard to the other States. The Confederate Government could have had one hundred thou- sand more men in the field in the spring of 1862 if it had used energy in getting arms for them. With cotton selling in the South for ten cents in currency and in Liverpool for forty to fifty cents in gold, and only an imperfect blockade, there was no valid reason why the arms should not be on hand. The idea entertained by the War Department, as above stated, we fear, is responsible for it all, and found the South unprepared at every point attacked in the spring of 1862. This unprepared condi- tion cost the South millions of property, important territory never firmly regained, thousands of valuable lives, and perhaps its independence. The valor of the Confederate soldiers, who at every point fought against fearful odds, saved the South from being overrun in the spring of 1862, and not the energy dis- played by the Government in getting prepared for the struggle.
We will now return to North Carolina history proper. Gov- ernor Clark and General Martin, though both extremely hopeful of the final results of the war, were not so hopeful as the Secretary of War. Soon after the Secretary's letter was received the Governor dispatched an agent to England to purchase arms for the State. The first installment, two thousand, was received in the spring of 1862, no transportation could be obtained for them sooner; and Governor Vance reports two thousand more received by the "Ad- Vance." This is all we can trace up, but believe more were received.
During the fall of 1861 General Martin made arrangements with several small establishments in the State to make arms.
Organization of Teoops. 43
He engaged two Frenchmen to make sabres, swords, bayonets, etc., at Wilmington. They manufactured a large number, which were immediately given to the troops, sabres being greatly needed for the cavalry. Some mechanics in Guilford county entered into a contract to make three hundred new rifles per month. The Governor referred to this contract in his message to the Legislature. As near as can be ascertained, ten thousand rifles were received under this contract, making a total of fifty- one thousand stand of arms put in the hands of soldiers by the State of North Carolina. A large number of old arms were al- tered and repaired, of which no accurate account can be given here. The State encouraged every effort for manufacturing every- thing needed for the troops. Here we will copy a report of the issues of the Ordnance Department of the State of North Caro- lina from June 30, 1861, to September 30, 1862:
"Twenty-one thousand one hundred and forty muskets, 6,831 rifles, 609 Hall's carbines, 2,241 pistols, 2,057 swords, 43,898 cartridge-boxes, 22,773 belts, 39,999 waist belts, 41,131 cap pouches, 33,889 bayonet scabbards, 24,096 gun slings, 1,390,934 cartridges, 34,244 pounds cannon powder, 44,754 pounds mus- ket and rifle powder, 1,572,850 musket caps, 64,959 pounds lead, 1,660 saddles, 1,136 saddle-bags, 1,327 bridles, 1,193 halters, 834 bridles, 104 martingales, 838 holsters, 18 sets artil- lery harness, 4,105 pounds musket balls, 253 pounds buckshot, 81 boxes cannon ammunition, 893 double-barrel shotguns, 13 single-barrel guns, 559 pounds blasting powder, 93,000 shot- gun caps, 1,361 pairs spurs, and 2 six-pound field brass pieces."
General Martin's report of the expenditures of the department from October 1, 1861, to September 30, 1862, was $512,713. General Gatlin's report from October 1, 1862, to March 31, 1864, was $1,160,595.
No later reports were published, and owing to the death of all the officers who had charge of the department, no detailed account can be given for the last year of the war.
In connection with the Ordnance Department will be given an account of the effort made by the State for the manufacture
44 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
of powder. General Martin, in his report to the Governor, says: "The State, through Governor Clark, advanced Messrs. Waterhouse & Bowes ten thousand dollars towards erecting the Raleigh Powder Mill. After the mill was put in operation it was destroyed by explosion. At the solicitation of Governor Clark they purchased the paper mills for the purpose of build- ing another mill, and twelve thousand dollars was advanced to them. Both of these sums are to be refunded in four equal installments. This sum, with the private funds of Messrs. Waterhouse & Bowes, being inadequate to complete the mill, you [Governor Vance] advanced them eight thousand dollars. The mill will be near enough completed by the first of Decem- ber to commence operation, and will yield weekly about four thousand pounds powder."
The above investment was secured by mortgage to make the State safe. The enterprise proved a complete success, and we find in General Gatlin's report the following year that the State turned over to the Confederate Government over half a million dollars' worth of powder and paid the State for the amount ad- vanced. There is every reason to believe it did equally as well the last year of the war, though no reports are available.
The State also engaged in the manufacture of ammunition. General Gatlin, in his report, says: "The operations of the car- tridge and moulding factory were for a time impeded on account of the great difficulty of procuring lead, but a good supply of that article having been accumulated by means of the State's importing vessels, the factory is now in full operation." The policy of the State from the commencement of the struggle was to encourage the manufacture at home of everything needed, and the Adjutant-Generals of the State always had the ready approval of Governors Clark and Vance for everything that was likely to succeed and help the Confederate cause. From these reports it can be seen that the State was engaged in importing arms and manufacturing them in the State also, making sabres, swords saddles, etc. Also in aiding the development of the powder mill and the manufacture of ammunition. Nothing that could be of service to the Confederacy was overlooked.
Organization of Troops. 45
PAY DEPARTMENT.
The operations of this department were under the charge of Major A. M. Lewis, Paymaster, assisted by Lieutenant E. G. Lewis, Assistant Paymaster. Its duties being clearly defined by law, did not involve any of the intricate questions of supply and demand of the other departments. It is, however, proper to state here that the duties were at all times satisfactorily performed. The disbursements under this head are included in the Quarter- master's Department.
.BOARD OF CLAIMS.
The Convention appointed a Board of Claims, or rather board of auditors, composed of the Hons. B. F. Moore, Samuel F. Phillips and P. H. Winston, three very able lawyers. It was the duty of this board to examine all the accounts and see that the expenditures were made according to law. To the eter- nal honor of the disbursing officers of the State of North Caro- lina during the war, this learned body was not able to find any mistakes or any disbursements not strictly within the letter of the law.
We will now sum up what North Carolina did during the war. It put in the field not less than one hundred aud twenty-seven thousand men, and in all probability more, and issued to them, without the assistance of the Confederate States, fifty-one thou- sand stand of arms and all the necessary equipments. It fur- nished horses for two regiments of cavalry and several light batteries, with all the necessary equipments for both branches of
46 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
the service. Also equipments for the three other regiments of cavalry, where the men furnished their own horses. It had sabres, saddles, etc., manufactured for the cavalry before the Confederate States could supply the troops raised with them. It furnished transportation to the troops to camps of instruction and well drilled them before they were turned over to the Con- federate States. It furnished subsistence, clothing, camp and garrison equipage for the troops as raised, and continued to clothe them to the end of the war. When its supplies of cloth- ing and shoes were found inadequate it sent to England, pur- chased a fine steamer and brought in several cargoes of army supplies and various other things greatly needed. To lessen the risk of capture, it sold one-half of the "Ad-Vance" and invested in three other steamers. It shipped to England a large amount of cotton to pay for the ship and supplies. The money paid by the Confederate States for clothing was invested in cotton, and with the cotton more clothing and supplies were purchased. This was able financial management without costing the State one dollar; and it kept the troops of North Carolina well clothed during the war.
The State bought a large portion of the provisions used in the early part of the war at Louisville and horses for the first cav- alry from the blue-grass regions of Kentucky, securing them from remote points and saving State supplies, before the Con- federacy awoke to the importance of getting supplies from ex- posed places.
We will give a detailed statement of the expenditures by North Carolina for the war.
General Martin's report from October 1, 1861, to September 30, 1862:
Quartermaster's Department, . . $4,502,729 Subsistence, .... 404,956
Ordnance, 512,731
General Gatlin's report from October 1, 1862, to March 31 1864:
Organization of Troops. 47
Quartermaster's Department, . . |11, 680,131
Subsistence, 1,080,958
Ordnance, 1,160,595
Sales of powder to the Confederate States, 521,563 There is no published report of the ex- penditures from the commencement of the war to September 30 — we estimate
low, 600,000
No published report of the expenditures
later than March 31, 1864— we estimate, 6,000,000
$26,363,663
Here we have a total of over twenty-six million dollars con- tributed by North Carolina to the war, without mentioning the arms taken at Fayette ville. In regard to the estimate of six millions for the last year of the war. General Gatlin says in his report "there is still due $1,247,235 for clothing turned over in the first quarter," showing that the issues of clothing alone would araouut to about five million dollars. One, million for all the other articles is undoubtedly below the mark. The State of North Carolina exercised its full sovereign powers in the prose- cution of the war from the beginning, and did not become an applicant for support from the Confederate Government. On the contrary, the Government was always heavily in debt to it for supplies of all kinds.
If a correct and unbiased history of the war is ever written it will undoubtedly be seen that North Carolina put more men in the field, according to its white population in 1860, than any other State North or South, and that its devotion to the cause and energy in prosecuting the war cannot be matched by any other State. The pages of history may be searched in vain for greater achievements by any State or country than those accomplished by North Carolina during the war. With its ports blockaded, fur- nishing twenty-six million dollars' worth of supplies to the Con- federate cause, a considerable portion of which was brought from
48 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
abroad, and, as Governor Vance says, "considerable other freight for the Confederacy." Last, though not least, from Major T. D. Hogg's report it appears that the Commissary Department of North Carolina "was feeding about half of Lee's army" before the sun of the Confederacy went down. In every department the State of North Carolina ably sustained the army and Gov- ernment, almost stepping outside of its legitimate duties in engag- ing in the manufacture of powder and ammunition for the Gov- ernment, as already mentioned. We can state without fear of contradiction, that no Southern State can show anything approxi- mating this record.
The State of North Carolina has reason to be proud of the record made by her troops in the field, which is known wherever the English language is spoken. It has equal reason to be proud of the record made by the executive and military departments of the State. Great credit is due to the three War Governors of the State — Ellis, Clark and Yance. Each and all of them supported the Confederate Government without any friction, which, unfor- tunately, was not the case in some other States. Credit is also due to Colonels Hoke, Branch and Johntson for valuable services during the early stages of the war, to General Martin for the splendid condition in which the troops of North Carolina were organized andthe efficiency of the military departments established according to his directions, and for his energetic perseverance in advocating the blockade-running until he finally secured its approval, and to General Gatlin for the efficient discharge of the duties while he was Adjutant-General. General Fo'wle was so short a time in charge that nothing of any special importance occurred to note here. But while giving credit to each and all of these, we must not overlook the valuable services performed by three unassuming, faithful and efficient officers at Raleigh, Major John Devereux, Chief Quartermaster, who, in addition to his other duties, so ably managed all the details of the blockade business; Major T. D. Hogg, Commissary, whose store-houses were always well filled, and Captain A. W. Lawrence, Ordnance Officer. They and their assistants had to perform all the detail
Organization of Troops. 49
duties of the vast amount of business done at Raleigh during most of the war, all of which was well done.
