46 NortH Caronina Troops, 1861-’65.

tle, and built breastworks, but were not engaged, more than
on the skirmish line. The weather was fearfully cold, and the
pickets were relieved every two hours, as they could not stay
longer without fire. The skirmish lines were not far apart,
and exposure was dangerous. In a thicket of old field pines,
between the lines, a flock of wild turkeys lit down. A fine,
large gobbler lost his life there by this rashness, and lay in
full view of both picket lines. Disregarding the danger,
each side determined to capture that turkey, and several men
were gobblerized during the day. After sun down George W.
Corbett in charge of the Eighteenth skirmishers, played tac-
tics to bring him in. Picking a man to help him, they ap-
proached in different directions, and succeeded in bagging the
game, as well as in getting a new overcoat and blanket off of
an equally venturesome, but less successful blue-coater that
lay near by. The pot boiled that night. A. P. Hill’s division
was massed Tuesday night, 1 December, to attack next morn-
ing, but during the night Meade recrossed the river.. We
gladly returned to our winter quarters at Liberty Mills and
spent the winter there.

Who that saw it, will ever forget the snow-ball battle that
started in fun, and spread from regiment to brigade, then
division and corps, till the line from Liberty Mill to Orange
Court House was engaged in the exhiliarating sport ?

Some disgruntled spirit, at last, threw a rock in his snow-
ball and brought blood. This dastardly act was promptly re-
sented, and went to such an extent that the men rushed for

their arms, and it took the best efforts of the officers and.

level-headed men for a while to prevent the rebel yell, and
snow-ball from being followed by real powder and ball:
During the winter Governor Vance made a tour of the army
in his candidacy for re-election as governor of North Caro-
lina. He received an ovation wherever he went and captured
the army in toto. ;
General Grant’s successes in the western army made him
commander of the armies of the United States in the field.
During the winter he came east, and personally assumed com-
mand of the army of the Potomac. Most favorably situated,
and with carte-blanche he supplied his command with every-

EIGHTEENTH REGIMENT. 47

thing he wanted. It was a spectacle worth beholding, and
calculated to swell the bosom of any man with pride, to look
upon the one hundred and forty thousand men, with which
he crossed the Rapidan, 4 May, 1864, as splendidly equipped
a body of men as ever trod the face of the earth. Well might
he have said:

“Behold them, in their glory,

You will soon read our story,
On to Richmond!!!”

General Lee had sixty thousand men scantily supplied with
everything, save grit, with which to meet this mighty host.

The disparity of numbers, and condition was appalling,
but the ragged Confederates did not faint or falter.
sae the evening of the 5th Heth and Pender’s divisions of

ill’s corps, some 5 gag irney’ : ib-
bon’s ea Gadlew's ane Tee ce % ae G a

ow’s 8, : ps, with Getty’s
division of the Sixth corps, say 40,000 men, and did good
service.

The Eighteenth was sent to the front and on the right of
the Orange plank road, near a mile from it, found the
Thirty-eighth North Carolina hotly engaged with Hancock’s
troops. Colonel Barry and Lieutenant-Colonel Ashford
fought their regiments, as emergency required, in various
positions, till nightfall, when I was sent back to report their
condition and get instructions. Shifting position so often
during the evening I had lost my bearings, and in the dark-
ness got into Hancock’s corps and had to tack variously to
get out. About 11 o’cloeck I got into Wilcox’s troops, on a
straight run down the plank road. Before I stopped my
run, I recognized General Wilcox’s white horse, and going to
him found Wilcox. Out of wind, and gasping between
words, I told him that I was just out of Hancock’s ‘corps, and
that there was not a man between him and Hancock’s skir-
mishers. He evidently did not believe a word of it, and was
not over polite in letting me know it. I found where my
command was and went to it. General Lane, Colonels Barry
Avery and others believed my statement, and went to Wilcox