298 Nort Carortna Troops, 1861-’65.

In April, 1864, the regiment participated in the assault
and capture of Plymouth, N. C.

During the Virginia and Maryland campaigns, Colonel
Rutledge had so endeared himself to the non-commissioned of-
ficers and privates of his regiment, by his courage and kind-
ness, that they presented him a fine saddle horse, not allowing
the commissioned officers to bear any part of the expense or
take any part in the presentation ceremonies.

General Robert Ransom was promoted Major-General June
1863, and Colonel Matthew W. Ransom, of the Thirty-fifth,
was promoted to Brigadier-General and assigned to the com-
mand of the brigade. General Matthew Ransom was a law-
yer, very handsome in appearance, of undoubted courage and
knew the temper of volunteer soldiers. The men of the regi-
ment loved him and trusted him.

The regiment was engaged at Drewry’s Bluff 12 May,
1864, in which engagement Company F lost Lieutenant
Ebed J. Ferguson, killed, and six non-commissioned officers
and privates wounded; and participated in the engagements
at Ware Bottom Church and Bermuda Hundred.

On 16 June, 1864, the regiment crossed to the South of
the Appomattox for the defence of Petersburg and entered at
once into the fight in front of Avery’s House, and checked the
advance of the enemy who was driving back the Petersburg
militia, the only protection to the city at that time. On the
night of the 17th the regiment participated in the engagement
at Avery’s Farm, and drove the enemy from their breastworks
at the point where the Twenty-fifth made its attack.

From 16 June, 1864, until April, 1865, the regiment was
constantly under fire, with the exception of about ten days
in March, oceupying the trenches in front of Petersburg.
The position of the regiment on 30 June, 1864,
was on the right of Ransom’s brigade and to the
left of Elliott’s South Carolina brigade. The explosion of
Grant’s Mine (the “Crater”) was in the line oceupied by the
left regiment of the South Carolina brigade. Immediately
after the explosion the Twenty-fifth regiment, then number-
ing about two hundred and fifty men moved from the trenches
and formed a new line in the rear of the trenches occupied by

Twenty-FirrH REGIMENT. 299

the South Carolinians, which had been taken at the time of
the explosion and which were then occupied by the enemy. The
regiment, with a remnant of the Sixth South Carolina, was the
only force between the enemy and the city, at that point.
The enemy massed his troops in our trenches in front of us
until he had sixteen regimental flags in our works. He made
several attempts to move forward and force our line, but
was successfully repulsed and held in check for several hours,
until reinforcements arrived. The regiment led Mahone’s
men in the charge which retook the works. In retaking the
works the fight was hand to hand, with guns, bayonets, and
swords, in fact anything a man could fight with. One six-
teen year old boy had his gun knocked out of his hands and
picked up a cartridge box and fought with that. Major
Grady, who commanded the regiment, was mortally wounded
and Captain Jas. M. Cathey, of Company F, killed.

On 21 August, 1864, the regiment participated in the
battle of the Weldon Railroad, between Petersburg and
Reams’ Station. The enemy had entrenched himself behind
heavy earthworks and had felled the timber in front, crossing
the laps of the trees and sharpening the limbs. In order
to reach their works the timber had to be removed so as to
make a passway for the men. During this time the enemy
kept up a constant fire until our men reached the works. The
color-bearer of the regiment was shot down and Sergeant
J. B. Hawkins, of Company C, caught the colors, rushed for-
ward and placed them on the works. The works were taken
and the enemy driven back under cover of his heavy artillery.
The loss of the regiment was heavy in killed and wounded.
Lieutenant Garland S. Ferguson, of Company F, was
wounded in the right shoulder, but did not quit the field.

On 25 March, 1865, a detail of ten men from each
regiment of Ransom’s brigade, under Lieutenant Burch, was
placed in charge of Lieutenant J. B. Hawkins, of Company
C, Twenty-fifth regiment, who received his orders from Gen-
eral Robert Ransom in these words: “I order you to take
Fort Steadman, not attack it.” Lieutenant Hawkins quietly
executed this order and had the fort in possession without the
firing of a gun.