We cannot close this narrative without saying something about the women of the State of Noi'th Carolina. No women in any age or country were more devoted to a cause than were those of North Carolina to the Confederacy. The women of the State, by their love, devotion and fortitude, contributed as much to the Southern cause as the men who were fighting the battles, and they are now foremost in raising monuments to the dead and preserving the records of the struggle, as they were foremost in all good works during the war. In the dark and dismal winter of 1861, when neither the State nor Confederacy was able to sup- ply the troops as they should have been, the women of North Caro- , lina, in addition to what they contributed through the State officers to be sent to the army, sent direct during the last three months of that year, according to "Pollard's History," three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars' worth of supplies, which were recorded at the passport office in Richmond and permits given to have them taken to the army. This is the only record we have of voluntary contributions, but we know they were continued to the end of the war. Many cases have come to the knowledge of the writer where these kind acts were continued to disabled soldiers and their families long after the war was ended.
I will now bid the old guard farewell. Though temporarily absent from the State, I hope to be there again before the final roll-call; but be that as it may, the glorious achievements of the North Carolina Troops, with which I have been humbly associ- ated during the war, will remain dear to me as long as memory lasts. Respectfully submitted,
A. Gordon. HuLDA, La.,
April 9, 1900.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE.
JANUARY I, 1863, TO THE SURRENDER— THE BREAK-UP.
By MAJOR WILLIAM A. GRAHAM.
Major Gordon, Assistant Adjutant-General during General Martin's administration, in closing his article on the history of the Adjutant-General's office to that time suggested that I should continue the history to the close of the war. This is the object of this paper, with such addenda as may appear of interest.
The Adjutant-General, I think, was elected or confirmed by vote of the General Assembly. Governor Vance was elected Governor in August, 1862, and inaugurated January 1, 186.3. The principal candidates for Adjutant-General were Hon. (after- wards Governor) Daniel G. Fowle, of Wake, and Captain John Randolph (of Northampton county), Company H, Second North Carolina Cavalry. The Legislature, by resolution or act, con- ferred upon the Governor the right to appoint the Adjutant- General. Daniel G. Fowle was appointed.
Major R. S. Tucker was appointed Assistant Adjutant-Gen- eral. He commanded an independent cavalry company, which was placed in the Third North Carolina Cavalry on the forma- tion of that regiment. After several months' service General Fowle resigned on account of a disagreement between him and the Surgeon-General as to the right of the latter to report directly to the Governor and not through the Adjutant-General's office the Governor sustaining the Surgeon-General. Brigadier-Gen- eral R. C. Gatlin was appointed. He had been an officer in the United States Army, was brevetted for gallantry in the Mexi-
Organization of Tkoops. 51
can war, and had served as Brigadier-General in tiie Confederate army.
In October, Major Tucker resigned and Captain W. A. Gra- ham, of the North Carolina Cavalry, was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General. He had been wounded at Gettysburg, July 3d.
The officers of the department to the close of the war were Brigadier-General R. C. Gatlin, Adjutant-General; Major W. A. Graham, Jr., Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant John B. Neathery, Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant I. H. Ben- nett, Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant T. W. Slocum, As- sistant Adjutant-General.
Roll of Honor Department — Major James H. Foote, Assistant Adjutant-General.
Surgeons — Edward Warren, M. D., Surgeon-General; Otis F. Mason, M. D., Surgeon in charge Richmond Hospital.
Quartermaster — Major John Devereux, Quartermaster; Major Henry C. Dowd, Quartermaster; Captain Thaddeus McGee, As- sistant Quartermaster.
Commissary — Major Thomas D. Hogg, Commissary.
Paymaster — Major W. B. Gulick.
Ordnance Officer — Lieutenant Josiah Collins.
The passage of the conscript act by the Confederate Con- gress early in 1862 declared all men between eighteen and forty-five years of age subject to military duty, except those designated by the States as necessary for State service and exemp- tions specified by law. These exemptions were preachers, school teachers, overseers of twenty negroes, manufacturors and their laborers, editors and printers, and perhaps others not now recol- lected.
The Confederate States, through its conscript bureau, executed the law, collecting and forwarding the conscripts to the armies. There was nothing for the State to do along this line. The State exempted the State and county officers, justices of the peace, officers of the militia regiments and the Sixty-seventh and Sixty- eighth Regiments North Carolina Troops, Henry's Battalion,
52 NoETH Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
Wynn's Battalion and some companies which had been enlisted as State forces.
The State officers, justices of the peace and militia officers were organized into companies and by counties into battalions and were designated by law as Home Guards. The field officers were appointed by the Governor for the different counties. Colonel Collett Leventhorpe, who had been Colonel of the Thirty-fourth Regiment and also Colonel of the Eleventh Regiment, and who had been severely wounded at Gettysburg, was appointed to command the State Home Guard, with the rank of Briga- dier-General. The force when called into the field made, I think, four regiments. It was used to arrest deserters from the Confederate army, quell disturbances, and was called to Wil- mington in December, 1864, to assist in repelling General B. F. Butler's attack. I do not recollect that it was ever actually engaged in battle with the Yankees.
In 1864 Congress extended the ages of service in the conscript act so as to include seventeen to eighteen and forty-five to fifty years. The former were designated Junior Reserves, the latter Senior Reserves. They were organized by counties into compa- nies of each class and these into regiments and battalions. The conscripts (eighteen to forty-five years) were not so organized, but when they reported to the bureau they were assigned to regi- ments whose ranks had been reduced in numbers, without any consideration as to where the companies were enlisted. There were three regiments and several battalions of Junior Reserves and two of Seniors.
ROLL OF HONOR.
In 1862 this department of the Adjutant-General's office was established. Major James H. Foote was appointed to manage it. The object was to procure a history of each soldier furnished by the State, and have it arranged by companies and regiments. Blanks were prepared similar to muster-rolls.for a description of the service of each soldier. These were copied into books pre- pared after the same manner. A history of the regiment as a whole was to precede the history of the soldier by companies. If the
Organization of Thoops. , 53
officers to whom these blanks were sent to be filled had attended to having it properly done the history of the North Carolina soldiers would have been complete. Many of these officers (under false ideas of modesty, perhaps) paid little attention to the matter, and the blanks were either never filled or not returned to Major Foote when completed. Deeds of themselves and com- rades which would add lustre to the record and correct or con- tradict misrepresentation by others will never be known.
The average North Carolinian is a queer citizen, in that he seems to hold the opinion that if a man or a company perform the duty assigned, and is satisfied at the time with their conduct, it does not matter whether any one else knows of it, or what opinion they may have of the transaction.
I think about two-thirds of the companies returned the blanks more or less completed. They were copied in the books and are now in the Adjutant-General's office or the State Library at Raleigh.
IMPRESSING negroes TO WORK ON THE FORTIFICATIONS.
This was done by the Home Guard. The orders were issued from the Adjutant-General's office, and perhaps would now be mistaken for a circular from political headquarters, as they con- tained the following sentence: "This order is to embrace all male negroes between twenty-one and forty-five years of age in your district."
The number called for being stated by the Confederate author- ities, one out of a specified number (generally eight, I think) was taken. None were taken from those owning only one, unless the quota was unfilled from those owning more. Sometimes it was necessary to "lump" the owners and decide in some way which one negro should be selected. After collecting the negroes they were|earried to the designated places and turned over to the Confederate officers.
THE "ad- VANCE."
The "Ad- Vance" continued to run the blockade to Ber- muda, making a trip in about sixty days, carrying out cotton and Bringing supplies for the soldiers. North Carolina clothed
54 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
the soldiers she furnished the Confederacy and the Government paid the State. The consequence was that the North'Carolinians were better clothed than the troops of any other State, and this fact gave Governor Vauce a warm place in the soldiers' hearts. The Governor had a supply of cotton and wool cards imported by the "Ad-Vance," which were very valuable to the soldiers' wives and daughters in preparing yarn for clothing. I suppose some of these, although well worn and now discarded, are held as heir-looms by women of this generation.
It was necessary in running the blockade to use coal that would not make much smoke. A supply was kept on hand for the ship at Wilmington. In September, 1864, the Confederate Cruiser "Tennessee," coming into Wilmington, took on its de- parture the coal intended for the next trip of the "Ad-Vance." This made it necessary to use inferior coal, and, being tracked by the smoke, the "Ad- Vance" was pursued by the blockading fleet and captured. Governor Vance called the attention of the Legislature to this, and recommended that demand be made on the Confederate Government for payment for the ship and cargo.
THE officers OF THE HOME GUARD.
The officers of the Home Guard appreciated their position as much as any set of men connected with the war. If the corre-. spondence of the office has been preserved there are many letters and reports that would be entertaining to those who were further to " the front." One captain (from Moore county, I think) wrote about as follows :
"Mr. Gov. Vance:
" Dear Sir : — If I was Governor, I'll agree to go to hell if I wouldu't be Governor."
Then followed a complaint of some man in his neighborhood who was distilling corn, which he thought ought to be kept for the soldiers' families, and he desired authority and orders to stop him forthwith.
Oeganization of Troops. 55
OLD men's guard.
In the summer of 1864, in many of the towns, the men above the Senior Reserve age, or exempt from disability, formed com- panies, procured arms and drilled " in the cool of the evenings" several times a week. They presented a picture of a peculiar type. I have frequently seen one of them who served in the United States Congress in Monroe's administration repairing to the rendezvous under a silk umbrella, raised to ward off the sun, while his colored dining-room servant brought up the rear, carrying the musket with which he was to drill. He was not alone in thus showing his zeal for his country's defease. As they stood in line the commander often repeated the command : "Gentlemen, please keep your pieces erect."
lee's army in 1865.
Each month there were sent to the regimental commanders of North Carolina Troops blanks for reports, partly to ascertain how much clothing it was necessary to prepare. The reports which came in March, 1865, one month before the surrender, showed thirty-five thousand men for duty, as I now recollect.
PREPARATIONS FOR EVACUATION.
It seemed certain that General Sherman would reach Raleigh in his march, and in February and March, 1865, the books and papers not necessary for daily use were boxed and shipped to Statesville. General Joe Johnston's army, with General Beau- regard's (the latter were troops serving on the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina), assembled between Ral- eigh and Goldsboro, near Selma. At the invitation of General Johnston, Governor Vance reviewed these troops. After General Lee evacuated his lines around Richmond all people who appre- ciated the situation believed the end was nigh. It was no sur- prise when at the depot at Hillsboro, on Monday night, April 11th, the train brought the news " General Lee has surrendered." Governor Swain had written Governor Graham to meet him in
56 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
Raleigh the next day to confer with Governor Vance on the situation. They were thus on hand when needed. General Johnston, after the battle of Bentonsville, having announced his intention to evacuate Raleigh at an early day, Governor Yance sent them as a commission to General Sherman to se- cure the city from pillage,' to preserve the property of the State, and to learn what his intentions were as to the officers of the State. Governor Graham prepared the papers, and a per- mit to pass the lines having been signed by Lieutenant-General Hardee, an engine drawing a coach in which were the commis- sioners, Surgeon-General Warren, Majors Devereux and Hogg, and Colonel J. G. Burr, of the Governor's staff, was started. For some reason General Johnston or President Davis tele- graphed General Hardee to withdraw the permit He signalled the outposts and the train was stopped, and started on its return. General Kilpatrick's advance, traveling the dirt road, struck the railroad ahead of the car, and, although it bore a white flag, fired into it, commanding a halt, and insisted they were prisoners. They were sent to General Sherman's headquarters, who said they had come out in good faith and should be allowed to return the same way, but that it was now too late to go that night. They laid their business before him. Governor Graham spent the night with General Sherman in his tent. Governor Swain, with General Frank P. Blair, who had been a student at Chapel Hill under his presidency.
