386 NortH Caroina Troops, 1861-65. some of General Grant’s dispatches to General Halleck at Washington, D. C., giving the losses in his army on this march to Richmond: “4 May, 1864: The crossing of the Rapidan effected. Forty-eight hours will now demonstrate whether the enemy intend giving battle this side of Richmond.” It has been shown that in less than twelve hours from the date of this dis- patch Lee had inflicted a severe repulse upon Grant’s army. “6 May, 11:30 a. m.: We have been engaged with the enemy.in full force since early yesterday. I think all things are progressing favorably. Our loss to this time I do not think exceeds eight thousand. “7 May, 10 a. m.: Our losses to this time in killed wounded and prisoners will not exceed twelve thousand. : “11 May, 1864: We have lost up to this time, eleven gen- eral officers, killed, wounded and missing, and probably twenty thousand men. “26 May, 1864: Lee’s army is really whipped. The pris- oners we now take show it, and the action of his army shows it unmistakably. A battle with them outside of their intrench- ments cannot be had. Our men feel that they have gained the morale over the enemy and attack with confidence.” A few days later, General Grant’s tone is different. “S June, 1864: Without a greater sacrifice of human life than I am willing to make, all cannot be accomplished that I had designed. I have, therefore, resolved upon the follow- ing plan: Move to the south side of James river.” It is now well known that so disheartened was the army of the Potomae by its fearful losses in killed, wounded and missing from the crossing of the Rapidan to and including the battle of Cold Harbor, June 1-3, 1864 (the official reports make this loss over forty thousand), that at the latter battle the soldiers refused to. obey the orders to attack the Confed- erate lines. (In this last battle the Federals lost over ten thousand), and General Grant in his testimony before the Congressional Committee investigating the cause of the fail- ure at the Mine explosion (at Petersburg 30 July 1864) gave it as one of the explanations for the failure, “the detail of TwENTy-SIXTH REGIMENT. 387 white troops rather than Ferrero’s Division of negroes, to make the assault, the white troops being demoralized from their life in the trenches and losses in battle. From Spottsylvania Court House to the North Anna, at Hanover Junction, Cold Harbor, on the lines between Rich- mond and Petersburg, the Twenty-sixth was always prompt to respond to all orders. General Grant, like Wm. Taylor’s snake, would “wire in and wire out, and frequently left us still in doubt, whether he was coming in or going out.” INCIDENTS OF THIS CAMPAIGN. On two occasions while on the picket line between Spott- sylvania Court House and Richmond, Colonel Lane’s life was probably saved by the vigilance of his men. On one occasion Private Laban Ellis, of Company E, see- ing a Federal soldier taking aim at the Colonel, fired so quick that his ball struck the Federal’s gun as it went off and knocked it from his shoulder, whereupon the latter surren- dered and said to Colonel Lane: “Your man saved you.” On another occasion, as Colonel Lane, with Ira Nall, also of Company E, were making a reconnoissance of the ground in their front, Nall spied a man a few feet away with his gun leveled upon the Colonel. Without taking time to raise his gun to his shoulder, Nall fired and brought the Federal down, killing him. It would be impossible to state in detail all the engage- ments in which the regiment participated along this line. General Grant attempted to go around us, over us, and under us (explosion of the mine, 30 June, 1864), but was foiled in every attempt. Two of the most brilliant victories in which MacRae’s Brigade played a conspicuous part were the en- gagements at Davis House, 19 August, and Reams Station, 25 August, 1864. In General Lee’s reports of these actions, he thus writes 20 August, 1864: “General Hill attacked the enemy (Fifth Corps) yesterday afternoon at Davis House, three miles from Petersburg, on Weldon Railroad, defeated him and captured about 2,700 prisoners, including one Brigadier-General, and several field officers.”