72 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

railroad on 13 December, 1862, soon after which our
skirmish line came in and the enemy developed in great
numbers and swept us from our position at the railroad. We
soon rallied and swept on to the railroad again, the Eigh-
teenth and Seventh Regiments of our brigade not stopping at
the railroad, but going on to the hill beyond, on the top of
which we were in full view of the enemy, killing a great
many and losing some of our best men, as an offset for our
daring charge. From that time on, the fight was not heavy
in our front, but was in front of the city. The night the
enemy re-crossed the river, a general charge had been ordered
all along the line, but was countermanded by General Lee.
Then the campaign of 1862 ended with the victory at Fred-
ericksburg. We went into winter quarters on the Rappahan-
nock near Moss Neck church, at Camp Gregg, named Son
that general who was killed at Fredericksburg. Here Gen-
eral Lane was presented with a fine saddle and bridle by the
field officers in token of their appreciation of his merits.
Under an act of the Confederate Congress a medal was to be
given to the man who was voted by his comrades as the
bravest and best soldier. The company to which Jesse F.
Bloodworth (Company K, Eighteenth N. ©.) belonged,
without a dissenting voice, decided for him, and although
the medal never came, yet not one of Napoleon’s old guard,
could have more richly deserved, nor more worthily won it.
The campaign of 1863 soon opened and we had to aban-
don our comfortable quarters at Camp Gregg. A slight
brush at the “Wilderness” was the opening prelude to that
ever memorable campaign. With Jackson we took part in
the flank movement around to Chancellorsville. The enemy
were completely surprised (for this was Jackson’s way) in
an old field where a part of their forces were camped. They
left their coffee on the fire and “stood not upon the order of
their going.” We marched some distance and filed left into
a woodland and formed line of battle about dark
with our right resting on the plank road. The Eigh-
teenth was the left regiment, and the Fiftieth Virginia
was upon our left. It was now well dark; our skirmishers
had gone forward. In a few moments Generals Jackson and

EIGHTEENTH REGIMENT. 73

A. P. Hill came riding down the plank road from the front,
with a good many staff officers and couriers whose appearance
in the gloom (we did not then know who they were) was well
calculated to create the impression that the enemy’s cavalry
were advancing. This party wheeled into the woods exactly
in front of the Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment. Our
men having seen the skirmishers go forward, besides knowing
that we had no friends in that direction, reasonably concluded
that it was the enemy coming down upon us. At this mo-
ment some over-excited man in the line shouted “ Javalry,”
whereupon the Eighteenth Regiment opened fire. The Fif-
tieth Virginia Regiment also opened fire, and General Jack-
son—the immortal “Stonewall’”—received his mortal wound
at the hands of those who loved him ‘more than life, any one
of whom would have risked and if need be, sacrificed his own
life to save that of his beloved general,

He was to the Army of Northern Virginia what Ney was
to Napoleon, its very strong right arm, and yet by the in-
exorable decree of fate it was reserved for the Eigh-
teenth Regiment of North Carolina, in the discharge
of a supposed duty, to deprive the Southern Army of its
chief pillar of support, its most. brilli ant, matchless and
greatest soldier. In addition to the firing from our ranks the
enemy’s artillery also opened upon us, from which it is sup-
posed General Jackson received other wounds while being
borne from the field.

We moved to the right of the plank road, when during the
night we repulsed a heavy charge of the enemy. The next
day (Sunday) the fight was renewed by our brigade charging
the enemy’s works, defended by about forty pieces of artillery
heavily supported. Three times we charged, and finally cap-
tured the works. Our regiment lost heavily. General A. P.
Hill having been wounded the night previous, our corps was
commanded by General J. E. B. Stuart. Here the gallant
Colonel Thos. J. Purdie, of Bladen € Sounty, Colonel of the
Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment, fell while gallantly
leading his men. After this battle we returned to Camp
Gregg, where a change of field officers was had. Major Jno.
D. Barry, of Wilmington, was made Colonel, vice Purdie,