LINCOLN on the CAPTURE OF DAVIS.
General Sherman, in conversation, told Governor Graham that he had seen the President the week before, and asked him if he wished him to capture Jeff Davis. Mr. Lincoln replied: "I will tell you a circumstance. Once there was a temperance lecturer in Indiana, who, on going home after the lecture with a sister, asked for a drink of water. She asked him if he would not like to have something stronger in it. "He replied: "If you could get a little in " unbeknownst " to me, I would't care if you did."
Organization of Troops. 57
This appears to have been said at a Cabinet meeting. After- wards, when Stanton, Secretary of War, seemed anxious to capture President Davis, General Sherman remarljs in a post- script to a letter to Chief Justice Chase ("Records War of Rebel- lion," p. 412, No. 100) "to this hour the War Department has sent me no orders to hunt for, arrest or capture Jeff Da\'is, but on the contrary, as near as I know, their wish is that he escape, provided it be unknown to them."
GOVERNOR VANCE LEAVES RALEIGH.
General Sherman agreed to have measures taken to pre- serve the property of the State and city. As to the affairs of the State, he said that when " there was no interference with him he had nothing to do with them, but left them for the courts to deal with." General Hardee informed Governor Vance that he would "uncover" the city at 12 o'clock that night. At that hour Governor Vance left Raleigh and pro- ceeded to Hillsboro. General Sherman returned the commis- sioners to Raleigh early the next morning, as the Confederates were leaving and the Yankees entering the city. Governor Graham was to endeavor to go on to Governor Vance and Gov- ernor Swain to remain in Raleigh to see that protection was afforded. Between St. Mary's and where the Agricultural and Mechanical College- now stands Governor Graham found him- self between the lines and a brisk skirmish just opening. The Confederates retiring, he saw no opportunity of reaching Governor Vance, and returned to the city to make other arrange- ments. Report that he had been wounded between the lines had reached General Sherman, and he seemed much relieved to find it not so.
Conveyance was procured from a friend, and Governor Swain joining him, they came on to Hillsboro the next day, reaching there about 8:30 P. M. They found Governor Vance taking tea with Governor Graham's family.
The commissioners made their report, but as Raleigh had
68 NoETH Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
been evacuated it was thought best to make no attempt to return until the Confederate authorities had been conferred with.
The following is a copy of the papers carried by the com- missioners. ("Records War of Rebellion," p. 178, No. 100):
State of North Caholina,
Executive Department, Raleigh, April 12, 1865.
General W. T. Sherman, Commanding U. S. Forces:
Sir :— Understanding that your army is advancing on this capital, I have to request, under proper safe conduct, a personal interview at such time as may be agreeable to you, for the purpose of conferring upon the subject of a suspension of hostilities, with a view to further communica- tion with the authorities of the United States touching the final termi- nation of the existing war. IE you concur in the propriety of such a proceeding I shall be obliged for an early reply.
With high respect, your obedient servant,
Z. B. Vance.
Headquarters Military Division op the Mississippi — In the Field,
Gulley's Station, N. C, April 12, 1865.
His Excellency, Z. B. Vance, Governor of North Carolina:
Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communi- cation of this date, and inclose you a safeguard for yourself and any member of the State government that chooses to remain in Raleigh. I would gladly have enabled you to meet me here, but some interruption occurred to the train by the orders of General Johnston after I had passed within the lines of my cavalry advance, but as it came out of Raleigh in good faith it shall return in good faith, and will in no measure be claimed by us. I doubt if hostilities can be suspended as between the army of the Confederate Government and the one I command, but I will aid you all in my power to contribute to the end you aim to reach, the termination of the existing war.
I am truly, your obedient servant,
W. T. Sherman,
Major- General. (Inclosure).
Headquarters Military Division op the Mississippi — In the Field,
Gulley's Station, N. C, April 12, 1865.
All officers and soldiers of this army are commanded to respect and protect the Governor of North Carolina and the officers and servants of the State government, the Mayor and civil authorities of Raleigh, pro-
Organization of Troops. 59
vided no hostile act is committed against the oflBcers and men of this army between this and the city.
W. T. Sherman, Major-Oeneral Commanding.
The train of cars now here in charge of Colonel James G. Burr of the
stafi' of Governor Vance can pass to and from Raleigh without let or
hindrance until further orders. All guards and pickets will see that it
is not interfered with or destroyed.
W. T. Sheeman,
Major-Oeneral Commanding.
The Governor's staff was now as follows: The writer, As- sistant Adjutant-Greneral, Colonel D. D. Ferrebee, Lieutenant Julius Juthrie, C. S. Navy, and Captain James A. Bryan, Ord- nance Officer Lane's Brigade, who was in Raleigh at the time of the evacuation of Richmond.
THE GOVERNOR AND STAFF ON THE MOVE.
We left Hillsboro on Saturday morning, going to Haw River, whence Governor Vance went by train to Greensboro, to meet President Davis, but he had left before his arrival. The staff spent the night with Mr. Swepson. Water-courses were much swollen by recent rains, and we had to swim several creeks en route to Haw River — the river was very high. Planks were laid across the railroad bridge, teams were unhitched and the wagons and cannon pulled over by hand. The teams were either led over or swam through the river.
Next day we went to Company Shops (now Burlington), and received a telegram from the Governor to come on to Greens- boro. The news of Lee's surrender seems to have been kept from Johnston's army. As we passed through the camps near Greensboro that evening about dark I heard a soldier calling to a comrade and telling him that it was certainly so, "for he had seen one of Lee's men in Greensboro that day who had his parole." It had been more than a week since the surrender, and it is remarkable how it could have been kept from being known to the whole army.
60 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
RAIDED BY WHEELER's CAVALRY.
At Greensboro there were large quantities of cloth and other supplies belonging to the State. These had been guarded by the Home Guard, but on the coming of Johnston's army Lieu- tenant-Colonel A. C. McAlister, Forty-sixth North Carolina Troops of Lee's army, who was in Greensboro with a portion of his regiment, was assigned to the duty. Some of Wheeler's Cavalry determined to take the cloth, and organized a crowd of about fifty for the purpose. They were warned not to go, and told' with whom they had to deal, but on they came. When they were within one hundred yards of Colonel McAlister's division the front rank began to fire over their heads, hoping thus to stop them, but still they came on. He then commanded: "Men, lower your pieces. Fire!" Three were unhorsed, and so badly wounded that they died. The others precipitately left the field, and there was no further trouble with the State's supplies.
The North Carolina officers about Greensboro of Lee's and Johnston's armies besought Governor Vance to have these sup- plies issued or to let the soldiers take what they wanted, as "the end had come." He was willing for each one to have what was necessary for his personal use, but said " it was the State's prop- erty, and he had no right to destroy it."
As we' came from Hillsboro, about eight miles out we over- took two of Wheeler's Cavalry with one horse to a buggy, another tied to this one, while one of the men was eopiing from a house leading another, followed by a woman and half a dozen children, begging him to leave the horse. These were the family of a soldier in Lee's army, the horse the only work animal they had. The Governor met him at the road and told him if he did not give up that horse he would "arrest him and go to General Johnston's headquarters to see that he was shot as a horse thief." The horse was released. The thanks and rejoicing of the mother and family was a touching scene. The buggy was loaded with what had been plundered from citizens. This straggling, plun- dering horde, known as " Wheeler's Cavalry," seemed to be an
Organization of Troops. 61
organization to itself, and it is to be regretted that the brave men who were with the General at the front have been so often confounded with this crowd. To us, who had served with Jeb Stuart, it was a new "arm of the service"; we had seen noth- ing like it, although we had been almost to Harrisburg, Penn., in our campaign. The nearest approach was the stragglers on the Gettysburg campaign, whom General Stuart designated as " Company Q," and disbanded by general orders, referring to them as a " disgraceful organization."
governor VANCE MEETS JEFF DAVIS.
From Greensboro the Governor telegraphed President Davis for a conference. I accompanied him to Charlotte, but was not present at the conference, which was held in Mr. Thomas W. Dewey's parlor (now the Observer building). The proceedings were about as follows: After a general conversation on the sit- uation. Governor Vance said: " Mr. President, I have come to see what you wish me to do." The President replied in substance that "it was a time for every man to stand to his post and do his duty." After a short silence. General J. C. Breckinridge, Secretary of War (the Cabinet being present), said: "Mr. Presi- dent, I do not think you have answered the Governor's ques- tion." Mr. Davis replied rather tartly: "Well, what would you tell him to do?" General Breckinridge said: "The end is evi- dently near, and .he should make the best terms he can for his people and his State." Mr. Davis replied: "You would?"
THE ARMISTICE.
Generals Johnston and Sherman had agreed upon terms to close the war, which were submitted to their respective govern- ments for approval. A truce or armistice was declared until the decisions of the governments were known. The day I was in Charlotte, James H. Orr and some one else went towards Lin- colnton to carry General Stoneman notice of the armistice. That day the bridge at Rozzelle's ferry was burned. General E. D. Johnston, who was in the peach orchard on the Mecklenburg
62 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
side, with a few others in line, had a silver dollar in tis breast- pocket badly dented by a ball fired by Stoneman's men from the Gaston side of the river.
There was a large quantity of leather and rubber belting and some cloth in a house standing about where Mr. Clinard's store now is. That afternoon some of the citizens broke the store open and helped themselves to the goods — as they thought the Confederacy was dead, they administered on its effects.
THE CROWD WAS BROKE.
At 12 o'clock that night we went in a box-car to Salisbury and "put up" at the hotel kept by Dr. ^Y. H. Howerton. He declined to take Confederate money in payment for breakfast and lodging. Governor Vance had not a cent of specie. I had seven dollars. When I left Hillsboro my father had fifteen sil- ver dollars belonging to my brother James (who was with Lee), and he gave me seven of it. He did not have a cent of specie of his own. At that time he was a Confederate States Senator. Neither he nor Governor Vance had favored secession in the beginning, but when they gave their adhesion to the Southern cause they nobly stood by it. The currency with which the nation paid its soldiers they considered good enough for them, and there is no stronger proof of faithfulness to duty assumed in our history than this incident affords. Dr. Howerton declined to receive the silver, but said it ,was useless to take Confederate money, and simply marked our names paid. I think General Wade Hampton was also present, and, like the Governor, had nothing but Confederate money. Dr. Howerton did the same for him.
After breakfast we went to the depot and down to the old round-house. While in it we heard firing at the depot, first an occasional shot, then vollies. We thought Sherman had advanced and that we were prisoners. Some one had fired the boxes of ammunition piled on the depot platform.
THE RETURN TO GREENSBORO.
On the return to Greensboro, the Confederacy being at an end, Governor Vance was desirous to communicate with General Sher-
Organization of Troops. 63
man. He went with Generals Johnston and Breckinridge and Hon. J. H. Reagan to Hampton's outpost, near Strayhorn's (now University Station). Here the others held several consultations, to none of which was the Governor invited. He took offense at this treatment and the manner of his transportation back to Greensboro. I bore several letters between him and General Johnston on the subject. All was satisfactorily adjusted.
