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348 NortH CaroLtina Troops, 1861-65.

severely, especially while charging across Willoughby Run,
and reforming thereafter.

The situation then at 2 o’clock p. m., 1 July, 1863, is
this: The Iron Brigade in line of battle in McPherson’s
woods is waiting the assault of Pettigrew’s brigade, with the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiment of said brigade
directly in their front, separated by Willoughby Run and
disant about 300 yards.

The regiments of Pettigrew’s Brigade were in line by
echelon, the Twenty-sixth being in the advance and the Elev-
enth on its right some distance in the rear; the Forty-seventh
regiment in rear of the Eleventh, and the Fifty-second in
rear of the Forty-seventh. This made the Confederate troops
appear to the enemy’s vision, as in several lines of battle,
whereas there was only one line of battle, and as the fight
progressed, these regiments came up successively and formed
one single line in the attack. They had, however, as their
support Pender’s division, some distance in the rear.

THE IRON BRIGADE.—ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

The author of the History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan
Regiment of this Brigade, thus accounts for its name and
gives its record. Its cognomen, “Iron Brigade,” was given
them by General McClellan for intrepidity in the battle of
South Mountain, 15 September, 1862. In proportion to its
numbers it sustained the heaviest loss of any brigade in the
Union army. Its loss at Gettysburg, first day’s fight, was
1,153 out of 1,883 engaged, or 61 per cent. The Second Wis-
consin sustained the greatest percentage of loss in killed and
wounded of all the 2,000 regiments in the Union army. Its
loss at Gettysburg was 77 per cent. of those engaged.

The Sixth Wisconsin had a total loss of 867 killed and
wounded during the war, and the officer in command of the
Second Mississippi Regiment of Davis’ Brigade with 232 of
his regiment and its colors, surrendered to this regiment in
the early part of the first day’s fight.

The Seventh Wisconsin met with the greatest loss of any
regiment in the Union army at the battles of the Wilder-
ness, and had 1,016 men killed and wounded during the war.

Twenty-SixtH REGIMENT. 349

The Nineteenth Indiana in its first battle at Manassas, sus-
tained a loss of 61 per cent., 259 out of 423 engaged, and the
Twenty-fourth Michigan sustained the greatest loss of any

regiment in the Union army at Gettysburg, 80 per cent., vi
397 out of 496. : ce Nede s -» VIZ.

M’PHERSON’S WOODS.

General Doubleday says: “On the most westerly of these
ridges (McPherson’s) General Reynolds had directed his line
to be formed. A small piece of woods (in the shape of a rec-
tangular parallelogram) cut the line of battle in about two
equal parts. These woods possessed all the advantage of a
redoubt strengthening the centre of the line and enfilading
the enemy’s columns should they advance in the open spaces
on either side. I deemed the extremity of the woods which
extended to the summit of the ridge, to be the key of the
position, and urged that portion of Meredith’s ( Iron) Bri-
gade—the western men assigned to its defense—to hold it to
the last extremity. Full of the memory of their past achieve-
ments, they replied cheerfully and proudly: ‘If we can’t hold
it, where will you find the men who ean? ”

Major John T. Jones, of the Twenty-sixth North Caro-
lina Regiment, who commanded Pettigrew’s Brigade after the
third day’s fight, and made the official report for the brigade,
dated 9 August, 1863, thus describes the field:

“Tn our front was a wheat field about a fourth of a mile
wide, then came a branch (Willoughby Run) with thick un-
derbrush and briers skirting the banks. Beyond this again
was an open field with the exception of a wooded hill (Mc-
Pherson’s woods) directly in front of the Twenty-sixth Regi-
ment, and about covering its front. Skirmishers being
thrown out, we remained in line of battle until 2 p. m., when
orders to advance were given.”

THE CHARGE,

The Twenty-sixth was the extreme left regiment of Petti-
grew’s Brigade. It directly faced McPherson’s woods and
its front about covered the width of the woods. The Iron
Brigade occupied these woods; the open space on the left of