236 Norra Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

the right wing of the Federal line just as we came up. This
effected, the enemy moving under cover of the ridge and
woods, disposed his forces to enfilade our right from the woods
just as our left was enfiladed from the stone fence.

Pressing forward with heavy loss under deadly fire our
regiment, which was the second from the right, reached a
hollow or low place, running irregularly north, east and south-
west through the field. We were then about eighty yards
from the stone fence to the left and somewhat further from
the woods to the right, from both of which, as well as from
the more distant corner of the field in our front, poured down
upon us a pitiless rifle fire.

Unable to advance, unwilling to retreat, the brigade lay
down in this hollow or depression in the field and fought as
best it could. Terrible was the loss sustained, our regiment
losing the heaviest of all in killed, as from its position in
line the cross enfilading fire seems to have been the hottest just
where it lay. Major C. C. Blacknall was shot through the
mouth and neck before the advance was checked. Lieuten-
ant-Colonel R. D. Johnson was desperately, and Colonel D.
H. Christie mortally wounded, as the line lay in the bloody
hollow. There, too, fell every commissioned officer save one;
the recorded death-roll footing up 54 killed and 82 wounded.
The real loss was far greater, almost surely 50 per cent.
greater. Captain G. T. Baskerville, Company I; Lieutenant
C. W. Champion, Company G, and Adjutant Junius B.
French, were killed. Captain A. D. Peace, Company E,
and Lieutenant Wm. M. Mundy were wounded. Captain H.
G. Turner, Company H, was wounded and captured. Cap-
tain Wm. H. Johnston, Company K, was captured.

The carnage was great along our whole line which, except
the Twelfth Regiment on the right, was at the mercy of the
enemy. The Twelfth, under Colonel Davis, protected some-
what by the lay of the field and being further from the stone
wall, refused both wings and fighting to right, left and
front, gallantly beat off its assailants till help came.

Ramseur was now hastening to our relief. The wary foe
aware of this, swarmed over the wall and rushed down upon
our weakened line. Leaving the wounded they drove off

TwWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 287

with bayonets and clubbed muskets 49 prisoners and carried
our flag with them. The One Hundred and First New York
regiment has marked with a stone the point reached in this
charge. It stands about where the Twenty-third lay. This
rush was all over in a moment, for Ramseur was coming up.
This gallant officer, had he continued to advance as he started,
straight against the stone fence, must have met with disaster
just as we did. It is said that Lieutenant Crowder, of Com-
pany A, and Lieutenant Dugger, of another regiment, ran
back and advised him to file off to the left and strike the
Federal right. At any rate he effected this movement with
brilliant and decisive success. The enemy saw it and ap-
prehending its meaning, strove to change front to meet him.
They were too late. Ramseur caught them in the act, and his
rifles silent till then, enfiladed their line along the stone fence
with terrible and crushing effect. This fire also killed Rial
Stewart, and perhaps others of our regiment, who had just
been captured and were being taken to the Federal rear.

Ramseur’s onset began the enemy’s reverses which ended
in their being driven back through the town of Gettysburg
with the loss of 5,000 prisoners, besides many killed and
wounded. What was left of our regiment and brigade went
forward in the attack and pursuit. Fire was opened on us
from the houses as we rushed into the place, but we shouted
that we would burn the town unless it stopped. The firing
ceased.

General Rodes said that Iverson’s men fought and died
like heroes. When the brigade went from its position in the
hollow its dead and wounded lay in distinctly marked line

- of battle from one end to the other. The imperfect returns

show 512 killed and wounded. The most careful estimate
makes it over 750. A member of the Twenty-third lying
stone dead, his musket clinched in his hand and five bullets
through his head attests the close and deadly fire under which
they lay. Thirty-five years after the battle the writer found
in the clay of the pits from which Iverson’s dead had been re-
moved to Richmond, flattened bullets which had evidently
fallen from the disinterred skeletons. The field was even then
a veritable mine of war relics—bullets, grape shot and pieces