While at General Hampton's outpost news came of Lincoln's assassination, and Governor Vance abandoned his trip to Raleigh. During the armistice several hundred of General Johnston's soldiers came to Governor Vance's headquarters (the brick office opposite the court-house — Messrs. Scott's law office) and called on him and General J. C. Brown, of Tennessee, for speeches. They responded on the close of the war on the basis laid down by Generals Johnston and Sherman. While in Greensboro Gov- ernor Vance was entertained by his warm personal friend and colleague in the United States Congress, Hon. John A. Gilmer. On going into Governor Vance's room on Sunday morning, he informed me that we were prisoners; that the Yankees had occu- pied the town the night before. It was concluded that flight was impossible, even if advisable; that I should go up town and surrender, and tell them that he was ready to do so. On going to the court-house, I fovind that the Yankees, who had come by train from Danville, had returned.
Sherman's affront to halleck.
President Johnson had rejected the Johnston-Sherman plan to close the war. Stanton, as Secretary of War, and General Halleck, as Commander-in-Chief, had ordered Generals Sheridan and Wright "to pay no attention to General Sherman's armis- tice," but to push into North Carolina and capture President Davis. The subsequent history of this order, and how General Sherman publicly affronted General Halleck in Richmond and Stanton at the grand review in Washington, makes an interesting chapter of history, but I cannot spare space for it in this con- nection. It can be gotten from the official "Records of the Re-
64 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
bellion," No. 100. General Johnston Dotified General Sherman of the presence of these troops. He complained to General Grant, and they were withdrawn.
Johnston's surrender.
Governor Vance went that day half way to Danville by rail to meet Governor Smith (Extra Billy) for consultation. They held this to themselves, and I do not know the trend of the conversation, but it was concluded that nothing could be done. Generals Johnston and Sherman having on April 26th agreed upon terms for the surrender of Johnston's army similar to those between Lee and Grant, Brigadier-General Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, came to Greensboro to arrange and accept the paroles. He had no orders as to the ofBcers of the State govern- ment. General Schofield, who had been assigned to this depart- ment, came to Greensboro and took quarters at Governor More- head's. I bore a message from Governor Vance to him, request- ing an interview. It was a bright moonlight night; the sentinel was stationed in the front walk, about one hundred yards from the house; when I was fifty steps from him, bringing his gun "to ready," he called out: "Halt; who goes there?" I replied: " Friend, without the countersign." He answered back, " Who? " I repeated my reply, with the addition, " I have a message from Governor Vance to General Schofield." He called the corporal of the guard, I advanced, and on explaining my errand to him, I was conducted into the house. General Schofield soon came in, and on reading the paper, remarked : " Tell the Governor I will be happy to receive him at his convenience," I named 8 :30 o'clock for our return.
Mr. Gilmer and I think Major A. M. McPheeters, the Gov- ernor's Private Secretary, accompanied us. Governor Morehead also came iu the room. After a little introductory talk, the Governor told General Schofield that he desired to talk with him about matters in the State, and particularly about his (the mountain) section of it. He thought there would be much trouble and turmoil if the troops kept there for police duty
Organization op Troops. 65
should be those who had enlisted in the United States service from that section; it would be best to send regulars and not vol- unteers. General Stoneman thanked him for the suggestion, and said he would consider it. One of the cavalry regiments of the United States army was sent there. It was the regiment to which Captains Hayes and Ward belonged. After discussion as to matters belonging to the State for some time, the Governor asked him what he would do with him. He replied he had no orders as to him or any civil officer. The Governor replied that he would in a day or two join his wife at Statesville, and if wanted he would be found there.
LAST MAN TO LEAVE THE CONFEDERACY.
The Governor asked General Schofield to forward to Presi- dent Johnson a communication asking for a permit to send a commission to Washington to arrange with the Federal authori- ties as to the affairs of the State. Governor Graham was sum- moned by telegraph from Hillsboro. He prepared a paper to be sent to President Johnson, asking that he and Hons. John A. Gilmer and Bedford Brown be sent a permit to visit Washing- ton. Mr. Brown was summoned from his home in Caswell county, and a conference was held as to the mission. President Johnson refused to receive the commission or send a permit, as requested; but a short time afterwards summoned Governor Holden, whom he appointed Provisional Governor. Governor Holden had done more to promote secession than any man in the State. A day or two aftewards, at about 9 o'clock. Governor 'Vance boarded the train for Salisbury and Statesville, and at 10:30 I did likewise for Hillsboro, being, as I claim, the last man in North Carolina to leave the Confederacy. A few weeks afterwar4s Governor Vance was arrested at Statesville and con- fined for several weeks, with other Southern Governors, in the
old Capitol at Washington.
W. A. Graham. Machpblah, N. C,
April 26, 1900.
Regimental Histories.
'BETHEL '' REGIMENT (FIRST VOLUNTEERS).
1. D. H. Hill, Colonel.
2. James H. Lane, Major.
3. J. B. Starr, Lieut.-Colonel.
4. Charles B. Cook, 2d Lieut., Co. H. 6. E. J. Hale, Private, Co. H.
6. Thomas Capehart, 23 Lieut., Co. M.
7. J. M. Sims, Private, Co. C.
£. W. B. Taylor, Corporal, Co. C.
9. E. F. Hoke, Major. (Picture in 21st Regiment.)
10. W. G. Lewis, 2d Lieut., Co. A. (Pic-
ture in 43d Regiment.)
11. P. M. Parker, 2d Lieut., Co. I. (Pic-
ture in 30th Regiment.)
12. F. W. Bird, 2d Lieut., Co. L. (Picture
in nth Regiment.)
THE "BETHEL" REGIMENT.
THE FIRST NORTH CAROLINA VOLUNTEERS.
By MAJOR EDWARD J. HALE.
"First at Bethel; last at Appomattox!" is an epigram which embodies the spirit of all the serious acts of North Carolina.
She has not exhibited those boastful qualities which seem to characterize the peoples of new countries. She had passed her century before she discovered that it was the making, not the ■writing, of history which chiefly distinguished her, and recorded the fact in her recently adopted motto. It may be said of her as the Duke of York said of Richard's noble father :
"In peace, was never gentle lamb more mild; In war, was never lion raged more fierce."
When we consider these peculiarities of our mother State, assimilating her more nearly than her sisters to old-world com- munities, with their repose and reserved strength, we will be prepared to understand the secret of the surprises which she gave to her neighbors. It will also explain why so few general offi- cers were accorded to her at first, and so grudgingly, and how it came about, before the war had ended, that the North Carolina contingent in the Army of Northern Virginia were masters of the situation. Indeed, no thoughtful soldier of that army, ob- serving the course of events in the last year or two of ithe war, could hesitate to believe that if it had lasted a year longer the leadership of the army, saving Lee himself, would have been supplied by North Carolinians — that is to say, by those who contributed the greater number of soldiers as well as the greater
70 NoETH Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
losses in battle. The turning of the tide at Gettysburg, so dis- heartening to the South, seemed only to inspire the troops of our glorious State with greater fortitude as they entered upon the losing battle which Grant's new methods imposed in the death grapple of 1864 and 1865.
Bearing these things in mind, we may review with composure the attitude of North Carolina before the outbreak of hostilities, and feel the thrill of compensated pride at the celerity and pon- derousness of her blows afterwards — whether delivered by the First Regiment, setting the pace at Bethel Church, or by any of its successors. The contrast in her two moods constitutes one of the sublimest episodes of history.
The General Assembly of North Carolina met on the 19th of November, 1860. South Carolina passed her ordinance of seces- sion on the 20th of December. Mississippi followed on the 9th of January, 1861; Florida, on the 10th; Alabama, on the 11th; Georgia, on the 19th; Louisiana, on the 26th; and Texas, on the 1st of February. Amid the profound agitation which these events produced, North Carolina preserved her equanimity as a State, though her people were divided. Those who favored join- ing the newly formed Confederacy advocated the calling of a convention. Those who opposed secession opposed the calling of a convention. There were, however, a large number who opposed secession as inexpedient, who nevertheless favored the calling of a convention. Such a body, it was thought, could observe the course of events, and be ready for action if circum- stances required.
On the 30th of January the General Assembly passed a bill for an election to determine the question of calling a convention and at the same time for choosing members of the convention if called. The 28th of February was named as the day for the election. The call of the convention was rejected by a narrow majority, some seven hundred and fifty; but the number of dele- gates chosen who were known as "unionists" — that is, wh& thought secession inexpedient unless coercion of the seceded States were attempted — was eighty-two; while the number of those
The Bethel Regiment. 71
who were known as " secessionists " — that is, those who favored immediate action — was thirty-eight.
FKOM PEACE TO WAE.
On the 12th of April hostilities began in Charleston harbor. On the 15th, Mr. Lincoln issued his proclamation for coercion. On the 17th, Governor Ellis issued his patriotic rejoinder, con- vening the General Assembly in "special session" on the 1st of May. On the 18th of April the leading organ of the majority contained an editorial which voiced their sentiments, as these were affected by such a stupendous change in their affairs, and which it will be enlightening to quote as follows:
" It is needless to remind our readers how earnestly and hon- estly we have labored to preserve our once great and glorious and beneficent Union. In its existence we have believed were involved that inappreciable blessing, peace; that sound form of liberty and law inaugurated by the Constitution of the United States; and the security, nay, even the existence, of that domes- tic iustitution out of which have arisen all our national troubles. In the new aspect of affairs, we see no reason to change any opinion that we have expressed, that the difficulty ought to have been peaceably settled, and would have been if good men had been influential. We believe now, as heretofore, that by the exercise of that patience which the immense issues at stake de- manded, there would have been a peaceful settlement. We believe now, as heretofore, that a fratricidal war for such a cause is a wrong of which we would not be guilty for a thousand worlds. But with all these opinions unchanged, there is a change in the condition of affairs — a change with which neither we nor the people of North Carolina have had aught to do — over which they have had no control, but which of necessity will shape their action. The President's proclamation is "the last feather that breaks the camel's back." It shows that the professions of peace were a delusion and a cheat, or, if ever really entertained, that peaceful intentions have been abandoned. War is to be prose- cuted against the South by means of the seventy-five thousand
72 iNOETH Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
men called for; and North Carolina has been officially required to furnish a quota of the seventy-five thousand. Will she do it? Ought she to do it? No, no! Not a man can leave her borders upon such an errand who has not made up his mind to war upon his own home and all that he holds dear in that home. For ourselves, we are Southern men and North Carolinians, and at war with those who are at war with the South and North Carolina. With such feelings we attended the large and almost impromptu meeting of Tuesday last, and one of us was unex- pectedly called upon to take a part in that meeting. Its calm and dignified determinations met his full concurrence, though it was the saddest public duty he was ever called upon to perform. The future seems to us full only of evil. A civil war, in which it will be hard to say whether victor or vanquished is the greater sufferer. A civil war, whose end no man can see, but full every day of its long and sad years of woe, woe, woe. The impover- ished, the down-trodden, the widow and the orphan, will here- after heap bitter imprecations upon the bad men who have brought these terrible evils of desolation and death upon a great and prosperous and happy people. Thank God! that we can say we have labored for peace, and have had no wish but to avert the dire calamities in a way honorable to both sections."
