446 NortH Carontina Troops, 1861-’65. thrown in front and we acted as his support. About 11 o’clock our brigade relieved Kirkland, he becoming our sup- port. We were then driving the enemy down the plank road leading from Orange Court House to F redericksburg—only cavalry as yet appearing in our front—and continued to drive them back till about 3 o’clock p. m. when, on reaching Brock road, where it crosses the plank road, we found the main body of the enemy. Immediately our whole brigade was thrown into line, the Fifteenth and Forty-sixth North Carolina being on the right of the road, and the Twenty-sev- enth and Forty-eighth North Carolina on the left. Very soon the battle opened in earnest, and we had to contend against large odds till near sundown, when we were relieved by Kirkland’s Brigade. The troops engaged on our side up to near sunset numbered, by actual calculation, 3,000, while the enemy were said to have brought forward 40,000. Our loss was severe; I am unable to give the loss of the Twenty- seventh, but out of 1,753 in the brigade for duty, as appeared by the report of the Inspector General made the day before, about 1,080 were killed or wounded. After being relieved by Kirkland, we were moved to the rear, and after dark that night were moved about one and a half or two miles back to a hill, where the line of battle of our army was es- tablished. The next morning (6 May, 1864), soon after sunrise, the enemy advanced, and were soon in full charge upon our lines. The troops both to the right and left of us, having no protec- tion, broke and fled. Our brigade, thanks to the breastworks which they had thrown up contrary to orders the night be- fore, held their ground, as did Williams’ Battery from North Carolina, commanded by Capt. Arthur B. Williams, a gallant young officer from Fayetteville, for whom we were the sup- port. Just as we were flanked on each side and almost ready to retreat, from force of circumstances, Anderson’s Corps came up and the gallant charge of the Texas Brigade was made. As they neared the position held by our brigade, Gen- eral Lee, our revered commander, rode to the front and called out that he would lead the charge. This, of course, was op- posed by every true soldier, and when he insisted upon going TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 447 to the front his horse was seized by the soldiers and officers, who told him he must go back or they would not go forward. This fact was given me by the Major of our regiment—a gal- lant officer—who was wounded within fifteen steps of Gen- eral Lee just as his horse was seized to prevent his going for- ward. As I was severely wounded at the battle of the Wilderness 5 May, and did not return to duty until 12 September, I am unable to give any detailed account of the movements of the regiment during the summer campaign of 1864. I have tried to supply this blank, but have been unable to get any account of our movements from officers and men to whom I have written and I can find no publications from which I can get the desired information. Even the ‘Records of the Rebellion” gives a very meagre account of this memorable campaign. During this campaign this regiment took part in many battles, skirmishes, etc., and I very much regret that a history of them cannot be given. We were engaged in the battles of Wilderness, Spottsylva- nia Court House, Gary’s Farm, Pole Green Church, Cold Harbor second, Weldon Railroad, Reams Station; and others. About the middle of July, 1864, we found ourselves in the trenches before Petersburg. August 24 we were moved from the trenches and took up the line of march from Reams Station on the railroad be- low Petersburg—having been told before we started, that as we had been in front in nearly all the fights during the summer, we should simply be “lookers-on in Venice” on this oceasion. Soon after reaching Reams Station a charge was made upon the enemy’s works by certain of our troops. They failing to capture them, General A. P. Hill ordered for- ward Cooke’s, McRae’s and Lane’s North Carolina Brigades. A part of our brigade (Cooke’s) having to pass through the open field and the other through undergrowth and fallen trees, General Cooke ordered his two left regiments, the Twenty-seventh and Forty-eighth North Carolina, forward first, and when they had gotten sufficiently advanced directed the other two, the Forty-sixth and Fifteenth, to advance.