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364 NortH Carortina Troops, 1861-’65.

same time Lowrance’s North Carolina Brigade rushed from
its rear and joined Frye’s and Garnett at the angle of the
wall. The two guns of Cushing’s battery at the wall were
silenced.

“The left of that charging column under Pettigrew and
Trimble, suffered as severely as the right under Pickett.
Great injustice has been done these troops by the prevailing
erroneous impressions that they failed to advance with those
of Pickett.

“Such is not the fact, as they were formed behind Seminary
Ridge they had over 1,300 yards to march under the terri-
ble fire to which they were exposed, while Pickett’s Division
being formed under cover of the intermediate ridge, had but
900 yards to march under fire. At first, the assaulting col-
umns advanced en echelon, but when they reached the Em-
mettsburg road, they were on a line, and together they crossed
the road. The left of Pettigrew’s command becoming first
exposed to the fearful enfilading fire upon their left flank
from the Eighth Ohio, and other regiments of Hay’s Division
and of Woodruff’s Battery and other troops, the men on that
part of the line (Brockenborough’s Brigade) either broke to
the rear or threw themselves on the ground for protection.

“But Pettigrew’s other brigades, Davis, Marshall and Frye,
with the brigades of Lowrance and Lane, under Trimble, ad-
vanced with Pickett to the stone wall and there fought desper-
ately. As the assaulting column reached the wall, Wilcox’s
Alabama and Perry’s Florida Brigade to the right, marching
according to order, but becoming separated from Pickett,
had resumed the march to the left, and were now advancing
from the top of the crest, from behind which Pickett had
emerged, directly towards McGilvery’s batteries and the
Third Corps, but received by a severe fire from Stannard’s
Vermonters, who had changed front again, and exposed to a
severe artillery fire and seeing the commands of Pickett, Pet-
tigrew and Trimble repulsed, they withdrew under cover of
the hill. Thus ended this reckless and ever renowned effort

to carry Cemetery Hill by direct assault in the face of 100
cannon and the Federal Army.”

 

TWwENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.

Quoting from Major Jones’ report, he says:

“About 2 o’clock we were ordered to advance. It was an
open field about three-quarters of a mile in width. In
moving off there was some confusion in the line, owing to the
fact that it had been ordered to close in on the right on Pick-
ett’s division, while that command gave way to the left. This
was soon corrected, and the advance was made in perfect or-
der. When about half across the intermediate space the ene-
my opened on us a most destructive fire of grape and canister.
When within about 250 or 300 yards of the stone wall behind
which the enemy was posted, we were met by a perfect hail
storm of lead from their small arms. The brigade dashed on
and many had reached the wall when we received a deadly vol-
ley from the left. The whole line on the left had given way,
and we were being rapidly flanked, and with our thinned
ranks and in such a position it would have been folly to stand
against such odds.

“After this day’s fight but one field officer was left in the
brigade, and regiments that went in with Colonels came out
commanded by Lieutenants.”

A member of the Twenty-sixth Regiment thus describes the
charge:

“As soon as the fire of the artillery ceased, General Pet-
tigrew, his face lit up with the bright look it always wore
when in battle, rode up to Colonel Marshall, in command of
the brigade, and said: ‘Now Colonel, for the honor of tne
good Old North State. Forward.’ Colonel Marshall promptly
repeated the command, which taken up by the regimental
commanders, the T'wenty-sixth marched down the hill into
the valley between the two lines. As the forward march con-
tinued, our artillery would occasionally fire a shot over the
heads of the troops to assure them that they had friends in
the rear.

“The brigade had not advanced far when the noble Mar-
shall fell, and the command of the brigade devolved on Major
Jones, of the Twenty-sixth, while that of the regiment on
Captain S. W. Brewer, of Company E, a man who proved on