History — history which the government is preserving in im- perishable records — has shown with what unequaled fidelity the people in whose behalf these words were written redeemed their new obligations. It was in harmony with these noble character- istics that North Carolina should have been (with exception of her daughter, Tennessee) the last State to secede from the Union, and, as the world now knows, the foremost, once having taken the fate- ful step, in all that was required to make secession good — in harmony with her conservative and peace-loving disposition, once the battle was joined, that she poured out her blood and treasure in greater volume than any of her sisters; that, possess- ing but one-tenth of the white population of the seceded States, she contributed one-fifth of their armies; and that she mustered at Appomattox a greater number of arms-bearing men than all
The Bethel Regiment. 73
others of them. That she should also have supplied the chief portion "of the Confederacy's troops engaged in the first pitched battle of the war may not be attributed to accident, but rather to the complete condition in which she sent her first troops across the Virginian border, her First Regiment of Volunteers. For this reason they were sent to Yorktown, which was then the post of danger.
The hastily assembled meeting referred to in the editorial quoted was a public meeting held on Tuesday, the 16th of April, the day on which Mr. Lincoln's proclamation was received in the most of the towns of the State. Its resolutions called for the taking of "all proper steps to maintain, secure and defend the rights of North Carolina as one of the Southern States"; request- ing the Governor to "forthwith convene the General Assembly, with a view to legislative action in this crisis"; and pledging their support and adherence " to the Governor and authorities of the State in such manner as may be deemed necessary to be taken to assert our rights and defend our soil."
Similar meetings were held and similar resolutions adopted in all the towns and counties as soon as news of the proclamation came to hand.
The remarkable feature of this movement was that it was not concerted; yet it was simultaneous, and the voice of the people throughout the length and breadth of the State was as that of one man. With sublime confidence in themselves, they had declared for peace in the face of unprecedented clamor; but, with no less significance, they made it known that, if the time of action should come, they would not be behind the foremost. Thus the State which had declared for the Union, two to one, on the 28th of February, became an armed camp, marshaled for ■resistence to the Union, on the 17th of April, less than fifty days.
NORTH CAROLINA ORGANIZES HER FIRST REGIMENT.
It was under such circumstances that the troops which formed the First Regiment volunteered. They were the cream of the State's uniformed militia, and they included in their ranks, when
74 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
filled and ready for leaving home, probably the highest average order of men ever mustered for war.*
Local industries in North Carolina at that day were in a com- paratively high state of development. These companies were completely equipped in an incredibly short time. More than half their members were either new, or were literary and profes- sional men who had enrolled themselves in them as a matter of local pride.f The State supplied arms, but all other equipments — uni- forms, tents, knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, and so forth — were required to be supplied by the volunteers or their organizations. The large harness and other leather manufactories, carriage fac- tories and metal working establishments which were a marked feature of our dispersed industrial development before the war, each locality taking care of its own volunteers, supplied a much more efficient means for meeting such an emergency than the present system of concentration which the adverse result of the war introduced. We have recently witnessed the deplorable delay with which the volunteers in the late Spanish war were equipped, notwithstanding the unlimited resources of the reunited Republic, with its more than doubled population and its concen- trated wealth. Contrast with this the record of the North Caro- lina of 1861, as follows:
The companies of the First Regiment volunteered on the 17th of April, 1861; they were formed into a regiment at the State capital by successive orders from the Adjutant- General's office, issued on April 19th, May 9th, May 12th and May 16th; three of them (the two Fayetteville companies and the Lincoln company) were in Richmond on the 18th of May, the other seven arriving on the 21st; and they had fought and won the first battle of the war by the 10th of June!
*The Charlotte Democrat of May 1, isiil, aaid: "This regiment is said to be the finest looking body of men ever assembled in the State."
tTheYorktown correspondent of the above paper, writing on May 27th of the extra- ordmary character of the rank and file of the First Regiment, said that among the pri- vates were " two editors and a number of lawyers and doctors." The chaplain too the Kev. Mr. Yates (smce a. distinguished Doctor of Divinity), was taken from the ranks of Company B, one of the Charlotte companies.
The Bethel Eegiment. 75
ITS COMPLETENESS OF EQUIPMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Military men know that this astonishing result could not have been accomplished if completeness of equipment and organiza- tion had been sacrificed to celerity of movement. It is believed that no other regiment, then or afterwards, was set out in the field in such style as the First North Carolina Volunteers when they were mustered on the plain of Yorktown in the last week of May.
Such was the judgment, also, of impartial critics. The Petersburg (Virginia) Express of Monday, May 20, 1861, con- tained the following :
"Three companies of the First Regiment of North Carolina Volunteers — the Fayetteville Independent Infantry, Captain Huske; the Fayetteville Light Infantry, Captain Starr, both from Fayetteville, and the Southern Stars, Captain Hoke, from Lincoln county — arrived in this city by a . special train from Raleigh at 7 : 30 o'clock on Saturday evening. Each company had its full complement of one hundred and nine men, thor- oughly armed and in the best spirits. If we may form an opin- ion of the whole regiment by the material and appearance of the above three companies, we should unhesitatingly pronounce it to be one of the finest in the world. North Carolina marshals her bravest and her best for the coming contest, and sends to Vir- ginia men who will uphold and transmit without blemish to posterity the honorable and enviable glory and fame of their patriotic sires. Drilled to perfection and armed to the full — with brave hearts to lead and brave hearts to follow — they will do their duty, and that nobly."
The same paper of Wednesday, May 22d, said :
"The remainder of the First Regiment of North Carolina Volunteers, numbering seven companies and over seven hundred
76 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
must say that this is the best equipped regiment which has yet made its route through our city. Everything seems to have been provided for them that a soldier could desire — arms, ac- coutrements, knapsacks, haversacks, canteens — in fact, nothing is wanting."
Said the Richmond Examiner ot Thursday, May 23, 1861: =
" Without waiting for the form of a legal secession, the State of North Carolina commenced sending her gallant sons to join those who were already in the tented field. On Wednesday morning the rest of the regiment (of which the first installment arrived on Sunday*), amounting to seven hundred, reached this city by the southern road at one o'clock. They were soon formed into line and marched through the city, in splendid style, to the airs of a fine band. Those who saw their close columns and steady march as they moved down Main street, in perfect order, their polished muskets glistening in the moonlight, with Done of the usual attendants of loafers and negroes crowding upon the ranks, describe the scene .as almost spectral in its ap- pearance, so regular and orderly were its movements."
The value of these voluntary testimonials from the newspapers of the capital State will be apparent when it is remembered that nearly all the troops which had come to Virginia from the origi- nal Confederate States passed over the same Petersburg and Richmond highway. The fact that the troops of those States had been organized and drilled for at least six months, and de- sired war, accentuates the achievement of North Carolina, which dealt with men who were private citizens a month before, and who, for the most part, were opposed to war:
Nor was expert testimony lacking to the same effect. Dr. Battle, of the University, reports that General Gabriel J. Rains, when he visited the First Regiment on the Yorktown Peninsula, declared that it was "the best regiment he had ever seen." (General Rains was graduated from the United States
^Saturday night.
The Bethel Regiment. 77
Military Academy in 1827, and from that time until the breaking out of the war served with distinction in the regular aripy. At the time of his visit he was a general officer of the Confederacy and in command of the First Division of Magruder's Peninsula Army).
THE REGIMENT AS ORGANIZED.
By reference to the Adjutant-General's orders in the appen- dix to this article it will be seen that several changes were made in the companies assigned to the First Regiment. When com- plete and ready for departure for Virginia its organization was as follows:
Daniel H. Hill, Colonel.
Charles C. Lee, Lieutenant-Colonel.
James H. Lane, Major.
J. M. POTEAT, Adjutant.
John Henry Wayt, Commissary.
Dr. Peter E. Hines, Surgeon.
Dr. Joseph H. Baker, Assistant Surgeon.
Dr. John G. Hardy, Assistant Surgeon.
Rev. Edwin A. Yates, Chaplain.
Company A — Edgecombe Guards — Captain, John L. Bridg- ers; First Lieutenant, Whitmel P. Lloyd; Second Lieutenant, William S. Long; Junior Second Lieutenant, W. G. Lewis.
Company B — Hornet's Nest Rifles — Captain, Lewis S. Wil- liams; First Lieutenant, William A. Owens; Second Lieuten- ant, William P. Hill; Junior Second Lieutenant, Thomas D. Gillespie.
Company C — Charlotte Grays — Captain, E. A. Ross; First Lieutenant, E. B. Cohen ; Second Lieutenant, Thomas B. Trot- ter; Junior Second Lieutenant, C. W. Alexander.
Company D — Orange Light Infantry — Captain, Richard J. Ashe; First Lieutenant, James R. Jennings; Second Lieutenant, Richard B. Saunders; Junior Second Lieutenant, Richardson Mallett.
Company E — Buncombe Miflemen — Captain, William Wallis
78 NoETH Carolina Teoops, 1861-65.
McDowell; First Lieutenant, Washington Morrison Hardy; Second Lieutenant, George Henry Gregory; Junior Second Lieu- tenant, James Alfred Patton.
Company F — LaFayette Light Infantry — Captain, Joseph B. Starr; First Lieutenant, Frank N. Koberts; Second Lieutenant, John A. Pemberton; Junior Second Lieutenant, George Sloan.
Company G — Bu7'ke Rifles — Captain, Clark Moulton Avery; First Lieutenant, Calvin S. Brown; Second Lieutenant, John A. Dickson; Junior Second Lieutenant, James C. S. McDowell.
Company H — Fayetteville Indepmident Light Infantry — Cap- tain, Wright Huske; First Lieutenant, Benjamin Robinson Huske; Second Lieutenant, Charles BettsCook; Junior Second Lieutenant, Hector McKethan.
Company I — Enfield Blues — Captain, D. B. Bell; First Lieu- tenant, M. T. Whitaker; Second Lieutenant, F. M. Parker; Junior Second Lieutenant, Cary W. Whitaker.
Company K — Southern Stars — Captain, William J. Hoke; First Lieutenant, Wallace M. Reinhardt; Second Lieutenant, Robert F. Hoke; Junior Second Lieutenant, Ed. E. Sumner.
The field officers were the three ranking officers of the North Carolina Military Institute at Charlotte, Colonel Hill, known by his old army title of Major, being the commandant. They were all men of distinction in their profession.
Hill had been graduated from West Point in 1842; had par- ticipated in nearly every important engagement in the Mexican war; and had won the brevet of captain at Contreras and Cheru- busco, and of major at Chapultepec. He resigned from the army in 1849 to become Professor of Mathematics at Washing- ton College, Virginia. In 1854 he became a professor in David- son College, and, in 1859, commandant and manager of the Military Institute at Charlotte. At the outbreak of the war he was made commandant of the camp of instruction at Raleigh.
Lee was graduated high in his class at West Point in 1856; became Second Lieutenant of Ordnance in the army; resigned his commission in 1859, and became a professor at the Charlotte
The Bethel Regiment. 79
Military Institute. He was made major and second in command at the camp of instruction at Raleigh.
