240 Norta Carotina Troops, 1861-’65. Twenry-Taiep Reencent. 944 at Chancellorsville had also been severely criticised. Where dream so bright, or paradise so sweet that some one did not he was when Pender led forward his (Iverson’s) brigade, has come to spoil it. Grant spoiled ours. never been explained. The Confederate newspapers of that Beginning at midnight of 3 May, 1864, Grant, now Com- period spoke of strained relations between Lee and Davis be- mander-in-C hief of the Federal armies, suddenly threw cause Davis refused to let Lee court-martial the “delinquent nearly 120,000 men under Meade, across the Rapidan. brigadiers” for their action, or rather non-action, at Gettys- Grant’s plan was to flank Lee out of his entrenched position burg. However, the fact of any coldness between them was on Mine Run and fight him somewhere between the river and Richmond if he would stand. That Lee did stand is at- tested by the fall during this movement of more Federals than Lee had men. Our brigade left Taylorsville at 11 a. m., On the retreat we crossed the Potomac at Falling Waters 4 May and by _the quickest forced march on_ record near Williamsport, 10 July. After operating in the covered sixty-six miles in twenty-three hours. Army mules valley for a short while, our corps moved towards Madison fell dead in their traces under the severe strain, but without Court House. Here we rested till Lee’s move 9 October stopping for bivouac, or hardly for rest, we held out and to strike Meade’s flank, who was then at Culpepper Court reached the plank road near the Wilderness Tavern, on House. On that march the Twenty-third, Fifth and part of the 5th. the Twelfth, all under command of Lieutenant- Solonel Davis, Dead tired as we wore) we were ordered forward about sun- of the Twelfth, crossed the Rapidan at Raccoon Ford. This set, with J. B. Gordon’s brigade. The movement was under detachment was highly commended for a gallant charge on a Gordon s command and was directed against a k ederal battery and its support. The regiment sustained loss both at right. Driving the enemy back a mile or more with slight Vidiersville and near Brandy Station during the same move- loss to ourselves, we halted on the turnpike and slept as even ment. ed soldiers hardly ever slept before. During the night of We went into winter quarters near Orange Court House. v May, Grant began his Denking: eeromett pee — But, in February, or March, our brigade was detached to right. Lee swung Anderson’s division ia a : — guard bridges over the North and South Anna rivers, near him off at Spottsylvania Court House. tw 2 wh ie on - Hanover Court House. Here we were recruited, equipped, march to Spottsylvania that J ohastins brigade W ay sents and put in good trim. to their regret, transferred from Rodes’ division gen bi In barracks at Taylorsville, near Hanover, with no enemy Early being assigned temporarily to the command of Hill’s near, the command had the only really good time during the corps, Gordon commanded the alee sora gerne war. The only thing like work was the attempt to overtake On the 9th, at Spottsylvania, our brigade, 3 idi v i onnoissance on the Confederate right the raiding force under Dahlgren. Neat uniforms and even 400 men, made a ae : ae ie a and drove back a division of Burnside’s corps, but seeing himself nearly enveloped by the enemy in overwhelming Eating regularly force, Johnston withdrew his brigade in time to escape cap- three times a day, keeping dry and sleeping warm of nights ture. The Twenty-third ee fs ¥ sere - oe seemed a preposterous thing to a Confederate soldier. We | Sergeant Thomas Powell was W “t : ea i apn even went into politics. 11 March, 1864, the brigade held a few days later in Washington. eyes ro mer 8, convention at Taylorsville, endorsing Vance as against Hol- the Twelfth, was now in command of the ent; : den and his treasonable influences. But there never was @ 16 denied. THE RETURN TO VIRGINIA. pleated-bosom shirts, long unknown, were here to be seen, - some of the boys bent on luxury in the extreme—thorough- going sybarites—actually boarded out.