452 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

ordered forward, Cooke’s Georgia Brigade taking the place of
ours. As they advanced, the three left companies of the
Twenty-seventh North Carolina (Companies H, G and B)
thinking the command was given by our Brigadier, went for-
ward with them and fought through the remainder of the af-
ternoon, losing several men. After dark we returned to our
breastworks, and upon reaching them found that we had been
fighting not more than six hundred yards from and directly
in front of our camp. Why we were moved two miles up
our line and then to the front to take the lead in the charge
immediately in front of our position, which was then held
by other troops, I never could understand. The next morn-
ing (6 February, 1865), we again moved to the front and
passing quietly, about daylight, along a path on the bank of
the creek, formed a line some five hundred yards in front of
our works. We lay here in line of battle all day to prevent
the enemy from crossing the creek and turning the flank of
Gordon’s Corps, who were driving them from their side of
the creek. Although the enemy were very near we had no
engagement except a little skirmishing and picket firing.
Returning to camp that night we enjoyed about six weeks of
quiet and rest.

On the night of 24 March, 1865, orders were given for us
to march. Leaving our sick and disabled to hold our picket
line we took the road for Petersburg—eight miles distant—
not knowing whither we were bound beyond that point.
Reaching Petersburg about midnight we bivouacked near the
Water-works. Next morning about daylight the artillery
opened fire and soon it was reported that our troops had
carried the enemy’s line and had possession of their works.
We were hurried into the trenches to take the place of the
troops who had advanced.

Soon after reaching the works we saw large bodies of the
enemy moving up their line from their left—our right—both
on foot and on the railroad, and soon our troops who had
charged were driven back, and we learned that the attempt to
carry “Hare’s Hill” had failed. Our position being just
to the right of the troops engaged we had, for the first time
during the war, an opportunity of seeing a fight in which we

 

TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 453

did not take part. The view, at a distance, looks worse than
the reality seems while you are actually in it. About 2
o’clock p. m. we were ordered back to camp. Before reach-
ing it, however, we perceived by the firing that there was a
fight going on at that point, and on arriving at our camp
found the enemy in possession of our picket line. They
had charged it in the morning and captured it from our sick
and disabled. McComb’s Alabama Brigade was then thrown
into our lines and, charging, retook the picket line and placed
a heavy force there. In the afternoon the enemy, charging
with a heavier force, retook it from them just before we ar-
rived. General Cooke calling out our sharpshooters—100
men—ordered them to move quietly down the bank of the
creek, until they reached the picket line and then to flank it
and charge down it. As they raised the yell for the charge,
the reserve, or Second Corps of sharpshooters, started from a
gap in our works and soon the whole of the picket line of our
brigade was again in our possession. Next morning, (26
March) our sharpshooters were relieved by a regular picket
line. The enemy had in the meantime established their
picket line, during the night, within fifty yards in front of
the left of our line, while on our left they were on a line with
us, the troops on our left having failed to recapture their
picket line. The next night our line was thrown back a little
on the left so as to prevent any flank or enfilade fire, and thus
we remained until Thursday, 30 March, 1865, when several
attacks were made upon our picket line, then commanded by
Captain John A. Sloan, of Company B, Twenty-seventh
North Carolina, but we still held our own. Next day, how-
ever, after frequent attacks by a large force, our pickets were
compelled to yield and fall back to the main line.

The next morning, Saturday, 1 April, about two hours be-
fore day, Companies G and H, Twenty-seventh North Caro-
lina, with a detachment from each of the other regiments of
our brigade, and the Twenty-sixth Mississippi Battalion,
were ordered forward to drive the enemy out of our picket
line and to take possession of it and hold it. A double line
of skirmishers, from another brigade, was in our front when
we advanced. When near where our picket line had been we