Lane was one of the two "star graduates" of his class at the Virginia Military Institute, and a graduate of the University of Virginia. He became Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Tactics at the Virginia Military Institute; later, professor of those departments at the Florida State Seminary; and then Pro- fessor of Natural Philosophy in the Charlotte Military Institute. He was made drill-master and adjutant of the camp of instruc- tion at Raleigh.
AT THE FRONT IN VIRGINIA.
The regiment was immediately sent to the front, and, as we have seen, reached Richmond in two detachments — the first, composed of the two Fayetteville companies and the Lincoln company, under Colonel Hill, arriving there on Saturday night, the 18th of May; and the second, composed of the remainder of the regiment, Under Lieutenant-Colonel Lee, arriving on Tues- day night, the 21st. Thus, as the Richmond Examiner said. North Carolina had patriotically anticipated the legal act of secession, and she had actually put nearly four hundred of her troops on Virginia soil before its occurrence. No other State, it is believed, did as much.
The regiment went into camp at Howard's Grove, and remained at Richmond until the Friday following. May 24th.
As North Carolina was still technically in the Union, and Virginia, whose ordinance of secession was passed on the 17th of May, did not transfer her military establishment to the Con- federacy until June 7th, our North Carolina troops on Virginia soil were for some days in the position of allies of Virginia. As such they were under the supreme command of General Robert E. Lee, Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia forces. General Lee had but three weeks before (April 20th) resigned his posi- tion in the United States Army as Lieutenant-Colonel of Albert Sidney Johnston's Second Regiment of Cavalry. His appear- ance at this time was strikingly different from that in which he
80 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
subsequently became familiar to the Army of Northern Virginia. His hair was close cropped, his complexion fresh and ruddy, his face smooth-shaven, except for a black, military-looking mus- tache. His movement was quicker; his figure — graceful, as can- not be forgotten, and erect to the last — more lithe. He was, altogether, a phenomenally handsome man, the model of a sol- dier. 'In a year's time he looked ten years older.
' EVENTS LEADING TO THE FIRST CLASH OF ARMS.
Of the four lines* by which General Scott had planned the invasion of Virginia — from Washington; from Fortress Mon- roe; by the Cumberland Valley; and from Ohio, by the Kana- wha, into Western Virginia — that from Fortress Monroe became the natural one, with the transfer of the Capital of the Confed- eracy from Montgomery to Richmond. Except that the first mentioned served the double purpose of protecting the Federal Capital, the Fortress Monroe line would undoubtedly have claimed his chief attention. The splendid base which that great military work, one of the largest in the world, supplied, and the ideal route which the Yorktown Peninsula presented for his marching troops, with the broad waters of the James and the York Rivei's open to his navy on either flank, were considerations which must otherwise have fixed his choice. It is probable that the situation at the moment of the First Regiment's arrival in Richmond would have destined them to Northern Virginia; but circumstances were rapidly shifting the theatre of operations.
After the evacuation of the Gosport Navy Yard by the Fed- eral authorities on the 21st of April, Richmond was thrown into alarm by the reports of the approach of the Federal gun-boat "Pawnee'' up the James. On the 6th of May Federal vessels chased steamers to within twelve miles of Gloucester Point, on the York River, opposite Yorktown, and fired upon them. On May 7th the special agent of the Confederate Government reported to the Secretary of War (L. P. Walker), from Rich- mond, that intelligent and distinguished men in Richmond
*Major Jed Hotchkiss, in Confederate Military History, Vol. Ill, page 43.
The Bethel Regiment. 81
" believe Virginia on the very brink of being carried back, and say no man but President Davis can save her. * * * There is disappointment that he does not assume entire direction of affairs here. * * * General Lee has ordered Louisiana troops to Harper's Ferry. * * * "phe South Carolina troops refuse to move unless under orders from Montgomery."* On the 11th of May, Rev. Dr. W. N. Pendleton (afterwards brigadier- general of artillery), who had been a classmate of President Davis at West Point, wrote to the President at Montgomery as follows: "As you value our great cause, hasten on to Rich- mond. Lincoln and Scott are, if I mistake not, covering by other demonstrations the great movement upon Richmond. Sup- pose they should send suddenly up the York River, as they can, an army of thirty thousand or more; there are no means at hand to repel them, and if their policy shown in Maryland gets footing here, it will be a severe, if not a fatal, blow. Hasten, I pray you, to avert it. - The very fact of yonr presence will almost answer. Hasten, then, I entreat you; don't lose a day." On the 18th of May (the day after Virginia's secession) the United States ship "Monticello" fired on the Virginia battery at Seweli's Point, and again on the 21st. On the 22d, Majpr-General Benjamin F. Butler, United States Army, was transferred from the Depart- ment of Annapolis and assigned to' the command of the Depart- of Virginia, with headquarters at Fortress Monroe; a^nd nine additional infantry regiments were sent there. On the 23d, a Federal regiment made a demonstration against Hampton, three miles from Fortress Monroe. At Hampton and other points in the Peninsula country there was considerable disaffection to the Confederacy.
It was under these circumstances that the destination of the First North Carolina Volunteers, the crack regiment of the day, was decided. They were ordered to Yorktown, the " post of danger and of honor,"t as the papers of the day described it. Breaking camp at Richmond on the 24th of May, they proceeded
♦Confederate Military History, Vol. Ill, page 128. tFayetteville Observer, May 27, 1861.
6
82 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
by rail to West Point, ou the York River, and by^steam-boat (tlie " Logan ") the rest of the way, landing at Yorktown the same afternoon. Upon the boat was Colonel John B. Magruder, of the Provisional Army of Virginia, lately a distinguished artil- lery major of the United States Army, who had just been assigned (May 21st) to the command of the Department of the Peninsula, including the York and James Rivers.
Between the time of the regiment's arrival at Yorktown and the 6th of June it was kept incessantly at work, drilling and in- trenching. While engaged in the latter it was interesting to these new disciples of Mars to trace the outline of Cornwallis's works erected in defense against 'their forefathers four score years before. Sometimes their spades and picks would renew, some- times demolish, those ancient war marks, and occasionally they would unearth a souvenir of battle.
A company of mounted men, called the Old Dominion Dra- goons, appeared shortly after the regiment's arrival, having their rendezvous at Yorktown; though doing picket duty between Yorktown and the enemy's posts at Hampton (three miles from Fortress Monroe) and Newport News, some twenty-one miles away. At Newport News, General Butler had caused a very strong intrenched camp to be established, garrisoning it with several regiments, among them the Seventh New York, the First Vermopt and the Fourth Massachusetts, together with a portion of the Second United States Artillery. On the 28th of May two more companies of Virginia cavalry were ordered to Yorktown, and Cabell's Battery of light artillery was transferred thither from Gloucester Point. On the 10th of June the Louisiana Zouaves (the First Louisiana Battalion), under Lieutenant- Colonel Coppens, were ordered from Richmond to Yorktown. At the same time a number of companies of Alabama troops were concentrated at Yorktown from Gloucester Point and Rich- mond and organized into a regiment under Colonel John A. Winston. Major George W. Randolph (the successor, shortly after, of Mr. Walker as Secretary of War) had a small battalion of artillery at Yorktown; and Lieutenant-Colonel William D.
The Bethel Regiment. 83
Stuart, of .the Third Virginia Regiment, and Major E. B. Mon- tague, were sufficiently near to reach Bethel Church, each with three companies, on the morning of the lOtb, the day of the battle.
Such was the military situation — so far as the troops with which we had to confront General Butler were concerned — for several days before and after the battle of Bethel. About two weeks before, a party of some three hundred Federal troops had come up from Hampton and occupied Bethel Church. They remained a day or two, and left a number of incriptions on the walls of the church — "Death to the Traitors!" "Down with the Rebels!" and the like — which were read with interest by our men upon arrival. Colonel Magruder determined to put a stop to these bold incursions, and made his dispositions accordingly.
the battle of bethel.*
On Thursday, the 6th of June, Colonel Hill, under orders from Colonel Magruder, proceeded with the First North Caro- lina Regiment to Big Bethel Church. This place is situated on the Hampton road about thirteen miles from Yorktown-, some eight miles from Hampton, and about the same distance from Newport News. Major Randolph, with four pieces of artillery, accompanied the expedition.
The march from Yorktown was accomplished by about dusk. It was a trying one, as it was made in heavy marching order, with knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, loaded cartridge-boxes, often a Bible in the knapsack, and with a tin cup and an extra pair of shoes dangling from either corner of this rather boxey affair. The light marching order of Jackson's foot-cavalry was as yet a sealed chapter of the regulations. A drizzling mist had set in before dark, and it was the regiment's first experience at cooking with ramrods and bivouacking without tents.
•There is no detailed account of the battle of Bethel in the offlcial records. Indeed, General Butler (" War of the Eebellion," Vol. II, page 82) declares that it would serve no useful purpose, liowever interesting such an account would be, to attempt to make it in the abseuce of a " map of the ground and details." Endeavor has been made, therefore, in this article, to construct such an account by a comparison of the various official reports of both sides which have been published.
84 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65.
There was not even a hamlet about the church at that time^ and no doubt it is the same to-day — simply a grove beside and on the west side- of the road, with a large, unpainted woodeu country meeting-house standing in the midst of the grove and facing the road. The regiment had traversed a sandy level up to this point, but here the land falls oif to the southward and to the right and left of the road, the depression on the right, back of the church, being somewhat precipitous. A creek which forms the headwaters of the northwest branch of Back River flows in this depression, a branch of the creek coming through the ravine back of the church. A flat wooden bridge carried the road over 'the creek, a hundred yards or so southeast of the church.
Some three miles beyond Big Bethel was Little Bethel Churchy where our mounted pickets had an outpost.
The two maps* herewith illustrate the country adjacent to the battlefield and the battlefield itself.
On the morning of the 7th, Colonel Hill made a reconnais- sance of the ground with a view to fortifying it. He gives the result in his official report as follows:
" I found a branch of Back River on our front, and encircling our right flank. On our left was a dense and almost impassable wood, except about one hundred and fifty yards of old field. The breadth of the road, a thick wood, and narrow cultivated field covered our rear. The nature of the ground determined me to make an inclosed work, and I had the invaluable aid of Lieutenant- Colonel Lee of my regiment in its plan and construction. Our posi- tion had the inherent defect of being commanded by an immense field immediately in front of it,t upon which the masses of the enemy might be readily deployed. Presuming that an attempt would be made to carry the bridge across the stream, a battery
*Upon map No. 1, of Plate No. XVIIl, of the atlases accompanying the Government's publication, " War of the Rebellion," as a basis, an outline map has been prepared of so much of the York Peninsula as may be useful for the present purpose. A map of the battlefield of Bethel has also been prepared from a tracing of the original map made by General Lewis (then Second Lieutenant of Company A) a few days after the battle. The positions of the Federal troops have been located by a study of their oflJicial reports. Those of tho Confederates are as given in Lieutenant Lewis's map, and are those' held just before the opening of the battle. There were some important changes afterwards^ and these are noted in detail further on.
t Across the stream.
