Nortu Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN.

By this time the Federals were in strong force at Harper’s
Ferry. Moving by Hillsboro in Loudon County, they struck
our wagon trains on the 16th, inflicting some damage. We
were engaged in the brush that drove them off. On the
morning of the 17th, we crossed the Shenandoah at Castle-
man’s Ferry and took position at Berryville, our division
with that of Rodes, guarding the Harper’s Ferry road.
There was skirmishing with the enemy on the Shenandoah.
On the night of the 19th our division, Ramseur now in com-
mand, was moved back towards Winchester to protect the
town from the now aggressive Federals. On the 20th Ram-
seur moved upon Stephenson depot, near Winchester, to at-
tack Averill. The division while moving by the flank, was
suddenly assailed by a large foree of Averill’s cavalry ad-
vancing in line of battle. Thus surprised, the division was
thrown into disorder. But Colonel Jackson made a gallant
charge with his cavalry and Ramseur rallying his men,
Averill was driven off.

The Richmond Sentinel printed about this time a commu-
nication very disparaging to the North Carolina troops, and
especially to Johnston’s brigade, exalting Pegram’s Virginia
brigade at their expense. In a word it was claimed that John-
ston’s men ran without firing a gun and that Pegram’s re-
doubtables alone saved them from annihilation. Colonel ©.
©. Blacknall in a letter a few days after the battle, after re-
ferring to the false and deprecatory account of the affair as
published in The Sentinel, says: “The truth of the mat-
ter and which will be attested by every gentleman who was
present, was as follows: General Ramseur marched the divis-
ion down the Winchester road and from the reports of the
officer commanding our cavalry in front, was led to believe
that the enemy in small force were at a point more distant
than we found them to be after reaching the body of woods
where our cavalry were in line of battle. General Ramseur
formed Hoke’s Brigade on the left and Johnston’s on the
right of the road. Pegram being in the rear when we sud-
denly found the enemy in a field, immediately in our front,

Twenty-THIRD REGIMENT. 249

we advanced and engaged him without hesitation, our men
advancing under a heavy and destructive fire in splendid
style. The enemy’s line in the meantime overlapping Hoke’s
left and pouring into his flank a heavy enfilade fire which
caused his left regiment to give way, the panic being commu-
nicated to the other regiments of the brigade, each one in turn
falling back hastily and in some confusion. While this was
going on, Johnston’s Brigade was steadily advancing, having
broken the enemy’s line in our front and caused him to fall
back before our advancing column. The left of our brigade,
the Twelfth and Twenty-third Regiments, had advanced to
within sixty yards of the enemy’s line of battle, and every
man was standing up manfully when our left was suddenly
uncovered by the falling back of Hoke’s brigade, the enemy
pouring in a large force immediately on our flank. Our lit-
tle brigade being alone and unsupported were, from the na-
ture of the case, compelled to retreat or be captured, as we
could not resist the immense odds which were hurled
against us.

“Pegram’s Brigade being in the rear of Hoke’s, joined in
the race and made its escape from the place of danger as fast
as heels could carry them without even attempting to make
a stand. After falling back to the railroad, some distance, it
was thought necessary to make a stand to cover the retreat
when the Twelfth and T wenty-third North Carolina Regi-
ments, commanded respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Davis
and ‘myself were the only troops that eould be rallied; all
the rest of the division retreating in much disorder to the
fortifications. When we marched back to the line where the

troops had been halted, we found Pegram’s Brigade had
me before us, although the world has

gotten there some ti
been informed through the papers that they covered our re-
treat. General Ramseur stated to General Early that ‘John-
ston’s Brigade whipped everything in its front and was last
to leave the field,’ which is known to be true by every man
who was engaged in this unfortunate affair. The enemy had
many killed and wounded in our immediate front, which in-

dicated very conclusively that we were not stampeded without