1. Ship Point,
2. Camp Payetteville (Cockletown). 8. Camp Eains.
The Bethel Eeg.iment. 85
was made for its especial protection, and Major Randolph placed his guns so as to sweep all the approaches to it. The O(?cupation of two commanding eminences beyond the creek and on our right would have greatly strengthened our position, but our force was too weak to admit of the occupation of more than one of them. A battery was laid out on it for one of Ran- dolph's howitzers."
There were but twenty-five spades, six axes and three picks in possession of the command, but these were plied so vigorously all day and night of the 7th and all day on the 8th that the work began to show the outlines of a fortified camp.
On the afternoon of the 8th, Colonel Hill learned that a ma- rauding party of the enemy was within a few miles of the camp, and called for a detachment to drive them back. Lieutenant Frank N. Roberts, of Company F, "promptly responded," says Colonel Hill in his report, "and in five minutes his command was en route."
Colonel Hill detached Major Randolph, with one howitzer, to join them, and Lieutenant-Colonel Lee (of the First Regiment) volunteered to take command of the whole. They came upon the marauders, five miles off, "busy over the spoils of a plun- dered house." A shell from the howitzer put them to flight. Soon after information came that seventy-five marauders were on the Back River road. Colonel Hill called upon Captain McDowell's company. Company E, "and in three minutes it was in hot pursuit." A howitzer was detached to join them, and Major James H. Lane (of the First Regiment) volunteered to command the whole. The marauders were encountered, after a long march, near New -Market Bridge. Within sight of the flags, at Hampton and hearing of the drums calling to arms. Lane opened fire and drove the enemy across the bridge, wound- ing a large number of the marauders and capturing one. Col- onel Hill afterwards declared that the boldness of this attack, made under the very guns of the enemy's chief camp, brought on the battle of Bethel. As a result of this expedition, so the
86 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
citizens reported, two cart loads and one buggy load of dead and wounded were taken into Hampton. None were hurt on our side.
Colonel Magruder carue up the same evening and assumed command. On the uext day (Sunday) a fresh supply of intrench- ing tools enabled the men to make further progress on the works.
Colonel Hill says in his report : " We were aroused at 3 o'clock on Monday morning* for a general advance upon the enemy, and marched three and a half miles, when we learnedf that the foe, in large force, was within a few hundred yards of us. We fell back hastily upon our intrenchments, and awaited the arrival of the invaders."
Meanwhile, information of the activity of our troops had reached General Butler at Fortress Monroe. He organized a force consisting of nearly all of seven infantry regiments and of artillery sufficient for serving four gutis, which were carried with the expedition. In his report to Lieutenant-General Scott he says that his instructions to this force were "to drive them (the rebels) back and destroy their camp" at Little Bethel. This being accomplished, a couple of regiments were "to follow im- mediately upon the heels of the fugitives, if they were enabled to get off, and attack the battery on the road to Big Bethel while covered by the fugitives."
General Butler's confidence was destined to receive a rude shock. He had but recently left the Annapolis department, where he would have become familiar with the circumstances of the evacuation of Alexandria on May 6th, J and of the Confed- erate disaster at Philippi, in Western Virginia, on June 3d.§ Prestige, so far, was decidedly against us, and General Butler's expectation of the surprise and rout of our forces was not un- natural. Prestige counts for much in war as in other human affairs, and it was a matter of vast consequence upon which side
*June loth.
■fA purse of S225 was made up by the officers of the regiment after the battle and pre- sented to the old lady who brought the information.
t" War of the Rebellion," Vol. II, pages 23-27.
llbid., pages G9-74,
The Bethel Regiment. 87
it should remain after the first serious shock of arms. Great as was the responsibility, therefore, which fate and their own state of preparedness had thrust upon our North Carolinians, they were presently to exhibit a signal proof of their ability to meet it.
General Butler laid his plans carefully.* Instructions were given Brigadier-General Pierce, commanding at Hampton, to send forward Colonel Duryea's Fifth New York Regiment (Zouaves) at one o'clock on the morning of the 10th, by way of New Market Bridge, and thence by a by-road to a point between Little Bethel and Big Bethel, with the object of taking our out- post there in the rear. Colonel Townsend's Third New York Regiment, with a couple of mountain howitzers, was instructed to support Duryea, marching about an hour later. At the same time Colonel Phelps, commanding at Newport News, was directed to send out a battalion under command of Lieutenaut-Colonel Washburn in time to make a demonstration upon Little Bethel in front, and to have him supported by Colonel Bendix's Sev- enth New York Regiment with two field-pieces.
Washburn's Battalion was made up of three hundred men from the First Vermont and three hundred men from Wash- burn's own regiment, the Fourth Massachusetts. The two field- pieces were of the Second United States Artillery (regulajs), under command of Lieutenant Greble. The two mountain how- itzers with Townsend were manned by a detachment from Col- onel Carr's Second New York Regiment, " under the direction of a non-commissioned officer and four privates of the United States Army." The two supporting regiments, Townsend's and Bendix's, were expected to effect a junction at the fork of the road leading from Hampton to Newport News, about midway between New Market Bridge and Little Bethel. The movement was so timed that the attack on Little Bethel should be made at daybreak. In case of failure .to surprise the outpost at Little Bethel, General Pierce, if he thought it expedient, was directed to attack the work at Big Bethel.
•" War of the RebelliOD," page 77 et seq.
88 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
In General Butler's "plan of operations" were instructions to "Burn up both the Bethels. Blow up, if brick." Artillerists to "handle the captured guns," and "spikes to spike them," were also to be provided.
Everything went according to the plan, up to a certain point. Duryea and Washburn had arrived at the places assigned thena, and Bendix's supporting regiment had arrived at the fork of the road where the junction was to be made with Townsend. As day dawned Townseud's Regiment, with General Pierce and his aide-de-camp in advance, were within a hundred yards of Bendix's position, when suddenly the latter opened upon Townsend's col- umn with both artillery and musketry, killing two and wound- ing nineteen, four of the latter being officers. General Pierce says that he was on the point of ordering a charge upon the sup- posed enemy when the mistake was discovered. Duryea and Washburn, hearing the firing in their rear, "reversed their march," to use General Butler's expression, and joined their belligerent reserves. Pierce held a council of war, decided to attack Bethel, and sent to Butler for re-in forcemeats, who dispatched to him Colonel Allen's First and Colonel Carr's Second New York Regiments.
The enemy's forces, therefore, which were engaged against us at i^ethel, may be summed up as follows:
First New York, Colonel Allen,*- . . 750
Second New York, Colonel Carr,* . . 750
(A detachment acting as artillerists). Third New York, Colonel Townsend, . . 650
Fifth New York, Colonel Duryea, . . 850
Seventh New York, Colonel Bendix,* . . 750
First Vermont,! 300
Fourth Massachusetts,! .... 300
(Both under Lieutenant-Colonel Washburn). Second U. S: Artillery, Greble's Detachment, say, 50 Total, 4,400
*Thi8 is the average of the known strength of Duryea's and Townsend's Regiments IS given in Pierce's report, "War of the Rebellion," Vol. II, page 83. '
fBendix's report, Ibid.^ page 88.
The Bethel Regiment. 89
General, staff and couriers, and four guns.
General Pierce's General Order No. 12, given in his report, also mentions Colonel McChesney's command as one of those designated to be held in readiness along with Allen's and Carr's. If also sent forward, that would swell the total to some 5,200.
While these proceedings were taking place with the enemy, the First North Carolina Volunteers were hurrying forward, over Lee's and Lane's familiar course, towards New Market Bridge. It is certain that neither of the marching columns was aware of the action of the other — the North Carolinians starting out from Big Bethel at three o'clock in the morning, and Butler's army from Hampton and Newport News at one o'clock and two o'clock. Except for Bendix's daybreak fight and the consequent delay, we should probably have come upon Duryea's and Wash- burn's troops a little to the Yorktown side of Little Bethel.
Our forces as assembled for battle may be thus summarized:
First North Carolina Regiment, Colonel Hill, . 800
Three companies of the Third Virginia Regi- ment, Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart,* . . 208
Three companies of Virginia troops. Major Montague (estimated), . . . .150
Battalion of Virginia Artillery, Major Randolph (estimated), . . . . . .150
Douthatt's, Phillips's and Jones's companies of Virginia Cavalry (estimated), . . . 100
Total, 1,408
Randolph reports one rifled (iron) Parrott gun, three how- itzers, and one rifled howitzer on the ground. He sent, besides, one howitzer to the "Half- Way House," some three miles away, and one howitzer had previously been posted "in the rear of the road leading from the Half- Way House."
At nine o'clock the head of the enemy's column (Bendix's Seventh New York) appeared in the road, half a mile away, and
♦Stuart's report, " War of the Rebellion," Vol. II, page 97.
90 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
soon they seemed to fill it. Who will forget that tremendous moment, ushering in the war! A few minutes after nine o'clock a shot from Eandolph's Parrot gun, aimed by himself, screamed away at them. It hit the earth just in their front and ricocheted.* They fell away from the road like a mist before the sun, their artillery at once replied, and the battle began.
The positions of the several companies of the First North Carolina Regiment at the opening of the battle, and their changes of position during its progress, were as follows:
Company A, Captain Bridgers, was posted in the dense wood, or swamp, beyond the works, beyond the creek, and to the left of the road. They were deployed as skirmishers. When Brown's howitzer was spiked and abandoned. Company A was transferred to the right, where they attacked the enemy and recovered the howitzer.
Company B, Lieutenant Owens, on the south face of the works. From this position the company took part in the repulse of the enemy^'s first attempt on our right and in the repulse of Winthrop's attack.
Company C, Captain Ross, on the left of Company B, and occupying the adjacent part of the east face of the works. After the temporary capture by the enemy of Brown's abandoned how- itzer, Company C was ordered (with Company A) to recapture it. When this was done they were returned to their original posi- tion, where they took part in the repulse of Winthrop's attack.
Company D, Captain Ashe, at the northeast angle of the works.
Company E, Captain McDowell, on the north and northwest faces of the works.
Company F, Captain Starr, in the woods to the north and left of Company D's position, with exception of a detachment under Lieutenant Roberts, stationed at a ford a mile below the bridge.
Company G, Captain Avery, was thrown beyond the stream, to the right of the road, near an old mill-dam, where they took part in the repulse of the enemy's first advance on our right.
*Bendix says in his report: "Before we had got ready for action the enemy opened their Are upon us, striking one man down at my side at the first shot."
The Bethel Regiment. 91
Subsequently they were mover! forward to the support of the howitzer which had replaced the spiked and abandoned one.
Company H, Captain Huske, on the west face of the works, on the right (north) of Montague's Battalion. Shortly after the fight began Company H was moved forward to the support of the main battery (Randolph's), southeast of the church. When Winthrop made his attack upon the southeast angle, half of the company, under Lieutenants Cook and McKethan, were sent thither by Colonel Magruder, where they took part in the repulse of Winthrop.
Company I, Lieutenant Parker, on the right (north) of Com- pany H's first position, and extending to the northwest angle of the works. During the progress of the battle Company I was deployed in front of its position in the works and remained thus until it was over.
Company K, Captain Hoke, in the woods on the left (north) of Company F. During the battle Company K was deployed one hundred and fifty yards in front of its position, in anticipa- tion of Winthrop's skirmishers striking there. Upon their fail- ure to do this, it was withdrawn to its original position. At the close of the battle Company K was sent forward, as described further on.
Lieutenant- Colonel Stuart's three companies were stationed on the hill to the extreme right, beyond the creek, where he com- pleted the slight breastwork erected to protect his command.
Major Montague's three companies were stationed on the west face of the works, back and northwest of the church. Upon Stuart's retirement to this point, shortly after the action began, Montague's command was ordered to a point a mile and a quarter to the left. The enemy making no demonstration in that quar- ter, they took no other part in the action.
Randolph's artillery was posted as follows: The Parrott gun and one howitzer in the main battery on the right of the road, near the front of the church; a howitzer under Captain Brown in the battery erected on the right, beyond the ravine; a howitzer near the bridge, on the right of the road; the rifled howitzer on
92 North Carolina Troops, 18 61-'65.
the left of the road, behind the right of the redoubt erected there.*
The three coQipanies of cavalry (dismounted) were posted in rear of the whole.f
A detachment of fifteen cadets from the North Carolina Mili- tary Institute was posted beside the last mentioned howitzer.
How these dispositions for defense appeared to the attack- ing party is revealed by their reports of the battle.
Captain Judson Kilpatrick, of Duryea's Fifth New York (afterwards the cavalry general who had the interesting experi- ence with Wheeler's Cavalry near Fayetteville in 1865), with two companies of his regiment, acted as the enemy's advance guard.
He says that he drove in our pickets at eight o'clock, and then made an "armed reaonnaissance" of our position and forces. He was much impressed with what he saw. He "found the enemy with about- from three to five thousand men posted in a stroug position on the opposite side of the bridge, three earth- works and a masked "battery on the right and left; in advance of the stream thirty pieces of artillery and a large force of cavalry." J General Butler's view, from Fortress Monroe, was different. He reiterated in his report his conviction that we had not more than a regiment during the battle, and that if his orders " to go ahead with the bayonet," after the first volley, had been obeyed, the "battery" would have been captured.
When within a mile of our position, General Pierce halted his
*The following is a summary of such portions of Major Randolph's i-eport as are useful to the present purpose; The howitzer on the right (under Captain Brown) was spiked early in the action by the breaking of a priming-wire, and was withdrawn. It was re- placed near the close by Moseley's howitzer, brought up from the Half- Way House. The ford on the left being threatened, the howitzer at the bridge was withdrawn and sent to that point. The rifled howitzer was withdrawn from the left of the road and sent to the rear when tliat was supposed to be threatened. The same disposition was subsequently made of the howitzer in the main battery near the church, leaving only the Parrott gun there. Randolph says in his report: "The fire was maintained on our side for sometime by the five pieces posted in front"; but one of them being spilled and another sent to the ford early in the' action, "the fire was continued with three pieces, and at no time did we afterwards have more than three pieces playing upon the enemy." He reports ninety- eight shot altogether fired by his artillery. As his first shot was shortly after nine o'clock and his last at half past one o'clock, that would be an average of one in three minutes. The three wounded in his battalion received their injury, in the words of his report, "from the fire of musketry on Our left flank, the ground on that side between us and the enemy sinking down so as to expose us over the top of the breastwork erected by the North Carolina regiment." (The fire of musketry alluded to was from Winthrop's attaclt- ing force).
fMagruder's report, " War of the Rebellion," Vol. II, page 91. JKilpatrick's report, " War of the Rebellion," Vol. II, page 89.
The Bethel Regiment. 93
column, and thea, witliiu eight hundred yards of our works, formed his troops in line of battle. Duryea's Fifth New York was placed od the right (our left) of the road. Washburn's Vermonters and Massachusetts men, after some preliminary movements, were also sent to the right and placed in extension of Duryea's line. Townsend's Third New York was formed on the left (our right) of the road. Bendix's Seventh New York, which had brought up the rear in the march from the scene of his daybreak fusillade, was now ordered to the front.* The head of his column was dispersed, as we have seen, by Randolph's opening shot, after which, as Beudix reports, he did the best he could "as skirmishers in the woods" (on our left), finally taking position with Washburn's command. Bendix had one piece of artillery with him when he first moved to the front. This seems to have been joined by the three other pieces, when all were served, under Greble's command, in or near the orchard to the left (our right) of the road.
The first movement upon our lines was made by two com- panies of Townsend's Regiment, advancing as skirmishers against our right. They were promptly driven back by our artillery, one of Stuart's companies, and companies B and G of the First North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Duryea's and Washburn's troops, advancing against our left, made several attempts to charge our works, but, were prevented by the creek. f During these attempts they approached the old ford below the bridge, where Colonel Hill had posted a picket of some forty men under Lieutenant Roberts. This led Colonel Magruder to re-inforce the latter with Werth's company of Montague's Battalion and the howitzer at the bridge, which latter drove back the enemy with one shot. J
Townsend now moved forward his whole regiment in line of battle against our right, with one hundred of Duryea's Fifth Regiment (Zouaves) as skirmishers on his right. In this forward
*Bendix's report, "War of the Rebellion," page 88. tPieree's report. Ibid., Vol. II, page 85. tWerth's report Ibid., page 103.
94 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
movement, TowDseDd reports that one of his companies (presum- ably the one on his left flank) got separated from the rest of the regiment by a "thickly- hedged ditch" (probably the ravine mentioned in Stuart's report), but continued to march forward in line with it. Captain Brown's gun having been disabled and withdrawn some time before, Colonel Stuart reported to Colonel Magruder the advance of this heavy force (which he estimated at fifteen hundred, accompanied by artillery), and the advance, also, of " a line of skirmishers down the ravine on my right," obscured from his own view but discovered by his scouts. He was accordingly directed by Colonel Magruder to fall back to the works occupied by Montague, back of the church, and the whole of our advanced troops (that is, those across the creek, on the right of the road) were withdrawn.
At this critical moment Colonel Hill called Captain Bridgers, with his Company A, of the First North Carolina, out of the swamp (on the left) and directed him to occupy the nearest ad- vanced work (on the right of the road). He also ordered Cap- tain Eoss, with his Company C, of the First North Carolina, to the support of Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart. "These two captains, with their companies," says Hill, "crossed over to Randolph's battery, under a most heavy fire, in a most gallant manner. As Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart had withdrawn. Captain Ross was detained at the church, near Randolph's battery. Captain Bridgers, however, crossed over and drove the Zouaves out of the advanced howitzer battery, and re-occupied it. It is impos- sible to overestimate this service. It decided the action in our favor."
Of this decisive movement Colonel Magruder says in his hasty report, made the same day:
"Whilst it might appear invidious to speak particularly of any regiment or corpsj whefe all behaved so well, I am compelled to express my great appreciation of the skill and gallantry of Major Randolph and his howitzer battalion and Colonel Hill, the officers and men of the North Carolina regiment. As an instance
The Bethel Regiment. 95
of the latter, I will merely mention that a gun under the gallant Captain Brf)wn of the howitzer battery having been rendered unfit for service by the breaking of a priming-wire in the vent, Captain Brown threw it over a precipice, and the work was occu- pied for a moment by the enemy. Captain Bridgers, of the North Carolina regiment, in the most gallant manner, retook it and held it until Captain Brown had replaced and put in posi- tion another piece, and defended it with his infantry in the most gallant manner. Colonel Hill's judicious and determined action was worthy of his ancient glory."
In Colonel Magruder's second report, dated June 12th, he again refers to the subject, saying:
"I cannot omit to again bring to the notice of the General Commanding-in-Chief the valuable services and gallant conduct of the First North Carolina Regiment and Major Randolph of the howitzer batteries. These officers were not only prompt and daring in the execution of their duties, but most industrious and energetic in the preparations for the conflict. The firing of the howitzer batteries was as perfect as the bearing of the men, which was entirely what it ought to have been. Captain Bridgers, of the North Carolina regiment, re-took in the most daring manner, and at a critical period of the fight, the work from which Captain Brown of the artillery had withdrawn a disabled gun to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy, and which work had been subsequently occupied by the enemy. Captain Bridgers deserves the highest praise for this timely act of gal- lantry."
Stuart was now sent back to his original position; he and Captain Avery, with his Company G, of the First North Caro- lina, drove off some skirmishers advancing through the orchard ; and the enemy's operations ceased on that side of the road.
It is interesting to note that the same company of Townsend's men who were separated from the rest of their regiment, and were supposed by Stuart to be moving to outflank him, were
96 North Carolina Troops, 1861-'65.
mistaken by Townsend for a flanking party from our side. Townsend says, referring to this company of his regiment: "Upon seeing among the breaks in the hedge the glistening bayonets in the adjoining field, I immediately concluded that the enemy were outflanking us, and conceived it to be my duty immediately to retire and repel that advance. I resumed, therefore, my original position on the left of Colonel Duryea. Shortly after all the forces were directed to retire, the design of the reconnaissance having been accomplished."
A very potent body of men that separated company proved to be.
We were now as secure, says Colonel Hill, as at the beginning of the fight, and as yet had no man killed. Foiled on our right flank, the enemy now made his final efibrt upon our left. A column consisting of Washburn's command of Vermont and Massachusetts troops, led by Major Theodore Winthrop, of Gen- eral Butler's staff^, crossed over the creek and appeared at the angle on our left. They came on with a cheer, no doubt think- ing that our work was open at the gorge and that they could enter by a sudden rush. "Companies B and C, however," says Colonel Hill, "dispelled the illusion by a cool, deliberate and well directed fire. Colonel Magruder sent over portions of com- panies G, C and H of my regiment to our support, and now began as cool firing on our side as was ever witnessed. The three field officers of the regiment were present, and but few shots were fired without their permission. * * * They (the men) were all in high glee, and seemed to enjoy it. * * * Captain Winthrop, while most gallantly urging on his men, was shot through the heart,* when all rushed back with the utmost precipitation."
Major Theodore Winthrop, the officer referred to, was Gen- eral Butler's acting military secretary, who represented General Butler upon General Pierce's staff. He was of the old Massa-
*Private G. W. Buhman aad private Steve Kussell, of Company H (Fayettevillel pri- vate Molver, of Company 0 (Charlotte), and Captain Ashe, Company D (Chapel Hill) for his negro servant, claimed the firing of the fatal shot.
The Bethel Regiment. 97
chusetts family of Winthrop, but the son of Francis Bayard Winthrop, of New Haven, Connecticut.
The fight at the angle lasted but twenty minutes. It seemed to completely discourage the enemy, and he made no further effort at assault. It is no doubt to this period that Colonel Ma- gruder refers in his report when he sets the ending of the battle at half past twelve o'clock, whereas Major Randolph says the last shot was fired at half past one o'clock.
Meanwhile, Colonel Allen's First New York and Colonel Carr's Second New York had come up. General Pierce threw Allen's Regiment into the lane on his left which Townsend's Third Regiment had occupied at the beginning of its advance, and from which it had now retired ; and he placed Carr's Regi- ment in the position which had been occupied by Duryea's Fifth Regiment, now withdrawn. Under protection of this new line the dead and wounded were ordered to be collected and carried off. The retreat then began, Allen's and Carr's Regiments cov- ering the rear.
The following extract from Major Randolph's report gives us a glimpse of Alien's and Carr's Regiments as they arrived on the field: </